Staff Scientist in Fungal DNA Metabarcoding and Mycorrhizal Ecology

A position as a staff scientist is available at the Department of Physiological Botany, Umeå Plant Science Centre (www.upsc.se), a stimulating research environment at Umeå University. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate to work on an interdisciplinary project investigating diversity, biogeography, and environmental drivers of mycorrhizal fungi across contrasting climates, vegetation types, and land-use histories. The position is full-time and is limited to 12 months. Start date as soon as possible or by agreement.

Project Description and Responsibilities

Mycorrhizal fungi play a central role in plant nutrient uptake, ecosystem function, and soil processes, yet their diversity and distribution along major environmental gradients remain largely unexplored. This project combines large-scale field sampling, DNA metabarcoding of fungal communities, and ecological modeling to investigate how climate, vegetation, and land management shape the diversity and composition of mycorrhizal fungi in different ecosystems.

The project includes coordinated sampling of fungal communities from soil, plant, and air samples across broad geographical and environmental gradients, combined with high-throughput sequencing and subsequent ecological analyses. A key task for the staff scientist will be to optimize and standardize molecular workflows for mycorrhizal fungi to ensure robust, high-quality, and comparable datasets across different sample types and regions. As a staff scientist in the project, you will work closely with national and international collaborators and contribute to the development of best practices for DNA metabarcoding of fungi.

Qualifications

A PhD in mycology, molecular ecology, plant-microbe interactions, or a related field is required for the position.

Requirements

• Documented experience with environmental DNA workflows, including soil sampling, DNA extraction, PCR-based amplification, and preparation of samples for high-throughput sequencing.
• Documented experience in coordinating and processing large amounts of environmental samples, with high accuracy regarding quality control, documentation, and data management.
• Experience in analyzing and interpreting molecular community data as well as in writing scientific manuscripts.
• Scientific publication in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with career stage, in microbial, fungal, or molecular ecology.
• Ability to work independently as well as in international and interdisciplinary research teams.
• Good command of English, both spoken and written.

Desirable

• Good understanding of fungal community ecology; experience working with mycorrhizal or soil fungal systems is a strong asset.
• Experience in large-scale or multi-scale ecological studies.
• Familiarity with bioinformatics or statistical analyses of metabarcoding data.
• Experience working in interdisciplinary research environments.

Application

A complete application should include:

• A personal letter describing your qualifications, experiences, research interests, and interest in this specific position (max 2 pages).
• CV with a full publication list.
• Certified copy of PhD diploma or equivalent and other relevant diplomas and transcripts.
• Other documents that the applicant wishes to submit.

The application should be written in English (preferably) or Swedish. Applications are made through our electronic recruitment system. Documents submitted electronically should be in Word or PDF format. Log in to the system and apply via the button at the end of this page. The deadline for applications is March 13, 2026.

Contact

If you have questions about the position, please contact Adam Frew ([email protected]).

The Department of Physiological Botany is part of the Umeå Plant Science Centre with approximately 200 staff members, including about 40 group leaders, representing currently 48 different nationalities (for more information, see http://www.upsc.se or http://www.plantphys.umu.se/english/). Our main activities are academic research and education covering areas such as ecology, biochemistry, plant physiology, and genomics.

Umeå University aims to provide an equal and inclusive environment where open conversations among people with different backgrounds and perspectives lay the foundation for learning, creativity, and development. We therefore welcome individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply for this position.

To staffing and recruitment agencies and to you as a seller: We kindly but firmly request no direct contact with staffing and recruitment agencies or sellers of additional job advertisements.