Postdoc - Plant breeding towards nutritional quality in cereals

Department of Plant Breeding
The Department of Plant Breeding, at SLU in Alnarp, works with research and education, as well as innovation. The focus is on activities that are of strategic importance for the sustainable and profitable production of crops for plant-based foods, feed and industrial products in a changing climate. The Department constitutes a multidisciplinary, innovative, and creative environment that works with current and future challenges.  
Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at SLU at https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/

Duties:
Nutritional values of food products are becoming increasingly important and is the result of content and composition of nutritionally important components in the crops used for the production of the food items. The post-doc should screen cereals, particularly wheat and pearl millets for nutritional content and composition, including carotenoids, polyphenols, and non-health-contributing components (ATI and FODMAPs).

Then, this phenotyping data should be aligned with genotypic data (in terms of Genotyping-by-Sequencing) to identify the genes responsible for the traits, and markers (KASP) should be developed. This will allow for focused plant breeding centered around these traits to be initiated.  In the beginning, the post-doc will be involved in several on-going projects, while, later on, the post-doc is expected to write own grant applications. The post-doc will work together with researchers and plant breeder in the current projects and in additional upcoming projects in related areas.

Qualifications:
We are seeking a highly motivated candidate who has a PhD in agriculture, biology, plant breeding or other types of education, preferably with a strong component of quantitative genetics.  A successful candidate should preferably have a sound understanding of multidisciplinary tasks in relation to plant breeding, and have at least some experience of collaboration with plant breeders and growers. The candidate should be able to work well independently as well as to collaborate in groups and have good overall communication skills, including the ability to communicate and write well in English.

As postdoctoral appointments are career-developing positions for junior researchers, we are primarily looking for candidates with a recent doctoral degree, i.e. less than three years old. 

Meritorious:
Good knowledge and practical skills in genetic data analysis and cereal quality

Experience in teaching, supervision of BSc and MSc students and project leading

Place of work:
Alnarp

Form of employment:
Temporary employment 12months.

Extent:
100%

Starting date:
According to agreement.

Application:
We welcome your application no later than 2023-06-07, use the button below.

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



The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has a key role in the development for sustainable life, based on science and education. Through our focus on the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems and the responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet. Our main campuses are located in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, however, the university also operates at research stations, experimental forests and teaching sites throughout Sweden.

SLU has around 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 3 billion. We are investing in attractive environments on all of our campuses. We strive to provide a work environment characterised by inclusivity and gender equality, where different experiences generate conversations between people and pave the way for science, creativity and development. Therefore, we welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.