Current Vacancies

Munster Technological University, through CircBio will lead a new first-of-its-kind decentralised green biorefinery demonstration initiative funded under the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). “Rural BioReFarmeries” project will advance the development of farm-centred bioeconomy approaches through the deployment of green biorefineries across grassland regions of Europe. Two primary green biorefinery and anaerobic digestion demonstration sites in Ireland and Denmark will optimise the conversion of grasses, clover and green biomass residues sourced from local farms into value-added products such as human and animal grade protein, bio-based food packaging, flavours, anti-microbials, fertiliser and energy, in collaboration with upstream research and industrial sites in Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark and Poland.

Description of Work

This position of “Researcher: Sustainable development and exploitation of green biorefinery feedstocks and products” will help to oversee and implement the research activity at the project’s Irish biorefinery and anaerobic digestion demo site at Farm Zero C, Cork Ireland. The researcher will work closely with the MTU project team, based at Kerry (Tralee) and Cork. In the addition the researcher will collaborate closely with Irish and EU downstream partners (who will further analyse projects), industry (product end-users) and the green biorefinery demonstration plant of Aarhus University, Viborg, home to the Danish demo site.

All applications to be made online at www.mtu.ie/vacancies

Munster Technological University, through CircBio will lead a new first-of-its-kind decentralised green biorefinery demonstration initiative funded under the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). “Rural BioReFarmeries” project will advance the development of farmcentred bioeconomy approaches through the deployment of green biorefineries across grassland regions of Europe.

Two primary green biorefinery and anaerobic digestion demonstration sites in Ireland and Denmark will optimise the conversion of grasses, clover and green biomass residues sourced from local farms into value-added products such as human and animal grade protein, biobased food packaging, flavours, anti-microbials, fertiliser and energy, in collaboration with upstream research and industrial sites in Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark and Poland.

Description of Work

This position of “Biorefinery Pilot Plant Engineer and Project Manager” will help to oversee the implementation and management of a grass biorefinery demo facility at Farm Zero C, Cork Ireland. The researcher will work closely with the MTU project team, based at Kerry (Tralee) and Cork, along with the broader Farm Zero C Team at Shinagh Farm. In the addition the researcher will collaborate closely with Irish and EU downstream partners (who will further analyse projects), industry (product end-users) and the green biorefinery demonstration plant of Aarhus University, Viborg, home to the Danish demo site.

All applications to be made online at www.mtu.ie/vacancies

The optimal and as such sustainable operation of many bioprocesses, requires that the concentrations of important analytes within the process be monitored and controlled accurately and in real-time. At present, the control of many bioprocesses is hampered by the lack of cost-effective, accurate and rapid monitoring of individual analytes. Consequently, many bioprocesses operate inefficiently without any monitoring, or use inferences from inaccurate observations in determining a control strategy.

To address this industry wide issue, a biosensor platform technology is being developed in UCD that consists of a range of cost-effective biosensors each of which is specific to a single analyte. These sensors are being designed to enable multiple analytes to be simultaneously monitored in real time. Using these sensors a suit of Dynamic Machine learning models will be designed to better understand the inter-dependencies of such analytes and how we could monitor them to improve the operation of bioprocesses.

Applicants should submit their application here: a cover letter setting out your motivation for applying for the role and how your skills meet the requirements set out in this document and can contribute to achieving listed key objectives AND a full Curriculum Vitae to include the names and contact details of 2 referees (including email addresses), by October 24th 2024 17:00 (GMT).

The transition to a sustainable bioeconomy is recognised as a pathway for sustainable growth. It includes the traditional sectors of agriculture, forestry and the marine but it also includes related processing industries such as food, nutraceuticals, bio-energy, textiles, bio-pharma and cosmetics. Ireland’s national Bioeconomy Policy Statement indicates that the bioeconomy offers Ireland significant economic benefits, including an opportunity to create additional natural bio-value, to address issues such as climate change, food and water security, soil degradation, and rural development, and to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Innovation will be central to its success; hence this exciting PhD opportunity will explore the relationships between sustainable ecosystem innovation and business model innovation within the bioeconomy, focusing on the Irish context.

To apply, please send your CV and a letter of motivation outlining why you are applying for this position and the key qualities you will bring to this role (max. 300 words) to orlagh.reynolds@ucc.ie by Friday 4th October 2024.

The current commercial manufacture of peat-reduced and peat-free growing media across Europe, depends in large part on a ready supply of indigenous wood-based products and/or the importation of coconut-coir products from abroad. These by-product resources may be considered conventional for inclusion in growing media, in-so-far-as their processing and distribution pathways are well established, however they may not always be available, affordable or sustainable long-term.

The diversification of utilised resources within Ireland for use as growing media components requires research support. This project intends to design a pathway for growing media manufacturers to diversify their portfolio of primary resource selection. It will highlight indigenous resources which are available in adequate quantities, demonstrate mechanisms by which materials may be centrally collected and/or harvested and suggests suitable processing procedures and pathways for the development of suitable growing media components.

Please submit an electronic copy of the following Dr. Eoghan Corbett (eoghan.corbett@teagasc.ie) cc’ing Dr. Nick Holden (nick.holden@ucd.ie), using the subject line “Ground-Up Ref 2364” followed by your name

Typically, industrial biomass residues, such as brewers’ grain, are preferred for their purity and homogeneity. Conversely, mixed biomass, such as agricultural and forestry residues, despite their rich carbon content and abundant availability, are usually not converted due to their heterogeneity, which complicates the conversion process. In addition, the current process of converting biomass into biopolymers involves complex steps to separate target components like cellulose and lignin, followed by chemical conversion, often leading to partial biomass valorisation. This underutilization underscores the need for improved methods to effectively handle diverse biomass sources.

Applicants should email Dr Yuanyuan Chen (Yuanyuan.chen@tus.ie) with a curriculum vitae (CV) and a short cover letter detailing their motivation for applying for the position. Academic references should also be provided. Deadline for application: open until a suitable candidate is found.