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Degradation of antimicrobial (antibiotics and biocides) in aerobic biofilm reactors bij Aarhus Universitet

Verloopt over 7 dagen

Background

 

Antibiotics are commonly used to protect animal growth and prevent the spread of diseases. Due to the fact that not all antibiotics are metabolized, they are excreted and ends up in the manure. The extensive use of antibiotics has led to the emerging problem of antimicrobial resistant bacteria which can disseminate to humans and animals through the environment. Manure is often used as fertilizer on crop fields, exposing all the soil microbiota to a high number of antimicrobial compounds which cause a threat of wide spread of resistant antimicrobial gene transfer. Therefore, it is necessary to abate the antibiotic compounds for avoiding increasing resistant bacterial communities.

Bioremediation have shown to successfully clean sediments, soils, and waters from several xenobiotic pollutant types. Even though, bioremediation has high prospective of remediation, the metabolic degradation pathways are often of limited understanding.  This project focus on the metabolic pathways and metabolites for four antimicrobials, under methanogenic and aerobic biofilm conditions. Thus, bringing more knowledge of how to safely use manure as a fertilizer.

Our expectations and what we offer

We are looking for a Master student with an educational background in chemistry, biochemistry or environmental science.

The project intends to investigate the metabolic pathways from the bioremediation of antimicrobials and their toxicity.  The project provides hands-on experience for non-target screening, HPLC-MS method development as well as biodegradation experiments and technologies.

Scientific questions may include, but are not limited to:

  • Characterization of antimicrobial metabolites and their metabolic pathway from bioremediation.
  • Determination of toxic properties of the formed metabolites.
  • Optimization of bioreactor parameters for increased elimination of antimicrobic pollutants.

The MSc project will support the activities of the project BIOMAN financed by DFF (Independent Research Fund Denmark). This work will be based at the Department of Environmental Science of Aarhus University based at Risø Campus in Roskilde where all work will take place (lab&office space as well as instruments).

Project timeframe

BIOMAN project are running until mid-2025. MSc projects can be started on an ongoing basis.

 

Contact

 

For more information or expression of interest please send an email including a motivation letter and CV.

 

Project supervisors:

 

Yrsa Larsson

 

Kai Bester

 

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