Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Nanoscience programme. The position is available from November 2025 or later.
Title:
Illuminating the dark kinome using integrated structural biology
Research area and project description:
Do you wonder how the dark kinome (disordered regions in kinases) plays a critical role in regulating phosphorylation in the context of human health and disease? Then apply to a 3-year PhD student position in the Viennet lab at iNANO and contribute to finding out!
The project will decipher the molecular mechanisms by which phosphorylation regulates kinases through their disordered linker regions. Linker regions do not merely hold structured domains together but actively control their probability of encounter via their phosphorylation pattern. However, determining conformational ensembles of disordered domains is a challenging task that requires integrated structural biology efforts using a combination of NMR, SAXS, smFRET, EPR and suitable computational tools.
In the 3-year PhD project, you will investigate how phosphorylation modulates the conformational ensemble of the kinases Raf1 and PAK1. You will prepare specifically phosphorylated samples and characterize them using various structural biology techniques. You will work alongside a postdoc fellow and another PhD student who will join the project after 1 or 2 years.
It is critical that you are motivated to perform wet lab work as this will be most of the workload. The project is highly interdisciplinary and you will implement bacterial recombinant expression, isotope labelling, protein purification, chemical biology and/or peptide synthesis, biophysics, NMR, SAXS, fluorescence…
You will work closely with other group members and the bioNMR team at iNANO. You will interact and collaborate with leading research groups internationally, including through a research stay abroad. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to present your research at local and international conferences.
For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. When - as here - you apply for a specific project, please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application. If you wish to, you can indicate an URL where further information can be found.
Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants should possess a relevant Master’s degree in biochemistry, molecular biology, nanoscience or related fields. Previous experience in recombinant expression or protein purification is desirable. Previous experience with NMR is not a requirement but is a plus. Additionally, strong English communication skills, both oral and written, are required.
Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is iNANO, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Denmark.
iNANO, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (www.inano.au.dk), was established in 2002 and at present is a major research and education center based at Aarhus University hosting 60 senior scientists, ~100 PostDocs and ~100 PhD students. The center combines expertise and faculty from Physics, Chemistry, Molecular biology and Medicine to carry out world class interdisciplinary research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. The center gives access to a broad range of infrastructure, tools and expertise including clean-room facilities. With a 5 year undergraduate nanotechnology programme and nanoscience graduate programme (www.inanoschool.au.dk) the center provides a full educational environment. In addition to the large base of basic research, the center has a large number of ongoing industrial projects and partnerships.
Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information for this project are invited to contact: Professor Niels Chr. Nielsen, ncn@chem.au.dk or Assistant Professor Thibault Viennet, thibault@chem.au.dk
How to apply:
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see the Application guide. Please read the Application guide thoroughly before applying.
When ready to apply, go to https://phd.nat.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/ (Note, the online application system opens 1 June 2025)
Please note:
At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website, you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.
