We are looking for a master’s student in plant biology/molecular biology that is interested in doing a project of 10–20 weeks in Karin Ljung's group at Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC) in Umeå, Sweden during spring/summer 2024.
Nitrogen (N) is a principle macroelement and a growth limiting factor for plants. As sessile organisms, plants shape their root system to acquire enough N for proper growth and development. Diverse concentrations of available N as well as distinct N forms differentially affect the developmental processes of generating new lateral roots, resulting in distinct root system architecture in response to various N conditions/sources. We have shown that organic N in the form of glutamine (GLN) dramatically increases lateral root formation when compared to inorganic N treatment. In addition, lateral roots formed in response to GLN treatment are highly synchronized in their development.
This project focuses on identifying genes involved in GLN lateral root promotion by performing forward and reverse genetics screens of Arabidopsis thaliana mutant lines, using molecular biology/cloning methods coupled with confocal microscopy techniques. Moreover, highly sensitive analytical methods based on liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques will be used to better understand the stability, uptake and metabolism of GLN in planta.
Supervisor: Karin Ljung, Dept of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, SLU.
E-mail:
https://www.upsc.se/karin_ljung