Postdoc in Sustainable and Alternative Food Fermentation - DTU Food

The HyCheese project at the DTU National Food Institute brings together industry partners (Novonesis, FOSS, KMC) and academic collaborators from the University of Copenhagen (KU) and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) to develop a well-accepted, innovative hybrid cheese. The project focuses on unlocking texture and flavor performance in hybrid cheese prototypes through a mechanistic understanding of starter cultures, enzymes, and microbial metabolism during fermentation and ripening.

Research Direction 
The work directly supports sustainable food production while addressing human health and dietary quality. DTU National Food Institute’s strategic objectives include enabling a sustainable transition of food production, preventing disease, and promoting health. Your research will therefore center on the role of microorganisms in improving the functionality and healthiness of sustainable, plant-based raw materials. Key themes include protein quality and functionality, microbial fermentation performance, and links between fermented foods and gut health.

Responsibilities and qualifications
The main areas of research will be:

• Develop and evaluate beneficial microorganisms useful for production of fermented foods, especially in plant-based alternative and hybrid food matrices.
• Design and conduct studies on lactic acid bacteria for fermentation performance, biopreservation, and bioprotection, including culture selection and process optimization.  
• Establish and apply proteomics-based workflows to characterize protein mixtures and proteolytic events (peptide/protein profiling and interpretation of proteolysis signatures). 
• Apply molecular biology and microbial engineering to investigate functionality of microbial systems, particularly involving large membrane-bound enzymes and their activity/expression in relevant hosts. 
• Analyze and integrate chemical and sensory-relevant outputs, including metabolites, flavor/off-flavor compounds, and anti-nutritional factors, linking these to microbial metabolism and processing conditions. 
• Investigate the interplay between sustainable fermented foods and the human gut microbiome, where relevant to functionality and health-oriented outcomes. 
• Drive industry-facing research collaboration and coordinate cross-partner workflows in planning, data-sharing, and iterative decision-making across industrial and academic stakeholders. 
• Teach and supervise PhD, MSc, and BSc students. 

Qualifications: 

• Preferably have experience within the above-mentioned research fields especially lactic acid bacteria, molecular biology, and microbial engineering 
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) and strong collaboration skills, demonstrated in interdisciplinary and highly international research environments.
• Strong analytical and ability to work independently.

As a formal qualification, you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent) in biotechnology, microbiology, or related area. 

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 terms of employment
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.

Starting date is 1 May 2026 (or according to mutual agreement). The position is a full-time position.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information 
Further information may be obtained from Senior Scientist Claus Heiner Bang-Berthelsen claban@food.dtu.dk, Professor Egon Bech Hansen egbh@food.dtu.dk or Senior Researcher and Head of Research Group Martin Steen Mortensen on masmo@food.dtu.dk 

You can read more about the DTU National Food Institute at www.food.dtu.dk/english/

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark.

Application procedure 
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 5 February 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:

• Application (cover letter)
• CV
• Academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD – in English)
• List of publications 

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.

DTU National Food Institute
DTU National Food Institute conducts research into and disseminates - through advice, innovation and teaching - sustainable and value-creating solutions in the area of food and health for the benefit of society. The vision is to make a difference by generating future prosperity through research into food and health. The institute works to prevent disease and promote health, develop new and better food products for a growing population and create sustainable technological solutions, including biosolutions. The institute’s tasks are carried out in interdisciplinary collaboration within e.g. nutrition, chemistry, toxicology, microbiology, epidemiology, modelling, and technology. This is achieved through a strong academic environment of international top class with correspondingly skilled researchers and employees. The Institute employs approximately 375 staff members.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.