PhD Candidate Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action

in Gent

Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant was founded in 2008 and currently employs more than 160 staff members. It is a unique and open innovation pilot and demonstration facility for process development, scale-up and custom manufacturing of biobased products and processes from lab to multi ton scale. A wide and flexible spectrum of modular unit operations combined with a team of highly trained and experienced engineers and bioprocess technicians facilitates the translation of biobased laboratory processes into viable industrial processes.

To date, Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant has successfully performed 500+ projects on a bilateral basis with 200+ companies from all over the world. It was/is also involved in more than 50 consortium-based public projects.

The MSCA Doctoral Network "DyeAnotherWay" aims to investigate all aspects of biogenic dyes, from the identification of dye-producing bacteria and the characterization of their pigments, through the optimization of their production and application, to the comprehensive ecological and economic evaluation of the resulting solutions. In the framework of this international research collaboration, we are looking for a hands-on, no-nonsense PhD Candidate with a strong background and interest in the field of industrial biotechnology.

Particularly, we aim for a motivated Candidate for the PhD position (DC 4) entitled "(In situ) product recovery development for novel biobased dyes and evaluation of the integrated production process".

The ideal Candidate would hold, or be close to completing, a Master's degree in Bioscience Engineering, Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering or a related field, and would be available to start January 1st, 2026. The Candidate should be able to travel internationally on a regular basis, for example to attend regular project meetings or to take part in conferences, and to work in an international environment and to strict deadlines.

Preference will be given to candidates with previous research experience in bioprocess development (e.g., fermentation, purification technologies) and analytical techniques (e.g., HPLC, GC, TGA). Experience in experimental design, parameter optimisation, and statistical analysis is valued.

Further, all MSCA-DN specific eligibility conditions apply:

• Mobility rule. Not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date.
• Doctoral Candidate (DC) definition. Be — at the date of recruitment — a doctoral candidate (i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree).
• Be in the position of enrolling in a doctoral programme at the specific country and meet the specific eligibility requirements at the hosting institution, if applicable.

As PhD Candidate in our lab and pilot facility, you engage in an out-of-the-ordinary job. In the context of the MSCA Doctoral Network, you work on the development and scale-up of innovative strategies for the efficient and sustainable production of microbial pigments. More specifically, the objectives of this PhD position include:

• To contribute to the early fermentation development by studying fermentation behaviour and biogenic dye production of native producing strains in collaboration with TU Wien
• To investigate the extraction of novel dyes with respect to yield and sustainability using a broad repertoire of solvents and methods
• To design and optimize sustainable (in situ) extraction and purification strategies for intra- and/or extracellular biogenic dyes
• To study the optimized fermentation and downstream recovery process and the impact of important process parameters (e.g., pressure, mixing) in industrially relevant and scalable fermentation equipment

Moreover, as a PhD Candidate within the MSCA Doctoral Training Network, this position includesan international research experience of 4 months at Vienna University of Technology (Austria) for research and development of the fermentation process to produce biobased dyes.

We offer a dynamic, international and vibrant working environment with excellent perspectives for the future. All of our PhD Candidates are intensively coached by a team of experienced post-doctoral researchers and R&D experts.

Furthermore, you will receive an attractive salary package (incl. meal vouchers, group insurance, lease bikes… and much more).

You are based at the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, situated in the port of Ghent in Belgium.

The application process for this PhD position will end on 15th of October 2025.

The application must include:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV), following the Europass template available at:

• Cover letter (max. 2 pages), explaining motivation to apply and relevance of the position for the candidate