Postdoc position within WWSC: enzymatic functionalization of wood

Wood can be an excellent source for new and innovative material. Do you want work with enzymes, discover new ones and explore how they can contribute to sustainable production of material from wood? The project will focus on discover and exploreenzymes for wood tailoring coupled to functionalization of wood polymers. A cornerstone in the research will be to understand the wood and the effect enzymatic action have on it.

Project description
In this WWSC project, our goal is to discover enzymes that can be used for tailoring and functionalization of wood polymers and wood-derived molecules. By applying characterization methodology of both the structure and the chemistry of the wood-derived streams, we can both identify how the enzyme act on the wood and understand their application potential. The overall aim is to identify glycosyl transferases (GTs) that can act on wood polymers and wood-derived molecules. The starting point will be to discover enzymes from the collection of filamentous fungi the lab has access to from studies of biodiversity in South East Asia. Identified enzymes will be carefully characterized and applied for functionalization.

The project involves molecular biology to clone and heterologously express genes of interest, protein production and purification, and detailed biochemical characterization of identified enzymes, including determination of substrate specificities using wood derived streams. Detailed structural and chemical characterization of the wood-derived streams will be an integrated part of the project. The project will also involve various systems biology approaches to identify new interesting enzymes to study. WWSC provides a network for collaboration with other researchers that are experts in different areas.

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC) is a research center striving for scientific excellence with a focus on new materials from trees. The center creates knowledge and builds competence for an innovative and sustainable future value creation from forest raw materials. WWSC is a multidisciplinary collaboration between KTH, Chalmers, and Linköping University. The base is a donation from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and the forest industry is supporting WWSC via the national platform Treesearch.

Information about the division and the department
The project will take place at Chalmers department of Life sciences (Department of Life Sciences) and the Division of Industrial Biotechnology (Division of Industrial Biotechnology) under Professor Lisbeth Olsson (https://www.chalmers.se/en/departments/life/research/industrial-biotechnology/olsson-group/).IndBio is an interdisciplinary group with appr 45 international researchers focusing on microbiology, enzymology, and molecular biology. Our goal is to use renewable resources for sustainable production of fuels, chemicals, and materials, contributing to a sustainable society and circular economy. LIFE consists of 5 divisions, and here you find potential collaborators as well as a range of scientific instruments, expertise and lab infrastructure.


Major responsibilities
The majority of your working time will be devoted to your own research studies within one or more of the projects listed above. As a postdoc, you are expected to develop your own ideas, drive the project and communicate scientific results orally as well as in writing. In addition, the position will include supervision of students, instrument responsibility. You should take active part in the collaborative work with our (inter)national partners and contribute to project coordination efforts.

Qualifications
Candidates must hold a PhD degree in biological engineering, biotechnology, biochemistry, microbiology or related fields. Fluency in verbal and written English is mandatory.

Demonstrated expertise in working with carbohydrate-active enzymes, analytical techniques for biomass characterization, collecting and analyzing large -omics datasets is meritorious.

Demonstrated experience in project coordination, interdisciplinary collaborations and supervision will also be meritorious for the candidate selection.

To qualify for the position of postdoc, you must hold a doctoral degree awarded no more than three years prior to the application deadline (according to the current agreement with the Swedish Agency for Government Employers). Exceptions from the 3-year limit can be made for longer periods resulting from parental leave, sick leave or military service*.

* The date shown in your doctoral degree certificate is the date we use, as this is the date you have met all requirements for the doctoral degree.

Contract terms
This postdoc position is a full-time temporary employment for two years.

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

For more information about the application procedure, please visit Chalmers website.

Application deadline: 2024-08-15

 
For questions, please contact:
Professor Lisbeth Olsson, Industrial Biotechnology,
lisbeth.olsson@chalmers.se