Our team is looking for a PhD candidate who should fulfill the following requirements:
1. You have a master's degree (with at least a distinction) in the field of biosciences, bio-engineering, (micro)biology or equivalent. This degree must be obtained within the last 3 years at a university in the European Economic Area (EEA)
2. You have experience in studying microbial ecology and genetic engineering
3. You are interested in conducting research at the interface of molecular biology, animal production, microbial ecology and feed technology.
4. You are hands-on oriented and have a creative and critical approach
5. You like the challenge of solving problems and overcoming technical challenges
6. You have good oral and written communication skills in English
7. You can work independently, but also well in a team and show sufficient initiative.
8. You are driven to successfully complete doctoral research under supervision.
In the past ten years, the production of insects for food and feed is booming in Europe. Of particular interest are the larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF), who demonstrate a remarkable capacity to convert organic wastes into valuable nutrients, though struggle with digesting diets with a high lignocellulolytic content. Xylophagous insects, in this case specific beetles, on the other hand, do harbor symbiotic gut microbiota that exhibit lignocellulolytic activity, enabling these insects to feed on wood. As such, the gut microbiome of these wood-eating beetles harbors an interesting diversity of microbes and enzymes that could also aid the black soldier fly larvae in digesting lignocellulose material. The incorporation of such microbes could boost their potential to reuse residual lignocellulosic biomass from agriculture and forestry as a key resource for the biobased circular economy.
In this project, we aim to explore the principles underlying microbial community assembly and functioning during the digestion of low nutritious lignocellulosic biomass by insects. This is achieved by using integrated omics, combined with protein-labeling techniques, to bring the core microbiome involved in lignocellulose conversion to the surface from the gut microbiome of a variety of wood-eating beetle larvae and the BSF larvae. In addition, the importance of the nutritional value of the lignocellulosic biomass for its digestion will be explored in further detail. Time-variable integrated omics in BSF larvae challenged with a variety of substrates will be used to elucidate gut microbiome plasticity and functional redundancy. Furthermore, microbial strains with key functionalities will be tracked within the heterogenous gut environment with advanced imaging techniques to better understand key aspects of the recruitment ecology within the insect gut microbiome environment. Together the generated insights will prove the bedrock to engineer microbiomes towards higher lignocellulolytic capabilities by providing potent microbes from specialized wood-eating beetles for recruitment and improving the nutritional conditions, thus directly aiding a higher utilization of lignocellulosic biomass in the circular bioeconomy.
The open PhD position will focus on advancing our understanding of the in vivo assembly of the BSF larval gut microbiome for enhanced lignocellulose degradation to allow future engineering of this microbiome to strengthen lignocellulose degradation. In this process, more general principles will be explored that also might apply to adaptation for the utilization of other molecules via other microbiomes (e.g. xenobiotic breakdown). To this end, fundamental insights on the impact of inoculation strategy, niche competition and diet selectivity on recruitment ecology will be generated for both engineered microbial strains and whole microbial communities. These insights will then be applied to achieve improved microbiome assembly and lignocellulose degradation in industrial BSF rearing.
Your research will lead to a doctoral dissertation to be defended at the Faculty of Engineering Technology at KU Leuven. Throughout the program, you will have opportunities to supervise bachelor's and master’s students, present at national and international conferences, and publish your findings in scientific journals, contributing to the broader academic and industrial community.
The Research Group for Insect Production and Processing (IP&P) is part of the Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M²S) and is located at KU Leuven, Campus Geel, Belgium. Our research focuses on the production, processing and use of insects for human food and feed, as a source of biochemicals and as actors in upgrading organic waste streams. We focus on knowledge gaps throughout the insect value chain and work closely with national and international research groups and industrial partners. This vacancy is linked to one of IP&P's research lines, which specifically focuses on investigating the importance of interactions between insects, their microorganisms and their environment within the insect value chain and how these interactions can be used to improve product yield, product quality, safety and stability.Furthermore, this position is part of a joined project with the Division of Soil and Water Management at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the CREaS division at the Department of Chemical Engineering. Their core activity is engineering and steering microbiomes towards processes for the bio-based circular economy such as wastewater treatment, waste valorization, and nutrient recovery. KU Leuven as a whole is a research-oriented institution that consistently ranks among the top research universities in Europe (Top 50 worldwide). The campus in Geel is located in a green and rural environment, and works closely with research institutions and industry.
We offer:
9. A full-time, fixed-term position for 1 year. After a positive evaluation, the contract can be extended with three additional years (4 years in total). The research is intended to result in a PhD after 4 years.
10. Dynamic and international team that supports you to successfully obtain a PhD degree via an in-depth scientific training.
11. Opportunities to participate in national and international meetings and establish your own network, as well as to publish your results in respected academic journals.
12. A challenging job and multidisciplinary research.
13. Access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure.
14. Career guidance and opportunities to develop soft skills for science-adjacent careers in policy or communication via the Arenberg Doctoral School (https://set.kuleuven.be/phd).
15. A competitive salary and many more benefits.