CV

JAKOB RAHR WINTHER - updated Sept 2018

Date of birth: April 7, 1961

EDUCATION

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

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

1986: MSc in Biochemistry, University of Copenhagen

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

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

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).

2005-: Professor in Protein Biochemistry, August Krogh Inst., 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

RESEARCH PROFILE

The research of Jakob R. Winther is focused on the relationship between amino acid sequence and structure/function of proteins much of which has focused on method development. He has over the years covered a number of different areas reaching form cell biology of protein folding and redox metabolism to biophysical analysis of proteins. Previous research areas included intracellular folding and secretion of proteins, zymogen activation and proteolysis, redox metabolism, thiol disulfide reactivity and exchange in proteins, redox sensing and glutathione metabolism, mainly with yeast as model organism. Over the recent 6-7 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 10^th completely designed structure to be solved at high resolution. He also described the construction and characterization of a functional soluble protein without charged amino acids. The paper was selected by the American Chemical Society as Editor’s Choice.

The use of deep mutational scanning combined with the use of microencapsulation and coupled with FACS sorting has been described in structure-function analysis in proteins (ms in review – preprint published in BioRxiv).

SUPERVISION AND MANAGEMENT

Currently the supervisor of 1 post doc, 2 PhD students and 5 Master’s students. He has supervised 7 post docs, 14 PhD students and more than 30 Master’s-project students. External referee/opponent on more than 50 masters and PhD defenses. At the Carlsberg Laboratory, he was senior research scientist and headed his own group for more that 10 years prior to his appointment as professor at the University of Copenhagen.

REFEREE DUTIES

Ad hoc referee for PNAS, J Mol Biol, Nat Meth, Nat Chem Biol, Biochemistry, Mol Cell Biol, Anal Biochem, Biotech Progres, J Med Chem, Arc Microbiol, J Chromat and several others. External grant referee for evaluation of US (NSF), British (Welcome Trust), French (ANR), Belgian (FWO) and Israely (ISF) grants and promotion matters. Board member on the Deutche Forshungsgemeinshaft priority program in Dynamics of Thiol-based Redox Switches in Cellular Physiology 2014-17.

GRANTS

Current:

2016-19. A novel principle for highly sensitive detection of tagged proteins (Frie Forskningsråd, FTP: 2.2 mill. DKK; PI)

2017-20. Exploring new dimensions of protein structure/sequence space (Frie Forskningsråd, FNU: 4.7 mill. DKK; PI)

2014-19. Øget udbytte af casein ved low-fat mejeriproduktion. (Mejeriernes forskningsfond: 1.7 mill. DKK;  PI: Assoc. Prof. Martin Willemoës.).

PUBLICATIONS

82 peer reviewed articles (average Journal Impact Factor >5).

10 book chapters, commentaries and articles.

Google Scholar citations as of September 2018: >4700; H-index: 36.

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