What you will do

This PhD Position is part of the newly funded national NWA-ORC project, Ab-initio Biowaste Loop (ABEL), which is funded by NWO (Dutch Research Council). To close material loops in the Dutch bioeconomy, ABEL brings together a large multidisciplinary consortium from industry, academia, policymakers, and societal partners to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time: making high-value, sustainable, and circular biomaterials from low-value waste streams that can compete and even outperform traditional alternatives. This project is part of the subprogramme that focusses on the closed loop recycling of the biopolymer products developed in ABEL.

This project is a good match if:

• you are interested in the expression, characterisation and engineering of biocatalysts for biopolymer degradation.
• you like working in a multidisciplinary and multisectoral team, both within the group and within the consortium, and
• you are interested in contributing to a Green future.

As a PhD student within the ABEL consortium and the University of Leiden, you will:

• Bring innovative biotechnological solutions to ensure recycling, preferably via upscaling, or biodegradation of biopolymers.

• Publish high-quality scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to project reports in collaboration with the project supervisor and others.

• Participate in ABEL consortium meetings, workshops, and stakeholder events, and actively contribute to knowledge exchange and impact activities.

• Support the supervision of BSc, MSc students and contribute to the teaching and academic life of the Macromolecular Biochemistry group at the Leiden Institute of Chemistry.

What you bring

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate who:

• has a Master’s degree in Life Sciences and Technology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, or a related discipline
• has experience in cloning in microbiology and/or the expression, purification and characterisation of biocatalysts.
• has a strong interest in structure function relationship of enzymes, with proven excellent technical experimental skills and ability to work independently.
• has a good proficiency in (scientific) English, and excellent communication skills.
• feels comfortable working in a collaborative environment
• has strong capabilities in analytical thinking and data analysis.

What we offer

We also offer:

• An employment contract for the duration of one year, to be extended for 3 more years upon satisfactory performance. This contract falls under the CLA of Dutch Universities;
• A salary between €3059 - €3881 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (PhD student);
• A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
• Full reimbursement of public transport commuting costs for home-to-work travel;
• Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours; you can also save for extra leave, for example by working 40 hours a week, and in this way accrue an extra 96 leave hours, or exchange 96 leave hours for a 36-hour week.
• Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions; we can, for example, discuss options for a sabbatical or paid parental leave. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription and bicycle scheme;
• If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
• A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop and a mobile telephone.

Want to apply or find out more?

Where you will work

Leiden University is one of Europe’s leading international research universities. Thanks to its committed and inspired employees, the university enjoys a leading role in academic research and education. Every year, Leiden University scores very well in prominent rankings. This means that, to maintain our position, the bar is set very high. Regardless of the work you do at our university, you are always encouraged to broaden your horizons, develop your talents and reach your full potential.

What we value

Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. Leiden University aims to be an inclusive community in which all students and staff members feel valued, respected, and have the freedom to develop to their full potential. Diversity in experiences and perspectives enriches our teaching and strengthens our research. High-quality education and research mean inclusive education and research.

About the faculty and institute

The Faculty of Science at Leiden University is a world-class faculty where staff and students work together in a dynamic international environment. It is a faculty where personal and academic development are top priorities. Our people are committed to expand fundamental knowledge by curiosity and to look beyond the borders of their own discipline; their aim is to benefit science, and to contribute to addressing the major societal challenges of the future.

The research carried out at the Faculty of Science is very diverse, ranging from mathematics, information science, astronomy, physics, chemistry and bio-pharmaceutical sciences to biology and environmental sciences. The research activities are organized in eight institutes. These institutes offer eight bachelors’ and twelve master’s programmes. The faculty has grown strongly in recent years and now has more than 2,300 staff and over 5,000 students. We are located at the heart of Leiden’s Bio Science Park, one of Europe’s biggest science parks, where university and business life come together.

The research is embedded within the Leiden Institute of Chemistry (LIC) and the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), which have long-standing traditions of excellence in research. The LIC houses a state-of-the-art electrochemistry laboratory, excellent synthesis facilities, preparation and measurement facilities, unconventional nanofabrication equipment and experimental setups to measure ion transport, supported by outstanding mechanical and electronic workshops. The IBL houses extensive facilities for the growth and genetic engineering of microorganisms as well as equipment for protein purification and characterization, analytics (mass spectrometry, gas and liquid chromatography, etc.), and molecular biology. We foster an international and collaborative atmosphere and have close ties to other institutes housed within our Faculty of Science and with many research groups within the Netherlands, and many prominent labs abroad.

You can find more information about the faculty of Science at https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/science/about-faculty-of-science. For more information about working at Leiden university please visit https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at.