Post doctor (2 years) available at UPSC, Umeå University

Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology

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. Notably, 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 key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here.

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Elucidating the link between metabolic status and the epigenome

A postdoctoral position is available at the Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science (www.upsc.se) Centres; a stimulating research environment at Umeå University. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate to work within the project “Elucidating the link between metabolic status and the epigenome”.

Department of Plant Physiology

The Department of Plant Physiology is part of Umeå Plant Science Center (UPSC) which is one of Europe’s strongest research centers in experimental plant biology (www.upsc.se). UPSC’s research focuses on plant molecular biology, plant physiology, cell biology, tree biotechnology, ecophysiology and forest genetics and is supported by a large choice of specialist driven technical platforms. UPSC is a multicultural workplace with 190 people from all over the world. Our group and the broader research environment at Umeå University provide a friendly and supportive atmosphere and many opportunities for collaboration. More than 4 300 employees and 31 500 students have already chosen Umeå University. We welcome your application!

Project description and working tasks

The establishment of photosynthetic activity drives a cellular shift from requiring external energy sources for growth and development to becoming a supplier of energy to support growth of new developing tissues. In mammalian cells changes to intracellular metabolism confer widespread variations in epigenetic pattern. However, the challenge is to understand how fluctuations in metabolic state control chromatin modifications. We will address this question by investigating the dynamics of global chromatin organization in response to the establishment of photosynthesis, a process that causes major changes to the cellular metabolic activity. The postdoc will be involved in a large project where we determine the distribution of important modifications of histone H3 and identify the proteins such as transcription factors or chromatin remodellers associated with those specific modifications.

Qualifications

A person who has been awarded a doctorate or a foreign qualification deemed to be the equivalent of a doctorate qualifies for employment as a postdoctoral fellow, in molecular biology or biochemistry. Priority should be given to candidates who have completed their doctoral degree no more than three years before the closing date of the application. A candidate who has completed their degree prior to this may be considered if special circumstances exist. Special circumstances include absence due to illness, parental leave or clinical practice, appointments of trust in trade unions or similar circumstances. Special circumstances should be clearly stated in the application. Postdoctoral fellows who are to teach or supervise must have taken relevant courses in teaching and learning in higher education.

An ability to work independently as well as in a team, and good skills in the English language, are essential. The candidate should have extensive laboratory experience with molecular and biochemical methods. Experience of ChIP sequencing is also desirable. Experience with plants and plant cell lines as experimental systems is an advantage.

Application

A full application should include:

Personal letter
Curriculum vitae (CV) with publication list
Certified copy of doctoral degree certificate
Certified copies of other diplomas, list of completed academic courses and grades
Copy of doctoral thesis
Other documents that the applicant wishes to claim

If you are one of the candidates that will be interviewed, we will also need contact information for at least 2 reference persons at the time of the interview.

The application must be written in English or Swedish. The application is made through our electronic recruitment system. Documents sent electronically must be in Word or PDF format. Log in to the system and apply via the button at the end of this page. The closing date is August 16th 2021.

Further details are provided by Professor Åsa Strand: asa.strand@umu.se