Doctoral student in Microbiology and Plant biomass conversion

Publiceringsdatum: 2025-09-16

Ett spännande jobb som doktorand hos Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB väntar på dig - varför inte söka idag? Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB söker någon som vill arbeta heltid under 6 månader eller längre. Kanske är det du? Göteborg är platsen där detta jobb har sin tjänsteort.

Företaget Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB erbjuder just nu spännande karriärmöjligheter. Om du vill jobba som doktorand har de nu ett ledigt jobb - kolla in annonsen för att se om du har rätt erfarenhet. Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB letar efter erfaren doktorand som kan ansluta till deras team. Sista ansökningsdag är onsdag den femtonde oktober 2025.

Jobbannons

Join us for an exciting Doctoral student journey at Chalmers University of Technology and contribute to impactful research in the field of plant biomass conversion.

We are recruiting a Doctoral student to broadly investigate how microorganisms can grow on bark. In particular, the project will focus on how they cope with the typically antimicrobial molecules, known as extractives, that are enriched in this material, which is a topic that remains poorly investigated.

The bark has an important biological role as the outer defense of trees. It contains several interesting compounds that set it apart from wood, the extractives, and it is also a renewable resource produced in enormous amounts annually. By understanding which organisms can break it down, and how, we will both generate fundamental new knowledge about nature and lay a foundation for future improved bark utilization in society.

About us 

This position will be placed at the Department of Life Sciences and the Division of Industrial Biotechnology (IndBio). IndBio is an interdisciplinary and highly international group of researchers, with extensive laboratory facilities for different areas of study. A culture of regular meetings and social activities provides both professional support and a friendly, welcoming environment.

As a Doctoral student, you will become a member of Professor Johan Larsbrink's research group, which specializes in enzyme discovery and characterization, and microbial conversion of complex biomass. Professor Merima Hasani (Chemistry and chemical engineering) and Assoc. Prof. Lauren McKee (KTH, Stockholm) will act as co-supervisors.

About the research project  

In the project, complex microbial consortia will be studied to illuminate how they can grow on bark. We will employ different ‘omics technologies coupled to chemical analyses of the material to map these processes.

In this role, you will become familiar with a wide range of methods and equipment during the studies. As there is very little information about this natural process, the project is open-ended and may later develop into studies of individual microorganisms, enzymes, or other areas of interest. Visits at collaborators’ laboratories are expected for certain analyses.

Who we are looking for

The following requirements are mandatory: 

• To qualify as a Doctoral student, you must have a Master's degree (masterexamen) of 120 credits or a Master’s degree (magisterexamen) of 60 credits in in biotechnology, biochemistry, molecular biology, bioprocess technology, microbiology, relevant analytical chemistry or similar* 
• You will need strong written and verbal communication skills in English 
• Demonstrated experience in at least one field relevant for the project, i.e. recalcitrant plant biomass conversion, which could be:

microbiology, protein production and purification, enzymology, molecular biology, analytical chamistry, omics technology, or similar.

• for students with an education earned outside of Sweden, a 4-year Bachelor’s degree is accepted. 

The following experience will strengthen your application: 

• Courses or other experiences in data analysis, statistics, data visualization, or scientific writing
• Experience in working in larger teams – international ones is an additional merit

What you will do 

• Plan and conduct research together with your supervisors, and document your progress and results
• Collaborate with peers at both IndBio, the Life Sciences department, and externally
• Take courses in both subject-specific topics and in generic transferable skills
• Write scientific papers and present your results at international conferences
• The position generally also includes teaching on Chalmers' undergraduate level or performing other duties corresponding to 20 percent of working hours 

Contract terms  

• The Doctoral student positions are fully funded from start. 
• The position is limited to four years, with the possibility to teach up to 20%, which extends the position to five years. 
• A starting salary of 34,550 SEK per month (valid from May 25, 2025). 
• Doctoral studies require physical presence throughout the entire study period. A valid residence permit must be presented by the study start date; otherwise the admission may be withdrawn. 

What we offer 

• As a Doctoral student at Chalmers, you are an employee and enjoy all employee benefits. Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees. 
• A dynamic and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 
• Read more about Sweden’s generous parental leave, subsidized day care, free schools, healthcare etc at Move To Gothenburg. 

Chalmers is dedicated to improving gender balance and actively works with equality projects, such as the GENIE Initiative for gender equality and excellence. We celebrate diversity and consider equality and inclusion as fundamental aspects of all our activities. 

If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses to help you settle in.

Discover more 

Find more general information about doctoral studies at Chalmers here.  

Application procedure 

For information about the application procedure, please refer to the advert on Chalmers' webpage.

We welcome your application no later than October 15th, 2025.   

 Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg conducts research and education in technology and natural sciences at a high international level. The university has 3100 employees and 10,000 students, and offers education in engineering, science, shipping and architecture. With scientific excellence as a basis, Chalmers promotes knowledge and technical solutions for a sustainable world. Through global commitment and entrepreneurship, we foster an innovative spirit, in close collaboration with wider society. 

Chalmers was founded in 1829 and has the same motto today as it did then: Avancez – forward.