Student projects
Student projects in our group can be either entirely independent or connected to a larger project run by a Ph.D. student or postdoc. The design of a research project is typically an overwhelming challenge for a student just embarking on their research career. Therefore, you are welcome to contact me without a concrete plan for a research project. Often we can design a project that matches both your interests and the overall research agenda of our lab. Research independence gradually increases through a student career and you will be expected to play a bigger part of the overall design of later projects.
What will you learn?
A project in our lab teaches you skills useful both in academic research and in industry. Proteins are central to all we do, and are the focus of all our projects. While working in our lab, you will learn to produce proteins recombinantly and handle them in the lab. Additional techniques are specific to each project, and can be adapted to your career plans. Compared to other protein groups in Aarhus, our interests focus on dynamic and disordered proteins. Accordingly, we use techniques specialized to study protein dynamics including NMR spectroscopy and single-molecule fluorescence techniques. Furthermore, we use a wide range of biochemical and biophysical techniques for studying protein-protein interactions.
Beyond science, I am passionate about academic writing and visual communication of scientific data. I try to pass this interest to my students in group sessions focusing on writing scientific reports and papers.
Project examples
Projects are always designed individually based on the interests of the student and the current state-of-the-art of our research. Below you will find some of the overall themes where we are currently accepting students.
· The intracellular domains of neurotransmitter receptors in synaptic plasticity. Many receptors have large disordered tails that are poorly studied. We study the tails of neurotransmitter receptors and their role in memory and learning.
· Membrane-less organelles. In addition to traditional organelles, cells also have a range of membrane-less organelles formed by condensation of proteins. We study the effects of such organelles and whether they have applications in biotechnology.
· Signalling complex architecture. Cellular signalling occurs inside large complexes, where enzymes are linked to their substrates and receptors to their targets. We study how the architecture of the signalling complex control signalling.
· Biotechnological applications of intrinsically disordered proteins. Intrinsically disordered proteins are common in nature, which suggests that they may be useful in biotechnology. We explore how disordered proteins can be used in practical applications.
Who can apply?
Students interested in Bachelor, Erasmus and Master projects are always welcome to contact Magnus directly. Interested students will be invited to visit the lab to discuss potential projects and meet lab members. Ph.D. and postdoc projects are announced when funding is available, but you are welcome to contact Magnus to discuss an application for an individual fellowship.
