2 PhD fellowships in in-vitro digestion of novel plant-based ingredients

The Department of Food Science, Section of Ingredients and Dairy Technology, invites applicants for two PhD fellowships in studying the digestive properties of novel ingredients and food materials with the aim to contributing towards the development of future, sustainable, healthy food options. These positions are part of a larger research project funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation “Naturally Smart: Sustainable Food using Artificial Inteligence (AI4NaturalFood)”. Start date is expected to be 1 June 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

One fellowship (1)

The production of food is one of the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting sectors (c.30% of total). Livestock is a major contributor (c.15% of total GHG emissions) to this. A dietary shift towards less animal-based foods is therefore necessary to reduce the climate impact of our food production. To ensure that this will contribute to healthy diets, it is necessary to understand the fate of new, plant based food in the gastrointestinal tract. However, this is challenging, as digestion is a complex, multiscale, and multistage process, with dynamics that depend on the food, the gastrointestinal tract, and their interactions.

This fellowship aims to develop and utilize experimental methods for the collection of experimental results for enabling the use of machine learning, that will allow us to characterize the digestive processes, identify key variables, and determine in-vitro key parameters to predict digestibility in-vivo. The appointed PhD candidate will work in close collaboration with a Postdoctoral Researcher.

Specific tasks for this PhD position:

• Understand digestion processes in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract
• Characterise food digestion in-vitro using physical-chemical methods
• Identify limiting steps of digestion
• Determine key markers for digestive processes
• Develop and implement bespoke in-vitro digestion methods based on these markers.
• Write scientific papers aimed at high impact journals
• Be part of the larger group that participate in the AI4NaturalFood project

Second fellowship (2)

Currently, plant ingredients are often refined to almost molecular purity - and then combined again to create structured foods. This isolation is resource intensive, and the removal of fibre and micronutrients can compromise the nutritional value. This can be mitigated by applying milder forms of processing that do not fully refine ingredients and leave some of the native structure of the plant material intact. The properties of these partially refined ingredients depend strongly on the way of processing. This Fellowship is aimed at developing rapid experimentation methods that will allow us to explore the relation between the degree and type of processing, and the foods that result from their use. The results will be used for data machine learning, in collaboration with other partners in the project. The appointed PhD candidate will work in close collaboration with a Postdoctoral Researcher.

Specific tasks for this PhD position:

• Understand the different extraction procedures for isolation of specific components from plant based raw materials
• Characterize the functional properties of prepared ingredients, using methods that are available in our lab
• Develop methods to assess the way that process conditions and processing choices influence the functional properties of the isolated ingredients
• Work with others to set up models that describe the relation between processing and the ontained functional properties
• Write scientific papers aimed at high impact journals
• Be part of the larger group that participate in the AI4NaturalFood project

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates within a relevant field(s), such as food science or food engineering.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?

We offer a pioneering position that is part of a large collaboration involving many industries and academia around the world, embedded in one of the world’s leading universities in food science, Copenhagen University. The position is part of a new and growing group that has strong expertise in processing, ingredient characterization and functionality driven process design, part of the Section Ingredients and Dairy Processing at the Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, and located at the Frederiksberg Campus. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and state-of-the-art large-scale facilities.

Principal supervisor is Prof. Remko Boom, Department of Food Science, UCPH (remko.boom@food.ku.dk. The PhD programme is a three-year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme).

Qualifications needed:
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. food science, food engineering. For information on eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment:
Employment as PhD fellow is full-time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The terms of employment and salary are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State (AC). The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

General Responsibilities and tasks 

• Carry out an independent research project under supervision
• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution.
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for a candidate with several of the following qualifications:

• An MSc degree in areas relevant to the PhD project (e.g., food science, food engineering)
• Practical experience with in-vitro digestion experiments
• Experience with chemical and biochemical techniques
• Curious mindset with strong interest in bio-based materials
• Excellent English communication skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Strong work ethics
• High ambitions
• Team player

Key selection criteria:

• Professional qualifications relevant for the position
• Relevant work experience
• Language skills
• Creative thinking
• Level of enthusiasm and motivation

Application and Assessment Procedure

Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include: 

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page) that describes your motivation for applying for the fellowship - please refer to the Ph.d position you apply for (1 or 2)
2. Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
3. Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
4. Publication list (if relevant)
5. Reference letters (if available)

Application deadline: 

The deadline for applications is 15 March 2026, 23:59 GMT +2

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process 
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/ .

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position. 

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.