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Postdoctoral Scholarship (2 years) within Chemical Glycobiology/Bioorganic Chemistry
The Department of Chemistry is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within the project “Tumor-Associated Glycopeptides as Potential Therapeutic and Diagnostic Cancer Targets”. The scholarship is full-time for two years with access from September 1st, 2026, or by agreement. Last day to apply is 26th July 2026.
Project description
Mucins are highly glycosylated proteins that cover the epithelial tissues in both a membrane bound and secreted form. In case of cancer the membrane-bound mucin glycoproteins and a few other mucin-like proteins are highly overexpressed. The glycosylation status is further changed on the mucin proteins and form short saccharides with premature sialylation. Thereby unique glycopeptide epitopes with tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) are formed on the epithelial tumor cells. Within this project the postdoctoral fellow will synthesize tumor-associate glycopeptides and glycopeptide vaccine construct with the aim to generate tumor-associated antibodies for use in future immunotherapy and diagnostic applications. The raised antibodies will also be useful tools for cancer glycobiology studies. The prepared synthetic glycopeptide library will also be immobilized on microarray slides for antibody epitope mapping and for studies binding interactions with immune regulatory lectins (carbohydrate binding proteins) that are involved in cancer progression.
The project will involve oligosaccharide and glycopeptide synthesis. Synthesis of mucin (and mucin-like) glycopeptide vaccine constructs to raise tumor-associated antibodies. Microarray methodology will be applied to characterize the binding profile of the raised antibodies and to study binding events of cancer relevant immune regulatory lectins.
The postdoctoral fellow will get experience of methods including synthesis of glycosylated amino acids, synthesis of glycopeptides by automated Fmoc-solid phase peptide synthesis (Fmoc-SPPS), enzymatic synthesis and protecting group chemistry. 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 or antibody characterization. Antibody titer determinations will be made using ELISA.
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 360 000 per year and is funded by the Kempe Foundations
Qualifications
To qualify as a postdoctoral scholarship holder, the postdoctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirements 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 prior to 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, as well as clinical practice 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 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
A full application should include:
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A cover letter summarizing your qualifications, scientific interest, and why you are applying for the position (max 1 page)
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Curriculum vitae (CV) with publication list,
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Copy of doctoral degree certificate or documentation that clarifies when the degree of doctor is expected to be obtained,
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Copies of other diplomas, list of completed academic courses and grades,
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Copy of doctoral thesis and up to tree relevant articles.
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Other documents that the applicant wishes to claim.
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Contact information to two persons willing to act as references.
The application should be written in English, 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 26th July 2026.
Further information
Further details are provided by Ulrika Westerlind, PhD, [email protected].
We look forward to receiving your application!
Anställningsform: scholarship | Anställningens omfattning: heltid | Antal lediga befattningar: 1 | Sysselsättningsgrad: 100 | Ort: Umeå | Län: Västerbottens län | Land: Sweden | Referensnummer: FS 2.1.6-1253-26 | Kontakt: Ulrika Westerlind +46907869315, Ulrika Westerlind +46907869315, | Publicerat: 2026-06-08 | Sista ansökningsdag: 2026-07-26
