DTU Bioengineering at the Technical University of Denmark invites applications for a position as PhD in Microbial molecular physiology.

The position is part of the PhD Program within the Fermentation Based Biomanufacturing Initiative, funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The initiative is a collaboration between the DTU Departments Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering and the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability. This position will be hosted at DTU Bioengineering and is one of four PhD positions posted in this call. The project will be carried out in a collaboration with DTU Chemical Engineering and Novozymes.

This position will be placed in DTU Bioengineering, Section for Microbial and Chemical Ecology, for which key areas are within understanding and engineering of both pure cultures and microbiomes in natural settings and in production.

The aim is to enable us to discover and design new strategies, bioactive compounds or biologicals that can be used to e.g. develop novel strains in biotechnology or use novel substrates in the bio-manufacturing process. The section has a total staff of 83, of which 16 is faculty

Responsibilities and Tasks
The aim of the project is to obtain a molecular understanding of why a bacterial culture stops growing despite the presence of excess nutrients, and ultimately propose a genetic makeup providing the optimal growth yield for a production strain. This will be done by investigating the growth physiology of primarily Bacillus subtilis during industrial fermentations, and subsequently, to manipulate the strains towards a better performance. The vision of this project is to provide a set of methods applicable to any production strain and the corresponding fermentation condition in order to improve its yield.

In this project you will:

• Characterize the performance of Bacilli during industrial fermentation conditions using state-of-the-art molecular methods
• Manipulate the genetic content of various Bacilli
• Construct mathematical models describing growth kinetic

Qualifications
Candidates should have a master’s degree in engineering or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to the master’s degree in engineering.

We are looking for a candidate with a solid background in:

• Molecular biology of bacteria
• Bacterial physiology
• Mathematical modelling

We expect that you are an efficient team worker, have good communication skills, and have a critical approach to formulation and testing of hypotheses. Also, a good sense of humor will be appreciated.

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 the DTU PhD Guide.

Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by Assoc. Prof. Jan Martinussen and approved by an internal PhD assessment committee.

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.

You can read more about DTU Bioengineering at www.bioengineering.dtu.dk.