Industrial PhD Student for Lignin Processing within Biorefining

Join our fully financed PhD programme and integrate your theoretical knowledge with business practices. All PhD students will have the opportunity to participate in internal courses about the PhD project. Furthermore, you will receive a competitive salary and enjoy a friendly and attractive working environment.

You will participate in the development of ground-breaking technologies within biomass refining. Your PhD project is part of a project called Biomass for the 21^stcentury.

Through your PhD project, you will have unique opportunities to focus on obtaining an improved understanding of lignin behaviour, physics and chemistry during lignocellulosic biomass processing.

Together with competent colleagues, you will contribute to our innovative work within the fields of enzymatic biomass refining, waste management and low-temperature gasification of dry sludge and agricultural waste.

You will be based at the Technical University of Denmark in Copenhagen. However, you should expect some travelling to our pilot facility at our office in Skærbæk near Fredericia.

About us
You will be joining New Bio Solutions, a new and exciting area focusing on the development of technologies to treat and use biomass for energy purposes. We are developing three promising technologies within the fields of biorefining and waste-to-energy intended for international sale.

At present, we operate one of the world's biggest, large-scale demonstration plants for the production of second generation bioethanol. Additionally, we operate several large pilot plants within biorefinery and gasification.

More about your PhD and related tasks
Through your project, you will generate new knowledge on lignin chemistry and physics in the context of biomass processing and new approaches to lignin analyses and processing.

As part of your work, you will:

• focus on pre-treatment and bio-processing of different lignocellulosic biomasses
• establish analytical methodologies for characterisation of lignin processing residues.

Your profile
You will have graduated recently with grades in the upper quartile of your class and have an educational background within chemistry or biochemical engineering.

It is essential that you fulfil the requirement for enrolment in the industrial PhD programme under the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation. Furthermore, you must meet the requirements for enrolment as a PhD student at the Technical University of Denmark.

You will have insight into bio-refinery and theoretical knowledge relevant to the project, and preferably, also experience with advanced analytical chemistry.

It is essential that you speak and write English fluently.

You will have a high level of professionalism and an innovative approach. In addition, you will have an analytical approach to your work and be able to focus on producing high-quality results, both through individual work and teamwork.

Contact us
Please do not hesitate to contact Department Manager Hanne Risbjerg Sørensen on telephone +45 99 55 89 62 if you have any further questions.

For more information about the PhD programme, you may contact Supervisor Anne S. Meyer by e-mail on am@dtu.dk.

You can learn more about the general requirements for enrolment and planning of PhD studies in the general rules of Technical University of Denmark via:

• http://www.dtu.dk/English/education/Phd_Education.aspx or
• by e-mail to phdadm@adm.dtu.dk or on telephone +45 45 25 11 76.

NB. All international applicants must submit original educational transcripts, lists of grades and weighted grade averages, which have been re-calculated according to the general rules for PhD enrolment at the Technical University of Denmark.

We look forward to receiving your application, CV and diplomas solely as electronic files by 31 August 2012.

Interviews will be held continuously.