Master Thesis Project: Investigating the role of mast cell activity in type 2 inflammation

We are looking for a master’s student in biology, biomedicine, biotechnology, or a related field with an interest in cell culture and skin immunology to join our dermatology team at Nordic Bioscience, in collaboration with the Laboratory of Medical Allergology (LMA) at Gentofte Hospital.
Project Description and Aim
Type 2 inflammation is a key driver in many chronic inflammatory diseases, including asthma, atopic dermatitis, and urticaria. A critical player in this process is the mast cell, which is a skin tissue–resident cell central to initiating and sustaining inflammation. Mast cells store and release a variety of mediators, including histamine, cytokines, and mast cell-specific proteases such as tryptase, chymase, and carboxypeptidase A3 (CPA3).

This project aims to investigate the link between mast cell activation and ECM remodeling by quantifying protease activity and tissue degradation using biomarkers.

Methods
The project consists of two main experimental phases carried out across two facilities:

• At Gentofte Hospital: The student will culture mast cells derived from PBMCs and mast cell lines, induce their differentiation and proliferation, and activate them using ligands relevant to Type 2 skin inflammation.
• At Nordic Bioscience: The student will quantify mast cell-specific proteases from the conditioned mast cell supernatant and assess their proteolytic activity on ECM proteins. This will include the measurement of downstream ECM biomarkers using current and novel Nordic Bioscience enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Qualifications
Experience with human (or mammalian) cell culture is highly recommended. Basic knowledge of flow cytometry and ELISA is advantageous but not required.

Duration and start date
We are looking for a project of a minimum of 7 to 12 months (30 to 60 ECTS credits).

Start date: End of 2025- January 2026

The dermatology team
The dermatology Nordic Bioscience team is a small diverse group of PhD students, scientists, and technicians focused on ECM remodeling in chronic inflammatory skin diseases. We aim to provide a better understanding of these diseases by investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms and tissue remodeling with the end goal to improve patient care and support drug development.

We offer a friendly, collaborative environment with strong social engagement. Your day-to-day supervisor will be our Research Scientist, Helena Port, and you’ll interact regularly with the R&D team through group meetings, paper jams, and scientific dinners. Several other master’s students and social events like Friday bars create a lively student community at Nordic Bioscience.

LMA at Gentofte hospital has a long tradition of working with allergy and Type 2 inflammatory diseases. Their expertise focuses on studying the mechanisms regulating effector innate immune cells involved in allergic reactions, such as mast cells and basophils, as well as adaptive immune cells like T and B lymphocytes. They are a small but lively research unit composed of scientist, PhD and master students, and technicians.

Are you interested?
If you're interested in doing your master’s thesis project at Nordic Bioscience, please apply through our recruitment system. We encourage early applications and no later than 1 September 2025, as selected candidates will be invited for interviews on an ongoing basis, and therefore the application process may close earlier.

Your application should include a few motivational lines about yourself, a transcript of grades, and your CV. If you have any questions, please contact Research Scientist Helena Port by sending an email to hep@nordicbio.com.

Department: Herlev Hovedgade 205 - 207 2730 Herlev

Lokation: Herlev Hovedgade 205-207, DK-2730 Herlev

Application deadline: 01 Sep 2025