PhD scholarship in biosynthesis of de novo proteins and peptides for PFAS-free biomaterials

Doctorat / PhD Profil chercheur : First Stage Researcher (R1) Type de contrat : Temporary Date limite de candidature : 6 Dec 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Copenhagen) Date de début : 1 Mar 2027 Programme UE : Not funded by a EU programme Département : BRIGHT – The Novo Nordisk Foundation Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition Domaine : Chemistry » Biochemistry

This PhD project is part of a BRIGHT programme developing a general platform for the design of protein- and peptide-based biomaterials, with solid-state battery components as its first testbed. Our goal is to replace fluorinated PFAS polymers with de novo designed proteins and peptides. You will make the molecules the programme designs, producing canonical and non-canonical proteins and peptides mainly by biosynthesis in microbial hosts and preparing them for structural characterisation and materials testing. You will work closely with computationalists and chemists to translate de novo generated designs out of the computer into the laboratory, synthesising and expressing DNA-encoded protein and peptide libraries. You will work with the characterization team to develop protocols and automated laboratory systems to execute rapid design-build-test-learn cycles, providing information-dense laboratory feedback to improve the generative models and designs. Responsibilities and qualifications Responsibilities: Take de novo designs into the laboratory by expressing and preparing DNA-encoded protein and peptide libraries Produce designed canonical and non-canonical proteins and peptides by biosynthesis in microbial hosts Purify and prepare candidates for structural characterisation and materials testing Work closely with computational researchers to deploy new methods for algorithmically-controlled stochastic synthesis and pooled testing (information dense synthesis) Develop and optimise expression and synthesis workflows, and manage strain, plasmid and building-block supplies Develop parallelisation and automation strategies to scale up the design-build-test-learn cycle Report your research results in peer-reviewed scientific publications and international conferences Collaborate within the research group and our local, national and international networks Teach and supervise MSc and BSc students as well as research assistants Qualifications: MSc in biotechnology, biochemistry, chemistry or a related area Hands-on experience with recombinant protein production in microbial hosts including expression and purification as well as biochemical and biophysical characterisation Excellent English proficiency in written and oral form Careful and organised laboratory practice and good teamwork Preferred qualifications but not mandatory: Experience with computational tools for de novo protein design including RFdiffusion, ProteinMPNN, LigandMPNN, RoseTTAFold, AlphaFold, etc. Experience with analytical methods including HPLC and mass spectrometry Experience with non-canonical amino acid…