phd in biology in denmark

PhD School of SCIENCE

Check out the available PhD positions at UCPH

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The PhD school of SCIENCE organises training and education of researchers within all areas of science, with a view to ensure the highest scientific level among the next generations of researchers. The PhD school aims to train PhD candidates with all the required scientific skills plus complementary competencies at the highest level.

The PhD programme at SCIENCE lasts three years and includes an independent research project, stays at other/international research institution(s), PhD level courses, teaching and other types of knowledge dissemination. The PhD is concluded by writing and defending a PhD thesis.

Rules and guidelines

Study structures, talent doctoral fellowship, phd planner, intranet for current phd students, phd defence, phd defence: maurice mugabowindekwe, phd defence: sizhuo li, phd defence: ling chen.

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International staff mobility

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Aarhus University logo

Graduate School of Natural Sciences

Molecular biology and genetics, phd programme for the department of molecular biology & genetics, the programme:.

The PhD programme ’Molecular Biology and Genetics’ comprises a large number of projects within molecular life sciences. Even though projects are not necessarily limited to the fields described below, the list gives a comprehensive overview of the activities at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics:

Molecular Medicine

Molecular embryology and fertility, Retroviruses in tumorgenesis and as gene vectors, Neurobiology, Stem cells, Cell differentiation and development, Disease models in zebrafish, Ageing, Regulation by cytokines and peptides, Cell signalling, Regulation of cell function and differentiation by phosphate, Plasminogen activation, Molecular genetics, Genomic instability, DNA topology, RNA processing, mRNA control, Transcriptional regulation, Infectious patogenes.

Structural Biology

Structure-function analysis, Macromolecular crystallography, Protein complexes, Translational apparatus, RNA regulation and processing, mRNA control, Membrane proteins, Primary and secondary transporters, Neuroreceptors, Carbohydrate and scavenger receptors, Calcium binding proteins, Cytokines and peptide hormones, Proteolytic enzymes, Innate immunity, Protein engineering.

Systems Biology

Animal and plant genome sequencing, Genome annotation, non coding RNA biology, MicroRNA biology, Genetic mapping of complex traits, Identification of disease genes, Disease models, Functional genomics, Molecular genetics, Epigenetics, Expression quantitative trait loci, Transcriptomics, Genetic and structural variation, Metagenomics, Bioinformatics.

Plant Molecular Biology

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation, Plant development, Seed formation, Plant-microbe interaction, Genetics and genomics, Plant biotechnology, Molecular biological studies of cereals and grasses, Gene expression analysis, Biolistic and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of barley and wheat, Transgenic plants, QTL analysis of perennial ryegrass with primary focus on flowering, cell wall composition and male sterility, Mechanisms behind the availability, utilization and metabolism of phosphate, nitrogen, starch, amino acids, minerals and cell walls, New cereal and grass varieties with improved properties for yield and use as feed, food and biomass for bioethanol production, Biomass production in wheat and ryegrass, BAC libraries, genetic mapping, microsatellite markers, laser capture microdissection, microarray.

Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics focuses on developing computational methods for collecting, handling and analyzing biological data. Research ranges from formulating models and theories about biological systems, to constructing algorithms and developing computer programs, and requires expertise in many traditional disciplines. Bioinformatics has a strong emphasis on molecular evolution, molecular population genetics, and statistical and algorithmic approaches to bioinformatics, and our research spans from addressing purely theoretical questions, to program development, applications and empirical collaborations.

Research facilities available:

The PhD programme in Molecular Biology and Genetics allows students to take advantage of a range of modern and advanced technologies in addition to standard molecular biology methodologies. Advanced methods include: Next generation sequencing, DNA array technology, greenhouses and controlled environment cabinets for growth of transgenic plants, stables for transgenic animals, mink breeding facilities, facilities for zebrafish, class 2 cell culture facilities, macromolecular x-ray crystallography, biophysics equipment for measurements of kinetic/equilibrium parameters, 3D molecular graphics, nano-drop macromolecular crystallization equipment, high resolution protein purification, fermentation, and large scale protein production.

International collaboration:

A large part of the projects of the PhD programme involve interaction between molecular biology and medicine and are therefore naturally carried out in collaboration with research groups at AU Health. These projects are mainly aimed at 1) understanding and preventing the development of diseases, 2) improving diagnostic methods based on a molecular understanding of human diseases, and/or 3) developing novel therapeutic approaches towards human diseases. Some projects focus on understanding protein function, because such knowledge is required for a molecular understanding of disease. Other projects focus at understanding disease at the level of the genome, or involve animal model systems. The PhD programme is a partner in the European Graduate School in Animal Breeding and Genetics (EGS-ABG,  http://www.egsabg.eu/ ).

Geographic location:

The PhD programme is associated with the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, which is situated at four locations in or close to the Aarhus University campus: “Biokæden”, C. F. Møllers Allé 130 and Forskerparken, Gustav Wieds Vej 10c, iNANO, Gustav Wieds Vej 14 and Biomedicine, Ole Worms Allé 8. More information about the locations .

Approx. number of PhD students:

Current list of PhD students at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

Latest PhD defences at the  Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

Information for PhD students enrolled in the PhD programme  

Whom to contact.

If you have any questions, both in connection with your start at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (MBG), but also in general, please feel free to contact the Head of MBG's PhD Programme Committee or the PhD student secretary (please see below) who can answer your questions, or help you further. 

Head of Programme

Ditlev Egeskov   Brodersen

Local programme secretary, molecular biology.

Helle   Homann

Nat phd partner.

Mie Meulengracht   Christensen

Advisory committee.

All PhD students from the MBG PhD programme must have an advisory committee. The committee consists of the supervisor, and at least two other members, one of which must be a member of the scientific staff who is not involved in the project. This staff member may be a person from the Department and does not have to be 'external'.

The size of the committee is not limited, so any co-supervisor or daily supervisor is welcome to participate.

The committee should meet with the student at least every six months. The Qualifying exam can count as a meeting.

Please inform Helle Homann ( [email protected] ) about the members of your advisory committee and report to her the date when you have held a meeting.

Aarhus University logo

Department of Biology

Phd programme.

Do you have a talent for research? Do you have the courage to continue your studies? Then you can obtain a PhD degree.

The Department of Biology offers an active and inspiring environment for young researchers and we have about 45 PhD students, of which about half are from abroad. 

Many of the department's researchers have a large international network, and therefore there are good opportunities to work with foreign researchers and create contacts that can form the basis for postdoc studies abroad.

PhD programme in BIOLOGY

Read more about your options at the phd school's website here, the industrial phd programme, a three-year vocational research project and a phd program in one course.

The Department of Biology's educational adviser, Line, or Biology's chair of the PhD-programme, Mark Bayley, are ready to help you if you want to hear more about the possibility of a PhD program.

Line Dalum   Krogh

Mark   Bayley

Copenhagen Bioscience PhD Programme

Fully-funded four year phd programme in an international scientific environment.

The Copenhagen Bioscience PhD Programme recruited approximately sixteen outstanding candidates per year from 2016-2022 to launch their careers in a world-class biomedicine and biotechnology research environment. No future admissions are planned.

More information about admissions can be found here: http://www.novonordiskfonden.dk/en/content/copenhagen-bioscience-phd-programme

The interview visit typically ran for 2-3 days, and included a panel interview with the Copenhagen Bioscience PhD Programme Admissions Panel, one-on-one meetings with supervisors of interest, site visits to the four Novo Nordisk Foundation Research Centers, meals and activities. The Admissions Panel comprised two Group Leaders from each of the four NNF Research Centers, and a representative from NNF. Travel and accommodation for the interview visits were paid by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Final assessment of applicants took into account their academic record and references, the content of the submitted application form and CV, performance in the panel interview, feedback from one-on-one meetings with Group Leaders, and participation in the interview visit in general.

Department of Biology

Mystery CRISPR unlocked: a new ally against antibiotic resistance?

Increased CO2 emissions from world’s tundra surprise researchers

Iconic savanna mammals face genetic problems due to fences and roads

The small intestine adapt its size according to nutrient intake

Bringing order to disordered proteins

Collaboration

News from the Department

Groundbreaking risk assessment framework for the future

Now we know, what gets roots to grow: Can help in future droughts

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PhD Defence: Ling Chen

Phd defence: sarah gersing andersen, isbuc innovation day.

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Publications

More than 16,000 publications from the Department.

Projects proposals

See student projects proposals here.

BIO Alumni Network

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Studying at UCPH

Get a PhD education at DTU

PhD education at DTU

At DTU you can get a research education equal to the world’s very best in fields such as mathematics, physics, informatics, chemistry, biotechnology, chemical and biochemical engineering, electrical engineering, communications technology, space science, mechanical engineering, nanotechnology, energy, civil engineering, transport, environmental engineering, food science, veterinary science, and life science.

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PhD programmes at the University of Southern Denmark

The PhD programmes at the University of Southern Denmark are research training programmes at the highest international level. This means that as a PhD student you will be at the forefront of international research.

With a PhD degree from the University of Southern Denmark, you will be well groomed for a future international research career. As a PhD graduate, you will also be able to find employment in the public sector or in private business where there is an increasing demand for employees with a research background.

Throughout your PhD project you will take part in active research environments both in Denmark and abroad, and in doing so will achieve research results that are eligible for publication in recognised international scientific journals. You will also acquire teaching and knowledge dissemination skills and establish a broad academic basis by attending specialised PhD courses.

As a PhD student at the University of Southern Denmark, you will get:

• A PhD programme at the highest international level
• Broad contact interface with national and international research environments
• Opportunities for overseas study visits or courses at recognised universities
• A good research environment with close links to experienced researchers
• Flexible working conditions

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Portal for PhD students enrolled at the University of Southern Denmark

PhD courses

PhD courses offered at the universities in Denmark

Work and salary

Work and salary conditions for PhD scholars

International Staff

International Staff Office (ISO) is able to help both newly employed and prospective PhD scholars by providing general information and guidance.

• Vacant PhD research fellowships

Last Updated 06.12.2023

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Master (2 years) of Science in Biology, 120 ECTS

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Further information, non eu/eea citizens, application date, eu/eea/swiss citizens, university of copenhagen (ucph), north campus, description.

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Clinical Cancer Research

Mandatory courses for CCR students:

Mandatory courses for clinical PhD students:

• Clinical Cancer Research. Held once a year (until 2019 every second year). 
• The Annual National PhD Course. We recommend every year. Mandatory at least once. We offer two different. You choose the one that is most relevant for your project.

Recommended for clinical PhD students:

• Mechanisms of Cancer - Cancer Biology and Translational Cancer Research

Mandatory courses for non-clinical students:

• The Annual National PhD Course. We recommend every year. Mandatory at least once. We offer two different. You choose the one that is most relevant for your project.

Dates for courses.

• Mechanisms of Cancer - Cancer Biology and Translational Cancer Research  (approx. 3,5 ECTS):  Next course in 2024.
• Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy (approx. 2,1 ECTS):  Next course around March 2025.
• Clinical Cancer Research (approx. 4,4 ECTS):  November 20-22, 2024 and January 8-10, 2025. 6 days in all. 
• The Annual National PhD Course in Hematology (approx. 1,4 ECTS):  Next course will be in 2025.
• The Annual National PhD Course in Clinical Cancer Research (approx. 1,2 ECTS):   April 2-3, 2025. Organizer is SDU, Helle Normann Petersen, [email protected].

You will find all available courses in the catalogue here

PhD Biology programs in Denmark

University of Copenhagen

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is the only global university performance table to judge research-intensive universities across all of their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

Bioinformatics

Aarhus University

Molecular biology, biochemistry, human biology, sustainable biotechnology.

Aalborg University

Molecular bioscience.

University of Southern Denmark

Biology — marine science, nanobioscience, systems biology and bioinformatics.

Technical University of Denmark

Biotechnology, deadline information, best universities with biology in denmark.

Bachelor Biology programs in Denmark

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PhD Biology programs in Denmark

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• Center for Synthetic Biology
• PhD in plant synbio av...

PhD in plant synbio available

Production and storage of high-value natural products in biocondensates. Deadline January 24, 2021

The Plant Biochemistry Laboratory at Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen is offering a PhD scholarship in plant synthetic biology to investigate the production and storage of high value natural products in photosynthetic cells and yeast. The fellowship will commence 1 April 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Description of the scientific environment The PhD fellowship is financed by a five year Novo Nordisk Foundation Distinguished Investigator research grant “ The Black Holes in the Plant Universe ” and with the   Plant Biochemistry Laboratory as the working place.  The successful applicant will join the Synthetic Biology research group headed by Professor Birger Lindberg Møller (https://plen.ku.dk/english/research/plant_biochemistry/sb/). Our research is focused on (1) plant pathway discovery including diterpenoids, vanillin and anthocyanins; (2) the role of N-hydroxylations in plant metabolism and the coupling to the production of cyanogenic glucosides; (3) establishment of metabolic channeling using cyanogenic glucosides as a model system; (4) the possible involvement of natural deep eutectic solvents in the storage of plant natural products in dense biocondensates.   The Plant Biochemistry Laboratory is among the world leading laboratories within plant synthetic biology. Built on truly interdisciplinary research, a strong international network, a highly interactive international research environment and continuous strong support from external funds, the laboratory has made many seminal contributions to science and has fostered a multitude of eminent researchers with influential positions in Denmark and abroad  (https://plen.ku.dk/english/research/plant_biochemistry/). Our laboratory aims to provide science-based solutions facilitating the global   move into The Planthroprocene Era where use of fossil fuels is replaced by use of renewable energy resources and bio-based production. Green photosynthetic organisms play a vital role in this transition as providers of both food, biomaterials and energy as well as essential medicines, nutraceuticals, condiments and colorants. However, the precious substances produced are often present in very small amounts in the plants, extraction is difficult and harvest in nature is not sustainable. Our research initiative is going to overcome these limiting factors.

Project description The focus of “The Black Holes in the Plant Universe” research initiative is to unravel the biological mechanisms behind the intriguing ability of specific plants (e.g. sorghum, vanilla orchid, cannabis) to store rare and sparingly soluble natural products at seemingly impossibly high molar concentrations and the possible involvement of an attuned matrix of simple molecules termed a natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) in the process.  In planta  formation and organization of NADES-based bio-condensates remains unchartered territory. Joint research expeditions into this territory will be organized to provide invaluable clues into plants’ orchestration of bio-condensates for production, regulation and storage of bio-active natural products while avoiding auto-toxicity. The research defines new approaches for future bio-based production of high-value natural products in photosynthetic cells and yeast. The research takes our understanding of plant plasticity and adaptation to climate change to an entirely new level.  The research project will thus contribute with highly attractive knowledge for design and development of more efficient and commercially sound bio-production systems.  The project will involve heterologous production of selected natural products including cyanogenic glucosides, vanillin and anthocyanins in yeast with the aim to re-generate bio-condensates in a heterologous system. In order to achieve this goal, bioinformatics analysis will be employed to decipher key chemical modifications that facilitate natural product condensation and to elucidate key components such as sugars and acids and scaffolding proteins that may be required to form efficient intracellular NADES.

Principal supervisor  is   Professor D.Sc.   Birger Lindberg Møller ([email protected],  Direct Phone: +45 20 43 34 11) and Co-supervisors Assistant Professor Tomas Laursen and post doc Mette Sørensen, Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences,.

Job description

The position is available for a 3-year period and your key tasks as a PhD student at SCIENCE are:

• To manage and carry through your research project
• Attend PhD courses
• Write scientific articles and your PhD thesis
• Teach and disseminate your research
• To stay at an external research institution for a few months, preferably abroad
• Work for the department

Formal requirements Applicants should hold an MSc or an equivalent academic degree in natural product biochemistry, molecular biology, metabolomics, plant and yeast genetics, or in cell organelle and enzyme isolation. The successful applicant has obtained high grades and masters good English. As criteria for the assessment of your qualifications, emphasis will also be laid on previous publications (if any) and relevant work experience. Key personal skills include enthusiasm and good interpersonal communication skills, a curiosity driven interdisciplinary approach to science and a generous and open mindset.

Terms of employment The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff.

Terms of appointment and payment according to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

The starting salary is currently at a minimum DKK 331,125 (approx. €43,750) including annual supplement (+ pension at a minimum DKK 53,811). Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

Application Procedure The application,   in English , must be submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please   include

• Cover Letter detailing your motivation and background for applying for this specific PhD project
• Diploma and transcripts of records (BSc and MSc)
• Other information for consideration, e.g. specific qualifications and a list of publications
• 1-3 reference letters to be uploaded with the application

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

The deadline for applications is January 24th 2021 23:59 GMT +1.

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee. Afterwards  an assessment committee will be appointed to evaluate the selected applications. The applicants will be notified of the composition of the committee and the final selection of a successful candidate will be made by the Head of Department, based on the recommendations of the assessment committee and the interview committee.

The main criterion for selection will be the research potential of the applicant and the above-mentioned skills. The successful candidate will then be requested to formally apply for enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD school of Science.   You can read more about the recruitment process at   https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/ .

Questions For specific information about the PhD scholarship, please contact the principal supervisor Professor Birger Lindberg Møller, email:   [email protected] ,   Direct Phone +45 20433411.

General information about PhD programmes at SCIENCE is available at   https://www.science.ku.dk/phd.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.

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Biology in Denmark

Why Study Biology in Denmark

• Studying Biology in Denmark is a great choice, as there are 5 universities that offer PhD degrees on our portal.
• Over 31,000 international students choose Denmark for their studies, which suggests you’ll enjoy a vibrant and culturally diverse learning experience and make friends from all over the world.
• We counted 2 affordable PhD degrees in Denmark , allowing you to access quality higher education without breaking the bank. Moreover, there are 20 available scholarships you can apply to.

1  Biology PhDs in Denmark

Copenhagen Bioscience Thirty Copenhagen Bioscience PhD students at the University of Copenhagen have defended their theses so far –... Novo Nordisk Foundation Copenhagen, Capital Region, Denmark

Study in Denmark

Denmark takes pride in having an excellent education system and some of the best academic institutions in Europe. If you’re an EU/EEA national, you can even study for free at local public universities. Classes are held in small groups, allowing students to focus better and actively participate in discussions and activities. This also enables professors to pay attention to each student individually, ensuring nobody is overlooked. Over 90% of Danish people speak English, so language barriers are non-existent. However, there’s a high chance you’ll need to learn Danish, at least at a conversational level, if you want to get a part-time job during your studies. Don’t be surprised if you’ll find yourself falling in love with ‘Hygge’ — a Danish concept that can be summed up as a feeling of calm, coziness, and tranquillity, simply feeling good in the moment. It’s all about appreciating and enjoying your current experience.

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Explore your Biology degree

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PhD positions in Biotechnology in Denmark - DISCOVER, by the Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC)

Are you scientifically curious and determined to pursue a PhD degree? Are you also interested in understanding why diseases arise and how to develop new treatments? If yes, you might be an excellent candidate for a fully-funded PhD position in discovering treatment from biomedical research at Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC).

The program offers young researchers a 36-months of fully-funded fellowships, attractive employment and salary conditions. It is a unique opportunity to join an international PhD program in biomedicine. DISCOVER offers research training in a modern research environment at the university and collaboration with one of the neighbouring hospitals.

The training programme seeks to:

• empower all students to fully exploit their potential
• nurture scientific creativity and provide the groundwork for a career track in academia
• empower a new generation of responsible reseachers with a focus on reducing the environmental footprints of research.

Our VISION  is to empower diverse research talent to become creative and responsible researchers, with an ability to translate their biomedical research into clinical value. The past decades have presented great breakthroughs in the fundamental knowledge required for understanding and diagnosing many diseases. However, the ability to move basic discoveries towards new treatments is lagging behind the pace of discovery. DISCOVER’s ambition is to inspire and enable fellows to a research career bridging basic and clinical research. This will be done as a joint venture between BRIC and a number of clinical partner organizations.

Three programme CORNERSTONES are central to pursue the vision:

• Build a bridge across ‘bed and bench’
• Discover approaches and tools to stimulate creativity and translation of research
• Explore and implement sustainability in biomedical research

With DISCOVER we will address an unmet need for closer ties between basic research and the clinic, through education of translational researchers with abilities to move basic biomedical research findings down the path towards treatment.

The eligibility criteria are precise criteria regarding mobility and level of education:

International mobility:  Candidates can have any nationality but must undertake transnational mobility according to the MSCA rules. Thus, candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Denmark for more than 12 months in the three years prior to the call deadline. Further, applicants working at UCPH for more than 3 months before the deadline will be considered ineligible.

Education:  Candidates must hold a master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field at the time of application, obtained no longer than three years before application deadline. Candidates can switch to another field of research than their masters but must have sufficient understanding/skills to address the potential research project. In acknowledgement of different career paths, candidates holding a MD degree can apply until five years from obtaining their degree. To ensure equal opportunities, exceptions to the 3/5-year rule are made for applicants with documented career breaks (parental leave, illness, mandatory military/civil service). Candidates must not already hold a PhD degree.

Application requirements:  In order to be eligible, a complete set of application material submitted in due time is required.

more information here

Deadline: 7 August 2022 .

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• 26 June 2024

The strategy behind one of the most successful labs in the world

• Luka Gebel 0 ,
• Chander Velu 1 &
• Antonio Vidal-Puig 2

Luka Gebel is a PhD candidate at King’s College London and incoming assistant professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the Global Business School for Health, University College London.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Chander Velu is professor of innovation and economics at the Institute for Manufacturing, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Antonio Vidal-Puig is professor of molecular nutrition and metabolism at the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Biochemist John Kendrew working on a structural model of a protein at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, in the 1960s. Credit: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

You have full access to this article via your institution.

The Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge, UK, is a world leader in basic biology research. The lab’s list of breakthroughs is enviable, from the structure of DNA and proteins to genetic sequencing. Since its origins in the late 1940s, the institute — currently with around 700 staff members — has produced a dozen Nobel prizewinners, including DNA decipherers James Watson, Francis Crick and Fred Sanger. Four LMB scientists received their awards in the past 15 years: Venkatraman Ramakrishnan for determining the structure of ribosomes, Michael Levitt for computer models of chemical reactions, Richard Henderson for cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and Gregory Winter for work on the evolution of antibodies (see Figure S1 in Supplementary information; SI). Between 2015 and 2019, more than one-third (36%) of the LMB’s output was in the top 10% of the world’s most-cited papers 1 .

What is the secret of the LMB’s success? Many researchers and historians have pointed to its origins in the Cavendish Laboratory, the physics department of the University of Cambridge, UK, where researchers brought techniques such as X-ray crystallography to bear in the messy world of biology. Its pool of exceptional talent, coupled with generous and stable funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC), undoubtedly played a part. However, there is much more to it. None of these discoveries was serendipitous: the lab is organized in a way that increases the likelihood of discoveries (see ‘New questions, new technologies’).

To find out how, we conducted 12 interviews with senior LMB and external scientists to provide insights into the organization. We also analysed 60 years’ worth of archival documents from the lab, including research publications, meeting minutes, external assessments and internal management reports (see SI for methods).

New questions, new technologies

The LMB’s approach is to identify new and important scientific questions in uncrowded fields that require pioneering technologies to answer them. The lab develops that technology to open up the field; continual improvements bring more breakthroughs, which can be scaled up to enter markets. Here are three examples.

DNA sequencing. In the 1940s and 1950s, biochemists Max Perutz and John Kendrew sought a way to discriminate between normal and pathological haemoglobins and myoglobin. The LMB developed molecular fingerprinting and chromatography technologies 11 that allowed various biological questions to be addressed, such as how genes are regulated or how molecular programming is involved in cell death. Protein and DNA sequencing also enabled the study of molecular mechanisms of viruses and organ development. Transferring these discoveries into clinical and industrial settings changed drug discovery from a process of screening compounds to one of active design.

Antibodies. At the LMB in 1975, biologist George Köhler and biochemist César Milstein discovered a method to isolate and reproduce individual (monoclonal) antibodies from the many proteins that the immune system makes. This breakthrough enabled the characterization of antibodies, and sparked inquiries into gene regulation and programmed cell death. Monoclonal antibodies now account for one-third of new treatments that reach the clinic.

Cryogenic electron microscopy. The LMB has a long-standing history in the development of electron microscopy, with Aaron Klug’s group using it in the 1960s to elucidate the structure of viruses. Cryo-EM visualizes atoms in biological molecules in 3D. It was developed on the back of three decades of the LMB’s accumulated expertise in areas from optimizing cooling and vacuum technology to microscopy, computing-based imaging and electron detectors. The method has revolutionized protein research and many other areas.

We identify the LMB’s management model as the key — it sets a culture with incentives and provides oversight to optimize the interplay between science and technology. By integrating high-risk basic science with innovative technology, the LMB facilitates a knowledge feedback loop that helps the institute to identify promising questions and continuously push scientific boundaries (see SI, quote 1). In the context of economics and management theory, the LMB behaves as a ‘complex adaptive system’.

Here, we outline our findings and encourage research organizations, funding bodies and policymakers to consider adopting a similarly holistic and coherent approach to managing basic scientific research. In short, they should prioritize long-term scientific goals and effectively manage scarce resources; foster economies of scale and scope by promoting complementarities between different areas of scientific research; and create value by establishing synergies and feedback between scientific questions and engineering-based technology solutions.

Integrated management

The LMB’s management strategy prioritizes three elements — culture, incentives and management oversight — that sustain a feedback loop between science and technology development (see SI, Figure S2).

Culture. The LMB sets a coherent culture by promoting scientific diversity among its staff, encouraging the exchange of knowledge and ideas and valuing scientific synergies between different areas of research. Senior managers view this culture as central to an evolutionary process in which a broad and diverse talent pool helps the organization to be flexible and to adapt and survive. Scientific discovery emerges from it in a sustainable but unpredictable way.

César Milstein analysing DNA. Credit: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

The LMB recognizes the importance of having a defined, yet broad and open, institutional research direction. It encourages the recruitment of groups with diverse but aligned interests that are complementary (see SI quote 2). This approach has ensured that the LMB can achieve a critical mass of expertise in specific research areas. It enables economies of scale while retaining the flexibility to innovate by pioneering new avenues and emerging fields. It also recognizes that not every promising direction can be followed.

Scientific diversity has been a trait from the start. Although the lab was founded by physicists and chemists, its researchers today include mathematicians, engineers and zoologists (see SI quote 3). Yet too much variety is to be avoided in case it dilutes the culture. Minutes of an executive committee meeting from 1997 reveal the reticence of lab heads to appoint purely clinical researchers on the grounds that this might alter the lab’s culture and its focus (see SI quote 4).

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A diverse portfolio of related and aligned themes makes it easier to share techniques and methods between projects and inspires programmes to aim at bolder goals (see SI quote 5). For example, the development of cryo-EM to examine macromolecules benefited both the structural-studies division and the neurobiology division, and led to a better understanding of molecular pathways in neurodegeneration.

Incentives. The LMB uses an incentive structure to align the organization’s culture with the goals of its people. Actively promoting shared values and common aims helps researchers to feel part of the LMB community and proud to belong to it, fostering long-term loyalty. “The LMB has always had a non-hierarchical structure — one in which emphasis lies in the quality of the argument, rather than in the status of the proponent,” a 2001 external review of the LMB noted (see SI quote 6).

Unlike many labs, the LMB focuses on investing in and promoting junior members rather than bringing in external talent. This is reflected in the high standards of its junior scientific recruitment. Many of its Nobel prizewinners, including Richard Henderson and Gregory Winter, began their careers at the lab and were promoted internally.

Prioritizing small teams also optimizes the sharing of technologies and budgets and incentivizes scientists from different fields to converge on the same projects. Although the LMB is structured in divisions, almost all career scientists have independent but aligned scientific programmes. This connectivity often leads to rapid and creative combinations of ideas between teams. It also allows for the sharing of failure and resilience to it, which is inevitable in high-risk, high-stakes innovative research (see SI quote 7).

Structural biologist Daniela Rhodes studies chromatin structure and regulation at the LMB. Credit: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

LMB resources are allocated in ways that encourage innovative collaboration between internal teams and divisions. For example, limits are set for research groups to bid for external grants, because these tend to have short-term, results-oriented requirements that might not align with the LMB’s longer-term ambitions.

Furthermore, the LMB’s director can flexibly allocate funds to promote innovative collaborations and initiatives. Recent examples include forays into synthetic biology (using engineering to develop or redesign biological systems) and connectomics (the study of the connections in the brain and nervous system).

Management oversight. The LMB uses a management oversight system that resolves tensions between technology and science priorities, which would otherwise affect productivity. Technologists aim to develop and improve tools to match the best specifications for as many potential users as possible. Scientists help to define technology specifications that are based on their aims and data, which are usually on the cutting edge of existing capabilities.

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Tensions are present in the differences between how technology developers and scientists speak, define problems, operate and organize their project milestones and risk assessments. Technologists often focus on developing solutions for relatively well-defined practical problems that are amenable to rigorous project-management techniques, whereas scientists tend to work on uncertain, ambiguous questions and problems that require flexibility in experimental processes and resource allocation 2 .

To address these issues, the LMB uses a mixture of interventions and a robust process for selecting which scientific questions it focuses on. For example, technology developers with distinct specialisms operate in a dedicated workshop unit to develop prototypes. Experienced principal investigators act as go-betweens, translating scientific terms into technical engineering requirements and vice versa. Decisions around scientific resources are delegated to the divisions; money for major technology development is allocated centrally through the lab’s executive committee. Thus, the feedback loop between science and technology that facilitates innovation is enhanced (see SI quote 8).

Long-term potential

Because the LMB’s strategy focuses on long-term, transformational goals rather than short-term incremental gains, its internal evaluation system for researchers is more concerned with the potential of the overall scientific programme 3 than with standard individual performance metrics, such as the number of journal publications and citations, personal impact factors, grant funding, awards and collaborations. Scientists must openly assess which questions hold the highest value according to the LMB’s focus areas, and balance that with the cost of technology development and risks of failure while sustaining diversity in their research portfolio.

To manage these competing demands, the LMB integrates internal expertise and external reviews. The quinquennial external review process by the MRC is a strategic approach to innovation that anticipates future trends and brings fairness to decision-making. In our interviews, managers articulated the importance of quinquennial reviews to inform and stress-test the scientific direction of the organization. These reviews include visits from a committee of reviewers who are aware of the lab’s culture and who score a group leader’s scientific productivity and originality on the basis of reports, internal reviews and interviews.

Biochemist Max Perutz preparing a sample for examination using X-ray crystallography. Credit: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Individual labs are evaluated on the usual metrics, such as results from past research, but more emphasis is placed on the future outlook. As a result, a young investigator’s potential and the impact of their research might result in tenure, even if they have a limited number of publications. Marks below a certain point mean the research group will be closed within a year. But this remains an exception so that the long-term nature of programmes is not lost.

The review process also plays a crucial part in identifying emerging scientific trends and opportunities. For example, in 2005, the visiting review committee identified the need for a new animal facility that would highlight the potential of mammalian biology — a concept that had not been prioritized previously (see SI quote 5).

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Indeed, the LMB generally declines projects that require scaling up technology and large physical spaces, in case they come to dominate the lab’s work and space requirements beyond the financial income that the project can generate. In 1996, for example, the lab decided to forgo projects that involved scaling up its profitable protein and antibody engineering successes (see SI quote 9).

The LMB could be seen as a high-quality incubator for early-stage innovative projects, with a high turnover of research projects. This turnover does not compromise the viability of the research, because the small group structure allows for flexibility of research projects and mobility of staff. The LMB focuses on projects until they become successful, fundable and scalable by having access to funding opportunities closer to later stages of scientific development and translational research.

A complex adaptive system

Although these rules govern the LMB, the outcomes are more than the sum of their parts. The organization’s management strategy gives rise to emergent behaviours and deliverables that align with its long-term research goals. The management model has emerged from a set of actions taken by management over time that collectively result in a coherent approach to achieving the overall aim of the LMB 4 . In management theory terms, the LMB is a complex adaptive system, similar to an ecosystem.

A complex adaptive system is a self-organizing system with distinctive behaviour that emerges from interactions between its components in a manner that is usually not easy to predict 5 . Components might include individuals and their activities; material parts, such as technologies; and the ideas generated from these interactions 6 .

Effective management of this complex adaptive system is fundamental to the LMB’s success. Through continual adaptation and evolution, the LMB can generate new knowledge more effectively than most other institutions can.

For example, the LMB helped to develop cryo-EM for application in the biological sciences through collaborative efforts involving scientists and engineers and the integration of software and advanced cooling techniques. Rather than one individual orchestrating and coordinating all the steps, this multidisciplinary team exhibited self-organization and iterative adjustments, bound by its shared culture. This allowed the emergence of new solutions, mirroring the adaptability seen in ecosystems.

Lessons and challenges ahead

In our view, the LMB system should be considered a framework for how funding is allocated to basic science more widely. Looking to the future, however, we see three challenges that the LMB and the life-sciences community will need to overcome.

First, scientific questions in the basic biosciences are becoming more complex, requiring ever more sophisticated and expensive equipment 7 . Developing such tools might be beyond the capability of one lab, and wider institutional collaborations will be required.

The Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology in 2021. Credit: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Second, institutions dedicated to basic life sciences are increasingly urged by funders and society to transition quickly into clinical applications, which risks undermining the quality and competitive edge of their fundamental research 8 . The gap between fundamental bioscience and clinical translation is notoriously hard to bridge 9 (see also Nature 453 , 830–831; 2008 ). It is also high risk.

In recent years, some funders have pulled out of basic bioscience. For example, more of the US National Institutes of Health’s extramural funding over the past decade has gone to translational and applied research than to basic science (see Science 382 , 863; 2023 ). Some highly reputable basic-science research institutions have suffered as a result and have even been dissolved, such as the Skirball Institute in New York City 10 . However, it is crucial to resist the temptation of dismantling basic science research, considering the complexity and difficulty of re-establishing it.

In response, a lab such as the LMB might enhance the translation of its discoveries by strengthening connections with the clinical academic sciences and private-sector industries. Leveraging strengths in the pharmaceutical industry — in areas such as artificial intelligence and in silico modelling — can bolster basic science without compromising a research lab’s focus. The LMB’s Blue Sky collaboration with the biopharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca is a step in this direction (see go.nature.com/3rnsvyu ).

Third, it is becoming increasingly challenging for basic science labs to recruit and retain the best scientific minds. Translational research institutes are proliferating globally. Biotechnology and pharma firms can pay higher salaries to leading researchers. And researchers might be put off by the large failure rates for high-risk projects in fundamental research, as well as by the difficulties of getting tenure in a competitive lab such as the LMB.

As a first step, governments must recognize these issues and continue to fund high-quality, high-impact fundamental science discoveries. The use of effective research-management strategies such as the LMB’s will make such investments a better bet, de-risking discovery for the long-term benefit of society.

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UMass Chan scientists show ribosomes play unexpected role in blood vessel formation

New insights into angiogenin activation may prove useful in therapeutic designs of cancer and neurodegenerative disease treatments.

By Jim Fessenden

Angiogenin, an enzyme that plays a critical role in cellular stress responses and aids vascular formation, has previously been implicated in the formation of solid cancer tumors, neurodegenerative disorders and epigenetic inheritance, and has been the focus of intense study by scientists for four decades. Research by Andrei Korostelev, PhD, and Anna Loveland, PhD, at UMass Chan Medical School, shows that the ribosome plays an unexpected role in its function by activating angiogenin to cleave transfer RNA (tRNA), thereby halting protein production.

Published in the journal Nature , these findings uncover a unique role of the ribosome in angiogenic functions , which may have important implications for the design of cancer therapeutics and neurodegenerative disease treatments.

“Elucidating the function and therapeutic potential of angiogenin requires a precise understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in its activation,” said Dr. Korostelev, professor of RNA therapeutics and study author. “Our work answers a long-standing question regarding angiogenin activation. We show that the ribosome binds to and changes the shape of the enzyme so it can cleave tRNA.

“These findings open the door to translational investigation that will hopefully explore the therapeutic potential of targeting the ribosome-binding of angiogenin to treat cancer and neurodegenerative disorders,” added Korostelev.

A ribonuclease that cleaves RNA, angiogenin was characterized in 1985 as the first enzymatic factor known to stimulate angiogenesis—the formation of blood vessels. Revolutionary at the time because it supported the theory that cancer cells facilitate vascular growth to support themselves, this discovery spawned decades of subsequent studies on angiogenesis in cancer treatment, wound healing, regeneration, organ development and neurodevelopment.

Though it was understood that angiogenin could inhibit protein synthesis by cleaving tRNA in cells, laboratory experiments paradoxically found only very low levels of cleavage activity with purified angiogenin. This puzzled researchers, who were unable to identify the mechanisms through which angiogenin was being activated, leading some to believe that other, unidentified cellular components played a strong role in angiogenin activation.

“Angiogenin is the protein that determines vascular formation in vertebrates,” explained Dr. Loveland, assistant professor of RNA therapeutics and co-author of the study. “When cells are stressed and hypoxic, angiogenin is activated to form new blood vessels to provide oxygen. Likewise, cancer cells use mechanisms that stimulate angiogenin to form new blood vessels that can then feed tumors. In the brain, angiogenin has been shown to be neuroprotective. Mutations in angiogenin, for instance, are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

“Despite its fundamental biological importance and intense study, scientists haven’t been able to pinpoint how angiogenin was turned on—until now.”

Using the latest cryo-EM technology, Korostelev and Loveland were investigating the structure of the ribosome when they began observing an unidentified protein in a ribosome sample that they obtained from their collaborators in the laboratory of Allan Jacobson, PhD, chair emeritus and professor of microbiology & physiological systems at UMass Chan. Cryo-EM is a type of electron microscopy that uses cryogenic temperatures to freeze cell samples and hit them with an electron beam. As electrons pass through the cell samples, images are captured that can be reconstructed into a high-resolution 3D model. An indispensable tool for studying the structures of biological molecules, cryo-EM allows scientists to observe the structure of biological molecules at an exceptional level of detail.

Ribosomes are large, complex machines found inside cells. These macromolecular machines are normally responsible for the synthesis of proteins. Ribosomes read the messenger RNA that corresponds to the genetic sequence of a gene and assemble the amino acids into the order needed to create the specified protein.

Under stress, however, ribosomes perform an additional, unsuspected role, according to Korostelev and Loveland.

“When we looked at the images of the ribosome, we could tell something was off,” said Loveland. “There was a protein binding to our ribosomes for which we couldn’t account—likely a ribonuclease, from its shape and how it was folded. It resembled angiogenin.”

"Despite its fundamental biological importance and intense study, scientists haven’t been able to pinpoint how angiogenin was turned on—until now."

Using chemical assays, Loveland was able to confirm their suspicions. In times of cellular stress, ribosomes bind and activate angiogenin.

In nonstressful situations, angiogenin is typically bound to an inhibitor protein. Meanwhile, the ribosome is busy assembling the amino acids needed to build proteins. tRNA brings an individual amino acid to the ribosome’s amino-acyl site (A site) where it joins with other amino acids to produce a protein.

During times of stress, however, something different happens. Angiogenin disassociates from its inhibitor and translation slows, leaving the ribosome’s A site unoccupied. Angiogenin steps into this void, binding to the A site and turning on its nuclease activity allowing it to nick the next incoming tRNA. These nicks inhibit tRNA function and subsequent protein synthesis, eventually regulating multiple cellular functions, such as blood vessel formation.

“The translation of genes into proteins is changed by this cleaving,” said Korostelev. “These findings add to our understanding of how angiogenin is activated and provides important new therapeutic target and downstream effects to investigate.”

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