The University of Nottingham (UoN) invites applications for a four year PhD Studentship in industrial microbiology. You will join a team of people within the School of Bioscience and work closely with our partners at Diageo PLC to investigate strategies to understand and reduce the spoilage potential of low and non-alcoholic beverages. Current consumer preferences have led to the growth in popularity of ‘no- or low-alcohol beverages’ (NABLAB’s) to the extent that within the brewing sector these are expected to account for ~33% of products by 2025. Although designed to mimic alcoholic beverage flavour profiles, NABLAB’s are fundamentally different in terms of their composition and are at higher risk of microbial contamination. Consequently, reports of spoilage in NABLAB products have dramatically increased recently, highlighting a need for research into this area. In this project we aim to investigate the microbial risks associated with the production of NABLAB’s, including organisms previously considered to be of low threat. We intend to study microbes capable of thriving in the NABLAB environment using a combination of traditional techniques and cutting-edge methodology, centred around metagenomics and phenotype microarray technology. Specifically, we aim to characterise the physiological and nutritional requirements of spoilage organisms, their response to environmental stress factors, and resistance to natural antimicrobial compounds.
The ultimate ambition is to investigate mechanisms for preventing contamination via a targeted approach and to optimise preservation strategies. The successful applicant will be based at the International Centre for Brewing Science, located at the UoN Sutton Bonington Campus and work under the supervision of Dr Chris Powell (UoN), Dr Stephen Lawrence (UoN) and Professor Katherine Smart (Diageo PLC). The International Centre for Brewing Science is particularly well suited for this project, with recognised excellence in industrial microbiology, brewing, and analysis of beverages. The successful applicant will be provided with comprehensive training to deliver on the project aims. These include classical microbiology techniques, phenotype microarray technology, microbial genomics, beverage compositional analysis, and industrial quality control (QC) methodology.
The student will also spend time at the Diageo research facilities located in Menstrie, Scotland and in industrial locations across the Diageo group in both the UK and Ireland. During their time with Diageo, the student will be appointed a mentor and work with the technical team. Here they will learn how Quality Assurance (QA) is integrated with QC in production facilities and receive exposure to the entire process of brewing and its economic drivers. The studentship covers tuition fee, annual stipend, consumable budget and all costs associated with necessary travel related to the project. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will acquire skills commensurate for a career in academia or industry.
Funding is available for four years from late September 2022. The award covers tuition fee (£4,567) at the home rate plus an annual stipend (£15,840) for 2022. This is set by the Research Councils. UK and international candidates are eligible to apply.