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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
PhD Project Template
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Use one form per project
Please complete & submit to international@nuigalway.ie as soon as possible, and by 27/11/2012
In your email, begin the subject line with [SWB] (be sure to use square brackets) to ensure that
your email is filed correctly. Emails will be automatically filed
PI name & contact details:
Dr Maria Tuohy
Molecular Glycobiotechnology Group,
Email: maria.tuohy@nuigalway.ie
Tel: +353 91 492439
School:
School of Natural Sciences
Has project been agreed with head (or
nominee) of proposed registration
school?
Yes
Research Centre / group
affiliation:
Technology Centre for Biorefining & Bioenergy (TCBB)
Discipline of Biochemistry.
Research group / centre
website:
http://www.tcbb.ie
http://www.nuigalway.ie/biochemistry
PI website / link to CV:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/biochemistry/staff/tuohy/index.html
https://iris.nuigalway.ie/
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
If you are already involved in relevant scholarly activities relating to Brazil, please mention them here.
The PI and her research group, the Molecular Glycobiotechnology Group (MGBG), have a strong
track record in Glycobiotechnology and Enzyme Biotechnology with ~20 years experience in fungal
enzyme systems and the glycobiology of terrestrial plants and algae. Dr. Tuohy is one of 5 PIs in the
national Technology Centre for Biorefining and Bioenergy (www.tcbb.ie). In the TCBB (and other
independent programmes). Dr. Tuohy’s team have close links and collaboration with Industry,
including co-funded research projects. The aim of the current research programme is focused on
developing novel fungal enzyme technology to recover the full energy and biorefinery potential of
plant and algal biomass and carbohydrate-rich wastes. Dr. Tuohy & her group have established
scientific links with Prof. M. Mazutti, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Santa
Maria – UFSM (Book publication, ‘Applications of Microbial Engineering, CRC Press, June 2013,
ISBN 9781466585775), and with Prof. E.X. Filho, Univ. Brasilia.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Enhanced Biocatalyst systems for biomass conversion to bioenergy
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
The project will exploit the potential of fungi to produce optimized low-cost biocatalyst systems for
bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to sugar-rich feedstocks suitable for the production of
liquid biofuels. The fungal sources will be selected from a panel of recent isolates in the PI’s group
that have displayed significant levels of biomass-degrading enzymes (e.g. cellulase, hemicellulase
and lignin-modifying enzymes). Production of high titres of specific lignin- and hemicellulase
enzymes will be optimized using non-GM random mutagenesis approaches; mutants displaying the
best enzyme levels and the most robust growth characteristics will be selected for scale-up (to 100 L
fermentation scale). Protein fractionation studies will be used to investigate synergy between key
enzymes, while the effects of physicochemical and biological factors on optimum biocatalysis will be
established. The biological factors will include novel natural compounds identified by the PI’s group
as biocatalyst accelerants. The results will be used to design novel biocatalyst systems (enzymes +
accelerants) to test for the bioconversion of target lignocellulosic biomass types or wastes, relevant
to Brazil and Ireland, to feedstocks for bioenergy production. The energy producing potential
(biogas and liquid biofuels) of the feedstocks will be investigated in collaboration with NUI Galway,
TCBB and Brazilian collaborators. Scale-up and process economics of will be investigated in
collaboration with industry partners in the TCBB.
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
NUI Galway projects should emphasise features that are not typically available in Brazil – specific equipment,
multi-disciplinarity, aspects of structured programme, links with industry, placements, links with other research
groups etc.
Through the School of Natural Sciences Structured PhD programme, the PhD student will have the
opportunity to receive training in a range of research-specific and professional skills.
Dr. Tuohy’s group has long-standing links with Industry and currently hosts 4 research staff in
collaboration with two industry partners, who are engaged in scale-up and commercialization of
Enzyme Technology developed in Dr. Tuohy’s group for biomass conversion. These staff are funded
by the IRCSET Enterprise Partnership programme with both Industry partners. Researcher in Dr.
Tuohy’s group benefit from interaction with company researchers in the industrial environment, and
during company staff training periods in Dr. Tuohy’s group.
The collaboration between Dr. Tuohy’s group and PI groups and industry in the TCBB, as well as
within the Ryan Institute and Energy Research Cluster at NUI Galway, will provide opportunities for
multi-disciplinary collaboration both at institutional and national levels, as well as for active
engagement with industry partners
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
B.Sc in Biological Science; B.Sc in Microbiology; B.Sc in Molecular Biology; B.Sc. in Biotechnology;
B.Sc. in Biochemistry;
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only
one (tick box):
Engineering and other technological areas
Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry)/Physical Sciences (Mathematics,
Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geosciences)
Health and Biomedical Sciences / Clinical, Pré-clinical and Health Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), Computing
Aerospace
Pharmaceuticals
Sustainable Agricultural Production
Oil, Gas and Coal
Renewable Energy
X
Minerals, Minerals Technology
Biotechnology
X
Nanotechnology and New Materials
Technologies for Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters
Bioprospecting and Biodiversity
Marine Sciences
Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering
Please indicate which of the following applies to this project (referring to Science Without Borders
arrangements):
Suitable only as a Full PhD (Y/N): _ __Y__
Available to candidates seeking a Sandwich PhD arrangement (Y/N): ____Y_
Suitable for either/ Y