Postdoctoral Fellow in Ancient Metagenomics & Fermentation Microbiomes

Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen

We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to join the Schroeder Group at the Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, on the DFF1 FERMENTEDPASTS project for 2 years, starting 15 April 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Information on the department: https://globe.ku.dk

Our research:
The Schroeder Group works at the intersection of archaeology, evolutionary biology, and biomolecular science to study human histories of subsistence, mobility, health, and technology. FERMENTEDPASTS focuses on the microbial heritage of traditional fermentations—with a strong emphasis on Norwegian farmhouse brewing (kveik)—combining ancient metagenomics, microbial genomics, and targeted functional assays to track continuity, adaptation, and innovation from historical artefacts (e.g., yeast rings, fermentation vessels) to present-day brewing.

Your job:
You will drive the biomolecular and computational work that links historical fermentation microbiomes to modern brewing performance. Responsibilities include:

• Generating and analysing ancient metagenomic shotgun datasets from artefacts and controls in clean-room facilities (DNA extraction, ssDNA libraries, sequencing QC).
• Performing taxonomic and functional profiling (e.g., KrakenUniq/HOPS → mapping → metaDMG authentication → phylogenomics with IQ-TREE; variant analyses in Saccharomyces and LAB).
• Integrating modern kveik isolate data (short/long-read or amplicon panels) to test hypotheses about thermotolerance, flocculation, ethanol tolerance and flavor-relevant pathways.
• Collaborating with partners (e.g., brewing analytics/sensory) to design small, hypothesis-driven functional tests that translate genomic signals into brewing-relevant outcomes.
• Contributing to manuscripts, data releases, and occasional outreach with museum/heritage collaborators

Profile:
Six overall criteria apply for academic appointments at UCPH (research, teaching, societal impact, organisational contribution, external funding, leadership): https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit

We seek an enthusiastic scientist with the following:

Essential

• PhD (or equivalent) in ancient DNA/biomolecular archaeology, microbiology, genomics or a closely related field.
• Hands-on experience with ancient DNA wet lab workflows and contamination control, plus shotgun metagenomic analysis of low-biomass/low-complexity samples.
• Proficiency with bioinformatics pipelines relevant to aDNA (e.g., nf-core/eager, minimap2/BWA, KrakenUniq or comparable classifiers, metaDMG/PMD-aware filtering, IQ-TREE/phylogenomics).
• Strong scientific writing and communication skills; ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team; excellent English (spoken/written).

Desirable

• Expertise in yeast or bacterial population genomics, fermentation microbiology, or brew-relevant phenotypes (VDK, esters, sulfur).
• Experience linking genotype ↔ phenotype (e.g., PAD1/FDC1, FLO8, IRA1/2, RPI1) or building compact marker panels.
• Familiarity with proteomics/metabolomics and/or collaboration with sensory/analytics teams.
• Track record of first-author publications and experience in large, collaborative projects.

Place of employment:
Section for Molecular Ecology & Evolution, Globe Institute, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark.

About Globe Institute:
Globe Institute (Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, UCPH) addresses basic scientific questions through interdisciplinary approaches spanning natural sciences, medicine, and the humanities. We are committed to an inclusive, diverse, and family-friendly working environment. International staff services and tax schemes may apply. More: https://www.globe.ku.dk/

Terms of employment:

• Fixed-term, 2 years; 37.5 hours/week.
• Salary, pension and conditions follow the agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer contributes 17.1% to pension.
• Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions if they have not been tax liable in Denmark in the last 10 years.
• Covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (2020).

Questions:
For further information, please contact Assoc. Prof. Hannes Schroeder ([email protected]).

Foreign applicants: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure:
Submit your application in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. Include (PDFs):

• Motivated cover letter (max 1 page)
• CV incl. education, research experience, skills, and publications (max 2 pages)
• Certified/signed copies of PhD and MSc diplomas (or supervisor statement if PhD pending)
• List of publications

Deadline for applications: 4 January 2026, 23:59 CET.

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline or applications not meeting the above requirements.

The further process:
After the deadline, the recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on advice from the hiring committee. All applicants are notified whether they proceed to assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once assessments are complete, each applicant may comment on their own assessment. Read about the process: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

Assessment follows Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012.

Interviews are expected in week 3.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and encourages all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.

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
Hannes Schroeder
E-mail: [email protected]

Info
Ansøgningsfrist: 04-01-2026

Ansættelsesdato: 15-04-2026

Arbejdstid: Fuldtid

Afdeling/Sted: GLOBE