PhD Position: Glycan Recognition in the Intestinal Immune System

1. Introduction

Do you want to find out how complex sugar molecules can regulate immune tolerance in the gut and are linked to inflammatory bowel diseases? Do you enjoy working in a multidisciplinary research team? Then join the Biomolecular Chemistry Department as a PhD candidate to study glycan interactions with the intestinal immune system.

2. Job description

The human intestine produces mucins, large proteins that carry repetitive sequences of complex sugar molecules called glycans. Mucin glycans form diverse molecular patterns, reminiscent of molecular barcodes. These glycan barcodes contain biological information that can be interpreted by glycan-binding proteins, ‘barcode scanners’, found on innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that are highly important for a balanced intestinal immune system. How the molecular barcodes embedded in mucin glycans help maintaining a healthy immune system and how changes in the sugar pattern may lead to inflammation and inflammatory bowel diseases is unknown.

This project funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) is a collaboration between biochemists from Radboud University and immunologists from the Amsterdam University Medical Center (AMC). We will biosynthesise different glycan barcodes and investigate how they are ‘scanned’ by ILCs and other immune cells and what effects they have on immune cell function. Furthermore, we will study if the glycan barcodes are changed in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and explore their potential to mitigate inflammation. As the biomolecular chemistry PhD candidate in this project, you will produce recombinant glycoproteins and perform binding screens using an innovative CRISPR-based platform. You will analyse the mucin glycan pattern in healthy and inflamed tissue and explore the potential of a 'healthy' mucin glycan pattern for restoring immune homeostasis in ILCs. This will be a close collaboration with the AMC group with frequent exchanges and training opportunities.

You will communicate your findings at national and international meetings and through publications in peer-reviewed journals. You will be expected to contribute 10% of your working time to the training and teaching of BSc and MSc students from the Molecular Sciences programmes. All PhD candidates at the Institute for Molecules and Materials (IMM) participate in the IMM Graduate School and have the opportunity to receive training, develop their personal and professional skills, and prepare for their future careers.

Would you like to learn more about what it is like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate. 

3. Profile

• You have a Master’s degree in biochemistry, molecular biology, glycobiology, immunology, or a related field.
• You have experience with working with glycoproteins or glycan-binding proteins or a desire to learn these skills.
• You have good communication skills and you are a team player who enjoys working in a multidisciplinary research team.
• You have a good command of oral and written English. 

4. We are

The project will be carried out in the Glycoengineering group led by Christian Büll, which is focused on uncovering the cellular biosynthesis and biological interactions of glycans. Based on these insights, we engineer glycoproteins for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the immune system and the microbiome. The group is embedded in the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry of IMM and located at the Faculty of Science (FNWI).

The Department of Biomolecular Chemistry is specialised in research into post-translational modifications including glycosylation in the context of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The department also studies the molecular mechanisms underlying the loss of immunological self-tolerance. Our multidisciplinary team works in a recently renovated laboratory with facilities for mammalian and bacterial cell culture and state-of-the-art equipment for recombinant protein production and analysis, fluorescence microscopy, cell- and plate-based assays, and the development and validation of diagnostic tests.

The Institute for Molecules and Materials (IMM) is a research institute in chemistry and physics that promotes interdisciplinary research. Its mission is to understand processes at the molecular level and to apply this fundamental knowledge to create functional molecules and materials that can solve problems in society. IMM consists of 24 research groups active in fields ranging from condensed matter physics to organic chemistry and biochemistry. You will have the opportunity to interact with researchers at IMM and participate in institute-wide activities and the graduate school.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract (1.0 FTE) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract).     
• You will receive a starting salary of €2,901 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,707 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. 
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Christian Büll. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application.

The first interviews will take place on Monday 19 May. Any second interview will take place on Monday 2 June. You will preferably start your employment on 1 August 2025.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates.