Postdoctor in carbon partitioning in trees

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.

A postdoctor position is available in the http://www.upsc.se/totte_niittyla at the Umeå Plant Science Center, Sweden to study carbon partitioning in trees using hybrid aspen as the model system.

About the position

Trees represent the single most important carbon sink on the planet. An incomplete mechanistic understanding of carbon sequestration to wood limits our ability of predict the capacity of trees to assimilate CO2 and optimise the production of sustainable wood derived materials and fuels. This project will adress this problem by investigating metabolic fluxes leading to biomass formation using innovative metabolomics and isotope techniques.

Your profile

Applicants should have a PhD in plant molecular biology, plant biochemistry or plant physiology and a genuine interest to carry out experimental plant research. Molecular biology lab skills are important and previous experience on metabolomics and plant primary metabolism are highly desirable. English fluency and publication of the PhD work in peer-reviewed high-quality journal(s) is required.

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 6 months.

Scope:

100%

Start date:

1st of October 2026 or as agreed.

Application:

Please submit your application before deadline 28 August 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.