Danish protein centre opens

Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Copenhagen will open the doors of its new research centre, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Research. The centre is the result of an historic donation from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which in 2007 gave the university €80 million for its establishment.

The protein centre, headed by director Michael Sundström, will be housed in the Panum Institute in Copenhagen. With over 150 international researchers, ultramodern laboratories and advanced instrumentation, including at least nine mass spectrometers, liquid chromatographs and various protein-expression and characterization tools, the centre is expected to become a beacon in protein research.

"With the establishment of the research centre, Danish protein research will acquire working facilities that make frontline research possible," explains Dean Ulla Wewer.

This research will look into the areas of disease systems biology, proteomics, high throughput protein production and characterization, chemical biology, disease biology and protein therapeutics. As well as investigations such as protein phophorylation analyses using high-performance electrospray mass spectrometry in-line with nanoflow HPLC separation. The centre will also contribute to the progress of translational research within medicine and provide fundamental insights that can be used to promote drug discovery and development.

More information about the centre can be found on-line at www.cpr.ku.dk