Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro
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Funded PhD in Co-cultivation of Fungi for Protein- and Fat-Rich Food Ingredients Imperial College London in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Microbiology
Funding
Funded PhD project. At Imperial College London, the stipend follows the UKRI standard rate (example given: £23,805 per annum for 2026/27) and covers home tuition fees; overseas applicants may apply if they can cover the difference between home and overseas tuition fees. During the Singapore attachment, funding includes a monthly stipend of S$3,600, a monthly housing subsidy of S$300 for off-campus living, a one-time airfare grant of S$1,500, a settling-in allowance of S$1,000, an IT allowance of
Deadline
Oct 31, 2026
Country
United Kingdom
University
Imperial College London
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About this position
Funded PhD opportunity at Imperial College London in collaboration with A*STAR Singapore on co-cultivation of fungi and yeasts for protein- and fat-rich food ingredients. The project sits at the intersection of microbiology, biotechnology, food production, fermentation, and bioprocess scale-up.
You will study microbial co-cultures that combine protein-rich filamentous fungi with fat-rich oleaginous yeasts such as Yarrowia lipolytica and Rhodotorula toruloides. Research tasks include identifying suitable media and cultivation conditions, testing wild-type and engineered strains, exploring directed evolution and inoculation ratios, developing laboratory-to-pilot-scale fermentation, and evaluating downstream processing such as freeze-drying and spray-drying. The ingredients will also be assessed for functionality, digestibility, nutritional composition, and possibly taste.
The project is based across Imperial College London and A*STAR SIFBI in Singapore, with flexible timing between the two locations. At Imperial, the student joins Professor Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro’s group in the Department of Bioengineering, which focuses on metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and microbial co-cultures for sustainable bioproduction. The Singapore partner contributes expertise in fermentation and downstream processing, and the wider collaboration includes the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein and partners at the National University of Singapore and Singapore Institute of Technology.
This is a funded PhD. Imperial funding follows the UKRI standard stipend rate and covers home tuition fees; overseas applicants may apply if they can cover the tuition fee difference. During the Singapore attachment, the package includes a monthly stipend, housing subsidy, airfare grant, settling-in allowance, IT allowance, and conference allowance.
Applicants must meet Imperial Bioengineering doctoral admission requirements and SRAP eligibility conditions. SRAP applicants must not be Singapore citizens or permanent residents, or existing SRAP awardees. To apply, email Naheed Khan with a single PDF containing your CV, referees, transcripts, motivation letter, and publications if any. Deadline: 31 October 2026.
Funding details
Funded PhD project. At Imperial College London, the stipend follows the UKRI standard rate (example given: £23,805 per annum for 2026/27) and covers home tuition fees; overseas applicants may apply if they can cover the difference between home and overseas tuition fees. During the Singapore attachment, funding includes a monthly stipend of S$3,600, a monthly housing subsidy of S$300 for off-campus living, a one-time airfare grant of S$1,500, a settling-in allowance of S$1,000, an IT allowance of
What's required
Applicants must meet Imperial Bioengineering’s doctoral admission requirements and SRAP eligibility conditions. SRAP applicants must not be Singapore citizens or permanent residents, or existing SRAP awardees. The application asks for a CV, two academic referees from the last 6–9 months, transcripts, a motivation letter of up to 1500 words, and publications if any.
How to apply
Email Naheed Khan with the subject line ‘A*STAR_IMPERIAL /Project No./ Your name’. Attach a single PDF containing your CV, two academic referees, transcripts, motivation letter, and publications if any. Combine all files into one document before sending.
More information can be found here
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