PhD scholarship in Fish Vaccinology - DTU Aqua

Jobbeskrivelse

Join us on our mission to monitor and promote health of fish and shellfish, with special focus on sustainable aquaculture. DTU Aqua is looking for a PhD student to work with development of vaccines and vaccination strategies for farmed fishes.

You will be working within fish vaccinology and immunology with emphasis on improving our understanding of the mechanisms of protective immunity in along with development and testing of innovative vaccine/vaccination concepts in fish. Your work will be part of externally funded national and international collaborative research projects.

Vaccination of small sized fish for early disease prophylaxis remains a challenge for many infectious diseases in aquaculture. By exploring different nanoparticle approaches and tailoring vaccine formulations/vaccine design for mucosal delivery - including administering the vaccines via live feed organisms - we aim at promoting efficient uptake and associated stimulation of a protective immune response. Independent of delivery route, understanding of the mechanisms of vaccine induced immunity is pivotal for targeted vaccine development and we thus also aim at dissecting the immune response to previously developed efficient vaccines. Your main scientific focus will be related to these aims, and while pursuing this you will get involved in collaborations with research groups at other universities as well as with industry in- and outside of Denmark.

During your scholarship, you will gain expertise in a broad range of laboratory techniques, among others including work with bacteria and viruses, fish cell cultures, assays for immune response analyses such as transcriptomics, immunoassays for antigen tracking etc., as well as animal trials under experimental conditions. The latter will include vaccination- as well as infection-trials in rainbow trout and possibly other fish species.

Through our broad network of international collaborators, you will have ample opportunity for long and short research stays at scientific institutions in other countries.

You will be situated at the Section for Fish and Shellfish Diseases in Kgs. Lyngby near Copenhagen. The section offers state-of-the art laboratory and experimental facilities, where we carry out research within epidemiology, microbiology, virology, immunology and host-pathogen interactions, in relation to infectious diseases in aquaculture. We have more than 40 years of experience with research on fish diseases, and a large international network of collaborators. The section is the National reference laboratory on fish, crustacean and mollusc diseases, and EU reference laboratory on fish- and crustacean diseases. In addition, the section has a large project portfolio and currently employs 27 people with a background in molecular biology, immunology/vaccinology, diagnostics, virology, bacteriology, epidemiology and laboratory techniques.

Responsibilities and qualifications

You will be responsible for developing working hypotheses associated with as the project aims, designing and conducting research experiments, analyzing data, publishing your novel findings in scientific journals/at scientific meetings, and for communicating them to farmers and other relevant stakeholders.

• Draft a suitable work- and time plan.
• Examination of vaccine-induced immune response by gene expression analysis of samples from earlier animal experiments.
• Optimize vaccine formulation and design
• Perform fish vaccination trials along with vaccine tracking and monitoring immune response.
• Process and analyze samples and interpret data.
• Complete educational courses related to general and project-specific research skills.
• Visit and work with external partners to expand your scientific expertise.
• Disseminate scientific results in peer-reviewed journals.
• Attend conferences to present your research and expand your academic network.
• Engage in other ongoing projects and activities at the Section.
• Participate in teaching within control of diseases in aquaculture.

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

In addition, the following skills will be advantageous:

• Research experience in fish vaccine research, including utilizing long-read sequencing and transcriptomic methods to characterize vaccine-induced immune responses.
• Research experience within microbiology, molecular biology, pharmacology and/or immunology.
• Experience in statistical bioinformatics, including developing analysis pipelines and applying programming (R/Python) to genomic/transcriptomic data.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English, as evidenced by scientific writing and presentations.
• Ability to work in a team and to assist colleagues, as well as being able to work independently.
• Being responsible and engaged in your daily work
• Being creative and interested in exploring new technology and in adopting new ways of working and solving problems.

Personal suitability and motivation for the position will be emphasized.

Approval and Enrolment

The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education.

Assessment

An assessment of the applicants will be made by Professor Niels Lorenzen, Tenure track researcher Dagoberto Sepulveda, and head of section for Fish- and shellfish diseases Professor Britt Bang Jensen.

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 appointment terms

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 3 years. Starting date is 1/6-2026, or as soon as possible. The position is a full-time position.

Further information

Further information may be obtained from Professor Niels Lorenzen, email: nilo@aqua.dtu.dk

Application procedure

Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 12 March 2026 (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:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale

You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it. 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.