Upcycling agriwaste towards functional plastic materials for packaging

At Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence, we are passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion and are dedicated to cultivating a diverse cohort of PhD researchers from a range of academic backgrounds.

AIME is a first-of-its-kind institute that synergistically combines world-leading expertise in membrane biology and novel polymer chemistries. No other institute in the global research and innovation landscape has the platform, potential or promise for major breakthroughs that AIME heralds.

We welcome students from diverse pathways, whether recent graduates or professionals returning to academia.

We are particularly focussed on recruiting and training female scientists in this exciting multi-disciplinary arena, acknowledging current gender disparities. All AIME PhD projects feature:

• Flexible working.
• Comprehensive mentorship for all students.
• Supported opportunities for secondments in international labs.
• Diverse scientific and transferrable skills training, equipping all graduates for leading roles in academia or industry.

 If you have any questions, please contact p.r.knobbs@aston.ac.uk, AIME Manager.

Details of the Project

The vast majority of plastics are currently produced from fossil fuels, and this is the cause of grave environmental concerns and greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming. Such non-renewable resources will eventually be depleted. Moreover, most of these plastics have been designed to be incredibly durable. Consequently, these materials will persist in our environments for thousands of years (typically as landfill or in our oceans and seas). Biodegradable bioplastics produced from renewable resources represent a promising alternative to petroleum-based plastics, towards a sustainable circular economy by shifting from a linear economy as per the value of “take, make and discard”.

The production of bioplastics from waste resources using bioprocesses is known as waste-to-wealth, whereby for example, agricultural waste can be valorised into renewable bioplastics with biodegradable characteristics, offering an ideal solution to waste management and sustainable plastics simultaneously. Plastic membranes for packaging applications require certain functionalities and characteristics, such as appropriate mechanical and barrier properties. However, the formulation of such plastics using (solely) renewable resources that meet the requirements of widespread use (i.e. cheap production, safe and appropriate performance) is not trivial.

Our research group has recently developed an innovative, integrated and scalable process to valorise cassava peel waste into short-chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates (scl-PHA) and we have been able to control the thermal and mechanical properties of scl-PHA by blending with polycaprolactone (PCL, which is also a biodegradable polymer), to produce sustainable plastic materials. However, the mechanical properties of scl-PHA polymers are limited and therefore, innovative ways to produce more flexible biopolymers are necessary to meet the market demands.

Building on our previous work, this interdisciplinary PhD project aims to develop novel sustainable plastic membranes with enhanced functionalities by combining bioprocessing, polymer science and extractive technologies to contribute to a circular plastics economy.

The specific objectives are:

·        To valorise agricultural waste into mcl-PHA by integrating chemical conversion and bioprocessing technologies.

·        To extract phytochemicals from lignocellulosic biomass using green extractive technologies. These extracts will be utilised as additives in the formulation of sustainable plastic membranes, serving as substitutes for currently used synthetic antioxidants derived from petrochemical sources.

·        To formulate sustainably sourced plastic membranes for packaging applications and asses their mechanical, thermal, functional and barrier properties using a wide range of analytical techniques.

We expect that the outcomes of the project will contribute to the development of sustainable bioprocesses and biorefineries for sustainable plastics biomanufacturing thus, providing a beneficial impact on our environment, society and economy.

This is an exciting interdisciplinary project which would suit someone with a bioengineering background who is keen to apply fundamental research to solve real world challenges. The techniques used are broad and full training, within a vibrant interdisciplinary lab, will be given

(1) Martinaud, E. et al., (2024). Valorising cassava peel waste into plasticized polyhydroxyalkanoates blended with polycaprolactone with controllable thermal and mechanical properties. Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 32(8), 3503-3515. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-023-03167-4

(2) Talan, A. et al., (2022). Biorefinery strategies for microbial bioplastics production: Sustainable pathway towards Circular Bioeconomy. Bioresource Technology Reports, 17, 100875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2021.100875

Person Specification

The successful applicant should have been awarded, or expect to achieve, a Masters degree in a relevant subject with a 60% or higher weighted average, and/or a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (or an equivalent qualification from an overseas institution) in a relevant subject. Previous experience in membrane protein or lipid biochemistry would be desirable. Applicants should have a degree in Biochemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Biotechnology or a related discipline. The applicant should demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to prepare presentations, reports and journal papers, as well as excellent interpersonal skills to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment. Demonstrable experience working in a laboratory environment and willingness to learn new experimental/analytical techniques is essential.

We can only consider applications that are complete and have all supporting documents. Applications that do not provide all the relevant documents will be automatically rejected. Your application must include:

1. English language copies of the transcripts and certificates for all your higher education degrees, including any Bachelor degrees.
2. A Research Statement detailing your understanding of the research area, how you would approach the project, and a brief review of relevant literature. Be sure to use the title of the research project you are applying for. There is no set format or word count.
3. A personal statement which outlines any further information which you think is relevant to your application, such as your personal suitability for research, career aspirations, possible future research interests, and further description of relevant employment experience.
4. Two academic referees who can discuss your suitability for independent research. References must be on headed paper, signed and dated no more than 2 years old. At least one reference should be from your most recent University. You can submit your references at a later date if necessary.
5. Evidence that you meet the English Language requirements. If you do not currently meet the language requirements, you can submit this at a later stage.
6. A copy of your passport. Where relevant, include evidence of settled or pre-settled status.

Apply for this position here