Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) within Mitochondrial Proteostasis

The application should be submitted by the deadline 31.10.2026.

Departmental specific information

The research will be carried out in the lab of Andreas Kohler at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, which offers an international, collaborative, and open-minded research environment. Please visit the lab’s webpage for more information: https://www.umu.se/en/research/groups/andreas-kohler/

Project description

While protein quality control (PQC) systems for mitochondrial proteins encoded by nuclear DNA are well studied, the molecular basis of PQC for mitochondrially encoded proteins remains a largely unexplored field. In this project, we explore the molecular mechanisms of newly characterized PQC systems in mitochondria.

In addition to cutting-edge genetic techniques and genome-wide screening approaches, we employ state-of-the-art biochemical and proteomic methods for studying spatiotemporal protein interactions.

The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to:

• Learn novel research techniques for genome-wide screens
• Explore molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial PQC
• Study interrelations between mitochondrial protein biosynthesis and PQC

In our laboratory, we are committed to fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and open-minded environment that promotes research of the highest quality—reliable, reproducible, and rigorous. As a postdoctoral fellow in our team, you will play a key role in unravelling the complexities of mitochondrial PQC. You will benefit from a safe and respectful research environment, receive dedicated mentorship, and have the freedom to pursue innovative ideas.

Qualifications

To qualify as a postdoctoral scholarship holder, the postdoctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirement must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the decision about scholarship recipient.

Priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree before that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organisations, military service or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area.

Doctoral degree should be within Biochemistry, Cellular or Molecular Biology, Biotechnology or similar

Additional requirements are:

• A strong track record in a relevant field of research, documented by first authorships in peer-reviewed original publications
• Comprehensive skills with cell culture of immortalised human cells, such as HEK293, SH-SY5Y, HeLa or similar
• Sophisticated skills and experience with gene editing and related molecular biological techniques
• Experience in protein biochemistry, ideally with a focus on mitochondrial biochemistry

Meriting criteria are:

• Experience with ageing/senescence models and cell lines
• Experience in cell biological techniques such as fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry
• Skills in proteomic data analysis
• Experience with large-scale data analysis of high-throughput methods

We are looking for candidates who have a strong interest in mitochondrial PQC and related molecular mechanisms. Candidates should be team players, engaging in scientific discussions and the exchange of ideas.

Application

The application should be written in English, and attached documents should be in Word or PDF format. The application should be registered via Umeå University’s e-recruitment system Varbi and submitted by the deadline 31.10,2026.

Further information

For further information on this project, please see the lab website at www.kohler-mitolab.com or contact Andreas Kohler at andreas.kohler@umu.se

We look forward to receiving your application!