PhD fellowship in Biochemistry

PhD Project in the development of a synthetic biology platform for efficient production of disulfide-rich proteins in E. coli

Department of Biology
Faculty of Science

University of Copenhagen

The Department of Biology, Section for Biomolecular Sciences, invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Biochemistry. The project is part of the research project “DisCoTech: A high-throughput synthetic biology platform for identifying and optimizing bioactive disulfide-rich peptides”, which is financed by the Independent Research Fund Denmark.

The start date is (expected to be) March 1, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project

In recent years, the involved project groups have developed E. coli expression systems for disulfide-rich proteins and peptides, such as animal venom peptides. In addition, we have developed a reporter system for investigating and optimizing protein translation and folding in E. coli.In the current project we will combine these technologies to create a screening platform for identifying those sequences that fold correctly among a large starting library encoding disulfide-rich proteins. To develop the platform, we will focus primarily on sequences encoding animal venom peptides of unknown function, along with sequences encoding proteins of biotechnological potential.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates within the fields of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology or Biotechnology. Experience with basic techniques in molecular biology, protein biochemistry, and/or bacterial protein expression and purification will be considered an advantage.

Our group and research - and what do we offer?

The Ellgaard lab is based in a highly collaborative environment in the Section for Biomolecular Sciences, which is composed of 11 strong research groups. The lab is located at the Copenhagen Biocenter in central Copenhagen, Denmark. The project will be conducted in close collaboration with the groups of Prof. Alex Toftgaard Nielsen, Technical University of Denmark, and dr. Morten Nørholm, Head of Microbial Expression Engineering, Novo Nordisk. Moreover, we have close collaborators on this project at the University of Utah, USA. Together, we offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and all necessary equipment.

1. Principal supervisor isProfessor Lars Ellgaard,Department of Biology, E-mail: [xxxxx] Direct Phone: +[xxxxx], website: [xxxxx]

The PhD programme

Depending of your level of education, you can undertake the PhD programme as either:

Option A: 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.

Option B: An up to five year full-time study programme within the framework of the integrated MSc and PhD programme (the 3+5 scheme), if you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree – but you have an education equivalent to a Danish bachelors´s degree.

********************************************************************************

Option A: Getting into a position on the regular PhD programme

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. Biochemistry, Molecular Biology or Biotechnology. 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 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.

Terms of appointment and payment accord 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.

Option B: Getting into a position on the integrated MSc and PhD programme

Qualifications needed for the integrated MSc and PhD programme

If you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree, you might be qualified for the integrated MSc and PhD programme, if you have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish bachelor´s degree. Here you can find out, if that is relevant for you: General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of the integrated programme
To be eligible for the integrated scholarship, you are (or are eligible to be) enrolled at one of the faculty’s master programmes in Biochemistry or Biology.

Students on the integrated programme will enroll as PhD students simultaneously with completing their enrollment in this MSc degree programme.

The duration of the integrated programme is up to five years, and depends on the amount of credits that you have passed on your MSc programme. For further information about the study programme, please see: [xxxxx] “Study Structures”.

Until the MSc degree is obtained, (when exactly two years of the full 3+5 programme remains), the grant will be paid partly in the form of 48 state education grant portions (in Danish: “SU-klip”) plus salary for work (teaching, supervision etc.) totalling a workload of 150 working hours per year.
A PhD grant portion is currently (2024) DKK 6.820 before tax.

When you have obtained the MSc degree, you will transfer to the salary-earning part of the scholarship for a period of two years. At that point, the terms of employment and payment will be according to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State (AC). The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks in both PhD programmes

• Complete and pass the MSc education in accordance with the curriculum of the MSc programme

(ONLY when you are attending the integrated MSc and 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
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Background in animal venom research will be considered beneficial, but is not a prerequisite
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in disulfide-bond formation and bacterial expression system
• High proficiency in both written and spoken English

***************************************************************************

Application and Assessment Procedure

Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
2. Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
3. Original diplomas for Bachelor or Master and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
4. Publication list (if possible)
5. Reference letters (if available)

Application deadline:

The deadline for applications is 9 November 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 deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at [xxxxx]

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in week 51.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

[General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: [xxxxx]

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.

Kilde: [xxxxx]