Our group (‚Synthetic enzyme cascades’) focusses on the production of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals based on renewable ressources. For this, we develop enzyme toolboxes for modular combination to enzymatic cascades, which are new to nature and optimise the cascades using reaction engineering.
Aim of the project:
This project is part of the cluster of excellence ‘The Fuel Science Center’ which aims to design, synthesise, and test new liquid fuels for the transportation sector and to produce fine chemicals based on renewable resources. Your project will be to increase the stereoselectivity of a two-step enzymatic cascade by screening new enzymes from our toolbox, adding solvents, and using reaction engineering to optimise the cascade.
Methods used within the project:
- Production of enzymes as lyophillised whole cells
- Screening of enzymes for a two-step catalytic reaction
- Reaction engineering towards high stereoselectivities including biocatalysis in unconventional media
- Analysis of samples using gas chromatography
- Upscaling of the reaction to larger volumes including downstream processing
Your qualifications:
- You study biology, biotechnology or a similar programme
- You are interested in biocatalysis, microbiology, and analytics
- You shape your project and introduce your own ideas
- Experience in microbiology, biocatalysis, or GC analysis is advantageous
The thesis can start in november 2020, however there is some flexibility.
Please only submit applications via e-mail consisting of a CV and transcript of records. The minimal duration of the project is 6 months.
Contact:
Jan-Dirk Spöring
+49 2461 61-5199
j.spoering@fz-juelich.de
Forschungszentrum Jülich
IBG-1: Biotechnologie
AG Biocatalysis
D-52425 Jülich
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Master thesis: Production of chiral fine chemicals using synthetic enzyme cascades (PDF, 220 kB)