Important dates
Call opens: 1 July 2024
Application deadline: 8 September 2024
Final interview: 20-21 November 2024
Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest institutions of higher education with over 35,000 students and 4,200 faculty and staff. We are characterised by world-leading research in several scientific fields and a multitude of educations ranked highly in international comparison. Recent breakthroughs include deciphering the molecular mechanisms of the bacterial CRISPR-Cas9 system and its repurposing into a tool for genome editing, a method that was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Call opens: 1 July 2024
Application deadline: 8 September 2024
Final interview: 20-21 November 2024
The two Swedish Centres of Excellence – Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR) and Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC) – at Umeå University are currently running the ‘Excellence by Choice’ Postdoctoral Programme in Life Science offering a highly interactive and multidisciplinary research environment.
The programme aims to encourage new synergies in life science with a focus on molecular and translational research, training outstanding young researchers, and stimulating cutting-edge research in Umeå. Patron for the programme is Nobel laureate Emmanuelle Charpentier, who discovered the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology during her time as a scientist and group leader in Umeå.
In this call, up to four postdoctoral fellowships are open to all nationalities.
In addition, the ‘EC’ postdoctoral project is supported with a grant to cover running costs (320,000 SEK).
Featured article in Nature:
Big ideas welcome: postdoc call in Sweden seeks original thinkers
Read interviews with current ‘EC’ postdocs on the Umeå University website:
Gabriel Torrens, Joram Kiriga Waititu, Samuel Agyei Nyantakyi, Jagadish Mangu, Aicha Kriia, Dhruv Agrawal, Baptiste Bogard, and Adrien Heymans.
Candidates are encouraged to consider one of the project ideas listed. The candidates' merits and motivation for choice of project idea will be assessed by the PIs of each project respectively.
1. Investigating the role of bacterial membrane vesicles in modulating enteric virus infections
This research explores the interactions between enteric viruses, specifically species F adenovirus, and the gut microbiome's bacterial membrane vesicles (BMVs). Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies against gastrointestinal infections.
Objectives:
The project employs techniques such as electron microscopy, microbial genetic methods, in vitro tissue culture, proteomic, lipidomic, and metabolic studies. BMVs will be produced and tested in virus infection models to understand their role in infection modulation.
Prof. Annasara Lenman, an expert in virus-host interactions, and Prof. Sun Nyunt Wai, with extensive experience in BMV research, bring complementary expertise to this project. Using genetically modified BMV-producing bacterial strains, we will investigate BMV-virus interactions. This research fills a gap in understanding bacterial and viral interactions in the GI tract, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms of GI tract illnesses and potential therapeutic targets. The synergy between Prof. Lenman’s and Prof. Wai’s expertise fosters innovative approaches and comprehensive insights, making this project crucial for advancing knowledge in this field.
For more information, please contact:
Main PI: Annasara Lenman, Department of Clinical Microbiology
Co-PI: Sun Nyunt Wai, Department of Molecular Biology
2. The effect of temperature stress on the cell wall-plasma membrane continuum
The cell wall and plasma membrane form a continuous surface in plants, serving as the primary barrier against environmental stress. Our project investigates how heat and cold stress affect this continuum at the micro- and nano-scale levels in root models. Recent findings have identified cold adaptation signatures in cell wall composition at 4ºC, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Additionally, candidate genes found through phosphoproteomic analyses may help the cell wall and plasma membrane adapt to heat and cold stress. This project integrates our expertise to explore how these structures interact and adapt across multiple scales. Our goal is to elucidate how these cellular structures work together to enhance plant resilience, providing insights to develop strategies for improving crop productivity and sustainability amid climate change.
Assistant Professor Petra Marhava is an expert in cell-to-cell plant hormone transport, cell and developmental biology, and root responses to temperature stress. Assistant Professor Laura Bacete specialises in plant cell wall dynamics, focusing on cell wall integrity signalling. Our complementary skills will uncover new mechanisms of plant resilience at multiple scales. Our interdisciplinary approach will bridge biology, chemistry, and biophysics, allowing us to examine how plants acclimate to temperature stress. With our combined expertise and advanced tools, we offer a unique opportunity to drive innovative research in plant resilience.
For more information, please contact:
Main PI: Petra Marhava, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre
Co-PI: Laura Bacete, Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre
3. Chemosensory Mechanisms Mediating Host-Parasite Interactions in Parasitic Nematodes
Plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) cause substantial crop damage worldwide, leading to billions of dollars in losses annually. Their unique life cycle and limited genetic tools make them difficult to investigate, leaving many aspects of their host-seeking behavior and adaptation within plants poorly understood.
This project aims to fully delineate the molecular and neural circuit mechanisms by which PPNs identify host plants, and achieve genome editing in PPNs, which has not previously been accomplished.
Despite the significantly different life circles of C. elegans and PPNs, the high gene conservation among them and the strong chemoattraction of C. elegans to plant root extracts make it an excellent model for exploring how PPNs locate host plants. Our previous efforts have disrupted all 1654 GPCR-encoding genes in C. elegans, enabling us to effectively determine the ligand/receptor pairs involved in chemoattraction to root extracts. Furthermore, by combining the expertise in nematode genome editing and PPN manipulation from two labs, substantial efforts will be focused on generating transgenic PPNs and conducting genome-editing in PPNs. Success in this direction has the potential to transform research in the field of PPNs.
Our ultimate goal is to inspire the the development of novel strategies and drugs to manage PPN infection, significantly advancing our ability to mitigate their impact on global agriculture.
For more information, please contact:
Main PI: Changchun Chen, Department of Molecular Biology
Co-PI: Peter Marhavý, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, SLU, Umeå Plant Science Centre
4. T cell-independent B-cell memory; kinetics and cues for generation of B memory- and plasma cells to Francisella tularensis LPS
Antigen-induced B cell differentiation results in the generation of long-lived memory B cells and secretion of high-affinity isotype-switched antibodies. These responses are typically protein-specific and T-cell-dependent, but such immune responses have also been identified for non-proteinaceous antigens. The molecular and cellular cues behind the latter responses are, however, not well understood. The aggressive disease tularemia leads to development of LPS-specific IgG antibodies. Since it is a rare disease, repeated exposure is highly unlikely and it is an ideal model to investigate primary immune responses to non-proteinaceous antigens. The project will identify the mechanisms behind the initial B-cell responses and identify changes that occur months and years after tularemia. State-of-the-art techniques will be used to elucidate genetic, molecular and cellular cues for T-cell-independent B-cell memory.
Dr Forsell research has been focused on characterizing T-cell-dependent B-cell-responses after viral infection or vaccination. This has included clinical studies and characterization of memory responses to hantavirus. Dr Sjöstedt has done research on F. tularensis for 35 years and created a tularemia serum sample biobank. Samples will also be obtained from recently infected individuals. Thus, there is strong synergy between the Forsell and Sjöstedt labs optimal to pursue this translational project involving bacterial infection and B-cell responses.
For more information, please contact:
Main PI: Mattias Forsell, Department of Clinical Microbiology
Co-PI: Anders Sjöstedt, Department of Clinical Microbiology
5. Mapping the ultrastructure of Chlamydia’s parasitophorous vacuole
Chlamydia trachomatis, an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen, is a leading cause of sexually transmitted diseases and blinding eye infections. In its host cell, the pathogen replicates within a membrane-bound vacuole known as the inclusion. Previous research has underscored the crucial role of inclusion integrity in shielding the pathogen from host cellular defenses.
Here, we propose to combine our expertise in the molecular genetic analysis of Chlamydia-host interactions (Sixt lab) and cryo-electron tomographic investigations of intracellular infections (Renner lab) to reveal how Chlamydia inclusions are stabilized. To achieve this, we aim to jointly recruit a postdoc, who will employ a correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) approach to localize inclusions under cryogenic conditions, prepare cells for imaging by focused ion-beam milling, and collect cryo-ET data. The resulting 3D reconstructions will allow us to define and quantify interactions with host factors, such as of the cytoskeleton and neighboring organelles, at ultra-high resolutions. In later stages, we will use genetic and pharmacologic approaches to perturb the system and study the consequences on inclusion stability. We anticipate that this research will significantly advance our understanding of how the pathogen maintains its intracellular refuge. It may also uncover strategies for intentional inclusion destabilization, potentially paving the way for new therapeutic interventions.
For more information, please contact:
Main PI: Barbara Susanne Sixt, Department of Molecular Biology
Co-PI: Max Renner, Department of Chemistry
6. Biophysical investigations of endothelial glycocalyx degradation during viral diseases
The biophysical properties of the endothelial glycocalyx (eGC), including thickness, stiffness and permeability, are paramount to the eGC biological functions. The aim of this project is to gain fundamental understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying eGC degradation during viral infections, and to establish a correlation between diseases stage/severity and the biophysical properties of the eGC.
To this end, we will deploy an in vitro cellular model of the eGC and study changes in its biophysical properties during eGC degradation using various techniques, including fluorescence microscopy, AFM and optical tweezers. Initially, the model will be exposed to isolated egC-degrading enzymes relevant to COVID (caused by SARS-CoV-2) and HFRS (caused by puumula virus), to investigate how they affect the biophysical properties of the eGC and the molecular mechanisms at play. Subsequently, we will work with patient blood plasma samples, stratified across disease stages and groupings of severity, to establish a relationship between disease stage/severity and eGC properties.
This project is a collaboration between the labs Anne-Marie Fors Connolly and Marta Bally. AFC is a clinical researcher working on cardiovascular complications during viral infection, with focus on eGC degradation. MB studies biophysical aspects of the initial recruitment of viruses at the glycocalyx. These expertise complementarities promise to make it possible to study eGC degradation from a unique vantage point.
For more information, please contact:
Main PI: Marta Bally, Department of Clinical Microbiology
Co-PI: Anne-Marie Fors Connolly, Department of Clinical Microbiology
7. Microbial chemical production via synthetic biology
Compared with other renewable energies, biofuel is storable and compatible with the current fossil fuel infrastructures, and it is therefore considered to play a major role in replacement of fossil fuels and mitigation of climate change. The project aims to develop programmable tools using novel chemo-optogenetic systems to rewire metabolic pathways in suitable microorganisms for efficient production of valuable chemicals as well as biofuels from renewable feedstocks. The engineering of metabolic pathways requires precise control over the levels and timing of metabolic enzyme expression. The project aims to establish new synthetic biology tools to rewire metabolic pathways based on chemo-optogenetic systems that can switch on/off genes with light. We plan to use these tools to increase production of value-added chemical compounds and biofuels as a sustainable energy source.
The Wu lab has developed a set of novel chemogenetic and chemo-optogenetic tools and used them in cell biology research (Angew Chem 2014, 2017, 2018, Nat Chem Biol 2019, Nat Meth 2023).
The Sellstedt lab is focusing on energy production mediated by microorganisms, such as hydrogen from actinobacteria, bioethanol from fungi and biodiesel from algae (Nature 2002, Bioenerg Res 2012, Biotech Biofuel 2020).
The project will combine expertise from both labs using a combination of techniques such as molecular cloning, genetic engineering, biochemistry, microbial fermentation, cell imaging and analytical techniques.
For more information, please contact:
Main PI: Yaowen Wu, UCMR, Department of Chemistry
Co-PI: Anita Sellstedt, UPSC, Department of Plant Physiology
To qualify as a postdoctoral fellowship holder, the candidate is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirement is usually fulfilled after successfully completing all the requirements of the doctoral programme, including passing their dissertation defence.
Candidates should have completed their doctoral degree, no more than three years before the closing date of the application. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their degree prior to that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organizations, military service, or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area.
Candidates who have worked in the lab of the main PI or Co-PI during their PhD and postdoc are not eligible.
The application should include:
1. A Curriculum Vitae
2. A motivation letter including research interests, qualifications, and motivation for applying for the position with the specific project idea selected from the list (max 2,000 characters with space)
3. A publication list including both published papers and preprints with web/DOI
4. A description of up to a total three (3) of your publications and/or preprints that you consider at present to represent your scientifically most valuable work, answering the following questions (max 3,000 characters with space):
a. Why you consider a particular publication to be the scientifically most valuable?
b. What was your specific contribution(s) to this published research work?
c. What was your role in the manuscript writing and publishing of the work?
5. Names and contact details of at least two references
6. A verified copy of doctoral degree certificate or documentation that attests completing all the requirements of the doctoral programme, including passing the dissertation defense. If not available at time of submission, a proof of completion of the doctoral degree must be submitted at the latest together with the pre-interview project plan (early November, see step 2 below).
The application must be submitted electronically.
Go to the online application system
Online application deadline: 8 September 2024.
A short list of candidates will be invited to submit a short research proposal based on the project idea and to participate in the final interview. The interviews are performed by a panel of UCMR and UPSC researchers.
Date of final interview: 20-21 November 2024.
Questions can be addressed to UCMR research coordinator Ingrid.soderbergh@umu.se
At Umeå University, everything is nearby. The cohesive campus environment makes it easy to meet, collaborate and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture where we rejoice in each other’s successes. Read more about Umeå University as a workplace
Umeå Postdoc Society (UPS) is a strong community for postdocs and works towards improving the postdoc experience in Umeå. Check out their website and do not hesitate to get in contact with them early on!
Umeå University wants to offer an environment where open dialogue between people with different backgrounds and perspectives lay the foundation for learning, creativity and development. In each recruitment we aim to increase diversity and the opportunity to affirmative action. We kindly decline offers of recruitment and advertising help.