PhD scholarship in the Investigation of the Rhizosphere Chemistry of Filamentous Fungi in Relation to Beneficial Crop Outcomes

A PhD position is available in the Fungal Chemodiversity research group in the Department of Bioengineering at DTU. This position is part of the larger INTERACT project.

As a PhD student within INTERACT you will be participating with a global project with collaborators in the Netherlands, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Denmark, across 6 different Universities and Research Institutes. This project endeavors to understand and utilize the potential of microorganisms in how they relate to crop success.

INTERACT is a project part of the Collaborative Crop Resiliency Program (CCRP) , alongside two other projects, MATRIX and InRoot. 

Responsibilities and qualifications
Your primary tasks will be devoted to topics within Research Theme 2 (Isolation and metabolic profiling of rhizosphere microorganisms) of INTERACT, where you will collaborate with other members in metabolomic analysis, compound discovery, and strain isolation and characterisation. You will also have access to state-of-art analytical instrumentation to develop methods for the detection of important secondary metabolites in situ , and be expected to use techniques such as mass spectrometry imaging to assist in understanding the chemistry behind important microbial interactions. You will be involved in studies of synthetic communities of fungi (and bacteria) associated to wheat roots and rhizosphere soil, based on microorganisms that enhance wheat growth and yield and resistance to wheat pathogenic fungi under different stress conditions, and the chemical interactions in such systems.

We are looking for a natural product/analytical chemist, with experience with LC-MS, and an interest in filamentous fungi. We expect that you have: 

• Experience with HPLC-DAD and/or LC-MS data
• A knowledge of chemical extraction of natural samples
• An understanding of high resolution MS
• Hands-on experience with, or willingness to learn, the isolation, handling and cultivation of filamentous fungi.

We expect that you are a team player, have good planning skills, and are able to communicate and organize yourself within the context of a large collaborative environment.

It would also be advantageous if you have experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Metabolomics workflows, with software such as MSDail, XCMS, MZMine etc.
• Hands-on experience with running MS instrumentation
• Understanding of NMR, and experience with structural elucidation

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.

Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see the DTU PhD Guide .

Assessment
The assessment of candidates will be made by Professor Jens Christian Frisvad.

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.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here .

Further information
Further information may be attained from Professor Jens Christian Frisvad, DTU Bioengineering, [email protected] , phone: +45 4525 2626 and Metabolomics Core Manager Aaron John Christian Andersen, DTU Bioengineering, [email protected] , phone: +45 4525 6138. 

You can read more about DTU Bioengineering at www.bioengineering.dtu.dk/ , and the Collaborative Crop Resiliency Program athttps://ccrp.vcl.ncsu.edu/ . 

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 31 August 2021 (Danish time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply online", 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
• Excel sheet with translation of grades to the Danish grading system (see guidelines and Excel spreadsheet here )
• List of publications (if any)
• References

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

The Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (DTU Bioengineering)  conducts research, educates future bio-engineers, provides scientific advice and innovate within the areas of microbiology, biochemistry, biotechnology and biomedicine. The research at DTU Bioengineering is at the highest international level and focuses on the societal and scientific challenges within the field. Research is conducted within three main areas: Microbial ecology and physiology, Industrial biotechnology and cell factories, and Biomedicine and health. The department has extensive collaboration with national and international research units and industries. DTU Bioengineering has approx. 160 employees, of which 2/3 are scientific staff. The department is located at DTU Lyngby Campus.

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 vision to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That vision lives on today. DTU has 12,900 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.