Miriam Peces Gomez

This PhD stipend is based at the Department of Chemistry and Bioscience within the Faculty of Engineering and Science at Aalborg University , with the workplace in Aalborg and an expected start date from 1 January 2027 or soon thereafter. The project focuses on microbial ecology for optimising anaerobic digestion processes . Working in collaboration with Shell Biogas Low Carbon Solutions , the PhD student will explore enhancement technologies that can improve biogas production and process stability in agricultural anaerobic digesters. The research combines bench-scale bioreactor operation with longitudinal microbial identification and advanced meta-omics approaches such as metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. The goal is to understand the active microbiota in enhanced digesters and use that knowledge to support better-performing biological process systems. The student will be anchored in the Center for Microbial Communities , an interdisciplinary research environment of around 50 scientists working on the structure and function of microbial communities, mainly in environmental microbiology and biotechnology. The center provides state-of-the-art infrastructure for DNA and RNA sequencing, laboratory automation, CPU and GPU computing, and advanced microscopy. The position offers the opportunity to work in an international setting and to collaborate with specialists in microbial ecology, bioinformatics, and environmental engineering. The wider department spans basic and applied research across biology, chemistry, biotechnology, bioengineering, environmental science, and chemical engineering, creating a broad environment for doctoral research.