PhD scholarship in engineering food safe chassis strains - BRIGHT

DTU - Technical University of Denmark; Kongens Lyngby; On-site; DKK 320,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

DTU - Technical University of Denmark invites applications for a PhD Student in Microbial Strain Engineering. The role focuses on attenuating biosynthetic gene clusters in fungal chassis and tuning fermentation to improve safety and scalability for future food prototypes.

The ideal candidate has a Master’s degree in microbiology or related field, strong organizational skills, and fluency in English; experience with CRISPR and fermentation is preferred.

Qualifications

• Two-year Master’s degree in microbiology, food science, molecular biology, synthetic biology, mycology or related discipline.
• Excellent organisational and project management skills; able to develop new methods.
• Fluent in English; literacy in common IT systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute genetic edits in filamentous fungi (Aspergillus) to attenuate toxin genes.
• Characterise strains phenotypically and analytically with safety/chemistry teams.
• Study fermentation effects on secondary metabolites and reduce risk via gene/process changes.
• Deliver toxin-attenuated variants for downstream prototype development.

Skills

Organisational skills

Project management

IT literacy

English fluency

AI in research

independent & collaborative

Education

Master's degree (120 ECTS)

Microbiology / related discipline

Tools

CRISPR editing tools

Homologous recombination

Job description

Job Description Are you excited by the challenge of engineering fungal cells to become the foundation of a new global food category? Passionate about combining genetic tools with fermentation science to make food‑grade chassis measurably safer? Interested in working in a rapidly growing, interdisciplinary research environment tackling food‑system challenges? Then join us as our new PhD Student in Microbial Strain Engineering!

This position is a part of BRIGHT's mission‑oriented Microbial Food research programme ("Mission 2"), which aims to build an AI‑powered framework for the rational design of microbial foods that meet four targets: consumer acceptance, health, sustainability and scalability. The first phase focuses on two fungal chassis, Aspergillus and Yarrowia, characterising more than 500 prototypes through multi‑omics, sensory analysis, life‑cycle assessment and safety testing. Predictive models for flavour, texture, nutrition and process scale‑up are trained iteratively through active learning. The scientific scope spans strain engineering, adaptive laboratory evolution, solid‑ and liquid‑state fermentation, sensory and consumer research, and pre‑clinical and clinical evaluation of safety, bioavailability and cardiometabolic health, in collaboration with national and international partners.

You will work with regulatory and food safety experts and interact closely with strain engineering colleagues across BRIGHT and DTU, to attenuate biosynthetic gene clusters implicated in toxin production and to tune fermentation conditions that suppress secondary‑metabolite formation. The engineered chassis and process variants you deliver will feed directly into the food prototype development providing a basis for next‑generation sustainable and healthy microbial foods.

The job

• Design and execute genetic edits in filamentous fungi (Aspergillus) to attenuate biosynthetic gene clusters associated with mycotoxin production
• Characterise the resulting strains phenotypically and analytically, in tight coordination with the safety and analytical chemistry workstream
• Investigate how fermentation conditions modulate secondary‑metabolite formation, and identify combinations of genetic and process changes that reproducibly reduce risk
• Contribute to the delivery of toxin‑attenuated strain variants suitable for downstream prototype development

What We’re Looking For

You will have a two‑year Master’s degree (120 ECTS points) in microbiology, food science, molecular biology, synthetic biology, mycology or a related discipline, or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two‑year Master’s degree.

You will have excellent organisational and project management skills and enjoy developing new methods.

You will be fluent in spoken and written English and have literacy in common IT systems.

The ideal candidate will also

• have experience with CRISPR‑based editing tools and/or homologous recombination strategies in microorganisms
• have familiarity with secondary‑metabolite biosynthesis and biosynthetic gene cluster analysis
• have some exposure to fermentation and/or bioprocess development
• be able to work both independently and as part of a large collaborative team
• be comfortable in an interdisciplinary environment spanning genetics, chemistry, fermentation, and regulatory science
• be patient, meticulous, curious, and collaborative – key qualities for engineering work in a shared platform
• strong desire for utilizing AI in the development of your research

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.

Assessment

The assessment of the applicants will be made by Prof Morten Sommer.

We offer

DTU is a leading technical university globally recognised 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 characterised 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, full time. Start date 01-01-2027 or according to mutual agreement.

Further information

For additional information about the position, please contact Prof Morten Sommer at [e-mail].

For additional information about BRIGHT, please visit www.bright.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. 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.

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.