High-Throughput Characterisation of Enzyme-MOF Biocomposites for Sustainable Catalysis

This PhD position at Centrale Lille Institut and IRCELYON focuses on advancing sustainable catalysis through enzyme-metal-organic framework (MOF) biocomposites. The project aims to rationalise enzyme-MOF pair selection using high-throughput experimentation and machine learning to create a dataset of ~10,000 catalytic materials. The work spans high-throughput screening of biocomposites at Centrale Lille and hybrid catalysis development at IRCELYON, targeting selective oxidation and amination of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) derivatives. The goal is to enable cascade chemo/bio-catalytic transformations for sustainable fine-chemical production, addressing instability challenges in biorefinery processes.

• Conduct high-throughput characterisation of enzyme-MOF biocomposites to build a dataset of ~10,000 catalytic materials.
• Develop and optimise hybrid chemo/bio-catalytic processes for selective oxidation and amination of 5-HMF derivatives.
• Collaborate with IRCELYON to integrate biocomposites with heterogeneous chemocatalysts for cascade reactions.
• Apply machine learning techniques to rationalise enzyme-MOF pair selection and predict catalytic performance.
• Perform materials characterisation using advanced techniques to assess biocomposite stability and activity.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present results at international conferences.
• Work across two research sites: Centrale Lille (Lille) for screening and IRCELYON (Lille/Villeurbanne) for catalysis development.