PhD scholarship in assessment of health impact of microbial foods in vivo

Are you fascinated by how the food we eat shapes our microbiome and metabolic health? Excited by the prospect of designing pre-clinical studies that will help generate the evidence to justify the first human clinical trials for a novel food category? Eager to work in a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research environment tackling major food-system challenges? Then join us as our new PhD Student in Animal Nutrition and Host-Microbe Metabolism!

This position is a part of BRIGHT’s mission- oriented Microbial Food research programme (“referred to as 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, characterizing more than 500 prototypes through multi-omics, sensory analysis, life-cycle assessment and safety testing. Predictive models for flavor, 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.

Working with a team of microbiome and food scientist at DTU and abroad, you will help design and run murine studies that isolate the contribution of fermentation, biomass composition, and processing to the host-relevant nutritional and metabolic effects of microbial foods. The results feed directly into the design of the human clinical trials and into the predictive health models.

The job
As our PhD Student in Animal Nutrition and Host-Microbe Metabolism, you will:

• Contribute to the design and execution of murine feeding studies built around a matrix of pairwise comparisons (plant substrate vs. fermented food; fermented food vs. extracted biomass; biomass vs. extruded plant protein and meat)
• Measure a panel of host endpoints including protein digestibility, microbiome composition and function, gut barrier markers, lipid metabolism, glucose handling, and appetite-related hormones
• Coordinate protocol design and sample handoffs across BRIGHT, DTU Food, and the UCSF collaborators to ensure endpoints accumulate consistently
• Contribute to the interpretation of the pre-clinical data and to the design of the human clinical trials that follow

What we’re looking for
You will have a two-year Master’s degree (120 ECTS points) in animal nutrition, host-microbe metabolism, gut biology, or a related discipline, or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year Master’s degree.

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

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

The ideal candidate will also:

• have hands-on experience with rodent husbandry 
• have familiarity with microbiome sequencing and analysis (16S and/or shotgun metagenomics)
• have exposure to metabolic phenotyping methods (indirect calorimetry, glucose tolerance testing, or similar)
• be able to work both independently and as part of a large collaborative team spanning multiple institutions
• be comfortable in an interdisciplinary environment spanning nutrition, microbiology, and translational science
• be patient, rigorous, curious, and pragmatic — key qualities for pre-clinical work that will shape downstream clinical decisions

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 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, full time. Start date 01-01-2027 or according to mutual agreement. 

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information

For additional information about the position, please contact Prof Morten Sommer at msom@dtu.dk 

You can read more about BRIGHT below, and at 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. 

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
• One letter of reference, with referee’s email and phone number

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.

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.