PhD student position in bioorganic chemistry with focus on glycoscience - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

We are looking for a highly motivated PhD student that would be interested in carbohydrate and glycopeptide synthesis to explore the chemical biology behind mucin O-glycosylation and bacteria infections.

Working tasks
Mucins are highly glycosylated proteins that cover epithelial tissues in both a membrane bound and secreted form. The secreted mucins are major components of the protective mucus barrier. Even if the majority of invading pathogens are cleared by the mucus, bacteria and viruses have co-evolved with the human host and developed strategies to escape our immune system and penetrate the mucus barrier and thereby cause inflammation and infection of the host tissue.

The PhD project will involve oligosaccharide and glycopeptide synthesis with the aim to study the dynamics and interplay between host mucin glycans and bacteria to further explore the cause of inflammation and disease in the gut.  New synthesis methodology will in particular be developed to prepare sulfate containing mucin O-glycans and glycopeptides, including development of new protecting group chemistry.  Microarray methodology will be applied to study binding events of bacteria lectins (carbohydrate binding proteins), mucinases and glycosidases to immobilized synthetic or semisynthetic glycans, glycopeptides and glycoproteins. The project will also involve mass spectrometry based glycoproteomic analysis of mucin glycans and glycopeptides.

Methods used within the PhD thesis work will include synthesis of glycosylated amino acids, synthesis of glycopeptides by automated Fmoc-solid phase peptide synthesis (Fmoc-SPPS), enzymatic synthesis and protecting group chemistry. Silica column chromatography, analytical and preparative HPLC-separation, NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry will commonly be applied for purification and characterization of the prepared molecules. Microarray analysis will be applied for efficient mapping of glycan-protein binding events.

Admission requirements
A person meets the general admission requirements for PhD studies if he or she:

• has completed a second-cycle level degree (i.e. a completed master degree), or
• has completed course requirements of at least 240 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 ECTS credits are at second-cycle level, or
• have an equivalent education from abroad, or equivalent qualifications.

A person meets the specific entry requirements to be admitted for PhD studies in chemistry if he or she:

• has completed first-cycle courses (bachelor level) of at least ,90 ECTS credits within the field of chemistry or another subject considered to be directly relevant to the specialization in question, and
• has at least 15 ECTS credits acquired at second-cycle level (master level) in organic or bioorganic chemistry or an equivalent subject.

In addition to the general entry requirements for admission to the PhD education in chemistry, the candidate should have:

• knowledge in organic chemistry and practical experience of synthesis work, preferably with experience in carbohydrate synthesis
• basic knowledge of analytical and biochemical methods
• high motivation for the research work
• collaborative skills
• excellent knowledge of English both in oral and written language
  
  

Terms of employment
The appointment aims at a PhD degree and the main task of the PhD student is to pursue their doctoral studies, which includes participation in research projects as well as postgraduate courses. In the assignments, teaching and other departmental work (up to a maximum of 20%) can be included. The employment is limited to four years full-time or up to five years when part-time teaching. The salary placement takes place according to the established salary level for doctoral employment.

Application
A complete application should contain the following documents:

• A cover letter including a description of your research interests and motivation for applying
• A Curriculum Vitae
• Certified copies of degree certificates or equivalent, including documentation of completed academic courses and obtained grades

Applications must be submitted via our e-recruitment system no later than 1st February 2022.

For more information, please contact [Assoc. Prof. Ulrika Westerlind at the Department of Chemistry, ulrika.westerlind@umu.se, https://www.umu.se/en/staff/ulrika-westerlind / .

We look forward to receiving your application.

About us
The Department of Chemistry is one of the largest departments within the Faculty of Science and Technology with approximately 200 employees, of which approximately 40 doctoral students, and a strong and expanding research. The Department has three major research areas: Biological Chemistry, Environmental and Biogeochemistry, and Technical Chemistry. We are also a strong partner in the KBC, Chemical-Biological Center. Information about the postgraduate education can be found on the Faculty of Science and Technology website: www.umu.se/en/faculty-of-science-and-technology/education/doctoral-studies/chemistry/. For more information about working at Umeå University, https://www.umu.se/en/work-with-us/