PhD position in plant science with a focus on cell wall dynamics

The Department of Plant Physiology (Umeå University, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Sweden) invites applicants for a PhD position in plant science. The expected starting date is spring 2025 or according to agreement. 

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, computational biology, genetics, physiology, biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology (see www.upsc.se). A PhD student position is open at the Department of Plant Physiology, which is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre. Application deadline is January 9, 2025.

Project description and work tasks

We are seeking a motivated PhD student to join the "Watchers on the Wall" project, which investigates the crucial role of plant cell walls in the early stages of immune responses. Your research will focus on uncovering the connection between changes in cell wall mechanics/composition and the activation of plant defense pathways.

You will employ cutting-edge Brillouin-Raman microscopy to monitor real-time, in vivo alterations in cell walls in response to diverse immune elicitors. Building on this, you will develop a chemo-optogenetic toolkit to precisely control cell wall degrading enzymes, enabling you to simulate specific cell wall perturbations and study their impact on signaling cascades.

By linking nanoscale cell wall changes to macroscale plant-pathogen interactions, your work will provide essential insights into the mechanisms governing plant immunity. You will employ a range of techniques including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to elucidate the complex interplay between cell wall integrity monitoring and pattern-triggered immunity.

This project offers an exceptional opportunity to be an active member in an innovative, multidisciplinary research program at the interface of plant biology, biophysics, and synthetic biology. You will work closely with an experienced team and collaborate with experts in optical microscopy, plant defense, and optogenetics. 

Join us in uncovering the hidden language of plant cell walls and their pivotal role in defending against biotic stresses.

Eligibility and qualifications 

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 plant biology and enthusiastic about developing new experimental approaches. We expect the candidate to have an academic background in Plant Biology, Agronomy, Biotechnology or a related field. 

Other requirements are:

• Solid background in cell and molecular biology.
• Experience in standard molecular biological and/or cell biology techniques.
• Very good written and oral English language skills.

Meritorious is: 

• Experience with different model plants including Arabidopsis thaliana.
• Familiarity with microscopy techniques, especially confocal microscopy.
• Experience working with cell walls from plants or other organisms.
• Experience in protein expression and purification and/or optogenetics.
• Skills in computational biology, biological modelling and/or biostatistics.
• Knowledge of biophysics and/or plant biochemistry.
• Involvement in science communication and outreach activities.

We do not expect the selected candidate to be proficient in all these from the beginning, but they should be eager to learn the required techniques.

On a personal level, we are looking for a good team player who can also work on their own when required. We would like you to:

• Be able to organize and structure your work.
• Deliver results according to agreements made.
• Be proactive and take own initiative.

About the employment

The position is intended to result in a doctoral degree. The main task of the PhD student is to pursue their doctoral studies, which include participation in research and postgraduate courses. The duties can include teaching and other departmental work (up to a maximum of 20%). The employment is limited to four years full-time or up to five years teaching part-time. Salary is set in accordance with the established salary ladder for PhD position. The employment will start during spring 2025 or upon agreement.

 Application

You apply through our recruitment system Varbi on January 9, 2025, at the latest. The application should be written in English (preferably) or Swedish and should include:

1. A motivation letter (max. 2 pages).
2. A brief research statement (1 page) discussing your research interests (for example, when did you become interested in the field, what knowledge have you gained so far, what research questions in the field you find more interesting, what are your career goals in the long term, etc.).
3. CV.
4. Certified copies of certificates from higher education.
5. List of completed university courses and the grades.
6. Copy of publications (if any)/degree thesis. 

Contact

If you have questions regarding the position, please contact Laura Bacete (laura.bacete@umu.se). 

Documents should be sent electronically, in MS Word or PDF format, through 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.

We look forward to your application!