Internship - Bench-scale microbial electrosynthesis for biogas upgrading and desulfurization

Context and objectives

The DUB.ME Biomethane project funded by the Carnot 3BCAR and coordinated by the PROSE unit at INRAE aims to deliver a single-step, bioelectrochemical route that converts CO₂ to CH₄ while simultaneously removing H₂S from biogas. The project integrates cathodic electromethanogenesis with abiotic anodic sulfide oxidation to develop a unified biogas upgrading and desulfurization process. We have successfully operated 1 L H-type reactors and achieved high-rate biogas upgrading. The project is now advancing to the design and operation of a bench-scale (5-8 L working volume) cylindrical microbial electrosynthesis (MES) reactor for continuous-mode operation. Main objectives of this internship are to investigate the effect of selected operational parameters (cathode potential, cathodic pH, anode material) on the biogas absorption and upgrading and study the establishment of a robust, cathodic microbial community. The intern will play a key role in the day-to-day operation of the MES reactor, generating high quality analytical data and co-authoring experimental and scientific reports.

Internship program

The intern will work closely with the project’s post-doctoral researcher Ankit Rao and PROSE researcher and project PI Eleftheria Ntagia. The internship work will include daily operation, maintenance and troubleshooting of the MES reactor, chemical and microbial sampling and analyses (e.g. gas chromatography, preparation of samples for ionic chromatography analyses, DNA extraction), careful data collection and processing, as well as scientific writing.

What you will learn

You will gain hands-on experience in operating a bench-scale bioelectrochemical reactor, gas chromatography, wet-lab methods, basic molecular tools for microbial community analysis, data management and technical/scientific writing.

Desired profile

We are looking for a highly motivated M2 or final year engineering student in biotechnology, microbiology, chemical/bio-process engineering or a related field. Practical experience in basic microbiology or analytical chemistry is essential, familiarity with electrochemistry is a plus. You should be comfortable working in English (French is welcome but not required).

Training environment

PROSE is INRAE’s flagship research unit for environmental biotechnology and microbial process engineering (https://www6.jouy.inrae.fr/prose_eng/Axes-of-research, located in Antony, Antony -Île-de-France). With approximately 30 staff, PROSE conducts research on environmental biotechnologies, including wastewater treatment and recovery, anaerobic digestion and bioelectrochemical processes for biorefineries. We offer a supportive environment dedicated to collaboration, equality and a healthy work-life balance. We encourage applications from students of all backgrounds and we are committed to fostering an inclusive research environment.

To apply

Please send a detailed CV to eleftheria.ntagia@inrae.fr or ankit.ankit@inrae.fr.
We also encourage you to circulate this announcement to interested students.

Literature references

Aryal et al., Microbial electrochemical approaches of carbon dioxide utilization for biogas upgrading. Chemosphere, 291, Part 1, 2022, 132843, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132843.
Rabaey, K., Rozendal, R., Microbial electrosynthesis - revisiting the electrical route for microbial production. Nat Rev Microbiol 8, 706–716 (2010), https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2422.