The newly established research group of Eva Kummer is looking for an excellent and highly motivated PhD candidate to investigate how mitochondria produce and regulate diverse RNA species essential for mitochondrial gene expression. Before entering the fully funded 3-year PhD fellowship, the successful candidates will have an initial employment as Research assistant for 1 year scheduled to start 1 October 2022 or soon after.
About us
Kummer group is part of Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research (CPR) that was established in 2007 at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, to promote basic and applied research. The center hosts research groups of different disciplines ranging from systems biology, proteomics, and chemical biology to disease biology.
The primary methodological approaches of our laboratory are single particle cryo-electron microscopy and protein and RNA biochemistry. Our group profits from generous funding by an NNF-CPR core grant and a Hallas Møller Emerging Investigator grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. We have access to state-of-the-art electron and light microscopy infrastructure at CFIM (Core Facility for Integrated Microscopy at the University of Copenhagen). You will join a collaborative and international work environment.
About the PI
Eva Kummer has strong expertise in protein and RNA biochemistry as well as electron microscopy. After a PhD in biochemistry on mechanisms of protein quality control in bacteria and yeast, her latest research has focused on unraveling mammalian mitochondrial translation mechanisms. For this, she has combined in vitro reconstitution approaches with single-particle cryo-EM. Examples of her work include:
- Kummer et al. Structural basis of translation termination, rescue, and recycling in mammalian mitochondria. Mol Cell 2021 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2021.03.042)
- Kummer et al. Structural insights into mammalian mitochondrial translation elongation catalyzed by mtEFG1. EMBO J 2020 (https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2020104820)
- Kummer et al. Unique features of mammalian mitochondrial translation initiation revealed by cryo-EM. Nature 2018 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0373-y)
- Kummer and Ban. Mechanisms and Regulation of protein synthesis in mitochondria. Nature Reviews Mol Cell Biol. 2021 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-021-00332-2)
Project Description
The PhD candidate will focus on RNA processing machines in mitochondria using in vitro and in vivo reconstitution approaches coupled with structural analysis by single particle cryo-EM and functional studies. Our group is part of the Protein Structure and Function (PSF) Program at NNF-CPR that also contains the groups of Guillermo Montoya (Program Director) and Nicholas Taylor. We have access to state-of-the-art electron microscopy instrumentation including a Titan Krios and a Glacios both equipped with Falcon III DED, as well as multiple smaller screening instruments. Moreover, the PSF program entertains an in-house GPU cluster for data processing. In addition, the candidate can profit from a number of CPR core facilities including protein production, crystallography, biophysics, high performance computing, mass spectrometry, and genomics.
Required qualifications
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with strong team player skills. As an applicant you must have:
- Obtained (or expect to have obtained) a Master’s degree (equivalent to a Danish Master’s degree) in Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics or related areas prior to the starting date
- Fluency in English and excellent written and oral communication skills
As a PhD candidate, you will have the opportunity to work on an interesting and challenging project that will profit from your enthusiasm and willingness to learn and implement new methodology.
Preferred qualifications
We are especially interested in candidates with previous experience in protein purification and electron microscopy or other structural techniques, although all necessary training will be provided to help you succeed.
Job description
During the first year as Research assistant, the candidate will have to formulate a PhD project, help out with research tasks and start become familiar with the research field of interest and apply for enrolment as PhD fellow.
Your key tasks as a PhD fellow at the Faculty are to:
- Carry through an independent research project under supervision
- Write scientific articles and the PhD thesis on the grounds of your research project
- Complete PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS points
- Obtain experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
- Participate in national and international congresses and scientific meetings
- Stay at an external research institution, preferably abroad
Terms of employment
Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree¬ment between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary begins around 30,470DKK /approx. 4,090 EUR(April 2022-level) plus pension.
The employment as PhD fellow is full time and for 3 years.
It 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, as well as a positive assessment of the 1-year research assistant position. Enrolment at the Graduate School requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant (for more information, please see (https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/).
The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2019) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree. Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary begins around 28,360DKK /approx. 3,811 EUR (April 2022-level) plus pension.
Questions
For informal inquiries please contact the principal investigator Associate professor Eva Kummer via eva.kummer@cpr.ku.dk. For administrative information please contact the HR Center, sund-hr-cpr@sund.ku.dk.
Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:
Letter of motivation
CV incl. contact details of 2-3 references and a complete list of publications, if applicable
Transcripts of university studies (BSc and MSc, showing individual grades). If the MSc has not yet been completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor will be fine. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more 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
Application deadline: 19 June 2022, 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.
The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All 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 area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.
Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.
You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.
The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 1443 of 11 December 2020 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.
Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.
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