2 PhD Fellowships in In-Vitro Digestion of Novel Plant-Based Ingredients at the University of Copenhagen 2026.

The Department of Food Science, Section of Ingredients and Dairy Technology, invites applicants for two PhD fellowships to study the digestive properties of novel ingredients and food materials, to contribute to 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 Intelligence (AI4NaturalFood)”.

The start date is expected to be 1 June 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

First 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 foods 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, which 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 the 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 participates 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 obtained functional properties
Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
Be part of the larger group that participates in the AI4NaturalFood project.

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 based on your project

Qualification and Requirements.

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

Application and Assessment Procedure.

Your application, including all attachments, must be in English and submitted electronically through the official application portal.

Please include:

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)
Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills, and other skills relevant to the position
Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and a transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in a language other 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.
Publication list (if relevant)
Reference letters (if available).

Key selection criteria:

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

Application deadline:

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

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/.

2 PhD Fellowships in In-Vitro Digestion of Novel Plant-Based Ingredients at the University of Copenhagen 2026.