PhD fellowship in Food Microbiology

The Department of Food Science is offering a PhD fellowship in Food Microbiology and Fermentation. Start date is expected to be 1 September 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project
The successful candidate will be part of the research project “Data-driven design of synergistic microbial communities targeting high-quality plant-based food (MiCoP)”. The project is funded by the Novo Nordic Foundation - Plant2Food and carried out together with University of Wageningen, The Netherlands and several industrial partners. The overall goal of the project is the use of fermentation to enhance taste and nutritional properties of plant based food. Specifically, the project aims to introduce an AI framework to design microbial cultures for fermentation of Nordic varieties of pulses and to fulfil scientific knowledge gaps.

The candidate will specifically focus on microbial interactions with plant-based materials, genomic diversity and the ability of microorganisms to improve flavour and remove antinutrients.

Who are we looking for?
We are looking for applicants with a MSc within food microbiology, biology, molecular biology, molecular biomedicin or similar. The ideal candidate is an enthusiastic researcher with experience within metabolic pathway analyses, microscopic techniques, sequencing analyses, fermentation technology, LS-MC analysis etc. and a keen interest in development of plant-based food for a more sustainable future.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The research group is a part of Department of Food Science (FOOD), Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. We are located in Copenhagen at Frederiksberg Campus. The mission of the Department is to contribute with new knowledge and innovative solutions for society and industry to support sustainable food production. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment. The section for Food Microbiology, Gut Health and Fermentation consists of approximately 40 international staff members working in a cross-disciplinary environment with access to upfront laboboratories and equipment.

Principal supervisor isProfessor Lene Jespersen, Department of Food Science, [email protected], +45 29354733

Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area mentioned above. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks:

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision

• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at Wageningen University.
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in microbiology
• Good language skills

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Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below. Please notice that applicants send by e-mail will NOT be assessed.

Please include:

• Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
• Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
• Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
• Publication list (if possible)
• Reference letters (if available)

The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in week 25-27.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.

Københavns Universitet giver sine knap 10.000 medarbejdere muligheder for at udnytte deres talent fuldt ud i et ambitiøst, uformelt miljø. Vi sikrer traditionsrige og moderne rammer om uddannelser og fri forskning på højt internationalt niveau. Vi søger svar og løsninger på fælles problemer og gør ny viden tilgængelig og nyttig for andre.

Kontakt
Lene Jespersen
E-mail: [email protected]

Info
Ansøgningsfrist: 15-05-2024

Ansættelsesdato: 01-09-2024

Arbejdstid: Fuldtid

Afdeling/Sted: FOOD