Postdoc in plant molecular biology -Aarhus University (AU)

The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, invites applications for a two-year postdoc position offering applicants an exciting opportunity focusing on understanding the mechanisms of infection and organogenesis induced by symbiotic microbes in the plant root.

The position is for two years and is available from March 1st 2021 or as soon as possible hereafter.

Job description/research project/research area
You are expected to contribute to analysis of infection and nodule organogenesis using single cell RNA seq. The project will include scRNA-seq data generation and analysis, protoplasting of plant roots, nuclear extraction, FACS analysis, NGS library preparation, molecular characterization of genes of interest and preparing manuscripts.

Your profile
Applicants should hold a PhD in plant molecular biology.
Experience in isolating protoplasts and nuclei from plant roots, handling and phenotyping of model legumes and standard plant molecular analyses is required. Fluency in spoken and written English is expected. Experience generating NGS libraries and in preparing figures and manuscripts for publication is an advantage. In addition, the candidate should be able and prepared to work as part of a large team in a collaborative project.

Who we are/ The department
The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics is part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University and comprises research within the areas of Gene Expression, Molecular Medicine, Structural Biology, Systems Biology and Plant Molecular Biology. There are currently 75 full time scientific staff and 120 PhD students. The department is responsible for two educations: Molecular Biology and Molecular Medicine with a yearly uptake of 160 students in total.
Please refer to http://mbg.au.dk/ for further information about The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and to https://nat.au.dk/ and http://www.au.dk/ for information on Faculty of Natural Sciences and Aarhus University, respectively.

The successful candidate is offered:

    • access to a well-developed research infrastructure
    • a research climate inviting lively, open and critical discussion within and across different fields of research
    • a working environment with teamwork, close working relations, network activities among young scientists and social activities
    • a workplace characterized by professionalism, equality and a healthy work-life balance

The place of work is Gustav Wieds Vej 10, 8000 Aarhus C, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments.

For further information please contact: Professor Jens Stougaard, stougaard@mbg.au.dk, +4587155504

Application procedure
Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference
If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

Formalities and salary range
Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.

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