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DIfE PhD in Molecular Metabolism & Precision Nutrition 2027
DIfE Paid PhD in Molecular Metabolism and Precision Nutrition 2027
10 min read
Updated
NBy Naman Kumar
Page Summary⌄
Paid PhD: TV-L E13, normally 100% employment at 39.8 hours per week.
Research: Precision nutrition, glucose metabolism, human studies, molecular biology and multimodal data analysis.
Eligibility: MSc or Diplom in nutritional sciences, molecular biology, biochemistry or another relevant biological or medical field.
Languages: Very strong written and spoken German and English.
Deadline:8 November 2026; expected start 1 January 2027.
Table of Contents
The German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE) is offering a paid doctoral position in Molecular Metabolism and Precision Nutrition starting on 1 January 2027.
The PhD focuses on how daily dietary patterns influence 24-hour glucose fluctuations and individual metabolic responses in healthy people, people with prediabetes and people with type 2 diabetes.
You will combine:
- human intervention and observational research
- nutritional-data analysis
- continuous glucose and activity data
- molecular biology
- omics analysis
- machine learning.
The position is paid according to TV-L E13 at 65% employment and is initially available for three years, subject to final approval of third-party funding.
Applications must be submitted by 8 November 2026.
DIfE Molecular Metabolism and Precision Nutrition PhD at a Glance
Information
Details
Position
Doctoral Student — Department of Molecular Metabolism and Precision Nutrition
Institution
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German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke
Association
Leibniz Association
Location
Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany
Research area
Molecular metabolism and precision nutrition
Position type
Paid doctoral employment
Salary grade
TV-L E13
Employment percentage
65%
Contract duration
3 years
Funding condition
Subject to approval of third-party funding
Start date
1 January 2027
Degree required
MSc or Diplom
German
Very high written and spoken level
English
Very high written and spoken level
Reference
2026_W13_L
Deadline
8 November 2026
Application
One PDF by email
DIfE is part of the Leibniz Association and conducts experimental and clinical research on nutrition and health, with a focus on understanding the molecular basis of nutrition-related diseases and developing prevention and treatment strategies.
What is this DIfE PhD about?
The doctoral project focuses on one of the central questions in precision nutrition: Why do different people respond differently to the same diet?
The project investigates relationships between:
- daily eating patterns
- glucose fluctuations
- metabolic health
- molecular characteristics
- lifestyle factors.
The study includes participants who are:
- metabolically healthy
- living with prediabetes
- living with type 2 diabetes.
The goal is to identify individual factors that can help predict how a person's metabolism responds to food.
What will you study during the PhD?
A major focus of the project is 24-hour glucose regulation.
You will analyse how glucose levels change throughout the day and how those changes relate to:
- meal timing
- dietary intake
- physical activity
- metabolic phenotype
- molecular characteristics.
The project therefore combines classical nutritional science with digital health and molecular data.
What is precision nutrition?
Precision nutrition aims to move beyond the idea that the same dietary recommendation works equally well for everyone.
Instead, it examines how individual characteristics may influence responses to diet.
In this DIfE project, the research seeks to identify:
- lifestyle-related factors
- metabolic factors
- molecular factors
that can predict how an individual responds metabolically to dietary behaviour.
This makes the project especially relevant to research on:
- personalised nutrition
- diabetes prevention
- metabolic health
- digital biomarkers.
What will you do during the PhD?
Your work will combine participant-facing research, laboratory work and computational analysis.
Human study coordination :
You will help coordinate the study and participate in examinations of study participants.
Biosample processing :
You will work with biological samples including:
- blood
- adipose tissue.
Dietary-data analysis :
You will analyse:
- dietary protocols
- questionnaires.
Molecular and biochemical analysis :
You will perform biochemical and molecular analyses on human biosamples.
Digital health data :
You will analyse:
- 24-hour glucose data
- nutrition data
- activity data.
Multimodal data analysis :
You will integrate different types of study data using machine-learning algorithms.
Scientific communication :
You will also:
- prepare publications
- present results at colloquia
- present at scientific conferences.
Who can apply?
You need an MSc degree or Diplom in one of the following fields:
- nutritional sciences
- molecular biology
- biochemistry
- another biological field
- another medical field.
Related disciplines may qualify if your training clearly matches the research requirements.
Can I apply with a Nutritional Sciences degree?
Yes. Nutritional Sciences is explicitly listed as an eligible degree background.
Your application will be especially relevant if you have experience with:
- human nutrition studies
- dietary assessment
- glucose metabolism
- nutritional-data analysis.
Can I apply with Molecular Biology?
Yes. Molecular Biology is explicitly listed among the eligible fields.
However, this project also contains a strong human-study and computational component, so experience beyond wet-lab molecular biology can strengthen your application.
Can I apply with Biochemistry?
Yes. Biochemistry is explicitly named in the official vacancy.
Relevant experience could include:
- metabolism
- molecular assays
- biomarker analysis
- omics
- metabolic disease research.
Can I apply with another biological or medical degree?
Potentially, yes. The vacancy explicitly allows another biological or medical field in addition to the specifically named disciplines.
Your academic background should still demonstrate a strong fit with the research topic.
Do I need experience with human studies?
Yes. The vacancy specifically asks for experience in: planning and conducting human studies.
This is important because the PhD involves direct work with study participants and human biosamples.
Relevant experience could come from:
- clinical studies
- nutritional intervention studies
- observational human studies
- metabolic research.
Do I need nutritional-data analysis experience?
Yes. Experience analysing nutritional data is explicitly required.
This could include work with:
- food records
- dietary protocols
- food-frequency questionnaires
- dietary intake databases
- nutritional epidemiology data.
Do I need R or Python?
Yes. The vacancy requires proficiency in programming languages such as R or Python.
The posting does not state that you must know both.
Strong experience in either language can therefore be relevant, especially if you can demonstrate practical data-analysis work.
What kind of data will I analyse?
You will work with several different types of data.
These include:
- dietary protocols
- questionnaire data
- continuous glucose data
- nutrition data
- physical-activity data
- biochemical data
- molecular data
- omics data.
The project therefore requires comfort with multimodal datasets rather than only one type of experiment.
Do I need machine-learning experience?
Machine learning is part of the project.
The official vacancy states that you will analyse multimodal study data using machine-learning algorithms.
However, the requirements section does not list a separate formal machine-learning qualification as mandatory.
Strong statistical, R/Python and biomedical-data experience could therefore be particularly valuable.
Do I need omics experience?
Yes. The vacancy asks for experience with: bioinformatic analysis of omics data and gives examples including:
- transcriptome data
- lipidome data.
This makes the position especially relevant for applicants who combine nutritional or molecular research with computational biology.
Do I need laboratory experience?
Yes. The role requires molecular biology laboratory experience.
You will also be involved in processing blood and adipose-tissue samples and performing biochemical and molecular analyses.
Is bioinformatics required?
Not as the primary degree requirement.
However, an additional qualification in:
- bioinformatics
- digital health
- a similar field
is explicitly listed as preferred.
So a bioinformatics background can strengthen your application.
Is digital health experience useful?
Yes. Digital health is listed among the preferred additional qualifications.
That is particularly relevant because the project uses:
- continuous glucose data
- nutrition data
- activity data
- machine-learning approaches.
Do I need German?
Yes. The vacancy requires a very high level of written and spoken German.
This is an important eligibility factor.
Because the project involves human study participants, German-language communication is likely relevant to participant interaction and study coordination.
The official vacancy does not publish a specific CEFR level such as C1 or C2.
Do I need English?
Yes. You also need a very high level of written and spoken English.
English will be important for:
- scientific literature
- publications
- international collaboration
- conference presentations.
No IELTS or TOEFL threshold is stated.
Can international applicants apply?
The official vacancy does not state a nationality restriction.
However, it also does not explicitly say that applicants of all nationalities are welcomed.
International applicants may therefore potentially apply if they meet the academic, technical and language requirements.
The main practical barrier for many international applicants may be the requirement for very strong German and English, rather than nationality itself.
Is this PhD paid?
Yes. This is a salaried doctoral employment position.
The salary classification is TV-L E13 at 65%.
The official vacancy does not state one exact monthly gross amount.
Because TV-L salary depends on the applicable experience step and public-sector rules, it is better not to publish a calculated amount as though DIfE had stated it.
Is this a full-time PhD?
The employment contract is 65%.
That means the salaried position itself is part-time under the TV-L framework.
The doctoral research programme may still require substantial additional academic work associated with completing the PhD.
How long is the contract?
The position is available for three years subject to approval of third-party funding.
This funding condition should be kept in the final article because the three-year appointment is not completely unconditional.
When does the PhD start?
The advertised start date is 1 January 2027.
This is a fixed date stated in the vacancy.
Is this linked to a PhD programme?
Yes. DIfE states that the position includes enrolment in a local PhD programme.
The vacancy also offers:
- intensive scientific supervision
- collaboration with partner institutions
- a dynamic research environment.
What research environment will you join?
You will work in the Department of Molecular Metabolism and Precision Nutrition at DIfE.
The department investigates the hormonal and molecular mechanisms involved in the nutritional regulation of human metabolism.
A current departmental focus is the role of the circadian clock in metabolic regulation by nutrition.
The advertised PhD extends this broader theme into precision nutrition and glucose regulation.
Who leads the department?
The vacancy lists Prof. Dr. Olga Ramich as Head of the Department of Molecular Metabolism and Precision Nutrition and the contact person for further scientific information.
Will I publish research?
Yes.Preparation of scientific publications is explicitly part of the doctoral role.
You will also present your findings through:
- colloquia
- conference contributions.
What benefits does DIfE offer?
DIfE lists several employment and professional-development benefits.
Scientific supervision :
You receive:
- intensive scientific support
- close collaboration with partner institutions
- enrolment in a local PhD programme.
Research infrastructure :
DIfE provides:
- excellent technical equipment
- a broad range of experimental methods
- a dynamic research environment.
Professional development :
The institute offers:
- targeted further education
- professional-development opportunities.
Family-friendly working conditions :
DIfE holds the “audit berufundfamilie” certificate and advertises family-friendly working conditions.
Public transport support :
Employees receive support for mobility through a Jobticket for public transport.
Annual leave :
The vacancy provides 30 days of vacation.
Employee discounts :
Staff can participate in the Corporate Benefits employee-benefits programme.
What documents do you need?
The official vacancy gives a clear document list.
You need:
- motivation letter
- CV
- copies of degrees and certificates
- references.
All documents must be combined into one PDF file.
Your application must include the reference number: 2026_W13_L.
What should I include in the motivation letter?
The vacancy specifically asks for a cover letter explaining your motivation.
A strong letter should make clear how your previous experience relates to the actual project, especially:
- human studies
- nutrition research
- metabolic phenotyping
- R or Python
- molecular biology
- omics analysis.
These are the areas directly highlighted in the vacancy.
Do I need recommendation letters?
The vacancy lists references among the application documents.
However, it does not explain whether this means:
- full written recommendation letters, or
- contact details for referees.
Follow the instructions provided by DIfE when preparing your application rather than assuming a specific format that is not stated.
How to apply for the DIfE Precision Nutrition PhD
Step 1 — Check your academic background
You need an MSc or Diplom in:
- Nutritional Sciences
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
- another relevant biological or medical field.
Step 2 — Check your human-study experience
Make sure you can demonstrate experience in:
- planning human studies
- conducting human studies
- nutritional-data analysis.
Step 3 — Highlight your computational skills
Show relevant experience with:
- R
- Python
- multimodal analysis
- omics bioinformatics.
Step 4 — Highlight your laboratory skills
Include relevant molecular-biology and biosample-analysis experience.
Step 5 — Check your German and English
You need very strong written and spoken ability in both languages.
Step 6 — Prepare your documents
Combine:
- motivation letter
- CV
- degree certificates
- other certificates
- references
into one PDF.
Step 7 — Add the vacancy reference
Use 2026_W13_L in your application.
Step 8 — Submit by email
Send your complete PDF application to:jobs@dife.de
Step 9 — Submit before the deadline
Your application must arrive by 8 November 2026.
Application Deadline
The final application deadline is 8 November 2026
The vacancy was published on: 16 October 2026.
The position is scheduled to begin on: 1 January 2027.
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