Internship - Microbial sulfide electrolysis: Targeted bioanode modifications to optimize bioanodic sulfide oxidation

Context and objectives

The MESHY project, funded by ANR and coordinated by the PROSE unit at INRAE, develops bioelectrochemical processes for sulfide-containing waste streams valorisation. A key challenge is the design of bioanodes capable of sustained and efficient sulfide oxidation. Metal-sulfide anodes are a promising avenue, as they can enhance electrical conductivity, introduce favorable redox properties, and promote the selection of microbial communities with diverse sulfur metabolic capabilities. This internship focuses on the fabrication and characterization of metal-sulfide electrodes for bioanodic sulfide oxidation, comparing different formation strategies. The intern will contribute to understanding how electrode formation affects biofilm-electrode electron exchange and overall bioanode performance.

Internship programme

The intern will work closely with the project's PhD student Gautier Prot and PROSE researcher and project PI Eleftheria Ntagia. The internship work will include fabrication of metal-based bioanodes, operation and monitoring of bioelectrochemical reactors, chemical, microbial and electrochemical characterization, careful data collection and processing, as well as scientific report writing.

What you will learn

You will gain hands-on experience in bioelectrochemical reactor construction and operation, electrochemical characterization techniques, wet-lab and surface analysis methods and technical/scientific writing.

Desired profile

We are looking for a highly motivated M2 or final year engineering student in electrochemistry, materials science, biotechnology, chemical/bio-process engineering or a related field. Practical experience in electrochemistry or materials characterization or familiarity with microbiology or bioelectrochemical systems is welcome. 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, located in 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 are committed to fostering an inclusive research environment.

To apply

Please send a detailed CV to eleftheria.ntagia[at]inrae.fr.
We also encourage you to circulate this announcement to interested students.