Engineering and Environmental Research Intern

This internship provides a unique opportunity to work on real-world challenges, contribute to impactful research, and gain hands-on experience in a leading environmental engineering research group. Interns will work closely with experienced researchers, allowing for mentorship and skill development in a vibrant and innovative setting.

As an intern , you will have the opportunity to engage with multidisciplinary research activities and contribute to projects aligned with the group's main research lines. Your detailed missions will be discussed during your interview with your supervisor.

Possible Responsibilities:

Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases:

Participate in research on the capture and conversion of CO2 through adsorption, catalysis, plasma, and radiofrequency processes.

Contribute to studies on the recovery and reuse of fluorinated gases using alternative solvents and adsorption techniques.

Sustainable Technologies for Water Reuse:

Work on the development of advanced oxidation, adsorption, biological, and membrane processes for water treatment.

Contribute to the elimination of persistent and emerging organic pollutants and antibiotic-resistant bacteria from water sources.

Circular Economy and Energy Sustainability:

Engage in the prediction of dioxin formation in waste recovery processes.

Analyze the impact of electrification on the automotive industry and contribute to the development of new materials from agro-industrial waste.

Sustainability Analysis and Process Enhancement:

Utilize tools such as life cycle analysis (LCA), process simulation, and computational fluid dynamics to enhance environmental processes.

Apply flow chemistry for the improvement and optimization of the sustainability and safety of chemical processes.

Analysis of Emerging and Persistent Contaminants:

Participate in the analysis of pharmaceutical compounds, persistent organic pollutants, cyanotoxins, and microplastics in different environmental matrices.

Contribute to the development and application of omics and chemometric techniques for studying the effects of pollution.

Environmental Microbiology:

Assist in the analysis of pathogenic microorganisms using molecular biology and qPCR.

Contribute to respirometry assays, toxicity tests, and biodegradability studies.

RD and Technology Transfer Activities:

Engage in circular economy projects, including CO2 capture and use, water reuse, and bioplastics development.

Participate in sustainability analysis activities, including life cycle analysis, carbon footprint, and water footprint assessments.

Contribute to digital twin simulations of sustainable processes and biodegradability analysis of solid waste.

Assist in evaluating the bactericidal and fungicidal potential of irradiation technologies.

Contribute to advanced chemical analysis using chromatography and mass spectrometry for ultra-trace level determination of contaminants in environmental and food matrices.

Requirements:

Currently enrolled in an engineering, environmental science, or related undergraduate or graduate program.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.

Excellent communication skills and a passion for environmental sustainability.

About the Organization

Our research is focused on the topics of environmental sustainability from a transversal perspective. Our Group is a consolidated research group by the Catalan Government (2021 SGR 00321) and consists of a multidisciplinary team of scientists who combine chemical engineering, biotechnology and advanced chemical analysis with a theoretical-experimental approach to improve the sustainability of our society. The aim is to respond to the current challenges of society: climate change and decarbonization, water scarcity, circular economy and sustainability.

On-site Supervision and Support

Our internships include 24/7 on-site staff to support students working and living abroad. All students will also report to a supervisor at their internship site. Supervisors provide and oversee daily tasks, introduce the intern to team members, and mentor the intern in organizational agility, skill acquisition, and career readiness. Interns complete a midpoint and final evaluation, and supervisors complete a final evaluation of their interns. All work responsibilities and projects are approved in advance. 
 

Academic Credit

Students on an internship have the opportunity to enroll in their home university for credit, or enroll in a course through API to transfer back to their university for credit. Email support-internships@apiexperience.com for more information and a syllabus.

Housing and Excursions

Housing and excursions are included in your internship and will be selectable during the application process.