We are offering one post doctoral position at the Copenhagen Center for Glycomics (CCG) with the Wandall Group, commencing from January 1st 2025 or after agreement. The position is fixed term for 3 years and full time (37 working hour in average per week).

The candidate will be part of a EIC Pathfinder project promoting new technological solutions to advance the treatment of diabetes and developing optimized nutrition for healthy living and preclinical organoid models for advancing personalized medicine.

The project Garden of Eve (Nutri EV) is funded from the European Union’s EISMEA - European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency Horizon Europe programme under the grant agreement Nº 101161353.

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic candidate with a strong background in biochemistry, mass spectrometry, cell biology, virology, or immunology for the project.

Garden of Eve (Nutri EV) : This project aims to revolutionize our understanding of nutrition and its connection to metabolic disorders by exploring the intricate roles of glycans and extracellular vesicles (EVs) in these processes. Traditionally, the digestive system has been viewed as a simple mechanism for breaking down food into molecular building blocks, with the gut microbiome playing a crucial role in this digestion. However, the alarming rise in diseases like obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome suggests that our current understanding is incomplete. Recent research has uncovered the existence of EVs, nanoscale vesicles that transport proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and glycans between cells, playing vital roles in maintaining tissue homeostasis and participating in various physiological and pathological processes. These EVs, particularly those enriched with glycoconjugates, exhibit unique glycosignatures that influence their interactions with target cells and their overall behavior within the body. Our project leverages advanced glycoproteomics, utilizing high-sensitivity liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to delve into the complex glycan and glycoprotein profiles of EVs and other biological samples. By studying the glycan composition of EVs, we aim to uncover specific glycoprotein changes associated with metabolic diseases. This approach will provide insights into how these molecular structures contribute to metabolic dysfunction and disease progression. In practical terms, our research holds the promise of developing precision medicine-based therapies and innovative diagnostic methods. By understanding how nutritional factors, gut microbiome, and EVs orchestrate metabolic processes and influence conditions like obesity and diabetes, we can pave the way for targeted interventions. This knowledge could lead to personalized dietary strategies that improve metabolic health, offering a more effective approach to managing and preventing these widespread diseases.

Our research
Copenhagen Center for Glycomics (CCG) is composed of 5 research groups and hosts about 10 postdocs and 15 Ph D students in addition to Master students and guest researchers. CCG strives to be a leader in glycosciences in pioneering the transformation of the field towards wider integration into mainstream cell biology by developing experimental strategies, informatics approaches, and sustainable resources amenable not only to experts. We aim to facilitate the discovery of diseases caused by altered glycosylation, develop new diagnostic and therapeutic tools, and identify new ways to design and produce improved glycoprotein drugs.

CCG is a cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and training Center located on the 10th floor of the new Mærsk Tower science building within the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (ICMM). CCG has state-of-the-art facilities for mass spectrometry, mass photometry, flow cytometry, cell engineering, and glycan arrays, and group leaders hold diverse expertise in all areas of glycosciences. Our core valuables include glycoproteome data and bioinformatics tools, validated gene editing tools, glycoengineered cell libraries, and design matrices for the recombinant production of glycotherapeutics. CCG hosts an international seminar series, Ph D courses in glycobiology and gene editing, and participates in ICMMs education program.

Principal supervisor: Professor Hans H. Wandall, e-mail: hhw@sund.ku.dk .

Start date: 1 January 2025 or after agreement.

Duration: 3 years.

The successful candidate will conduct independent research related to the topics above at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (ICMM). We expect the candidate to engage in an active research environment and take part in student guidance.

Profile
We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic scientist with the following competencies and experience:

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants for the postdoc position:

• You have a Ph.D. in biochemistry, molecular biology, (bio)medicine, biology, immunology, or similar.
• Knowledge and preferable skills in mass spectrometry, glycoprofiling and or glycoproteomics, working with 2D cell culture systems and 3D organoid tissue models.
• Familiarity with mass spectrometry, microscopy, flow cytometry, immunology, cancer biology, and glycobiology is an advantage.
• Knowledge about mass spectrometry, glycobiology, metabolisms, and immunology is an advantage.

Other important criteria are :

• You have a curious mindset and an active interest in glycosylation and cell biology.
• Proficient communication skills and ability to work in teams.
• Relevant and competitive publications.
• Excellent written and spoken English skills.

Applicants should be highly organized and motivated to carry out research related to the topics described above. Candidates with prior experience in glycobiology, organoid models, virology, and/or quantitative glycoproteomics will receive advantaged consideration.

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (ICMM), University of Copenhagen. ICMM offers a creative and ambitious scientific environment, with many different nationalities represented. ICMM aims to produce research with high international impact focusing on the functional cell, its genetic components, and molecular cellular mechanisms in a medical context.

ICMM currently comprises five research programs, three high profile Research Centers as well as several international research groups. The scientists at ICMM are involved in high quality research based undergraduate and graduate teaching programs at the University of Copenhagen.

More information can be found at https://icmm.ku.dk/english/ .

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position for a period of 3 years commencing 1 January 2025 or after agreement.

Salary, pension, and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or another relevant organisation. Currently, the monthly salary starts at DKK 38,575 / approx. EUR 5,177 (April 2024- level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated.
The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions if they hold a Ph D degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Questions
For further information please contact Professor Hans H. Wandall by e-mail: hhw@sund.ku.dk .

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: https://ism.ku.dk/ (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure
Your application must be submitted in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

Deadline for applications: Sunday 10 November 2024, 23.59 PM CET .

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 expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/ .

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences comprises approximately 7,823 students, 1,886 Ph D students and 5,100 employees. The faculty advances the field of health sciences through its core activities: research, teaching, knowledge sharing and communication. With basic research fields ranging from molecular studies to studies of society, the faculty contributes to a healthy future through its graduates, research findings and inventions benefitting patients and the community.
The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.