Industrial biotechnology is central to tackling some of the biggest challenges facing society, from achieving net zero to developing sustainable routes to chemicals, materials, and food. Fermentation is a key enabling technology in this space but developing robust, scalable fermentation processes is often slow, expensive, and uncertain.

This PhD project will focus on how fermentation processes can be developed faster, without compromising their industrial relevance or scalability. The aim is to create tools, methods, and ways of thinking that allow engineers to move more efficiently from laboratory experiments to industrial scale processes.

In industry, it is common for microorganisms to be developed over many years, while the fermentation process itself needs to be designed and scaled quickly to enable commercialisation. This often means working under time pressure, relying on assumptions about how processes will behave at scale. Some of these assumptions work well; others introduce risk and lead to unexpected challenges later. This project will explore how such assumptions can be better tested, challenged, or replaced using smarter experimental strategies and data.

You will approach fermentation development from an industrial perspective: starting with what a full scale process needs to look like, then working backwards to understand what information is required, how to obtain it efficiently, and how to use it to guide decision making. Depending on your background and interests, this could involve laboratory fermentation experiments, process analysis, data driven methods, or a combination of these.

The project is intentionally flexible. Specific applications, such as the type of microorganism, product, or fermentation system, can be shaped around your skills and interests, as well as emerging industrial challenges. The work will sit at the interface of biochemical engineering, process development, and industrial biotechnology, providing training that is highly relevant for careers in industry, consultancy, or academia.

This PhD is ideal if you're interested in:

• industrial biotechnology and bioprocessing
• fermentation and scale up challenges
• sustainable manufacturing and net zero technologies
• applied, industry relevant engineering research

In addition to undertaking cutting edge research, you'll also be registered for the Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Development (PGCert), which is a supplementary qualification that develops your skills, networks and career prospects.

Find out more about the Department of Chemical & Process Engineering.