The Department of Plant Physiology (Umeå University) which is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre invites applicants for a PhD position in plant science in the research group of Stephan Wenkel. The expected starting date is summer/autumn 2024 or according to agreement.
Last day to apply: 15 May 2024
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. Our common goal is to understand the ability of plants to adapt and acclimate to a changing world.
Project description
We are recruiting a PhD student to work on a project aimed at manipulating plant development using microProtein engineering. MicroProteins are small single-domain proteins that have been shown to control diverse biological pathways. While some microProteins are encoded as individual genes, we have evidence that other microProteins might be hiding in genes and are dynamically expressed in response to changes in the environment.
We aim to dissect light and magnetosensing signaling pathways to understand the biotechnological potential of these small proteins and aim to use them as tools to engineer biosynthetic pathways. In the project we will employ forward, and reverse genetics approaches in Arabidopsis plants and yeast, protein biochemistry and biochemical engineering.
Admission requirements
To fulfil the general entry requirements for studies at third-cycle level the applicant must have qualifications equivalent to a completed degree at second-cycle level or completed course requirements of at least 240 ECTS credits including at least 60 ECTS credits at second-cycle level. To fulfil the specific entry requirements to be admitted for studies at third-cycle level in Plant Science at Umeå Plant Science Centre, the successful candidate must have completed 90 ECTS relevant to the doctoral thesis project. Out of this, at least 30 ECTS have to be in a subject closely related to the research topic of the graduate program. Applicants who have acquired equivalent skills in some other educational system in Sweden or abroad are also eligible.
For this position, we are looking for a person interested in molecular plant biology. We expect the candidate to have an academic background in Plant biology, Agronomy, Biotechnology, or a related field.
The successful applicant should have good skills in written and spoken English. Strong merits include experience with the analysis of large-scale sequencing data and/or plant transformation. We are looking for a creative and initiative rich person who can work independently but who can also collaborate within a larger research group. Evaluation of candidates will be based on the application and on interviews.
Application
You apply through Umeå University's recruitment system Varbi following this link: https://www.umu.se/en/work-with-us/open-positions/phd-position-in-plant-science-with-a-focus-on-small-proteins_717772/.
Last day to apply is the 15th of May 15. Registration number: AN 2.2.1-553-24.
The application may be written in English, Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish and should include:
- A short (max 2 pages) description of why you are interested in the position
- CV
- Certified copies of certificates from higher education
- List of completed university courses and the grades
- Copy of publications/degree thesis
Contact
If you have questions regarding the position, please contact Stephan Wenkel,
Documents should be sent electronically, in MS Word or PDF format, trough the recruitment system. The procedure for recruitment for the position is in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (chapt. 12, 2 §) and the decision regarding the position cannot be appealed.
The Department of Plant Physiology values the qualities that an even gender distribution brings to the department, and therefore we particularly encourage women to apply for the position.
About the Research Environment at UPSC
The Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC). UPSC is a centre of excellence for experimental plant research and forest biotechnology in Northern Sweden. Our mission is to perform excellent and innovative basic research and generate knowledge that benefits forestry, agriculture, environment and society. We work across a wide range of disciplines in plant science reaching from cell biology to ecophysiology and from basic research to industrial applications. Our common goal is to understand the plants’ ability to grow, adapt and acclimate to a changing world and how we can breed better plants.
UPSC belongs to two universities, Umeå University and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). About 200 people from more than 40 different nationalities work here. We host some 30 principal investigators, and our researchers have access to state-of-the-art analytical platforms, unique tree germplasm resources and plant growth facilities. We strive for a collaborative work environment and support our scientists throughout all career stages by providing professional training opportunities and individual career mentoring.
We look forward to receiving your application!