Are you ready to shape the future of sustainable agriculture? Join DTU Bioengineering as a postdoc in the Initiative for Biofertilizer Innovation and Science (IBIS), and contribute to building a world-class research hub focused on advancing microbial solutions for a sustainable future.
DTU Bioengineering is excited to announce a postdoc position, as part of the newly launched global initiative for Biofertilizer Innovation and Science. IBIS is a bold, five-year open-science initiative with the ambition to revolutionize whole-cell biosolutions in agriculture (BioAg). Our goal is to advance the fundamental understanding of what makes an effective biofertilizer and to develop the enabling technologies and translational framework needed to bring robust and affordable microbial solutions to farmers across the globe. The initiative is backed by 210 million DKK (approximately 30 million USD) in combined funding from the Gates Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Central to the initiative is the development of an open R&D playbook—freely accessible to researchers worldwide—to accelerate the discovery, maturation, and deployment of scientifically validated microbial biofertilizers.
DTU is coordinating the newly established IBIS consortium, which brings together leading partners from across Europe, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Each partner contributes unique expertise and experimental capacity spanning the entire biofertilizer R&D pipeline—from laboratory research to field implementation.
Together, the consortium will build a comprehensive Biosolutions Development Pipeline for microbial biofertilizers (whole-cell biosolutions), covering all key stages: discovery, characterization, fermentation, formulation, in planta performance, and in-field evaluation. DTU will host the laboratory phase of the pipeline, harnessing advanced robotic workflows and high-throughput screening technologies. Field trials and upscaling activities will be carried out through partner institutions across both the Global South and North, ensuring real-world testing across diverse agricultural contexts. Beyond the research itself, IBIS aims to implement standardized experimental protocols, harmonized data formats, and transparent documentation practices—laying the foundation for reproducible and collaborative research in biofertilizer innovation.
The IBIS development pipeline is designed to enable high-throughput benchmarking and advancement of new whole-cell–based biosolutions, supporting their journey from discovery to market launch. The IBIS consortium will use the pipeline to systematically evaluate hundreds of microbial biofertilizer strains, generating large-scale datasets across all stages—from laboratory experiments (thousands of strains) to in-field testing of up to 800 strains. The scale and standardized approach will create a unique foundation for advanced data analysis, including AI, machine learning, and statistical modeling, aimed at uncover the key traits that define successful microbial biofertilizers, and to develop predictive models that can guide the rational design of next-generation BioAg products tailored for diverse agricultural systems around the world.
Responsibilities
The postdoc position offers a unique opportunity to join a dedicated, international team of scientists working within the IBIS initiative at DTU and its global partner institutions. Together, you and the team will address fundamental biological questions related to microbial biofertilizers, aiming to support their efficient engineering and application. In this role, you will help develop and implement new technologies critical to the Biosolutions Development Pipeline and contribute to the creation of a comprehensive benchmarking dataset spanning laboratory to field conditions.
In this position you will address core challenges in microbial biofertilizer development:
how do fertilizer microbes interact with plants and other microorganisms? What are the key traits that enable microbes to colonize and establish in the soil- and plant ecosystem? What are the characteristics of good performing biofertilizers? Your research will center on understanding the genetic basis for strains’ fitness (robustness) in soil- and plant microbiomes, their mode of action for biofertilizer activity, and the fate of strains when added to complex environments such as agricultural soils and rhizosphere model systems.
Your role in establishing the IBIS development pipeline will be to develop high-throughput compatible robotic-assisted functional assays to capture microbial strains' functional performance. Secondly, your in-depth research focus will be on uncovering the activity and fate of microbes in increasingly complex plant-associated microbial communities and environments. You will work closely with DTU teams in Discovery team to build robotics-assisted workflows, and with the DTU Fermentation, and Data science to convert to maximize both data quality and quantity.
You will join the DTU Characterization teams, which include a professor, an associate professor, a research assistant, and a laboratory technician. You will further have access to the DTU Bioengineering’s robotics platform and collaborate with DTU’s Arena for Life Science Automation (https://dalsa.dtu.dk/).
Beyond DTU, you will collaborate with the Global Fermentation and Agricultural Science teams to understand their application environments. This will allow you to improve the value generated at the characterization stage of the Development pipeline and support the development of predictive models that bridge lab-scale discovery with fermentation (manufacturability) and in-field performance.
Qualifications
As a formal qualification, you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent). The PhD should preferably be in the fields of Biotechnology, agricultural sciences or similar. We are specifically looking for an enthusiastic and ambitious Scientist with a clear interest in understanding and developing microbial fertilizers.
You have:
- A strong background in microbial physiology, ecology or genetics as well as good expertise in investigating plant-microbe interactions.
- Solid hands-on laboratory skills in relation to characterization and analysis of microbial strains and their interactions with plants. The ideal candidate has experience with both methods and assays to determine plant growth and health, and with methods and assays that inform about microbial activity and physiology in situ during plant colonization.
- Experience in working in interdisciplinary teams towards a common goal. You are motivated by working in the intersection between applied science and the generation of new knowledge.
In addition, you have:
- Good communication skills in written and spoken English.
- An urge to engage in collaborative research projects
- An excellent track-record of scientific achievements (publications, awards, conference presentations, etc.).
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 terms of employment
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 2 years and 8 months, and the start date will be as soon as possible.
You can read more about career paths at DTU here.
Further information
Further information may be obtained from Professor Lars Jelsbak, [email protected] or +45 4525 6129.
You can read more about DTU Bioengineering at www.bioengineering.dtu.dk.
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 18 July 2025 (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:
- Application (cover letter)
- CV
- Academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD – in English)
- List of publications
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 industry 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. You can read more at www.bioengineering.dtu.dk.
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 mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 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.