DTU Technical University of Denmark

DTU is one of Europe’s leading technical universities, ranked among the top for engineering and life sciences. DTU Bioengineering (Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine) hosts more than 250 researchers in molecular biology, systems biology, proteomics, and synthetic biology, providing a vibrant interdisciplinary environment. The department maintains strong ties to hospitals, biotech, and pharma partners, ensuring both academic excellence and translational impact. The Schoof group is embedded within DTU Bioengineering’s Section for Medical Biotechnology and has immediate access to state-of-the-art MS facilities, cell culture labs, and high-performance computing resources. ​

The Schoof group specializes in developing and applying advanced single-cell and spatial proteomics technologies to study cellular heterogeneity in health and disease. The group combines cutting-edge mass spectrometry, microfluidics, and computational biology to characterize protein expression, signaling, and regulatory mechanisms at single-cell resolution. Current research focuses on hematopoiesis, cancer, and immune system biology, with an emphasis on translating proteomic discoveries into diagnostic and therapeutic applications. ​

Within MIPrecise, DTU will lead efforts in single-cell proteomics and nano-volume liquid handling to characterize circulating tumour cells (CTCs) isolated from patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Specifically, DTU will develop and implement workflows for fluorescently labelled MIP-based CTC isolation (in collaboration with BAM, LNU, and UMU) followed by individual cell processing using the cellenONE platform and mass spectrometry-based proteome profiling on state-of-the-art Orbitrap Astral instruments. These analyses will identify protein-level biomarkers of tumour aggressiveness and metastatic potential, and benchmark the success of the enrichment and sorting strategies. DTU will further contribute to integrative multiomic analyses, combining proteomic and transcriptomic data to define biomarker panels for improved liquid biopsy-based SCLC diagnosis and theranostic stratification. ​