📑 Event: 05 Fully Funded PhD Positions in Microbial Ecology & Biogeochemistry in Denmark

⏳ Duration: 3 years

🔬 Areas:
1. Dark Carbon Fixation in the Deep Ocean
2. Plastic Pollution in Hadal Trenches
3. Viral Ecology and Deep-Sea Microbial Performance
4. Effects of Hydrostatic Pressure on Microbial Function
5. Microbial Membrane Lipids and Deep-Sea Carbon Cycling

💵 Benefits:
💰 Monthly Salary
🌍 International Research Exposure
🧪Advanced Research Infrastructure
🤝Strong Academic & Career Support

💰 Application Fee: Free

⌛Application Deadline: 4th May, 2026

📑 Position Details:

🌊 5 Fully Funded PhD Positions | University of Southern Denmark (SDU) | Deep-Sea Research

Program Duration: 3 Years (Fully Salaried) Institution: University of Southern Denmark (SDU) Governed by: Danish Academic Collective Agreements

🔬 PhD Position A — Dark Carbon Fixation in Deep-Ocean Ecosystems

Research Theme: How do microorganisms fix carbon in complete darkness at extreme ocean depths?

New scientific evidence is revealing that dark carbon fixation — the process by which microbes produce organic carbon without sunlight — may be far more significant to deep-sea ecosystems than previously understood. This fully funded PhD will investigate this process across deep pelagic and benthic environments.

What You Will Do:

• Measure carbon fixation rates using ¹⁴C and ¹³C isotope incubation experiments
• Identify and characterise active microbial populations using NanoSIMS and MAR-FISH techniques
• Apply genomic and metagenomic tools to profile deep-sea microbial communities
• Explore chemosynthesis contributions across both pelagic and benthic systems

Ideal Candidate: Background in marine microbiology, isotope-based techniques, or molecular ecology

Contact Supervisors Directly:

• 📧 Prof. Ronnie N. Glud — rnglud@biology.sdu.dk
• 📧 Dr. Beate Kraft — bkraft@biology.sdu.dk

🧴 PhD Position B — Microplastic & Nanoplastic Pollution in Hadal Ocean Trenches

Research Theme: Where do the world’s plastics end up — and what happens in the deepest ocean trenches?

Hadal trenches, the deepest points on Earth, are increasingly recognised as accumulation zones for environmental pollutants including micro- and nano-plastics and heavy metals. This PhD project will be among the first to systematically investigate plastic pollution dynamics at hadal depths.

What You Will Do:

• Map the distribution, sources, and transport pathways of micro- and nano-plastics in hadal sediments
• Collect and process deep-sea sediment samples from extreme environments
• Use advanced imaging and spectroscopy techniques including confocal microscopy, OPTIR, and micro-Raman spectroscopy
• Characterise polymer types and trace their environmental origins

Ideal Candidate: Experience in microspectroscopy, environmental particle analysis, or image analysis

Contact Supervisors Directly:

• 📧 Prof. Ronnie N. Glud — rnglud@biology.sdu.dk
• 📧 Dr. Elvis Genbo Xu — elvis@biology.sdu.dk

🦠 PhD Position C — Viral Ecology & Microbial Nutrient Cycling in the Deep Sea

Research Theme: What role do viruses play in controlling microbial life and nutrient turnover on the ocean floor?

Viruses are among the most abundant biological entities on Earth, yet their ecological functions in deep-sea sediments remain poorly understood. This PhD will uncover how benthic viruses shape microbial communities and drive elemental cycling at the seafloor.

What You Will Do:

• Characterise viral community structure and identify prophages in deep-sea environments
• Investigate phage-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) and their ecological functions
• Conduct metagenomic and transcriptomic analyses of deep-sea microbial and viral communities
• Perform virus-host isolation, cultivation, and molecular quantification using Real-Time PCR

Location Note: Primary research will be based at the Marine Biological Section (MBS), Helsingør, Denmark

Ideal Candidate: Background in bioinformatics, viral ecology, or molecular microbiology

Contact Supervisors Directly:

• 📧 Prof. Mathias Middelboe — mmiddelboe@bio.ku.dk
• 📧 Prof. Ronnie N. Glud — rnglud@biology.sdu.dk

⚗️ PhD Position D — How Hydrostatic Pressure Shapes Microbial Cellular Processes

Research Theme: What happens to microbial cells as they sink deeper and deeper into the ocean under increasing pressure?

As organic particles sink through the water column, the microbes colonising them face rapidly escalating hydrostatic pressure. This largely unexplored research area investigates how pressure affects fundamental cellular processes including protein synthesis, membrane function, and metabolic activity.

What You Will Do:

• Study the effects of high pressure on protein, lipid, and nucleic acid synthesis in marine microbes
• Design and conduct high-pressure incubation experiments simulating deep-sea conditions
• Apply click-chemistry microscopy approaches such as BONCAT to visualise microbial activity
• Quantify cellular processes at single-cell resolution using cutting-edge microscopy

Ideal Candidate: Experience in experimental microbiology, high-pressure systems, or advanced microscopy

Contact Supervisors Directly:

• 📧 Dr. Peter Stief — peterstief@biology.sdu.dk
• 📧 Dr. Beate Kraft — bkraft@biology.sdu.dk

🧬 PhD Position E — Microbial Membrane Lipids as Indicators of Deep-Sea Carbon Cycling

Research Theme: Can microbial membrane lipids tell us how fast organic carbon is being broken down in deep-sea sediments?

The degradation of organic carbon in deep-sea sediments is a critical process governing global carbon budgets and climate regulation. This PhD project will use lipid biomarkers as biological indicators to understand and model how microbial communities process carbon across diverse deep-sea environments.

What You Will Do:

• Analyse lipid biomarker profiles from a range of deep-sea sediment environments
• Run controlled laboratory incubation experiments under varying pressure, temperature, oxygen, and nutrient conditions
• Develop and apply statistical models — and potentially machine learning — to interpret biogeochemical data
• Link microbial lipid composition to measurable carbon degradation activity

Ideal Candidate: Background in lipid biomarker analysis, microbial cultivation, or biogeochemical modelling

Contact Supervisors Directly:

• 📧 Dr. Wenjie Xiao — wjxiao@biology.sdu.dk
• 📧 Prof. Ronnie N. Glud — rnglud@biology.sdu.dk

📋 Employment Conditions — All Five Positions

All five PhD positions are offered as fully salaried 3-year appointments governed by Danish academic collective agreements. Successful candidates will be formally enrolled through the SDU PhD School upon appointment. A self-organiser status with exemption from standard time registration may be available.

International applicants are warmly encouraged to apply. Relocation support is available through Work in Denmark and SDU’s International Staff Office.

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📝 How to Apply

All applications must be submitted in English through the official SDU online portal.

👉 CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT & APPLY NOW

📁 Required Application Documents

Your application package should consist of the following, uploaded as three separate PDF files:

File 1 — Motivation Letter (max. 2 pages) Clearly outline your research interests, relevant qualifications, and how your academic vision aligns with your chosen PhD project.

File 2 — Curriculum Vitae A detailed academic CV including your full contact information and a complete academic history and timeline.

File 3 — Supporting Documents, which should include:

• Bachelor’s and Master’s degree certificates along with official transcripts
• Contact details (name, email, and phone) for two academic referees who can speak to your research abilities

⚠️ Please note: Only fully complete applications received before the closing deadline will be reviewed for shortlisting.

📅 Key Dates & Details

📬 Supervisor Contact Directory:

Shortlisting will be applied where necessary. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interviews and may be subject to further assessment as part of the selection process.

👉 CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT & APPLY NOW:

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