Website The University of Southampton
About the project
This project builds on Southampton’s extensive expertise in anaerobic biotechnology for bio-based circular economy. Currently most fatty acid production is from a petrochemical basis, however anaerobic fermentation allows the use of low value feedstocks to co-produce fatty acids and other platform chemicals in a single system.
A possible pathway to transform heterogenous organic materials into volatile fatty acids has already been successfully tested using a wide range of biomass. This relies on the first two steps in biogas production via anaerobic digestion, breaking down organic material towards acetic acid, H2 and CO2, as well as propionic acid and butyric acid. Medium chain carboxylic acids with a carbon length of 6-8 are generally considered more valuable and appropriate products, however, and make downstream processing more straightforward. Several promising microbially-mediated pathways are known to produce C6-C8 VFA from short chain fatty acids.
The aim of the project is thus to investigate and to validate the possibility of a fermentation approach, and to produce via chain elongation medium chain carboxylic acids like caproic acid. Simultaneous product extraction will also be tested to alleviate product-induced inhibition and to improve the productivity of the process.
A preliminary techno-economic assessment as a basis for future life cycle assessment will also be carried out to evaluate its overall performance and scale-up potential.
The School of Engineering is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.
Potential supervisors
Lead supervisor
Dr Yue Zhang
Associate Professor
Research interests
- Anaerobic digestion (AD) for organic waste management and renewable energy production
- Mixed-culture fermentation for bio-based chemical production
- CO2 biomethanisation
Entry requirements
You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent.
Fees and funding
We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students. Horizon Europe fee waivers automatically cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for qualifying students. Competition-based Presidential Bursaries from the University cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for top-ranked applicants.
Competition-based studentships offered by our schools typically cover UK-level tuition fees and a stipend for living costs for top-ranked applicants.
Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered. For more information, please visit our postgraduate research funding pages.
How to apply
You need to:
- choose programme type (Research), 2026/27, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- select Full time or Part time
- search for programme PhD Engineering & the Environment (7175)
- add name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application
Applications should include:
- your CV (resumé)
- 2 academic references
- degree transcripts and certificates to date
- English language qualification (if applicable)
Contact us
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
If you have a general question, email our doctoral college (feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk).
Project leader
If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Yue Zhang (Y.Zhang@soton.ac.uk).
Contact us
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
If you have a general question, email our doctoral college (feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk).
Project leader
If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Yue Zhang (Y.Zhang@soton.ac.uk).
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