Postdoc in Biological CO2 Conversion - DTU Chemical Engineering

Are you a highly competent, ambitious, and hard-working young scientist wanting to excel in the exciting field of gas fermentation and CO2 utilization in one of the best foundations and collaboration schemes to accomplish this? Then this advertisement is for you.
Are you a highly competent, ambitious, and hard-working young scientist wanting to excel in the exciting field of gas fermentation and CO2 utilization in one of the best foundations and collaboration schemes to accomplish this? Then this advertisement is for you.

At DTU Chemical Engineering a postdoc position is available in the frame of a research project funded by the European Innovation Council. The postdoc project will be in close collaboration with an Biotech Industry that produces food proteins from CO2 and addresses the upstream biological conversion of CO2 to acetic acid.

Responsibilities and tasks
Your overall focus will be to contribute to strengthening the department’s competences within gas fermentation technology. You will work with nearby colleagues and academic partners in Denmark as well as abroad. Your primary tasks will be to:

• Performing biological conversion of CO2 to acetic acid in Trickle Bed Reactors at lab- and pilot-scale
• Performing kinetic characterisation of the microbial groups involved in CO2 fermentation to acetic acid
• Spending a couple of months external stay at the premises of the Industrial partner and collect data from pilot-scale operation
• Communicating results of the project to both academic and industrial partners
• Collaborating across-disciplines with internal and external project colleagues
• Being involved in the co-supervision of BEng, BSc and MSc students
• Drafting and submitting manuscripts for publication in peer reviewed international journals

Qualifications
In accordance with the abovementioned, you should have qualifications within several of the following areas:

• Handling and culturing of anaerobic microbial cultures.
• Operating bioreactors in batch and/or continuous mode with suspended and/or attached growth (biofilm).
• Experience in gas fermentation.

We also value that you:

• Are collaboration-minded, flexible and thrive by conveying knowledge and good practices to others.
• Have a good sense of order and like to help that our laboratories are in nice and tidy conditions.
• Are a person with a positive mindset and with very good planning, prioritizing and organizational skills.
• Are self-activated and able to work independently as well as in a group.
• Have strong writing and oral communication skills.
• Are fluent in English.

Expertise within gas fermentation should be documented with the PhD thesis and/or relevant publications in international journals.

The project will be in close collaboration with personnel enrolled at DTU Chemical Engineering as well as with personnel of our industrial partner. Availability for a highly active period, openness, and willingness for a fruitful collaboration is a prerequisite. Also, you should be available to start the postdoc project in Spring 2025.

As a formal qualification, you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent).

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

The period of employment is 1 year with the possibility for extension. The starting date is 1 May 2025. The position is a full-time position.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information
Further information may be obtained from Associate Professor Hariklia Gavala, [email protected].

You can read more about DTU Chemical Engineering at www.kt.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.

Aplication procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 24 March 2025 (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:

• Application (cover letter)
• CV
• Academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD – in English)
• List of publications

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.

This position will be placed in Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering (DTU Chemical Engineering), in Applied Thermodynamics – Center of Energy Resources Engineering (AT CERE). AT CERE has recently entered dynamically into Biorefinery Conversions research area with focus on creating new knowledge for development of innovative and cost-efficient processes for production of chemicals, materials and biofuels from biomasses, industrial effluents and off-gases and has a long tradition in research within Applied Thermodynamics, Transport Processes and Mathematical Modelling. AT CERE has a total staff of approx. 50, of which 6 is faculty.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.

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