Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Food Science programme. The position is available from 01 September 2025 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.
Title:
Structural and functional features of microbial caseins
Research area and project description:
The qualified applicant will be part of a research team working with protein chemistry and food functionality as part of a bigger collaborative mission project under Novo Nordic Foundation.
As part of the green transition, production of animal food proteins in microbes is an active research area. This includes also investigation of production of milk proteins in microorganisms via precision fermentation. However, the microbes may not be able to produce these proteins with desired functionality due to different structural decorations that may be missing or changed. Therefore, research is needed in relation to investigating molecular and functional properties of caseins made in microbes. The PhD project is part of a bigger project involving different partners.
The PhD project will involve investigation of molecular and functional properties of caseins produced by collaboration partners in the project. The main objective is to obtain in depth knowledge on molecular and functional properties of microbial caseins and minimal requirements for functionality in casein micelles. The investigations will involve investigation of introduction of post-translational modifications and physicochemical characterisations of the recombinant caseins, as well as functional studies involving formation of artificial casein micelles, mineral binding and functionality studies. The analytical techniques will i.e. involve LC-MS, SDS-PAGE and other protein analyses, ICP-MS, titration studies, particle size measurements, gelation studies and transmission electron microscopy.
The project is a collaboration between Aarhus University, DTU and Chalmers. The PhD project will be carried out at Aarhus University, with external stay(s) to be determined.
Project description: For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.
Qualifications and specific competences:
We are searching for a highly motivated candidate who has a M.Sc. degree in Food Science and Technology or Biotechnology.
Demonstrated oral and written communication skills in English are required. The applicant must be able to present results at international conferences and publish in international peer-reviewed journals. The applicant should be enthusiastic about working in an international academic environment, and be willing to have research stay(s) at collaboration partners place or in other relevant research environments, including outside Denmark
Further, we will prefer candidates with some of the following qualifications:
Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Department of Food Science, Agro Food Park 48, 8200 Aarhus N., Denmark.
Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information regarding this PhD position are invited to contact:
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide. If answers cannot be found there, please contact:
How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application.
Application deadline is 10 July 2025 at 23:59 CEST.
Preferred starting date is 01 September 2025.
Please note:
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. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.
