Doctoral Student in Systems Biology and Industrial Biotechnology

Join us for an exciting doctoral journey that combines systems biology, computational modeling, and industrial biotechnology to solve a key challenge in sustainable biomanufacturing.

About Us

The Department of Life Sciences conducts research, innovation, and education to enable a biobased society and improve human health. We explore how biological systems and innovative technologies can be used to convert biomass into valuable products. We use advanced computational technologies to discover how biomolecules and organisms function and interact. We pioneer new methods for prediction, prevention, diagnostics, and treatment of diseases.

About the Research Project

Microbial cell factories are at the heart of the global transition toward a sustainable society. Among them, non-conventional yeasts such as Yarrowia lipolytica and Debaryomyces hansenii stand out as powerful biocatalysts thanks to their unique traits: high lipid accumulation, stress tolerance, and adaptability to challenging industrial conditions.

A critical challenge in large-scale bioprocesses is regulated cell death (RCD). Premature cell death can drastically reduce productivity, shorten fermentation runs, and even compromise product quality. Understanding and controlling RCD is therefore critical for next-generation biomanufacturing.

Your mission as a doctoral student will be to use computational biology tools to explore the intersection of cell death, metabolism, and population heterogeneity in industrial yeasts. You will:

Develop advanced computational models, including mechanistic enzyme-constrained models (ecGEMs) for Y. lipolytica and D. hansenii, integrating RCD pathways.
Leverage cutting-edge data from experiments and literature to model metabolism and cell death under real-world bioprocess conditions.
Uncover molecular mechanisms and biomarkers of RCD, and design innovative strategies to delay cell death and boost biomanufacturing performance.

As part of the Marie-Curie Doctoral Network UPsYDe, you will collaborate with leading labs and industry partners across Europe. The project includes two 3-month secondments in the Yeast Biotechnology and Fermentation research group of Prof José Luis Martinez (DTU, Denmark) and at dsm-firmenich (the Netherlands).

Who We Are Looking For

The following requirements are mandatory:

To qualify as a doctoral student, you must have a Master's degree (120 credits) or a Master's degree (60 credits) in Biotechnology; Microbiology; Biochemistry; Systems Biology; Computational Biology; Mathematics; or related fields.
You are experienced and comfortable with running computational biology analyses on e.g. Python, MATLAB, and/or R.
You are curious, motivated, and eager to master new computational techniques.
You are flexible and collaborative, with strong communication skills (written and verbal in English).

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

The following experience will strengthen your application:

You have hands-on experience in developing genome-scale constraint-based models to address complex biological questions.
You have experience in writing your own code, including the use of version control (e.g. git).
You have been involved in a metabolic engineering project (e.g. iGEM).

What You Will Do

Take courses at an advanced level within the Graduate School of Bioscience.
Develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing.
Take part in training events organized as part of the UPsYDe MS-CA Doctoral Network.
The position generally also includes teaching at 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 a fixed-term appointment of four years, with the possibility to teach up to 20%, which extends the position up to five years.
A starting salary of 34,550 SEK per month (valid from May 25, 2025), with a 3-year MSCA salary supplement and family allowance (if applicable).
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 daycare, 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.

Find more general information about doctoral studies at Chalmers here.