Sara Linse
Principal Investigator
Sara Linse is a professor of physical chemistry and molecular protein science. She studies protein self-assembly and co-assembly with chaperones and lipids, with an aim to understand the physicochemical basis for these processes.
Project in second call:
Condensate-mediated amyloid nucleation
Principal Investigator
Sara Linse is a professor of physical chemistry and molecular protein science. She studies protein self-assembly and co-assembly with chaperones and lipids, with an aim to understand the physicochemical basis for these processes.
Project in second call:
Condensate-mediated amyloid nucleation
Principal Investigator
Sara Linse is a professor of physical chemistry and molecular protein science. She studies protein self-assembly and co-assembly with chaperones and lipids, with an aim to understand the physicochemical basis for these processes.
Project in second call:
Condensate-mediated amyloid nucleation
Short Biography
Prof Sara Linse was appointed professor at Physical Chemistry at Lund University in 2004, and is since 2009 professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology at Lund University. She obtained her PhD in Physical Chemistry at Lund University in 1993, and was a visiting professor at University College Dublin in 2006-2007.
In her research, she tries to understand the mechanisms of complex phenomena such as protein or peptide self-assembly and protein-ligand interactions, and how these molecular phenomena are governed by generic physico-chemical principles, with the main research directions being 1) Mechanisms of amyloid formation and the role of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including inhibitors, 2) Calcium-signalling proteins, 3) Biological risks of nanoparticles, and 4) Protein folding and stability including methods development for protein stabilization.
She has also authored several children’s books, and serves as the chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
AMBER postdoctoral fellowship subject (second call)
Condensate-mediated amyloid nucleation
The questions addressed in this project are 1) if and to what extent does condensate formation (also called liquid-liquid phase separation) enhance amyloid nucleation? and 2) what is the molecular basis of such enhancement? A particular focus will be on the peptide structure at the interface between the condensate and the surrounding liquid. Are amyloid peptides preferentially oriented at this interface and does such orientation influence the nucleation process and its rate? Which solution conditions promote condensate formation and amyloid formation, respectively. Where are the boundaries in the phase diagram? What is the molecular mechanism behind factors that can be added to perturb the system to enhance or supress nucleation? The project will include a wide range of methods such as protein expression and purification, optical and electron microscopy, fluorescence, circular and linear dichroism spectroscopy, fluorescence polarization, microfluidic approaches, NMR spectroscopy, etc.
The research project takes place within the COMMONS Center of Excellence. The overarching aim of COMMONS is to provide a multifaceted scientific environment focusing on unifying physicochemical processes of key importance for the function of cellular membranes and their effects on other biomolecules. The COMMONS Center is led by a group of PI’s from the participating Universities (Emma Sparr, Sara Linse, Fredrik Höök, Martin Malmsten) whom together with additional scientists and guest professors within COMMONS will guide the projects and the training of the recruited postdocs towards leading academic or industrial research positions. A successful candidate should have a strong background in physical chemistry and protein biophysics including successful experimental methodology development and a desire to address fundamental scientific questions.
Location: Lund, Sweden
Organisation: Lund University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology
Links
AMBER call in EURAXESS main call (starting point for application)
Sara Linse's profile in Lund University Research portal
Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology's profile in Lund University Research portal