Postdoctoral Scholarship (2 years) within Chemical Glycobiology / Bioorganic chemistry

The Department of Chemistry is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within the project “Chemical tools to study and modulate glycopeptidase mucin degradation” . The scholarship is full-time for two years with access from 18 August 2025, or by agreement. Last day to apply is 8 June, 2025.

Project description

Mucins are highly glycosylated proteins that cover the epithelial tissues in both a membrane bound and secreted form. The secreted mucins are major components of the protective mucus barrier. Even if the mucus clears the majority of invading pathogens, bacteria and viruses have developed strategies for immune escape and may penetrate the mucus barrier. Thereby inflammation and infection of the host tissue is enabled. Within this project you will develop chemical tools to study and modulate glycopeptidase mucin degradation.

The 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. Synthesis methodology will be developed to prepare mucin O-glycans and glycopeptides, including development of new protecting group chemistry and fluorophore bioorthogonal glycopeptide labelling. Microarray methodology will be applied to study binding events of bacteria lectins (carbohydrate binding proteins), mucinase carbohydrate binding domains using synthetic glycopeptides. A fluorescence-based assay will be developed to screen mucinase glycopeptidase activity on the microarray chip. Development of the 1st generation of mucinase glycopeptide mimetic inhibitors would also be a part of the project.

Methods that the scholarship holder will apply include synthesis of glycosylated amino acids, synthesis of glycopeptides by automated Fmoc-solid phase peptide synthesis (Fmoc-SPPS), enzymatic synthesis and protecting group chemistry. Fluorophore bioorthogonal labeling will also be done. 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 and development of the glycopeptidase assay.

The initial part of the project relies heavily on carbohydrate and bioorganic synthesis, which mean that a successful candidate should have expertise in this field.

The tax-free stipend is SEK 350 000 per year and is funded by the Kempe Foundations.

Qualifications

The post-doctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirement must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the decision about scholarship recipient. 

Priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree before that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organizations, military service, or similar circumstances, or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area. 

Doctoral degree should be within carbohydrate synthesis, bioorganic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, or other relevant field.

Additional requirements are:

A successful candidate should preferably have a strong background in carbohydrate chemistry.

Meriting criteria are:

Experience from glycopeptide synthesis or microarray analysis is meriting but not a requirement.

We are looking for candidates who are driven and interested in both carbohydrate/glycopeptide synthesis and biological applications thereof.

Application

The application should be written in English or Swedish, and attached documents should be in Word or PDF format. The application should be registered via Umeå University’s e-recruitment system Varbi and submitted by the deadline 8 June, 2025. 

A full application should include:

• A cover letter summarizing your qualifications, scientific interests, and why you are applying for the position (max 1 page),
• Curriculum vitae (CV) with publication list,
• Copy of doctoral degree certificate or documentation that clarifies when the degree of doctor is expected to be obtained,
• Copies of other diplomas, list of completed academic courses and grades,
• Copy of doctoral thesis and up to 3 relevant articles,
• Other documents that the applicant wishes to claim.
• Contact information to two persons willing to act as references.

More information

Further details are provided by Ulrika Westerlind, ulrika.westerlind@umu.se.

About us

The Department of Chemistry is one of the largest departments within the Faculty of Science and Technology with approximately 200 employees and strong and expanding research. The Department has four major research areas: Biological Chemistry, IBEAM, Organic chemistry and Technical Chemistry. We are also a strong partner in the KBC, Chemical-Biological Center.