BioCat - Norwegian Graduate School in Biocatalysis

Biocatalysis is becoming increasingly important in industrial processes and in various nano-, diagnostics-, gene- and biotechnologies, ascribed to the unique properties of enzymes as catalysts. Strategic Norwegian goals to convert biomass into market-value products, as one element in the transition to a bio-based economy, are also dependent on development of novel biocatalytic applications. The BioCat national PhD school will aid the training of the next generation of academic researchers, industrial candidates, and entrepreneurs in the field. The PhD students will receive a transdisciplinary education with elements from many different scientific disciplines, alongside transferable skills related to communication and career development and to more business-related topics like entrepreneurship, intellectual property protection, and business creation. The BioCat PhD students will in this way receive an education which as of today is not available at any of the participating institutions. The BioCat PhD school includes 6 Norwegian Universities and 3 research institutes. Industrial partners and international collaborators will also affiliate to the school. The objective of BioCat is to strengthen collaborations in the field of biocatalysis and bioprocessing, create a unifying environment for PhD students and other early career researchers, and to provide academia and industry with candidates that have the right background to tackle upcoming challenges in the field of biocatalysis. This new generation of researchers will be well trained to lead future R&D in industry and academia towards a bio-based economy. To achieve this goal, the BioCat school has developed and are offering new specialized PhD courses, organizes workshops and conferences, and facilitate and finance educational and research stays. 25-30 new PhD students are expected to enter the school per year, with 100-120 students enrolled at any time.

Biocatalysis is becoming increasingly important in industrial processes and in various nano-diagnostics-, gene- and biotechnologies. Strategic Norwegian goals to convert biomass into market-value products are also dependent on development of novel biocatalytic applications. Additionally, in-depth insight into enzyme function is crucial for biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. The BioCat national PhD school will aid the training of the next generation of academic researchers, industrial candidates, and entrepreneurs in the field of biocatalysis. The BioCat PhD students will receive a transdisciplinary education with elements from bioinformatics, molecular biology, organic chemistry, biotechnology, bioprocessing, and computational modelling, alongside transferable skills related to scientific communication and career development, and business-related topics such as entrepreneurship and intellectual property protection. As of today, an education comprising all these elements is not available at any of the participating institutions. The BioCat PhD school will include 6 Norwegian Universities and 4 research institutes, with more than 70 participating research Groups/PI's. Industrial partners and international collaborators will also be affiliated. The objective of BioCat is to strengthen collaborations in the field, create a unifying environment for PhD students and other early-career researchers, and to provide academia and industry with candidates equipped to tackle upcoming biocatalytic challenges. This new generation of researchers will be well trained for leading future Research&Development towards a bio-based economy. To achieve this goal, the BioCat school will create new specialized PhD courses, organize summer schools, workshops, and conferences, and arrange research visits at collaborating institutions and industrial sites. More than 30 new PhD students are expected to enter and graduate from the school annualy, with 100-130 students enrolled at any time