Postdoctoral Researcher in fungal biotechnology and Sustainable Food Ingredients

If you want to help create the foundation for the food of tomorrow, this might be the postdoc position for you. This is a 3-year postdoctoral position that is part of a larger collaborative project named RUMy. We are searching for a candidate that can contribute to fermentation with basidiomycetes that not only present an innovative solution but may also contribute to the development of healthier and more nutritious plant-based food products. 

About the RUMy Postdoctoral Project

The RUMy project is funded by the Danish grant: Plant-based Food grant (Plantefonden), an initiative to speed up the green transition in the food and agricultural sector. This interdisciplinary project brings together researchers from the 3 different groups at DTU National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark, with the shared goal of advancing sustainable food innovation. The project brings together researchers from the research group for Bioactives – Analysis and Application, the research group of Gut, Microbes and Health, and the postdoc will be associated with the last group, the research group of Microbial Biotechnology and Biorefining.

Fungal mycelium holds great promise as a sustainable alternative to meat, yet many knowledge gaps remain. Key questions concern their nutritional composition, taste profile, potential presence of mycotoxins, digestibility, and effects on the human intestinal microbiome.

In this project, the successful candidate will investigate the mycelium of 32 edible mushroom species, focusing on their ability to produce tempeh-like products when grown on Nordic plant substrates. The study will encompass assessments of mycotoxin formation, nutritional content, and sensory properties. The other parts of the project will investigate and explore how these mycelia are digested, how they interact with the intestinal microbiome, and whether digestion produces different metabolites in individuals following a vegan diet compared to those consuming a traditional omnivorous diet. This microbiome work will be partly supported by the potential post doc candidate as well.

The insights generated through this research will provide a scientific foundation for developing improved, more appealing mycelium-based foods, contributing to the growth and acceptance of sustainable plant-based alternatives.

This collaborative environment ensures a holistic approach—spanning microbial biotechnology to processing and food technology to nutritional and safety evaluation. Additionally, you will be part of a team of post docs and PhD students also working with edible mushrooms for food applications in the group.

Responsibilities and qualifications

The candidate will be involved in the teaching and education as well as other activities such as general maintaining the laboratory, equipment as well as the Culture collection (NFICC). 

We are looking for a candidate with a solid background in the two first bullets and additionally in two or more of the following areas:

• Experience with culturing fungi and in particular basidiomycetes
• Using fungi biomass for food applications
• MALDI TOF biotyper
• Microbiology 
• Work with DNA and RNA analysis 
• Phenotype screening 
• Enzyme and colorimetry assays
• Analytical chemistry
• Microscopy 
• Previous experience with food science and nutritional science 

We expect that you are an efficient team worker, have good communication skills, and have a critical approach to the formulation and testing of hypotheses. In addition, we appreciate a good sense of humor. Written and spoken English is a prerequisite as there is teaching obligations during the project period in courses at DTU. The candidate should be interested in participating in team activities. 

Candidates should have a two-year master's degree and as a formal qualification, you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent) preferably in culturing basidiomycetes. We are looking for a candidate with a strong background within food science and fermentation background. A candidate with some experience from industry will be preferred. The post doc candidate may have studied a MSc program in microbiology, biotechnology, plant biology, and food science. 

Assessment

The assessment of the applicants will be made by Senior Scientist Claus Heiner Bang-Berthelsen (DTU National Food Institute), Martin Steen Mortensen (DTU National Food Institute), and Casper Robert Balten van der Luijt (DTU National Food Institute). Therefore, it is important to be aware that your CV and grades will be shared within the assessment committee.  

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.

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

The period of employment is 3 years.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information 

Further information may be obtained from Senior Scientist Claus Heiner Bang-Berthelsen, DTU National Food Institute, tel.: or on email  - or from the group of Gut, Microbes and Health Senior Researcher, Martin Steen Mortensen    

You can read more about DTU National Food Institute and the different research groups at DTU National Food Institute.

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 8 December :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
• Grade transcripts and academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD – in English)
• List of publications 
• PhD thesis 

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.