About The Role

Are you passionate about food and flavour? Eager to help tackle some of our most pressing global challenges? Excited by the idea of working and learning at the intersection of science, cooking, sustainability, and food culture in a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research environment? Then join us as our new PhD student in spontaneous solid-state fermentation starters!

This position is a part of BRIGHT's mission- oriented Microbial Food research programme (“referred to as Mission 2”), which aims to build an AI-powered framework for the rational design of microbial foods that meet four targets: consumer acceptance, health, sustainability and scalability. The first phase focuses on two fungal chassis, Aspergillus and Yarrowia, characterizing more than 500 prototypes through multi-omics, sensory analysis, life-cycle assessment and safety testing. Predictive models for flavor, texture, nutrition and process scale-up are trained iteratively through active learning. The scientific scope spans strain engineering, adaptive laboratory evolution, solid- and liquid-state fermentation, sensory and consumer research, and pre-clinical and clinical evaluation of safety, bioavailability and cardiometabolic health, in collaboration with national and international partners.

This project is a collaboration between the Sustainable Food Innovation Group and the Fermentation Cultures Group at the Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition. The Sustainable Food Innovation Group addresses interconnected food systems challenges—diminishing diversity, inequitable production and distribution, knowledge privatisation, nutritional depletion, blandness—through interdisciplinary research, product development, knowledge-sharing and creative public engagement. The Fermentation Cultures Group studies fermented foods as living biocultural systems, investigating the origins, evolution, and interactions of food microorganisms and the genetic and ecological drivers of flavour, texture, and functionality. As we get our new institute BRIGHT and its Microbial Foods mission up and running, we are seeking a PhD student to conduct an interdisciplinary project on spontaneous solid-state fermentation starters to support food science and innovation for sustainability.

The job

As our PhD student in spontaneous solid-state fermentation starters, you will

Develop a deep interdisciplinary understanding of the field and relevant literature
Generate and analyse metagenomic, metabolomic, and toxicological data on spontaneous solid-state fermentation starters produced in-house to understand the related contributions of substrate, leaf inocula, and fermentation conditions on eventual fermented products
Plan, organise, and conduct a global survey of traditional solid-state fermentation starters, obtaining samples as well as conducting interviews with traditional producers across cultures
Analyse this global survey data using bioinformatics and statistical analysis for patterns, compare with data generated from the in-house samples and visualise the findings
Share these results through both academic publications, practical knowledge of use to our producer collaborators, and if of interest more creative forms of public engagement

What we’re looking for
You will have a two-year Master’s degree (120 ECTS points) in a relevant discipline or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year Master's degree.
You will be fluent in spoken and written English and have literacy in common IT systems.

The ideal candidate will also

have experience with food fermentation and microbiology
have some familiarity with, or at least interest in learning, social science methods and fieldwork
have basic knowledge about food science, food microbiology, food systems and sustainability issues
have some experience making fermentations, traditional and/or novel
be proactive in identifying opportunities and solving problems
be able to work with others and independently
be comfortable in an interdisciplinary environment, where different types of knowledge co-exist
be patient, charitable, curious and playful—key qualities for interdisciplinary work

Approval and Enrolment

The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education .

Assessment

The assessment of the applicants will be made by Senior Researchers Joshua Evans and Leonie Jahn, the supervisors.

We offer

DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms

The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The salary will be agreed upon with the relevant union.

The period of employment is 3 years, full time. Start date 01-01-2027 or according to mutual agreement.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here .

Further information

For additional information about the position, please contact Group Leader Joshua Evans at [email hidden]

You can read more about BRIGHT below, and at www.bright.dtu.dk

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark . Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “ PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar ” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.

Application procedure

Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 13 September 2026 (23:59 Danish time) .

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file . The file must include:

A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
Curriculum vitae
Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diplomas (in English) including official description of grading scale
One letter of reference, with referee’s email and phone number

You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

Sustainable Food Innovation Group

The Sustainable Food Innovation Group uses culinary research & development to make flavourful sustainable foods, natural sciences to study how they work, and social sciences and arts to understand and experiment with how they can fit into food culture. Through this union of innovation, transdisciplinary research, and open knowledge-sharing, we work for a food system that is more sustainable, equitable, and transparent, offering foods that are diverse, nourishing, and delicious.

Fermentation Cultures Group

The Fermentation Cultures Group studies fermented foods as living biocultural systems at the intersection of microbial life and human culture and by combining microbiology, mycology, ecology, evolution and genomics, we investigate the origins and evolution of food microorganisms, their interactions within fermented food ecosystems, and the genetic and ecological drivers of flavour, texture, and functionality.

BRIGHT Mission 2: Microbial Foods

BRIGHT Mission 2 aims to build an AI-powered framework for the rational design of microbial foods that meet four targets: consumer acceptance, health, sustainability and scalability. The first phase focuses on two fungal chassis, Aspergillus and Yarrowia, characterizing more than 500 prototypes through multi-omics, sensory analysis, life-cycle assessment and safety testing. Predictive models for flavor, texture, nutrition and process scale-up are trained iteratively through active learning. The scientific scope spans strain engineering, adaptive laboratory evolution, solid- and liquid-state fermentation, sensory and consumer research, and pre-clinical and clinical evaluation of safety, bioavailability and cardiometabolic health, in collaboration with national and international partners.

BRIGHT – The Novo Nordisk Foundation Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition (BRIGHT) is a major initiative based at DTU that aims to accelerate the development of biosolutions and strengthen the bio-based economy. BRIGHT serves as a hub for academic and industrial partners working together to unlock the potential of bioproduction. BRIGHT focuses on three main areas: Sustainable materials (Developing bio-based alternatives to fossil-derived materials), Microbial foods (Innovating food production through microbial technologies), and Microorganisms for net-zero agriculture (Creating solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture). The goal is to develop and scale innovative biosolutions within these areas, ultimately creating sustainable and competitive alternatives to fossil-based products and processes that can make significant contributions to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829

DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.