UPSC is a highly dynamic institute with around 200 employees, 30 principal investigators and about 10 associated principal investigators. Approximately half of our staff is non-Swedish and the working language is English. We recruit researchers from all over the world. More than 40 nations are represented at UPSC. Post-doctoral fellows have the most diverse nationalities, but also our PIs, graduate and undergraduate students represent many different nations.

Are you interested in joining us? Please have a look below for currently open job opportunities. You are also always welcome to contact our principal investigators directly if you are interested in working with them.

A postdoctoral fellowship is available in Ulrika Egertsdotter's research group at the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), which is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre. The postdoctoral candidate is supported by a stipend for an 24-month period starting June 1st , 2023.

Last day to apply: 1st of April or until the position is filled

Project summary

The project aims at understanding the function of miRNAs during embryo development in Norway spruce by a reverse genetics approach. Gene expression data and expression data for miRNA from the corresponding samples from a developmental series of zygotic embryos, the associated gametophytic tissue and somatic embryos were generated under a previous project and are available in searchable databases at UPSC. Preliminary processing of the data suggests that miRNA may be involved in the regulation of key developmental steps in Norway spruce similarly to what have been shown in other conifer species.

The postdoctoral scholarship is going to be placed at the Department of Plant Physiology (Umeå University), which is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre. Our common goal is to understand the ability of plants to adapt and acclimate to a changing world. We are looking for a highly motivated postdoc for the project "How is the secret messages of the cell translated" in Johannes Hanson's research group in collaboration with Hannele Tuominen's research group. The scholarship refers to full-time studies for two years with starting date 1 May 2023 or as agreed.

Last day to apply: April 8, 2023

Project description

Translation is highly regulated process and recent findings have shown thousands of mRNAs to be regulated at the level of translation in plants as well as in other organisms. We have revealed that translational regulation plays crucial roles during development where metabolic activity is either inhibited or restarted after dormancy. A typical example of this process is how translational regulation play an important role during seed development and germination, where mRNAs are stored in the dry seed to be translated specifically during germination. We are also investigating this in perennials that undergo winter dormancy. We will primarily use Ribo-Seq methodology to characterize the translational activities during winter in our primary model poplar. We also want to follow translation on cellular resolution using transgenic plants with tagged ribosomes expressed in specific cells.

A PhD position is open at the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), in Petra Marhava's research group. The department is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre and offers postgraduate studies in biology, specializing in plant physiology, ecophysiology, plant molecular biology and forest genetics. Postgraduate courses are generally held in cooperation with the Department of Plant Physiology from Umeå University.

Last day to apply: April 15, 2023

Project description

Temperatures below or above the physiological optimum for plant growth induce temperature stress, which can cause detrimental and irreversible damage to plant growth and development. While most of the studies to date have focused on big-picture elements of plant responses to climate change, our research will provide insights into the molecular and cellular responses, to improve our mechanistic understanding of plant acclimation to heat and cold stress. The project will mainly work with the root of the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana and will combine state-of-the-art approaches, e.g. various microscopy techniques, molecular and cell biology, biochemistry and genetic screens.

A PhD student position is open in Laura Bacete's group at the Department of Plant Physiology, which is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre. The expected starting date is late spring 2023 or according to agreement.

Application deadline: April 18, 2023

Project description

We are searching for a highly motivated and talented PhD student to join our research group, which focuses on investigating the dynamic behavior of plant cell walls, specifically the role of the cell wall integrity (CWI) monitoring system in response to environmental changes. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work on a cutting-edge research program that aims to overcome limitations in our understanding of the CWI monitoring system using innovative techniques such as Brillouin microscopy, gene editing, and computational modelling. Depending on the interests of the successful candidate, different research directions, from biophysics to molecular biology, are available for exploration. Our program offers excellent training and career development opportunities in a stimulating and collaborative research environment.

A postdoctoral position is available in Stefan Jansson's research group at the Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre: a stimulating research environment at Umeå University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. 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.

Application deadline: April 30, 2023

Project description

The project is part of the project ”Trees that grow better 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.

A great opportunity for a postdoctoral candidate seeking to work in a strong research environment with excellent analytical resources and with a very high degree of independence! We are now recruiting a postdoctoral scientist to the Swedish Metabolomic Centre (SMC), a national facility that supports researchers active at Swedish universities with mass spectrometry-based analysis of metabolites and lipids in biological tissues and fluids and aims to be a leading knowledge center in metabolomics and related areas. Specialized personnel is working at SMC and the centre has mass spectrometry equipment such as GC -TOFMS, LC-QTOFMS and LC-TQMSMS. SMC is hosted within the UPSC and the postdoctoral position is going to be placed at the Department of Plant Physiology which is part of UPSC. Starting date 2023-09-01 or according to agreement.

Application deadline: May 12, 2023

Project description

The research project aims to uncover various aspects of the plant metabolome. The plant kingdom contains many highly specialized secondary metabolites, often specific for the species studied making metabolite and metabolomics analysis of plants challenging. Within this project, both targeted methods for specific metabolite pathways and untargeted methods using GC-TOFMS and LC-QTOFMS will be developed. The developed methods will be applied in ongoing biological projects in Arabidopsis, Populus, pine and Spruce in collaboration with the researchers at UPSC. The postdoctoral project will be focused on developing new methods for metabolites that UPSC researchers of great interest to UPSC researchers so the person hired will have to work in close collaboration with the researchers of UPSC.

You can find more information about possible project or exam works (Master thesis) at the Umeå Plant Science Centre here:

https://www.upsc.se/undergraduate/1430-undergraduate-education.html
It is also possible to do your Master or Bachelor thesis at the Umeå Plant Science Centre. Please contact the leader of the group you would like to work with directly. You can find a list with all group leaders here:

UPSC group leaders: https://www.upsc.se/research/research-groups.html
UPSC associated group leaders: https://www.upsc.se/research/associated-research-groups.html