PhD scholarship within Polysaccharide sulfatases for marine biomass applications - DTU Bioengineering

The Enzyme Technology group at DTU Bioengineering is looking for a highly qualified candidate for a 3-year PhD position within enzyme biotechnology for seaweed polysaccharide modifications. The PhD project concerns the development of sulfatases for novel enzyme-based seaweed polysaccharide modification reactions and notably concerns the production of robust S1 sulfatases.

The position is a part of a collaborative PhD Alliance Program with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, where another PhD student will be working on an aligned PhD project. The present PhD position offered at DTU will also be co-supervised by Professor Volker Sieber, TUM, and a  research stay (or several shorter stays) at TUM is provided as a part of the present PhD position. 

The PhD project is also an integral part of the Horizon Europe NEXTMARINE Project, which aims at contributing to the green and circular bioeconomy by enabling enzyme-based alternatives to chemical processes. You can read about the NEXTMARINE project here: https://www.nextmarine-project.eu/.

Field of Research
The field of research is advanced enzyme technology. A particular target of the PhD work is aimed at identifying and recombinantly producing microbial S1 sulfatases and establish optimal reaction criteria for seaweed polysaccharide modification to create new upgrading options for seaweeds. 

Responsibilities and qualifications
The position involves research work from enzyme discovery to function and kinetics assessment. You must have practical experience in detailed characterization of heterologous enzyme production, enzyme assay (preferably assay development), and understanding of reaction kinetics and enzyme protein characteristics. It is a particular focus point of this PhD to link experimental work to enzyme function, robustness, and kinetics in relation to practical applications. You should have a solid foundation in molecular biology in relation to enzyme production, as well as theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in enzyme assays and enzyme characterization. It is also expected that you have a strong interest in developing the novel type of applied enzyme technology in focus in the PhD project, which includes systematic experimental work combined with quantitative interpretation. 

In silico work (e.g. molecular docking and molecular dynamics) is included and will be done in a team effort. We expect that you are highly self-motivated, passionate about laboratory work, communicate well in English both verbally and in writing, and that you thrive in an International, collaborative, and multidisciplinary environment. In addition, it is important that you will enjoy supervising and teaching BSc and MSc students. 

We are looking for a candidate with a relevant educational background, a collaborative and inquisitive mindset, strong skills in two or more of the areas listed below, and eagerness to develop skills and advance in the other areas.

• Experience with state-of-the-art protein/DNA construct design software and protein engineering, and molecular biology
• Documented practical experience with heterologous enzyme protein expression, purification, classic protein assessment, and systematic reaction assessment
• Practical experience with enzyme assays and kinetic characterization of enzyme reactions 
• Assessment of structure-function relationships of enzymes
• Computational skills in enzyme discovery and characterization 
• Practical experience with research planning and documentation using electronic lab book systems (preferably Benchling)

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree, but MSc students that are just about to graduate are welcome to apply.

Approval and Enrolment 
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in the Biotechnology PhD degree programme (PhD school DTU Bioengineering) 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 Professor Anne S. Meyer, DTU Bioengineering, and Enzyme Biotechnology Specialist, Dr. Lara Pfaff, DTU Bioengineering. 

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.

The desirable starting date is 1. January 2027.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information 

Further information may be obtained from Prof. Anne S. Meyer, asme@dtu.dk 

You can read more at https://www.bioengineering.dtu.dk/about 

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 16 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
• A copy of the abstract of your MSc thesis, and a copy of any publications you may have authored/co-authored

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.

The Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (DTU Bioengineering) is an international leader in the areas of biotechnology and biomedicine. Our engineering approach to all aspects of biotechnology and biomedicine positions us as a valuable player with unique competences in a growing bio-based economy and with health systems transforming towards personalized medicine. We have a clear focus on the needs in the life science- and biotech industries and point towards innovation, new businesses, and scientific services for the benefit of society. The department has extensive collaborations with national and international research units and industry. DTU Bioengineering has approx. 400 employees, of which 2/3 are scientific staff. The department is located at DTU Lyngby Campus.

DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829
DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.