The Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University that is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre seeks to fill one postdoctoral position who will work in Stephan Wenkel’s research group on a project aimed at understanding shoot meristem patterning. The employment is full-time for two years with access on December 1st 2025 or according to agreement.
Last day to apply: 16 October 2025
Project description and working tasks
We are announcing an opening for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join a dynamic, interdisciplinary research group that works on the role of microproteins in plant development. This two-year position (with the possibility of a one-year extension) will focus on understanding pattern formation at the Arabidopsis shoot apex integrating the activities of transcription factors, microRNAs and microProteins. This project leverages advanced classical genetics, genome editing, and protein biochemistry to uncover how molecular players, such as microproteins and microRNAs, regulate developmental pathways.
Qualifications
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.
A doctoral degree in molecular biology or genetics is required. For the employment you must also have extensive laboratory experience in biochemical methods and molecular biology. Strong oral and written communication skills in English, as well as a willingness to travel, are also requirements.
Meritorious for the employment is experience in CRISPR/Cas mutagenesis methods, microRNA biology, protein biochemistry, and/or plant molecular biology. The ability to independently plan one’s work, deepen understanding of the research question, and collaborate effectively within a team is also a merit. We value creativity, communication skills, and initiative.
Application
The application should contain:
- A personal letter that describes your qualifications, research interests, and motivation for application (maximum 2 pages).
- CV with full publication list
- Certified copies of doctoral degree certificate or equivalent and other relevant degree certificates and grades,
- Other documents wished to be claimed.
The application must be written in English or Swedish. The application is made through Umeå University's electronic recruitment system Varbi following this link: https://www.umu.se/en/work-with-us/open-positions/post-doctor-2-years-in-plant-developmental-biology_860368/. Documents sent electronically must be in Word or PDF format. Log in to the system and apply via the button at the end of the above-mentioned page.
The closing date is October 16, 2025.
Contact
Further details are provided from Stephan Wenkel,
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.
Umeå has a strong postdoc community organised in the Umeå Postdoc Society (UPS). UPS fosters networking amongst postdocs, organises social and career development events and works towards improving the postdoc experience in Umeå. Check out their website https://umeapostdocs.com/ and do not hesitate to get in contact with them!
We look forward to receiving your application!