Deadline: 18 April 2025
- Summary
This four-year project has recently been funded by the Teagasc Walsh Scholarship Programme. Two partner organizations will participate in this project: the Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering at Trinity College Dublin; and the Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc Grange (the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority). This project will provide financial support to a student who will be registered in Trinity College Dublin.
The research will focus on the microbial ecology of anaerobic digesters treating a mixture of manure and grass silage as feedstock. The successful candidate will conduct advanced microbiological analyses of full-scale AD systems at the Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research Centre in Grange, Co. Meath. The research will leverage state-of-the-art metatranscriptomics, carbon stable isotope probing, and microsensor profiling to understand microbial interactions and optimize biogas production.
This PhD position offers a unique opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary team under the supervision of Professor Muhammad Ali (TCD) and Dr. Ciara Beausang (Teagasc), with co-supervision by international experts in environmental microbiology and bioengineering.
- Standard Duties and Responsibilities of the Post
- Conduct microbial ecology studies of AD systems treating manure and grass silage.
- Perform metagenomics and metatranscriptomics analyses to identify key microbial players in AD processes.
- Utilize microsensors and isotope probing techniques to assess microbial interactions at the microscale.
- Monitor seasonal variations in feedstock composition and their impact on digester performance.
- Engage in the design and operation of laboratory-based bioreactors to test various feedstock compositions.
- Collaborate with international research partners and contribute to high-impact publications.
III. Funding Information
- This project is funded by Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (Teagasc) through Walsh Scholars Programme.
- The selected candidate will receive an annual stipend of €25,000, along with an annual tuition fee contribution of €6,000 for up to four years.
- NOTE: Applicants must have been resident in an EU member state for 3 out of the last 5 years to be eligible for EU fees
- Qualifications & Skills & Competencies
- MSc in Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Engineering, Bioprocess Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience in anaerobic digestion, biogas production, or environmental microbiology.
- Proficiency in DNA/RNA extraction, next-generation sequencing, and bioinformatics is desirable.
- Strong communication, analytical, and teamwork skills.
- Strong analytical and communication skills (written and oral English).
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team.
- Capacity to supervise undergraduate students, prepare high-impact manuscripts, and
- Present findings at national and international conferences
- Application Procedure
- Interested candidates are invited to complete the application form available at this link .
- Additional documents or information may be requested as needed.
- The deadline for submission is Friday, 18 April, 2025.
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
- For any inquiries regarding this position, please contact Professor Muhammad Ali at [email protected] or Dr. Ciara Beausang at [email protected] , mentioning the PhD position title “PhD Position: Microbial Ecology of Anaerobic Digestion Systems Treating Manure and Grass Silage” in the subject line.
For Free Educational Videos On Agriculture and related fields, Please Click HERE