Postdoctoral Position - Plant-beneficial Bacteria

Department of Plant Biology
A post-doctoral position is available in the Lundberg group at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden to investigate the means by which the ubiquitous beneficial bacterial genus Sphingomonas thrives on and in plants. Although microbes are increasingly used as agricultural inoculants to improve plant health without the use of harmful chemicals, we have little understanding of how they work and how they can survive in dynamic field settings.

Work environment:
The Post-doc position is funded by a starting grant from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation (https://kaw.wallenberg.org/). The successful applicant will work in the new research group of Dr. Derek Lundberg (www.LundbergLand.org) for an initial period of two years (with possible extension) in the Department of Plant Biology (https://www.slu.se/en/departments/plant-biology-forest-genetics/research/groups/), located in the Uppsala BioCenter at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Uppsala is a lively university city, conveniently located close to Stockholm (40 minutes by train) and Stockholm’s main international airport (20 minutes by train).

Duties:
The aim of this Post-doc position is to determine how beneficial bacteria of the genus Sphingomonas reach high abundances and interact with plants, building on research in Lundberg et al. 2021 in bioRxiv: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.06.438366. The project will use dual host and bacterial transcriptomics as well as bacterial genetic screens to identify plant and bacterial genes involved in interactions of certain Sphingomonas strains with the plants Arabidopsis thaliana, barley, and poplar. The project will also investigate the role of diverse plant genetic backgrounds on the colonization of Sphingomonas strains. Please also see the  “Research” page at (www.LundbergLand.org). 

Qualifications:
Candidates should have a PhD in either microbiology, plant or bacterial genetics, plant molecular biology, plant-microbe interactions, microbial ecology, or related topics that the employer considers equivalent. As postdoctoral appointments are career-developing positions for junior researchers, we are primarily looking for candidates with a doctoral degree that is three years old at most.

Prior work with plants and cultured bacteria, genetics, transcriptomics, and molecular biology are assets. Experience with related bioinformatics, including scripting in Linux systems and some proficiency with R, Python, or a functionally-equivalent scripting and data-visualization language is also preferred. Proficiency in English is required because English is the working language in the research group. Candidates should have an ability to work independently, ask questions and contribute to scientific discussions, stay organized, and interact respectfully with other members of the lab and the department. A demonstration of previous scientific output is also highly desirable, particularly first author or joint-first author published papers (including public pre-prints).

Place of work:
Uppsala

Form of employment:
Fixed term employment of 24 months with possibility of extension.

Extent:
100%

Starting date:
Summer 2022, or according to agreement.

Application:
We welcome your application no later than 2022-03-11, use the button below.

Applications must contain (1) CV with full publication list, (2) a description of research experiences, (3) a copy of the PhD diploma (in swedish or english), (4) contact information of two to three referees.

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