Website Umeå Plant Science Centre, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
The Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University that is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre invites applicants for a PhD position in plant science to join the research group of Johannes Messinger. The expected starting date is October 1, 2025 or according to agreement.
Photosynthesis drives life on Earth by converting solar light into chemical energy and providing the molecular oxygen we breathe. This doctoral project focuses on exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying photosynthetic water oxidation to O2, with special focus on the role of protein-water-cofactor interactions and substrate water binding and exchange at the catalytic site. This will be studied by employing biophysical techniques, such as time-resolved membrane inlet mass spectrometry, fluorescence and EPR spectroscopies, as well as molecular biology for introducing site specific alterations. Atomic level structural insight will be obtained via single particle analysis cryo-EM and snapshot serial crystallography with x-ray free electron lasers. The project may also include theoretical calculations. The PhD student will work within a friendly and open research team that is part of an extended national and international research network. Access and training to state-of-the-art instrumentation will be provided.
To apply for this job please visit www.umu.se.