PhD fellowship in Diversity, Ecology and Effects of Toxigenic Marine Microalgae
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PhD fellowship in Diversity, Ecology and Effects of Toxigenic Marine Microalgae
The Natural History Museum Denmark invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in diversity, ecology and effects of toxigenic marine diatoms. The PhD project is a collaboration between the Natural History Museum of Denmark (NHMD) and the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute in Iceland (MFRI). The position is a part of a NordForsk funded initiative; “Marine phycotoxins in the Arctic: an emerging climate change risk (PHATE)”. The candidate will be hosted both in Denmark and Iceland with potential research stays in the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Start date is March 1, 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.Employment period is for 3 years, the primary location of the position is in Denmark for the first and the last year, and in between in Iceland for one year of the contract.
The PhD fellowship focuses on toxin production in marine diatoms and food web transfer of these phycotoxins in the Arctic and North Atlantic marine food webs. The project will focus on diversity of toxigenic microalgae, particularly marine diatoms, and how environmental and biotic factors (such a presence of grazers) affect toxic production. Another similarly central focus area is to what extent the production of domoic acid is accumulated and vectored into the marine pelagic food web. The project will have special emphasis on Pseudo-nitzschia, Calanus copepods, krill and capelin.
The research focuses on three main objectives: i) to assess diversity among the genus Pseudo-nitzschia in the Arctic and North Atlantic; ii) assess physiological traits of selected Arctic taxa; iii) assess how domoic acid is vectored and accumulated in the food web by key players in the basal marine ecosystem; iv) explore how fitness traits in these organisms are affected by the toxins. The project focuses on conducting multi-stressor ecophysiological life studies with environmental stressors (such as temperature, salinity and pH) and grazers (copepods, krill and capelin).
At the Natural History Museum in Denmark, the candidate will be part of the microalgal group in the Botanical section. The group has a broad and long history for research focusing on diversity and ecology of microalgae, with a broad focus on particularly diatoms and dinoflagellates and with special attention on toxigenic species. As a museum, we house a microalgal collection including a large Arctic collection, and have a focus on public outreach. We are located in the middle of Copenhagen, in the Botanical Garden area.
About the Natural History Museum Denmark
The Natural History Museum Denmark is the Danish national museum for nature. We work to empower citizens to connect with nature with the aim to create positive change for people and planet. We want to inspire, engage, and enable people to enjoy, understand, and care for the diversity of the natural world. The impact of climate change and anthropogenic forces on biodiversity has reached a critical point. We firmly believe that natural history museums can and should play a key role towards a more sustainable relationship with nature.
We are currently building a new Danish national museum for nature. One big museum site, in the Botanical Garden, in the center of Copenhagen, will host state-of-the-art laboratories, outstanding research collections, new public galleries, and combined facilities for programming, education, and citizen science. It is an ambition for the museum to enhance natural history and inspire curiosity, knowledge, and empowerment for the future.
The Natural History Museum consists of the national Botanical Garden, and the new museum site with public galleries, offices, laboratories, and collection space. The Botanical Garden was founded in 1600. The collections date back to Ole Worm’s Cabinet of Curiosities from around 1620. With 14 million preserved specimens and 8,000 different species in the Botanical Garden, it is the largest museum collection in Denmark. It covers our planetary history with botanical, zoological, and geological specimens from all over the world.
The Natural History Museum Denmark is part of the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen. The University of Copenhagen was founded in 1479 and is the largest in Denmark. Read more about the museum at http://www.snm.ku.dk/english/.
In Iceland, the candidate will join a team that works on a variety of ocean science projects involving monitoring and research in Iceland. The team at MFRI is a part of the environment and pelagic division at the Marine and Freshwater Institute of Iceland, and is involved in research on primary and secondary production, harmful algal monitoring and surveys on commercial fish stocks.
About MFRI, Iceland
The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute is a governmental research institute in Iceland under the auspices of the Ministry of Industries. The institute employs around 200 staff, operates two research vessels and has nine branch offices around the country, including an experimental research station. The role of the MFRI is to conduct monitoring and research to expand our understanding of marine and freshwater ecosystems, and to provide various science-based advice to ministries, governmental institutes and others to ensure the sustainable use of freshwater and marine resources in Iceland. A wide variety of research activities take place at the institute, including diverse research on freshwater- and marine ecosystems, aquaculture, and multiple projects in the field of fisheries science. Internal, national and international collaborations are an important part of the operation of the institute. The institute emphasizes a positive and healthy working environment and culture.
Living in Iceland offers many appealing qualities. Iceland is known for its beautiful nature, clean and safe environment and good opportunities for outdoor activities. Iceland has a creative arts scene, and vibrant music scene. Iceland is a socially progressive country, with high gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.
The PhD candidate will be based at the NHMD, Natural History Museum Denmark Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen for two years and for one year at the MFRI in Iceland.
There will be moderate relocation support, and Iceland offers a tax reduction on the salary of specialists from abroad for 3 years.
Principal supervisor: Professor Nina Lundholm, NHMD, nlundholm@snm.ku.dk, phone: +45 35322282.
Inquiries about the PhD can be directed to principal supervisor Nina Lundholm. Please put “PhD position in Diversity, Ecology and Effects of Toxigenic Marine Microalgae” in the subject of e-mail inquiries.
Co-supervisors of the project in Iceland are Sara Harðardóttir and Teresa Sofia Giesta da Silva research scientists, MFRI.
Who are we looking for?
We are particularly looking for candidates with interests in the field of microalgal diversity and ecology. Applicants can have a background from biology, or related natural sciences, but with a background and interest in plankton. The ideal candidate has experience with taxonomy, culturing and experimental work on microalgae/plankton, as well as molecular analyses.
We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environments with the possibility of being part of two different research institutions. The museum in Copenhagen has excellent laboratory facilities for culturing as well as experimental work on microalgae in temperature-controlled rooms, advanced microscopy and imaging labs as well as a museomics lab. In Iceland, the student will work in laboratory facilities at the research institute in Hafnafjörður and at the maricultural laboratory that will have a team to assist the PhD student during the live experiments as well as advanced microscopes and stereoscopes.
The PhD programme
A three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree. Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. biodiversity, geodiversity, natural history collections. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.
Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as a PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.
Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant with the help of the supervisor.
Terms of appointment and payment according to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.
Responsibilities and tasks in the PhD programme
Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.
Please include:
The deadline for applications is December 20, 2025, 23:59 GMT +1.
We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.
The further process
After the deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessment committee. You are notified whether you will be passed for assessment.
The assessment committee will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the abovementioned research area, skills, experience, and other requirements. The assessment committee will conclude whether each applicant is qualified for the 5+3 model as described above. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.
Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in 2nd half of January, 2025.
Questions For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact Professor Nina Lundholm, nlundholm@snm.ku.dk.
General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.
The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.
Start date is March 1, 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.Employment period is for 3 years, the primary location of the position is in Denmark for the first and the last year, and in between in Iceland for one year of the contract.
The PhD fellowship focuses on toxin production in marine diatoms and food web transfer of these phycotoxins in the Arctic and North Atlantic marine food webs. The project will focus on diversity of toxigenic microalgae, particularly marine diatoms, and how environmental and biotic factors (such a presence of grazers) affect toxic production. Another similarly central focus area is to what extent the production of domoic acid is accumulated and vectored into the marine pelagic food web. The project will have special emphasis on Pseudo-nitzschia, Calanus copepods, krill and capelin.
The research focuses on three main objectives: i) to assess diversity among the genus Pseudo-nitzschia in the Arctic and North Atlantic; ii) assess physiological traits of selected Arctic taxa; iii) assess how domoic acid is vectored and accumulated in the food web by key players in the basal marine ecosystem; iv) explore how fitness traits in these organisms are affected by the toxins. The project focuses on conducting multi-stressor ecophysiological life studies with environmental stressors (such as temperature, salinity and pH) and grazers (copepods, krill and capelin).
At the Natural History Museum in Denmark, the candidate will be part of the microalgal group in the Botanical section. The group has a broad and long history for research focusing on diversity and ecology of microalgae, with a broad focus on particularly diatoms and dinoflagellates and with special attention on toxigenic species. As a museum, we house a microalgal collection including a large Arctic collection, and have a focus on public outreach. We are located in the middle of Copenhagen, in the Botanical Garden area.
About the Natural History Museum Denmark
The Natural History Museum Denmark is the Danish national museum for nature. We work to empower citizens to connect with nature with the aim to create positive change for people and planet. We want to inspire, engage, and enable people to enjoy, understand, and care for the diversity of the natural world. The impact of climate change and anthropogenic forces on biodiversity has reached a critical point. We firmly believe that natural history museums can and should play a key role towards a more sustainable relationship with nature.
We are currently building a new Danish national museum for nature. One big museum site, in the Botanical Garden, in the center of Copenhagen, will host state-of-the-art laboratories, outstanding research collections, new public galleries, and combined facilities for programming, education, and citizen science. It is an ambition for the museum to enhance natural history and inspire curiosity, knowledge, and empowerment for the future.
The Natural History Museum consists of the national Botanical Garden, and the new museum site with public galleries, offices, laboratories, and collection space. The Botanical Garden was founded in 1600. The collections date back to Ole Worm’s Cabinet of Curiosities from around 1620. With 14 million preserved specimens and 8,000 different species in the Botanical Garden, it is the largest museum collection in Denmark. It covers our planetary history with botanical, zoological, and geological specimens from all over the world.
The Natural History Museum Denmark is part of the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen. The University of Copenhagen was founded in 1479 and is the largest in Denmark. Read more about the museum at http://www.snm.ku.dk/english/.
In Iceland, the candidate will join a team that works on a variety of ocean science projects involving monitoring and research in Iceland. The team at MFRI is a part of the environment and pelagic division at the Marine and Freshwater Institute of Iceland, and is involved in research on primary and secondary production, harmful algal monitoring and surveys on commercial fish stocks.
About MFRI, Iceland
The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute is a governmental research institute in Iceland under the auspices of the Ministry of Industries. The institute employs around 200 staff, operates two research vessels and has nine branch offices around the country, including an experimental research station. The role of the MFRI is to conduct monitoring and research to expand our understanding of marine and freshwater ecosystems, and to provide various science-based advice to ministries, governmental institutes and others to ensure the sustainable use of freshwater and marine resources in Iceland. A wide variety of research activities take place at the institute, including diverse research on freshwater- and marine ecosystems, aquaculture, and multiple projects in the field of fisheries science. Internal, national and international collaborations are an important part of the operation of the institute. The institute emphasizes a positive and healthy working environment and culture.
Living in Iceland offers many appealing qualities. Iceland is known for its beautiful nature, clean and safe environment and good opportunities for outdoor activities. Iceland has a creative arts scene, and vibrant music scene. Iceland is a socially progressive country, with high gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.
The PhD candidate will be based at the NHMD, Natural History Museum Denmark Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen for two years and for one year at the MFRI in Iceland.
There will be moderate relocation support, and Iceland offers a tax reduction on the salary of specialists from abroad for 3 years.
Principal supervisor: Professor Nina Lundholm, NHMD, nlundholm@snm.ku.dk, phone: +45 35322282.
Inquiries about the PhD can be directed to principal supervisor Nina Lundholm. Please put “PhD position in Diversity, Ecology and Effects of Toxigenic Marine Microalgae” in the subject of e-mail inquiries.
Co-supervisors of the project in Iceland are Sara Harðardóttir and Teresa Sofia Giesta da Silva research scientists, MFRI.
Who are we looking for?
We are particularly looking for candidates with interests in the field of microalgal diversity and ecology. Applicants can have a background from biology, or related natural sciences, but with a background and interest in plankton. The ideal candidate has experience with taxonomy, culturing and experimental work on microalgae/plankton, as well as molecular analyses.
We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environments with the possibility of being part of two different research institutions. The museum in Copenhagen has excellent laboratory facilities for culturing as well as experimental work on microalgae in temperature-controlled rooms, advanced microscopy and imaging labs as well as a museomics lab. In Iceland, the student will work in laboratory facilities at the research institute in Hafnafjörður and at the maricultural laboratory that will have a team to assist the PhD student during the live experiments as well as advanced microscopes and stereoscopes.
The PhD programme
A three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree. Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. biodiversity, geodiversity, natural history collections. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.
Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as a PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.
Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant with the help of the supervisor.
Terms of appointment and payment according to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.
Responsibilities and tasks in the PhD programme
- Carry through an independent research project under supervision
- Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
- Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
- Museum compulsory work assisting with collections curation, and public engagement corresponding to maximum 840 hours
- Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
- Write scientific papers aimed at good impact journals
- Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project
- MSc in biology, or related natural sciences, preferably with a background and interest in taxonomy, biodiversity, ecology
- Relevant publications if any within the project area
- Relevant work experience including fieldwork at sea
- Knowledge of marine phytoplankton and/or zooplankton is an advantage but not a requirement
- Curious mind-set with a strong interest in natural sciences and arctic, systematics and or/taxonomy
- Good collaboration, communication and fluent English language skills
Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.
Please include:
- Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
- Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position (1-2 pages)
- Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in anotherlanguage than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records and/or a written statement from the institution or supervisor indicating the expected completion date of the Master degree is accepted.
- Publication list (if possible)
- Reference letters (if possible - up to 2)
The deadline for applications is December 20, 2025, 23:59 GMT +1.
We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.
The further process
After the deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessment committee. You are notified whether you will be passed for assessment.
The assessment committee will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the abovementioned research area, skills, experience, and other requirements. The assessment committee will conclude whether each applicant is qualified for the 5+3 model as described above. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.
Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in 2nd half of January, 2025.
Questions For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact Professor Nina Lundholm, nlundholm@snm.ku.dk.
General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.
The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.