WoolfsonLab

Watch Dek introduce the work we do here in the Woolfson group at Bristol on understanding the protein folding problem and de novo protein design youtu.be/AmHnkU7zzhY

If you’re interested in shaping the future of protein design in a new, multidisciplinary centre, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Center PA, Michala Yun-Joo Schlichtkrull, cpd@ku.dk Apply by 4 March 2026 (23:59 GMT+1)

🚀We’re excited to announce fully funded PhD positions in de novo protein design at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Design (CPD), University of Copenhagen.🧬✨ Start: September 2026 Apply by 4 March 2026 candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationIni… Please share!

PhD students will work with core CPD groups with Dek Woolfson and Nicholas Taylor, alongside collaborators across UCPH and internationally. You’ll be part of a supportive and ambitious research environment from day one.

Projects span: • Folding and dynamics in de novo proteins • Installing catalytic activity into designed scaffolds • Targeting cellular functions • Designing molecular machines • Protein design for improved phage therapy

We encourage applications from students with backgrounds in biology, chemistry, physics, computer science. Experience in protein design is welcome but not required. Curiosity, motivation, and a genuine interest in interdisciplinary science matter most.

CPD is welcoming its first cohort of PhD students. We’re building a collaborative centre focused on designing new proteins from first principles, combining computation, AI, and experiment.

We're delighted to announce that our conference "Protein Evolution, Design and Informatics Edinburgh 2026" will be running from the 13th-15th of May. Register interest here and please retweet! biochemistry.org/events-and-tra…

Designing proteins from scratch opens exciting new possibilities for solving global challenges in health and sustainability. That is why we are funding an ambitious new Center for Protein Design at @koebenhavns_uni. Led by Professor Dek Woolfson, world-renowned in this field, the centre aims to build on recent breakthroughs to establish a powerhouse for protein design in Europe. Read more: novonordiskfonden.dk/en/news/new-da…

From sequence–structure analysis of natural 3HBs, we derived polar layer packing rules + charge patterning to design 2x ABN heterotrimer peptides, seeding hyperstable, monomeric proteins in clockwise & anticlockwise topologies by precisely controlling helix–helix interfaces.

New paper from our group combines rational and computational design to build antiparallel 3-helix bundle (3HB) assemblies and single-chain proteins with defined topology and tunable thermal stability. 🧩pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/Art…

This dual base will allow us to build a strong bridge between the two institutions, facilitating the exchange of ideas, people, and expertise in protein design. We look forward to deepening our links with Copenhagen and to contributing to the CPD’s exciting mission!

As part of this new chapter, our research group will expand its activities to Copenhagen, forming a joint presence across both sites. We will continue to operate in Bristol, while establishing new lines of research and collaborations within the CPD.

As part of this, Dek will share his time between Bristol and Copenhagen, remaining a Professor at the University of Bristol, helping maintain and grow these links.

To support international exchange and mobility, the CPD will establish a network of Research Spokes, with the first based at the University of Bristol. This will strengthen and expand ongoing collaborations, serve as a platform for joint research, and shared training initiatives.

We are thrilled to announce that Professor Dek Woolfson has been appointed Director of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Design (CPD) at the University of Copenhagen. novonordiskfonden.dk/en/news/new-da…