Postdoctoral position in structural biology of n-acetylglucosamine transport, Denmark

Are you interested in working on deciphering the mechanism of transmembrane n-acetylglucosamine transport in plants and do you have a proven track record in the area of structural biology with experience in membrane protein purification techniques and cryo-Electronmicroscopy? Then the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics invites you to apply for a 6-12 month position.

Expected start date and duration of employment

The position is expected to have a duration of 6-12 months, but awaits final notice of external funding. Start date will be 1 of June 2024 or as soon as possible.

Job description

The position seeks to strengthen the laboratory of Bjørn Pedersen aiming at understanding the molecular mechanisms behind n-acetylglucosamine transport at a molecular level. The selected candidate will investigate membrane proteins involved in n-acetylglucosamine transport using a range of methods centered on structural biology.

Your profile

We are looking for a highly skilled and motivated postdoc with an interest in working on deciphering the mechanism of n-acetylglucosamine transport in plants using a variety of biophysics and structural biology techniques.

The candidate must have:

• A proven track record in the area of structural biology with experience in membrane protein purification techniques and Cryo-Electronmicroscopy.
• Expertise in n-acetylglucosamine and plant related research areas is of
• advantage.

A successful candidate has

• A relevant Ph.D. degree and a solid and documented background in structural biology and biochemistry.
• Experience with in vitro biophysics and/or cryo-EM techniques is a plus.

Finally, applicants should

• Be ambitious,
• Show strong collaborative skills
• Should also be able to take initiatives and responsibility within the work environment.

Who we are

Situated in a newly renovated laboratory complex within the central campus of Aarhus University, The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics comprises a vibrant research and education environment. The department currently has 75 full time scientific staff, 95 PhD students and a yearly uptake of around 160 students housed in the same building ensuring a lively setting.

The department has access to state-of-the-art core facilities, including FACS, Bioimaging, CryoEM and Biophysics cores.

Please refer to http://mbg.au.dk/ for further information about The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and to https://nat.au.dk/ and http://www.au.dk/  for information on Faculty of Natural Sciences and Aarhus University, respectively.

The city of Aarhus

In Aarhus you have easy access to beautiful nature, an exciting culture and city life as well as a safe environment for children - a great place for the whole family. The city of Aarhus has everything you need within a surprisingly small area: exciting national and international jobs, delightful residential areas, a rich cultural life, and beautiful surrounding landscape of woods and coastline that make Aarhus a wonderful place to live and work. See “life in Denmark” at Aarhus and surroundings (au.dk) for further details on the city and the university.

What we offer

The department offers:

• a well-developed research infrastructure, laboratories and access to shared equipment
• an exciting interdisciplinary environment with many national, international and industrial collaborators
• a research climate encouraging lively, open and critical discussion within and across different fields of research
• a work environment with close working relationships, networking and social activities
• a workplace characterised by professionalism, equality and a healthy work-life balance.

Place of work and area of employment

The place of work is Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus C, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments. 

Contact information

For further information, please contact Associate Professor Bjørn Panyella Pedersen (bppmbg.au.dk).

Deadline

Applications must be received no later than 10. April 2024.

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

Formalities and salary range

Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

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.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.

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.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/