PhD Candidate in synthetic biology and biosynthetic gene cluster expression

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Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0 About the position

We have a vacancy for a full-time PhD candidate at the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, NTNU. The position is linked to AIMARIA – Accelerating Innovation in Marine AI-Powered Bioprospecting, a Horizon Europe Innovation Action coordinated by NTNU.

AIMARIA combines omics, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, bioprocess development and sustainability assessment to accelerate the discovery and sustainable production of marine and aquatic natural products. At NTNU, a central part of the project is the development of more predictable and efficient methods for the refactoring and heterologous expression of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs).

The PhD project will investigate how regulatory DNA elements, BGC architecture and microbial host selection influence the expression of complex biosynthetic pathways. Molecular biology, microbial strain engineering and synthetic biology will be combined with AI-supported design of promoters, 5′ untranslated regions and other regulatory elements. The resulting data will be used to establish more predictable design principles for BGC expression and to support iterative AI-guided design–build–test–learn cycles.

The precise scope of the doctoral project will be refined according to the candidate’s qualifications, the BGCs prioritised in AIMARIA and the scientific development of the project.

The PhD candidate will work closely with a researcher recruited to the same scientific activity and with national and international partners in the AIMARIA consortium. The project will provide training at the interface between fundamental research in microbial gene regulation and applied development of microbial production systems for marine natural products and enzymes.

The successful candidate will be admitted to the PhD programme in Biotechnology at NTNU ( https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phbiot ).The place of work is the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science in Trondheim.

Your immediate leader is Head of the department.

Duties of the position

• Design and construct expression systems for heterologous expression of biosynthetic gene clusters.
• Assemble, modify and refactor BGCs and associated genetic constructs.
• Design and experimentally test promoters, 5′ untranslated regions and other regulatory DNA elements.
• Genetically engineer microbial host strains and evaluate their suitability for BGC expression.
• Conduct molecular-biology, microbiology and synthetic-biology experiments.
• Analyse BGC transcription, gene expression and product formation.
• Apply bioinformatic and AI-supported tools for the design and prioritisation of genetic constructs.
• Document, analyse and interpret experimental data.
• Collaborate with researchers and project partners responsible for BGC discovery, cell-free expression, analytical chemistry and bioprocess development.
• Participate in AIMARIA consortium meetings, scientific workshops and conferences.
• Publish results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and present the work in the doctoral thesis.
• Contribute to project deliverables and scientific reporting relevant to the doctoral work.
• Participate in the Department’s doctoral training and academic environment.

The primary responsibility of the PhD candidate is to conduct research leading to completion of a doctoral degree.

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• A master’s degree or equivalent education in synthetic biology, molecular biology, biotechnology, microbiology, biochemistry, biochemical engineering or another field relevant to the project.
• Practical laboratory experience in molecular biology, microbiology, genetic engineering or related experimental methods.
• Ability to analyse, interpret and clearly document experimental results.
• Excellent written and oral English language skills.
• Motivation to undertake independent research and complete a doctoral degree.
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master’s level. Master students can apply, but he master’s degree must be obtained and documented before starting in the position and not later than 01.01.2027.
• A strong academic background relevant to molecular biology, microbial genetics or synthetic biology, and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale . If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education. •

You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme ( https://www.ntnu.edu/phd )

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience with molecular cloning, DNA assembly or construction of expression vectors.
• Experience with genetic modification of bacteria or other microorganisms.
• Experience with heterologous gene expression or microbial strain engineering.
• Knowledge of biosynthetic gene clusters, secondary metabolism or microbial natural products.
• Experience with Streptomyces, actinomycetes or other microbial production hosts.
• Experience with CRISPR-based engineering or related genome-editing techniques.
• Knowledge of promoter engineering, gene regulation or regulatory DNA-sequence design.
• Experience with bioinformatics, sequence analysis, programming or computational biology.
• Experience with microbial cultivation, fermentation or bioprocessing.
• Experience with analytical methods used to investigate gene expression, proteins or metabolites.
• Experience with systematic experimental design or design–build–test–learn workflows.

Personal characteristics

• Strong motivation for experimental research and doctoral training.
• Scientifically curious and willing to learn new methods.
• Able to work independently while seeking guidance when needed.
• Systematic, careful and attentive to experimental documentation and data quality.
• Persistent and constructive when experimental work presents challenges.
• Collaborative and comfortable working in an interdisciplinary and international environment. •

Able to communicate research clearly in writing and orally.

In the assessment of the best-qualified candidate, emphasis will be placed on education, academic performance, relevant experimental experience, motivation, scientific potential and personal suitability.

We offer

• Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• An open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• Experience with coordination of a large EU-funded biotechnology and bioeconomy project.
• Favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits .

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful . We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals.

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education.

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

Salary and conditions

The gross salary for the position of 1017 PhD Candidate will normally be NOK 550 800,- per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary.

The position is for a period of three years. The candidate is expected to start during the autumn semester of 2026, although the precise start date can be agreed upon.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Biotechnology ( https://www.ntnu.edu/phd ) within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

The position is conditional on external funding.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act , and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English

Please note that applications will be assessed only on the basis of the information received by the application deadline. You should therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be submitted electronically via Jobbnorge.no. Applications submitted by other means will not be considered. Please do not send separate application documents or additional information by e-mail.

The application must include

• CV, diplomas and certificates.
• A short application letter describing your motivation, research interests and suitability for the PhD project.
• Transcripts of grades from bachelor’s and master’s degree studies.
• A copy of the master’s thesis. Candidates who have not yet submitted their thesis may provide a draft or a short description of the work and expected submission date.
• Copies of publications or other scientific works, where applicable.
• Names and contact information for three relevant referees.
• Documentation of the scope and quality of education completed outside Norway, where applicable.

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here . If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) , please attach this as well.

Joint work will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience, personal suitability and motivation in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation . You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Rahmi Lale, email: rahmi.lale@ntnu.no.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Cecilie Skagfjrod, e-mail: cecilie.skagfjord@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 09.08.2026

For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

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The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Biotechnology and Food Science

Our activities contribute to increased exploitation of existing and new ingredients for sustainable food production as well as next-generation energy solutions and medical technology. We educate graduates for a wide range of careers in industry, public administration and academia. The Department of Biotechnology and Food Science is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences .