Jakob R. Winther

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ORCID                           0000-0001-6995-9154

Date of birth             April 7 1961, Denmark

CONTACT                      +45 2683 5932; jrwinther@bio.ku.dk

EDUCATION

1989: PhD (Lic. scient.; Nov 1989), University of Copenhagen

1987-1989: Graduate studies, University of Oregon, USA, and University of Copenhagen

1986: MSc in Biochemistry, University of Copenhagen

ScienTific focus areas

The research of JRW is focused on protein engineering and the relationship between amino acid sequence and structure/function of proteins. He has over the years covered several different areas reaching from cell biology of protein folding and redox metabolism to biophysical analysis of proteins. Over the recent 7-8 years he has focused his research to address computational as well as experimental challenges in protein engineering, selection and design. 2016 he published the complete redesign of the enzyme thioredoxin, only the 10th completely designed structure to be solved at high resolution. Later the enzyme has been subjected to directed evolution using a newly developed genetic tool selection of folded proteins in E. coli. The perhaps most surprising discovery came with the construction and characterization of the first functional soluble protein without charged amino acids. This work was extended with molecular dynamics simulations to determine pKa values of various pairs of charged residues in this highly simplified system, recently published in JACS. Finally, JRW has a keen interest in various high-throughput methods, ranging from genetic selections to peptide array technology combined molecular biology. This has prompted development of a method combining of genetic methods, deep mutational scanning and a computational tool for global multi-mutant analysis, GMMA. Last, but not least, JRW has experience in the field of PET-degrading enzymes designing a PETase variant with increased stability.

POSITIONS

2015- : Head of the Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science

2005- : Professor in Protein Biochemistry, Dept of Biology., UCPH

1994-1995: Visiting scientist, Inst. of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg

1991-1994 and 1995-2005: Senior research scientist at the Carlsberg Laboratory

1989-1991: Post doc at the Carlsberg Laboratory, Copenhagen

positions of trust

2021- : Union representative for the scientific staff at Dept. of Biology, UCPH

RESEARCH LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENT

2009-2016: Head of Section for Biomolecular Sciences, Dept. of Biology, UCPH

2007-2009: Head of Section for Protein Science, Dept. of Biology, UCPH

2006-2007 Member of the research committee for the Institute of Molecular Biology and Physiology (later Dept. of Biology).

MAIN CURRENT FUNDING

2021-23 NNF (PI, 2.1 mio DKK)

SUPERVISION AND TEACHING

Supervised >50 MSc students, 8 PhD students, 8 postdocs

Frequent PhD opponent/committee chairman (DK, Sweden, Canada, France, Belgium, UK)

Current teaching: Proteinchemistry for Biology Students (BSc level), Lab course in biochemistry (BSc), Principal Subject in Protein Chemistry (MSc level)

Reviewer and grant evaluation activities

2023-    Member of an ERC Starting Grant review panel, LS1.

2019:    One of three members of the advisory board and RED19 Scientific review of the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg

2019:    External ad hoc consultant on patent issues for Novozymes.

2014-19: Board member on the Deutche Forshungsgemeinshaft priority program in Dynamics of Thiol-based Redox Switches in Cellular Physiology

RECENT OUTREACH

3 outreach articles in Weekendavisen (coauthor)

BIBLIOMETRICS (as of May, 2023)

97 peer-reviewed papers

6 book chapters

4 commentaries and editorials

H-index: Web of Science: 36, Google Scholar: 41

Citations: Web of Science: >4,700: Google scholar: >6900

Published papers as first/corresponding author: 54

Average journal impact factor for peer reviewed papers: >5.4

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (CURRENT KEY COLLABORATORS)

National collaborators include a wide selection of members of the Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, most importantly Martin Willemoës, Kresten Lindorff-Larsen and Kaare Teilum. Other Danish collaborators include Assoc Prof Cristiano Varrone, (Aalborg U.) Prof Daniel Otzen (Århus U.) and Prof Uffe Mortensen, (DTU).

International collaborators include Prof Birte Hoecker (U. Bayreuth), Prof. Ramon Crehuet (Barcelona); Dr. Yves Janin (CNRS, Paris).