The Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, invites applications for a two-year postdoc position in plant physiology and molecular biology of EV-based plant-microbe communication. The position is part of the EU-funded EVOLVE project and focuses on controlled-environment biological testing of extracellular vesicles as a non-GMO platform for steering plant performance and plant-microbe interactions.
Expected start date and duration of employment
This is a two-year fixed-term postdoc position from 1 November 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Job description
The postdoc will lead the Department of Food Science's controlled-environment testing activities in Work Package 5 of the EVOLVE project. The work will generate biological evidence linking extracellular vesicle (EV) treatments to plant physiological and molecular responses and will feed into the project's design-test-model cycle.
The position will also strengthen the unit's capacity in plant cultivation under controlled and sterile conditions and in EV/miRNA biology.
Key tasks:
- Establish and run reproducible plant cultivation under controlled and, where required, sterile/axenic conditions, including growth chambers, hydroponics and aeroponics.
- Apply native and synthetic EVs to plants and quantify uptake and whole-plant physiological responses.
- Isolate and characterise extracellular vesicles from plant material.
- Analyse molecular responses, including gene expression (RT-qPCR), miRNA/small-RNA profiling and secondary-metabolite profiles.
- Investigate interactions between EV treatments and bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle, linking vesicle-based signalling to nutrient-use efficiency.
- Manage data, perform statistical analysis and exchange results with project partners producing synthetic EVs and modelling the data.
- Contribute to publications, reporting and dissemination; co-supervise students and support day-to-day laboratory activities.
Responsibilities and authority
The postdoc will be responsible for the day-to-day execution, quality, and documentation of the WP5 experimental programme, including the controlled-environment and sterile cultivation set-up and the associated molecular and EV analyses. The postdoc will plan and schedule experiments in coordination with Ivan Paponov (PI / EVOLVE coordinator) and Martin Krøyer Rasmussen (co-supervisor), maintain shared protocols and metadata, and report progress to the project. The postdoc is expected to work independently, co-supervise students and contribute actively to the unit's research environment. Budget and personnel authority remain with the principal investigator.
Your profile
This position combines plant cultivation and physiology with molecular biology. In-depth expertise in extracellular vesicles and miRNA is available within the supervision team, so strong plant scientists who are motivated to learn EV and small-RNA methods are explicitly encouraged to apply.
Required qualifications
- PhD degree in Plant Science, Plant Physiology, Plant Molecular Biology, Microbiology or a related discipline.
- Demonstrated experience cultivating plants under controlled environmental conditions, such as growth chambers, hydroponics and/or aeroponics.
- Hands-on molecular biology experience, including RNA extraction and gene expression analysis (RT-qPCR).
- Experience in complex data handling and statistical analysis.
- A publication record in international peer-reviewed journals relative to career stage.
- Excellent written and spoken English and experience in collaborative, cross-cultural research environments.
- Experience in supervising students and teaching.
The following will be considered an advantage
- Extracellular vesicle isolation and characterisation, such as ultracentrifugation/SEC, nanoparticle tracking analysis and electron microscopy.
- Small-RNA/miRNA profiling, including small RNA-seq and/or RT-qPCR.
- Sterile/axenic or gnotobiotic plant culture and synthetic microbial communities.
- Plant-microbe interactions and bacteria of the nitrogen cycle.
- Analysis of plant secondary metabolites, including LC-MS/metabolomics.
- Omics data handling and basic bioinformatics.
Personal qualifications
The successful candidate will work across plant physiology, molecular biology and microbiology and collaborate closely with the two supervisors, departmental technical staff and international project partners. We are looking for someone who is:
- Proactive, independent and solution-oriented, with a high degree of initiative and a positive attitude.
- A strong team player who supports and guides colleagues and students.
- Highly organised and detail-oriented, with excellent record-keeping and documentation discipline.
- An effective communicator, comfortable in an international, English-speaking research environment.
- Adaptable and curious, willing to learn new methods (EVs, miRNA) and to work across disciplines.
Who we are
The Department of Food Science at Aarhus University develops research and education within food science, plant science and sustainable food systems. The position will be anchored in the Science Teams Plant, Food & Sustainability and Differentiated and Biofunctional Foods.
Within the EU-funded EVOLVE project, the Department of Food Science is responsible for biological testing of extracellular vesicles as a non-GMO platform for steering plant performance and plant-microbe interactions. The project combines controlled-environment plant science, molecular biology, microbiology, extracellular vesicle biology and data modelling in close collaboration with international partners.
What we offer
The department offers:
- A well-developed research infrastructure, including controlled-environment plant cultivation facilities, laboratories and access to shared equipment.
- An exciting interdisciplinary environment with national, international and industrial collaborators.
- A research climate encouraging open and critical discussion within and across fields.
- Close collaboration with experienced supervisors and international EVOLVE partners.
- A workplace characterised by professionalism, equality and a healthy work-life balance.
Place of work and area of employment
The place of work is the Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48 Aarhus, Denmark, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments.
Contact information
For further information, please contact: Ivan Paponov, Associate Professor, Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, PI / EVOLVE coordinator. ivpa [at] food.au.dk (ivpa[at]food[dot]au[dot]dk)
Deadline
All applications must be received no later than 3 August 2026.
Application procedure
Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self.
Formalities and salary range
Technical Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.
Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.
Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.
Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.
Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.
Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.
Apply for position
The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.