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 research activities will focus on studying the role of the plant hormone cytokinin in controlling adventitious root development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Interconnected transcriptional and hormonal networks control adventitious root initiation, but the underlying genetic and molecular bases orchestrating these networks have long remained unclear. Several Arabidopsis Response Regulators (ARRs) transcription factors involved in the cytokinin signaling pathway have been identified and shown to control adventitious root initiation. The objective is to study the role of these transcription factors in the repression of AR initiation.
As a researcher, you will perform ChIP-qPCR experiments to identify and confirm downstream targets of the ARR transcription factors. You will clone the coding sequences in an expression vector, purify the ARR proteins, and perform EMSA experiments to confirm the interaction with the target promoters. You will characterize mutants affected in the expression of the downstream targets to identify the elements of the cytokinin signaling pathway that control adventitious root initiation.
Your profile
A doctoral degree in Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, Plant Genetics, or equivalent is required. In addition, the candidate must have strong expertise in Arabidopsis developmental biology, more specifically vegetative propagation and root development; mutant analysis; molecular biology techniques; protein-DNA; and protein-protein interaction analysis.
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.
Form of employment:
Fixed-term employment 5 months.
Scope:
100%
Start date:
As agreed.
Application:
Please submit your application before deadline 16 July 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/
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 4,000 employees, 6,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 4,5 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.