Postdoctoral position (2 years) within photosynthesis

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37 000 students and about 4 700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. And the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.

The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is what it is all about. But also about delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. This is simply where the future is built.

Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC) is one of the strongest research environments for basic plant research in Europe. Research at UPSC covers a wide range of disciplines in plant biology including ecology, genetics, physiology, biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology (see www.upsc.se). 

A postdoctoral position is available at the Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre (www.upsc.se): a stimulating research environment at Umeå University. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate to work within the project “Trees that grow better”. The employment is full-time and is limited to 24 months but with the possibility for an extension of one more year. Starting date 2023-07-01 or according to agreement.

The project is part of the project ”Trees that grow better” (www.strategiska.se/en/ssf-food-feed-and-forest-here-are-the-projects-that-receive-funding) financed by the Swedish foundation for strategic research (SSF). The goal is to understand the mechanisms for regulation of photosynthetic light harvesting, and to modify it aiming to increase growth. 

You will mainly work with aspens where the amounts of different photosynthetic proteins have been modified using CRISPR or ”traditional biotechnology”. These will be analyzed in the lab, in our “phenotyping facility” and in the field using advanced techniques, including measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence and growth. Some research may also be performed on other plant species (Arabidopsis or spruce). The work will utilize the UPSC technical platforms and other persons involved in the project. 

To be appointed under the postdoctoral agreement, the postdoctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirements must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the appointment decision.

To be appointed under the postdoctoral agreement, priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree prior to that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organisations, military service, or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area. Such circumstances should be clearly stated in the application.

The doctoral degree should be in biology, chemistry, or biophysics. 

A requirement is extensive experience of plants and photosynthetic measurements, including chlorophyll fluorescence, for example Pulse-Amplitude Modulated (PAM) fluorescence. You can express yourself very well in written and spoken English, good communication skills and ability to work well in a team.

Hands-on experience with plant molecular biology and plant biotechnology is a merit. 

The application should contain

• A personal letter that describes your qualifications, experiences, scientific interests, and motivation for application (max 2 pages).
• CV with full publication list.
• Certified copies of doctoral degree certificate or equivalent, or documentation that clarifies when the degree of doctor is expected to be obtained.
• Other relevant degree certificates and grades.
• Other documents wished to be claimed.

You apply via our e-recruitment system Varbi and the application should be written in Swedish or English. Documents sent electronically must be in Word or PDF format. Apply by pressing the button at the bottom of the page. Last application date is 2023-04-30

If you have any questions, please contact Professor Stefan Jansson, Stefan.jansson@umu.se , phone +46-70-677 23 31