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Postdoctoral Fellow
Postdoctoral researcher in wood formation Full-time
Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology
The Department of forest genetics and plant physiology is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC, https://www.upsc.se) which is a centre of excellence for experimental plant research and forest biotechnology in Northern Sweden. Our mission is to perform excellent and innovative basic research and generate knowledge that benefits forestry, agriculture, environment and society. We work across a wide range of disciplines in plant science reaching from cell biology to ecophysiology and from basic research to industrial applications. Our common goal is to understand the plants’ ability to grow, adapt and acclimate to a changing world and how we can breed better plants.
About the position
The Wood Cell Wall Architecture group at the Umeå Plant Science Center is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to identify and characterise novel cellular components that control and coordinate the development of secondary cell walls in growing trees. The project revolves around partially redundant, poorly understood gene families acting in wood formation. Specifically, the successful applicant will drive a multi-target gene-editing screen in Populus to pierce redundancy and reveal secondary cell wall phenotypes, followed by mechanistic characterisation of candidate genes through in situ microscopy/microspectroscopy, cell wall biochemistry and proximity-labelling proteomics.
Beyond this core framework, I will provide space and support for the chosen applicant to develop their own research ideas, using new data or lines from a similar screen previously performed in Arabidopsis. Being in a newly set-up group, the chosen applicant will face some additional work in establishing routines, but will in return have considerable influence on the direction of the group’s research.
Your profile
We are looking for applicants that have a collaborative mindset, are intrinsically motivated and strive for scientific independence. A PhD in the biological or biochemical sciences and very good skills in written and spoken English are requirements for the position. To support the career development of junior researchers, applicants within 3 years of finishing their PhD will be preferred.
The practical interpretation of this project can to some extent be adapted to the interests and strengths of the chosen applicant. Expertise in any of the following can be an advantage, but none is obligatory:
- Reproducible data analysis in R/Python/Julia
- Cell wall biochemistry
- Plant in vitro culture work
- In situ microscopy and microspectroscopy
- Gene editing
- Protein biochemistry/proteomics
About us
UPSC belongs to two universities, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Umeå University. About 200 people from more than 40 different nationalities work here. We host some 30 principal investigators, and our researchers have access to state-of-the-art analytical platforms, unique tree germplasm resources and plant growth facilities. We strive for a collaborative work environment and support our scientists throughout all career stages by providing professional training opportunities and individual career mentoring.
Read more about our benefits and working at SLU by visiting: https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/
Location:
Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, SLU, Umeå (Sweden).
Form of employment:
Temporary employment 24 months, with the possibility of extension.
Scope:
100%
Start date:
2026-04-01 or as agreed.
Application:
Please submit your application before deadline 27 February 2026. You can submit your application by clicking the button below.
Union representatives:
https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/
Contact person
- Leonard Blaschek, leonard.blaschek@slu.se