Welcome to the Kaj Ulrik Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science

The research at the Kaj Ulrik Linderstrøm-Lang Centre takes place in three research groups sharing equipment and collaborating closely on idea development and project execution. Read more about the individual groups below. 

	Protein Biology Group Protein Biology Group home page The research in the Protein Biology Group targets proteins in their interaction with their native environments in the cells. The topics investigated include protein degradation, protein biosynthesis, signaling and enzymology.
	Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory SBiNLab homepage The research within SBiNLab focuses on the structure, folding and dynamics of proteins, employing state-of-the-art NMR and computational methods. Research includes: (i) Intrinsically Disordered Proteins, (ii) The relationship between dynamics and function of proteins incl. enzymes, (iii) methods to integrate NMR and computation, and (iv) applications of (i)-(iii) in the study of biological processes incl. signalling.
	Protein Design and Evolution group PDE homepage The Protein Design and Enzymology Group (PDE) focuses on understanding how the primary protein structure (the sequence of aminoacid residues) relates to the 3-D structure and function. The overriding themes in our research portfolio are: Protein Design, Protein Dynamics, Protein Evolution and Protein Function.

The Danish scientist Kaj Ulrik Linderstrøm-Lang was one of the most influential pioneers in the area of protein structure and function from the 1940’s until his death in 1959. At the Carlsberg Laboratory in Copenhagen, he established a highly inspiring research environment which attracted many of the very best researchers in the field (amongst these the later Nobel laureate Christian Anfinsen). Through the design of novel highly sensitive micromethods Linderstrøm-Lang engaged subjects ranging from protein dynamics, electrochemistry, structure and stability. Through this work he continuously pushed the limits of what questions could be addressed and laid the foundations of modern protein chemistry. At the time Copenhagen was broadly recognized as a Mecca for protein science.

Some of the most important contributions of Linderstrøm-Lang for which he is often cited are the theory behind hydrogen-deuterium exchange reactions in proteins and the distinction of primary, secondary and tertiary protein structure. The latter was first presented in his Lane medical lectures at Stanford University School of Medicine in 1951 and published in the transcripts of the lectures in 1952. The relevant part of the transcript can be downloaded here: <a href="/english/research/bms/illustrations/kull_-_lane_medical_lectures_iii.pdf" title="Linderstrøm-Lang KU. (1952) " proteins="" and="" enzymes="" lane="" medical="" lectures="" stanford="" university="" publications="" series="" sciences="" vol="" 6="" press="" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Linderstrøm-Lang KU. (1952) "Proteins and Enzymes", Lane Medical Lectures, Stanford University Publications, University Series, Medical Sciences, vol. 6, Stanford University Press.

Many of the questions, he put forth in the 1950’s, still puzzle the scientific community today.

Read more about the life and achievements of Linderstrøm-Lang in this biography.

PhD projects

We offer a range of different PhD projects, often in collaboration with international academic coworkers or industrial domestic partners. As a phd student you are accepted into the PhdDschool at the Faculty of Science and become part of the PhD program in Protein Science. Please apply directly with the individual principal investigators.

MSc and BSc Student Projects

The group has an extensive collaboration around techniques and subjects. When working in the group you will be confronted with the following techniques either directly in your own project or through the person on the bench next to you. The major techniques used include:

• Protein expression and purification
• Biophysical techniques (protein stability and folding)
• Immunological techniques (Western blot analysis, immunoprecipitation)
• Molecular biology (cloning, PCR, mutagenesis)
• Protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions (pull-down, gel-retardation)
• Mammalian cell culture (overexpression, RNAi, specialized assays)
• Plant molecular biology
• Genetic screening and two-hybrid analysis
• Analytical techniques (UV-VIS and fluorescence spectroscopy, RP-HPLC)

The Kaj Ulrik Linderstrøm-Lang Centre has a strong focus on education and welcome new students in the lab. We generally have about 20 masters and 20 bachelor students in our laboratories. All students participate in weekly seminars, where they give at least one short presentation while working in the lab. If you want to hear more about working in the Kaj Ulrik Linderstrøm-Lang Centre from a student perspective you are welcome to contact one of the students in the staff list. 

You can find current proposals for BSc and MSc projects within the Kaj Ulrik Linderstrøm-Lang Centre in our project database.

Courses

The Kaj Ulrik Linderstrøm-Lang Centre offers teaching in the BSc and MSc and PhD courses on protein and cell-biology related subjects. You can see a list of the courses taught by the members of the Biomolecular Regulation Group in the list of courses taught by the Section for Biomolecular Sciences.

The activities in the Kaj Ulrik Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science is coordinated by the KULLC steering committee consisting of the following members:

	Professor Jakob R. Winther, Head of Centre Research profile Email: jrwinther@bio.ku.dk Phone: +4535321500
	Associate professor Kaare Teilum, steering committee member Research profile Email: kaare.teilum@bio.ku.dk Phone: +4535322029
	Professor Lars Ellgaard, steering committee member Research profile Email: lellgaard@bio.ku.dk Phone: +4535321725