PhD fellowship in membrane protein structure and function at the Department of Biomedical Sciences

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

University of Copenhagen

 

The Autzen Group is inviting applications for a three-year PhD fellowship in membrane protein structure and function at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. The successful candidate will apply single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) in combination with biophysical, and biochemical, and pharmacological techniques to characterize eukaryotic membrane proteins involved in taste.

The fellowship is fully funded through a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Department of Biomedical Sciences and is set to commence on 1st of November 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Project overview

Taste shapes our dietary choices and protects us from harmful substances, yet the molecular mechanisms behind taste perception remain poorly understood. This PhD project will investigate how recombinant taste receptors recognize ligands and undergo activation, using heterologous expression systems and in vitro characterization methods. A central challenge in studying these proteins is preserving their native environment during isolation. To address this, the project integrates the development of novel amphipathic copolymers for extracting membrane proteins into native nanodiscs - polymer-lipid assemblies that maintain native lipids and protein activity. Current copolymers are often inefficient or too harsh for mammalian targets, and this project seeks to overcome those limitations.

You will apply cryo-EM, biophysics, biochemistry, and pharmacology to study the structure and function of taste receptors in their near-native environments. This interdisciplinary approach will provide new molecular insight into taste perception and enable broader applications in membrane protein research. You will work closely with a postdoctoral research fellow and lab technician on the same project to form a collaborative team addressing the structural and functional aspects of recombinant taste receptor function.

Our group and research

The PhD fellow will join the Autzen Group, a young and vibrant research group that is focused on characterizing the activation and modulation of eukaryotic membrane proteins involved in a range of cellular pathways. For this, we use cryo-EM for high-resolution structural determination in combination with biochemical, biophysical, and pharmacological assays for functional characterization. The Autzen Group currently consists of six full-time members and is part of the theme in Molecular and Translational Pharmacology at the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Read more about our group here:

https://bmi.ku.dk/english/research/molecular-and-translational-pharmacology/autzen-group/

What we offer

• A highly interdisciplinary and innovative project within a supportive research environment.
• An open and inclusive work and research environment with dedicated colleagues.
• Opportunities for mentorship, professional development, and international collaboration.

The Autzen Group is built on community, trust, openness, honesty, and solidarity and strives to embody the scientific method, objectivity, and reproducibility. We value open science, knowledge and data sharing and science communication to a wider audience, ultimately bridging the gap between society and research. Read more about the Autzen Group and our core values on our website: www.autzenlab.com.

Principal supervisor is Associate Professor Henriette Elisabeth Autzen, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Theme of Molecular and Translational Pharmacology, henriette.autzen (at) sund.ku.dk.

Start:                  01/11-2025

Duration:          3 years as a PhD student + 1 month as research assistant for enrolment to the PhD school

Responsibilities for PhD students
As a PhD student at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, your responsibilities are to:

• Actively manage and carry out an independent research project under supervision.
• Actively participate in research environments including at an external research institution, preferably abroad.
• Disseminate your research through scientific manuscripts aimed at high-impact journals and presentations at national or international meetings.
• Teach undergraduate or graduate students in the Autzen Group and in courses offered by the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
• Attend and complete PhD courses or other equivalent education relevant to the project corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
• Conclude your PhD studies by writing and defending your PhD thesis.

 

Your qualifications

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants are:

• Qualifications corresponding to a Danish MSc degree with good results.
• Completed courses and/or research experience in one or more areas including membrane protein structure, biochemistry, physical chemistry, pharmacology, and biophysics.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly grasp and employ new methods and tools.

• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• High level of motivation, responsibility, and ability to work in a structured manner.
• An ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• A curious mind-set with a strong interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms and structure of membrane proteins.

In the assessment of your qualifications, emphasis will be laid on relevant work or research experiences and publications.

Experience in several of the following topics is an advantage:

• Large-scale protein expression and purification, preferably of membrane proteins.
• Mammalian cell culture techniques.
• Bacterial cell culture techniques.
• Cryo-EM sample preparation and/or protein crystallization, data collection and analysis, including the use of relevant software.
• Biochemical or pharmacological assays and analysis of associated data in e.g. GraphPad Prism.
• Recombinant DNA techniques and cloning.
• Linux operating systems and basic programming in MatLab and/or Python.
• Data management and reporting.

Place of employment

The position is at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen within the theme in Molecular and Translational Pharmacology. Home to six labs specializing in G protein-coupled receptors, our theme hosts an international and interdisciplinary workplace, offering a vibrant, creative, and innovative research environment. Read more about our theme and individual groups here: https://bmi.ku.dk/english/research/molecular-and-translational-pharmacology/

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

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years and one month as a research assistant.

The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s success­ful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant during an initial two-month employment as a research assistant.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the rules from the faculty on achieving the degree.

 

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree­ment between the Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 30,800 DKK/Roughly 4,125 EUR (April 2025 level) plus 18,07 pension.

 

Questions

For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact Henriette.

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at UCPH is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/

Application and assessment procedure

Your application must be written in English and submitted electronically by clicking the ‘APPLY NOW’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page).
2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position (max. one page).
3. Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other 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. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. You can read more on this in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.
4. Publication list (if applicable).
5. Any other material that you find relevant, e.g. a manuscript draft, a MSc thesis, etc.

Application deadline

August 10th, 2025, 23.59pm 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.

Apply via https://employment.ku.dk/phd/ or below.

The process

After the expiry date, the recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. Applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned requirements. Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant can comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant.

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

 

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

 

Interviews are expected to be held in late August 2025 in two rounds, the first of which will be online.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.