PhD in Sustainability Assessment Frameworks for Bio-Based Products at BRIGHT, DTU Technical University of Denmark in Denmark

Join the Novo Nordisk Foundation Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition (BRIGHT) at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) as a PhD student focused on developing novel frameworks and databases for the sustainability assessment of bio-based products. DTU is a globally recognized technical university at the forefront of sustainable innovation, and BRIGHT is a major initiative dedicated to accelerating biosolutions and strengthening the bio-based economy.

The FoundBio PhD project is a collaborative effort between DTU and Tec de Monterrey, aiming to close critical knowledge gaps by quantifying the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of emerging feedstocks such as CO₂, methane, formic acid, and methanol, compared to traditional sources like sugars, lignocellulosic biomass, and algae. The project will pioneer a high-resolution assessment framework integrating techno-economic analysis (TEA), environmental life cycle assessment (E-LCA), and social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) to evaluate the true sustainability potential of biotechnology-based products and production systems.

As a PhD candidate, you will:

• Quantify feedstock availability and develop both retrospective and prospective feedstock portfolios.
• Design conceptual bioprocess schemes for direct use in biotechnological production.
• Build detailed mass and energy inventories for fermentation-based systems (solid, liquid, and gas-state) to enable accurate sustainability assessments.
• Integrate assessment data into life cycle and techno-economic models for case studies relevant to Europe and Latin America.
• Develop a clean, retrievable database for region-specific inventories, compatible with LCA software.

This position offers a unique opportunity for international collaboration in bioprocess engineering and quantitative sustainability assessment, with support from a supervisor team in Denmark (Prof. Solange Mussatto, leader of the Biomass Conversion and Bioprocess Technology group) and Mexico (Sustainability and Climate Change Laboratory). The Sustainable Innovation Office at BRIGHT fosters an informal, knowledge-sharing environment focused on guiding early-stage innovation and developing computational tools for sustainability assessment.

Eligibility: Applicants must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS) or equivalent in chemical engineering, biochemical engineering, environmental engineering, or related disciplines. Required skills include strong analytical and quantitative abilities, experience with TEA, LCA, and bioprocess modeling, and familiarity with sustainability databases and process simulation tools. Excellent English communication skills and willingness to work in an international, interdisciplinary team are essential. Openness to research visits and collaboration with partner institutions in Mexico is expected.

Funding: The position is fully funded for three years, with salary and appointment terms based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union.

Application: Submit your complete online application by 25 January 2026. Applications must include a cover letter, CV, grade transcripts, diplomas, and any relevant code repository links, all in English as a single PDF file. For further information, contact Dr. Sumesh Sukumara at [email protected] or visit biosustain.dtu.dk.

DTU offers a vibrant international research environment, with campuses across Denmark and Greenland, and a commitment to solving global challenges through science and engineering. All interested candidates, regardless of background, are encouraged to apply.