2-year position at the post doctoral level within the area of cultivated meat

Aarhus University; Aarhus; On-site; DKK 420,000 - 520,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation service

Career counselling for expat partners

Junior Researcher Development Program

Job summary

Aarhus University’s Department of Food Science invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral position focusing on cultivated meat. Start date 1 February 2027, with year-one funding secured and continuation contingent on grant success.

The role centers on scaling, flavor, and nutrition of cultivated meat, including culture media recycling for 2D and 3D cells. Strong collaboration in an interdisciplinary lab is essential, with experience in cellular and molecular techniques highly valued.

Qualifications

• A PhD degree in a relevant area e.g. food/meat science, cultivated meat, molecular biology, molecular medicine or similar.
• Documented experience in cell culturing, cell/molecular biology techniques
• Preferably knowledge on cultivated meat

Responsibilities

• Focus on scaling, flavor and nutritional value of cultivated meat.
• Include culture media recycling for cells cultured in 2D and 3D.
• Conduct cellular and nutritional assessment using Cytation 5/10, real-time PCR, NMR, Infogest and transwell assays.
• Collaborate in interdisciplinary environments and communicate effectively

Skills

Cell culture

Molecular biology

Cultivated meat knowledge

Education

PhD in relevant area

Tools

Cytation 5

Cytation 10

RT-PCR

NMR

Job description

2-year position at the post doctoral level within the area of cultivated meat

Applications are invited for a 2 year postdoc position in the field of Cultivated meat at the Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Denmark.

Expected start date and duration of employment

Aarhus University, Department of Food Science, offers a 2-year position at the post doctoral level within the area of cultivated meat, starting 1st February 2027. Funding for the first year is secured but the second year is conditioned by projects being granted before the end of 2026.

Cultivated meat is a future way to produce the same nutrients as traditional meat, with reduced impact on the environment. For cultivated meat to enter the market, a scalable, nutritious and delicious product is a prerequisite for success.

To address this challenge Department of Food Science has a portfolio of research projects with synergies where this position is part of a larger investment in cellular food at Aarhus University, lead from our group at Department of Food Science. This position focuses on activities related to scaling, flavor and nutritional value of cultivated meat including culture media recycling for cells cultivated in 2D and 3D. Cellular and nutritional assessment will involve cellular analysis using Cytation 5 and Cytation 10, real time PCR, metabolic/flavor precursers using NMR, and nutritional assessment by Infogest and transwell assays.

Your profile

• A PhD degree in a relevant area e.g. food/meat science, cultivated meat, molecular biology, molecular medicine or similar
• Documented experience in cell culturing, cell/molecular biology techniques
• Preferably knowledge on cultivated meat

Strong collaborative skills, including experience working in interdisciplinary environments, are essential. We also value creative thinking, personal drive, and excellent communication skills.

Who we are

The Department of Food Science is part of the Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University and includes research within the areas Food Chemistry and Technology, Food Quality, Food Metabolomics and proteomics, Sensory Science, Biofunctional Food, Systems Biology, and Plant Production.

The Department currently employs ca. 145 full-time staff, including 31 senior academic staff, ca. 60 PhD students and Postdocs, and ca. 45 technical and administrative staff. In addition, there are ca. 45 Bachelor and Master thesis students and ca. 10 visiting students and staff, who together contribute to an international research environment where English is the preferred language in the laboratory, at meetings and at seminars.

The Department works in teams and therefore self-leadership, clear and open communication, success in mentoring, supervising and teaching are important qualities needed to be successful in the Department. In addition, the Department has a strong culture that is based on openness, equality, consultation, inclusion and contributing to the Department strategy and working environment are viewed as important.

What we offer

The candidate will join the multidisciplinary research environment at AU FOOD, with activities spanning the entire food value chain from field to fork. The department provides access to state-of-the-art facilities for plant cultivation under controlled conditions, advanced instrumentation for biomolecular characterization, and two fully equipped cell culture laboratories.

The candidate will join an international and multicultural workplace where English is the primary working language. The department also offers a variety of social activities that contribute to a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Place of work and area of employment

The place of work is Department of Food Science, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus N, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments.

Applications must be received no later than 18 November.

Salary and employment terms

Salary and terms as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Unions at basic salary steps 4-8.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Other benefits and support

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.