diff --git a/biomni/know_how/loader.py b/biomni/know_how/loader.py
index b4906d28..6117c440 100644
--- a/biomni/know_how/loader.py
+++ b/biomni/know_how/loader.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def _load_documents(self):
                 continue
 
             # Read the document
-            with open(filepath) as f:
+            with open(filepath, encoding="utf-8") as f:
                 content = f.read()
 
             # Extract title, description, and metadata from the document