Phd Position in Dietary Emulsifiers-Microbiome Interactions - DTU Food

We are seeking an ambitious and motivated microbiologist for a 3-year PhD position to investigate the interactions between dietary emulsifiers and the gut microbiome.

The PhD project will be carried out at Research group for Gut, Microbes, and Health at the DTU National Food institute, Technical University of Denmark. We offer a dynamic and collaborative research environment with many exciting challenges and opportunities. 

The objective of this project is to characterize how dietary emulsifiers are digested, how they affect the gut microbiome, and to identify direct or indirect interactions with the intestinal surface in vivo. 

The project is part of the DTU National Food Institute’s advisory responsibilities and the knowledge generated in this project will be disseminated both in scientific publications and reported directly to the Danish Veterinary, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Agency.

Responsibilities and qualifications
We expect you to be able to work independently on your PhD project while also contributing to collaborative research with other members of the research group. You will be involved in supervising Bachelor and Master students and will also be expected to contribute to other activities within the department.

We expect that you have a background in microbiology and have a strong interest in the gut microbiome and nutrition. You must be ambitious, highly motivated, eager to learn new techniques, capable of working independently, and have a high written and spoken level in both Danish and English.

The new colleague we are seeking has ideally worked with aerobic and anaerobic microbial cultivation studies and understands bacterial physiology. Experience with state-of-the-art omics technologies (i.e. 16S sequencing, metagenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and/or food analysis) is an advantage. 

Required skills:

• Experience with basic microbiology and molecular biology techniques.
• Excellent reading and writing skills in scientific literature and experience in generating hypotheses. 
• Knowledge of sequence-based analysis of bacterial communities. 
• Capable of working independently. 
• Motivated by both personal and team accomplishments.

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

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. 

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 allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.

The expected starting date for the position is 1 January 2027 (or according to mutual agreement). 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 Senior Researcher and Head of Research group Martin Steen Mortensen ([email protected]). 

You can read more about DTU National Food Institute at www.food.dtu.dk/english.

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 27 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 diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
• List of publications

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.

DTU National Food Institute
DTU National Food Institute conducts research into and disseminates - through advice, innovation and teaching - sustainable and value-creating solutions in the area of food and health for the benefit of society. The vision is to make a difference by generating future prosperity through research into food and health. The institute works to prevent disease and promote health, develop new and better food products for a growing population and create sustainable technological solutions, including biosolutions. The institute’s tasks are carried out in interdisciplinary collaboration within e.g. nutrition, chemistry, toxicology, microbiology, epidemiology, modelling, and technology. This is achieved through a strong academic environment of international top class with correspondingly skilled researchers and employees. The Institute employs approximately 390 staff members.

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.