Doctoral fellow

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

YOUR TASKS

The group of Prof. Desmet focuses on the discovery and design of enzymes that can be used for the conversion of renewable resources (plant biomass) into special sugars and derivatives. Two new doctoral candidates will be recruited for the EXPEDITION project (“On expedition in sequence space: computationally guided search for new phenotypes and evotypes in enzyme families”), funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders. One candidate will design and evaluate a computational pipeline for enzyme discovery, while the other will apply recently developed AI-based protein design tools to the study of enzyme evolution. In each case, enzymes will also be characterized in the lab to gather fundamental insights in sequence – function relationships. This project is a collaboration with prof. Nidetzky at TU Graz, where a research stay can also be organized.
The doctoral candidate will be expected to:

• Perform high-quality research; 
• Report findings by publishing research articles and presenting at (inter)national conferences; 
• Collaborate with academic and industrial partners; 
• Support the research group by taking up administrative, organisational and/or educational responsibilities; 
• The final objective of the research is to obtain a doctoral degree. 
  
  

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• We are looking for candidates with the following qualifications and skills.
• You hold (or will soon obtain) a Master’s degree in Bioscience Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or a related field; 
• You show a keen interest in molecular biology and protein science; prior experience in these areas is a strong plus; 
• You have experience with programming (e.g., Python) or you are motivated to develop this skill; 
• You are curious, passionate about science and you are motivated to tackle complex scientific challenges; 
• You are a strong communicator and a team player; 
• You have an excellent command of written and spoken English, enabling you to function in an international team; 

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which – after a positive evaluation – will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months. 
• Your contract will start on August 1, 2026, at the earliest. 
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales 
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits. 

INTERESTED?

Send your cv, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession) and a motivation letter to tom.desmet@ugent.be.

We do not accept late applications.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Jorick Franceus (jorick.franceus@ugent.be)