The Department of Biotechnology and Food Science is responsible for the major research area biotechnology. Research is performed in cooperation between departmental and external research groups. Both basic and applied research topics are addressed.

The Department of Biotechnology and Food Science offers 13 courses on the PhD level.

Research areas

• Biopolymer chemistry and bio-nanotechnology
• Genetics
• Determination of polysaccharide primary structure
• Enzymatic, chemical and physical modification of polysaccharides
• Determination of conformation in solution and gel phase
• Interactions between polysaccharides and ions, enzymes, antigens, DNA and RNA
• Non-viral gene delivery using chitosans
• Nanostructure, phase behaviour and rheology in biopolymer gels, films, emulsions and suspensions
• Alginate based capsule technology for treatment of diabetes
• New experimental methods for characterization of polysaccharides
• New biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of alginates, chitosans, gelatine, sphagnan, beta glucans, glycoproteins and proteoglycans
• Capsule- and gel technology applied in food
   

Marine biochemistry/mariculture

• Production of fatty acids (DHA) in marine microorganisms
• Marine biopolymers – from raw material to biological applications
• Fish gelatins: Properties and modifications
• New antibiotics from marine bacteria
• Capsule- and gel technology in feed technology

Molecular genetics/Microbiology

• Studies of the mechanism for plasmid replication, construction of cloning vectors and analysis of recombinant protein expression
• Genetic analysis of the production of antibiotics in bacteria
• Studies of molecular mechanisms for cellular osmoregulation
• The genetics of alginate biosynthesis and function studies of the enzyme structures
• Oil microbiology
• Development of new plasmid tools for use in bioprospecting
• Microbial producers of bioactive agents from the marine environment

Biochemical engineering

• Production of secondary metabolites in bacteria
• Microbiological aspects in food science
• Microbial production of lysine from methanol

Food chemistry

• Superchilling
• Utilization of Calanus
• Using NMR to study water and salt during salting of fish and meat
• Application of NMR for determination of food authenticity
• Lipid oxidation
• Ethical slaughtering of white fish
• Production of stable marine oils

Environmental biotechnology/Microbial ecology

• Biofilm formation and biofouling
• Gel-immobilized microbial ecosystems
• Anaerobic fermentation of organic material
• Directing microbial environment in marine aquaculture
• Mechanisms for bacterial colonization and directing microbial environment in marine aquaculture
• Structure and stability in natural pelagic ecosystems

The PhD education is a structured degree with a nominal duration of three-year full-time study. Some PhD positions may include a fourth year of required duties, usually in the form of teaching, this will be detailed in your employee contract if applicable.

A PhD degree is the highest level of formalised education in Norway.

A doctoral degree from NTNU qualifies you to a range of positions both in the private and public sector. Academia has traditionally been the main career path for doctors, but now an increasing number of doctors are going into leading positions in the private sector.

To be accepted to a PhD programme at NTNU, you must have:

• a funding plan
• completed at least five years of higher education that includes a master's degree or other equivalent degree.
• a strong academic record and a weighted average for the last two years of your master's degree equivalent to a B or higher in NTNU's grading scale.

Applications for admission to the PhD programme must to be submitted through the Department of your subject area 

Read more about how to apply and admission

Administrative contact

Maja Caroline Haaker 
Senior Executive Officer

Academic contact

Ingrid Bakke 
Professor and Deputy of Research at the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science