PhD student in Biology, specialization in Molecular biology

Department of Molecular Sciences

An appointment as PhD student in research subject Chemistry is vacant at the Department of Molecular Sciences, SLU, Uppsala. The department has approximately 110 employees and together with two other departments forms an inspiring research environment at the BioCenter at the Ultuna campus in Uppsala. Here you will find expertise in chemistry and biotechnology, plant biology, mycology, plant pathology, microbiology, food science, calculation-based genetics, as well as competitive infrastructure such as plant-growing facilities, advanced microscopy and molecular biology, X-ray and NMR. The department conducts research, teaching and environmental monitoring in the field of inorganic, physical and organic chemistry, biochemistry, natural product chemistry, food science and microbiology. Visit us at our website.

Developing novel plant autophagy modulators for application in crops

Description:

The Plant Catabolism Laboratory (SLU Biocenter, Uppsala) is seeking a PhD student that will investigate autophagy (“self-eating”) in plants. Autophagy is a major catabolic pathway in eukaryotes that is known to impact a diverse range of biological processes and has profound effects on agronomically significant traits in plants. There is a current need for an expanded range of chemical options to regulate autophagy as those that are currently available have pleiotropic and off-target effects. Our recent chemical screening pipeline (doi.org/10.1104/pp.19.00647) identified several promising small organic molecules that effectively modulate autophagy and warrant further investigation as they have no reported targets or functions.

The successful applicant will join the group to develop a novel chemical genetics approach to further unravel mechanisms of plant autophagy signalling by further characterizing these novel autophagy modulators through the identification of their target biomolecules. This work will utilize the Arabidopsis thaliana model system and employ a broad range of molecular biology and live cell imaging techniques. Additionally, through a collaboration with researchers from SLU Alnarp funded by the Crops for the Future (C4F) initiative, the autophagy modulating compounds will be tested in crop species. Throughout the project, support will be provided from an international and interdisciplinary research team working to better understand plant autophagy signalling and how the pathway can be manipulated to apply our discoveries and improve agricultural practices.

Qualifications:

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with these qualifications:


• MSc degree in Biology with a specialization in cell and molecular biology or biochemistry.
• Good communication skills with proficiency in English (spoken and written).
• Ability to work independently and with other team members in a research environment.
• Research experience with chemical genetics, plant biochemistry and molecular biology is required.
• Candidates with confocal microscopy experience are preferred.

Place of work:

Uppsala

Forms for funding or employment:

100 % employment as a PhD student for 4 years.

Starting date:

According to agreement.

Application:

Welcome with your application no later than 2022-02-10.

To be eligible for postgraduate education, a degree at the advanced level or at least four years of full-time studies, of which at least one year at the advanced level, is required. In addition, an understanding of a practice-oriented investigation and own experience of such processes is required. Selection among the eligible applicants is based on: written application including curriculum vitae and attached projects and texts; master thesis; personal references; sufficient knowledge of English, originality and implementation potential in project description / idea and interview.

Please note that the applicant (s) who are called for an interview must then submit certified copies of diplomas and register extracts from previous studies at undergraduate and advanced level at a university or college, and that the applicants who have foreign citizenship must also submit a certified copy of the page in the passport that contains photos and personal information.

Read more about SLU's postgraduate education here. https://www.slu.se/utbildning/program-kurser/forskarutbildning/

Academic union representatives:

https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/



The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is a world-class international university with research, education and environmental assessment within the sciences for sustainable life. Its principal sites are in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, but activities are also conducted at research stations, experimental parks and educational establishments throughout Sweden. We bring together people who have different perspectives, but they all have one and the same goal: to create the best conditions for a sustainable, thriving and better world.

SLU has just over 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and a turnover of SEK 3 billion. The university has invested heavily in a modern, attractive environment on its campuses.

www.slu.se