PhD fellowship in Plant Nutrition
The Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, is offering a 3-year PhD position operating at the interface between Plant Nutrition and Bio-Nanotechnology, financed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The expected start date is 1st of August 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The project
In the project, we want to study the processes controlling transport of plant nutrients contained in nanoparticles (NPs) across the plant tissue, which will enable us to produce next generation crop fertilizers that are more efficient, sustainable and climate friendly than current conventional fertilizers. We want to improve our understanding of how NPs interact with plant tissue at cellular level. Specifically, we want to study how NPs can be tailored to penetrate the cell wall and become internalized by plant cells. In the project, we take a mechanistic approach to gain an improved understanding on how these processes are controlled at the molecular and cellular level.
Tasks specific to the position
Develop procedures to culture protoplasts and single cells from crop plants
Utilize imaging techniques to study interactions between NPs and plant cells
Tailor NPs and solvent composition to trigger cellular internalization
Extrapolate key findings from the single cell level to whole plant mechanistics
Draft scientific papers related to your research project
Interdisciplinary collaboration with other research group members and external partners
Participate in scientific meetings and conferences to present your research
Plan outreach activities to promote your scientific research to a wider audience
Contribute to teaching activities, as part of your own academic career training
Participate in PhD courses and complete your PhD thesis
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for candidates with a solid plant science, biochemistry or environmental chemistry background. We are looking for a highly motivated and conscientious candidate, with a strong interest in cross-disciplinary science. Applicants for the position should ideally meet the following specific requirements:
MSc degree documenting excellence in Plant Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Nanotechnology or Biotechnology
Knowledge of single cell culturing and analysis
Skills in general and analytical chemistry
Excellence in written and oral English
Our research group - what do we offer?
The successful candidate will be working in a large cross-disciplinary research project funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. In the project, a group of chemists, physicists, materials scientists, plant scientists and agronomists from University of Copenhagen, Technical University of Denmark and McGill University in Canada will develop a novel generation of biocompatible and sustainable NP-based fertilizers with superior abilities to deliver mineral nutrients to crops in a timely and more resource efficient manner. To achieve this very ambitious goal we need to understand the pathways for NP uptake and how they interact with plant cells at the mechanistic level. This knowledge will allow us to tailor NPs with smart properties to enhance nutrient uptake and utilization in metabolism.
Our research ambitions are high and we strive to publish our work in leading journals. The research environment is vibrant, friendly, collaborative and international, consisting of scientists and students with diverse cultural and academic backgrounds. Our research group consists of +15 motivated scientists at different stages of their career, which enables sparring on how to shape a successful academic career. We encourage you to visit our website at husted-lab.com to learn more about our research group.
The Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences is located in central Copenhagen at the Frederiksberg Campus. Copenhagen ranks among the most livable cities of the world and has been voted the number one capital several times in annual quality of life surveys.
Principal supervisor is Professor Søren Husted, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
The PhD program
Qualifications needed for the regular program
To be eligible for the regular PhD program, you must have completed a degree program, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. Environmental science, Plant sciences or Agronomy. For information of eligibility of completed programs, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.
Terms of employment in the regular program
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.
Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE (University of Copenhagen). This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.
Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.
Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.
Please include:
Motivated letter of application (max. one page), which should contain your motivation for applying for the specific PhD project
Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
Publication list (if available)
Reference letters (if available)
Application deadline:
The deadline for applications is Sunday 7 May 2023, 23:59 GMT+1.
We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.
Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in week 20-22 (May 2023).
The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for an academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You will be duly notified, if you have been selected for assessment.
The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified or not. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.
Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact Dorine du Mee by email: dorine.dumee@plen.ku.dk or project manager Søren Husted shu@plen.ku.dk .
General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.
The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.
Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organization – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.
Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.
Contact
Søren Husted
E-mail: shu@plen.ku.dk
Info
Application deadline: 07-05-2023
Employment start: 01-08-2023
Working hours: Full time
Department/Location: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
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