PhD scholarship within plant photobiology: fluctuating light and photosynthetic acclimation
Deadline: 31.05.2025
Publisert
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About The Faculty of Biosciences
The Faculty of Biosciences (BIOVIT) aims to shape the future of food and bioproduction through teaching and research in biology and sustainable production and use of plants, livestock and fish. The faculty has a large project portfolio and an annual turnover of approximately NOK 250 million.
BIOVIT is organized into seven research groups: Genome Biology, Breeding, Genetics and Food Production Systems, Ruminant Nutrition and Physiology, Ethology and Animal Welfare, Nutrition and Physiology for Monogastric Animals, Plant Biology, Sustainable Food Systems and Integrated Plant Protection, and Genetics, Evolution and Sustainable Plant Production. Additionally, the faculty has seven research support and laboratory units.
BIOVIT is responsible for bachelor’s and master’s programs in aquaculture, biology, animal science, and plant science, as well as English-language master’s programs in Agroecology, Plant Sciences, Feed Manufacturing Technology, and Genome Sciences. BIOVIT also offers Ph.D. programs in animal science and plant science. Currently, the faculty has about 550 bachelor’s and master’s students and 90 Ph.D. students. BIOVIT employs approximately 230 staff members and has its own faculty administration.
Explore the world of light and life to optimize energy use in vertical farms
About the position
The Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Biosciences at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant three-year PhD–position related to plant photobiology.
The PhD project is closely associated with the FlexiFarm project: “Flexible Farming Solutions to Minimize Energy Expenditure and Create New Revenue Streams in Vertical Farming”. The project aims to understand the energy flexibility of vertical farms (VFs) by studying how fluctuating lighting and temperature affect productivity. By following spot market prices and using energy when prices are low, VFs can drastically reduce their energy costs, though this is only viable if crop yield is not affected by fluctuating conditions. As photosynthesis is such a crucial factor underlying crop yield in both open and closed production systems, understanding photosynthetic responses and acclimation to fluctuating conditions is essential.
The successful PhD candidate will explore how leafy green crop species acclimate their photosynthetic processes to dynamic environmental conditions, with a focus on light and temperature fluctuations. This will involve analysing photoacclimative responses to light and temperature variability, and assessing the role of energy dissipation mechanisms, particularly nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), in shaping plant acclimation strategies. The position will be part of a growing working group connected to photobiology and photosynthesis research at IPV.
The applicant is made aware that an application for a PhD position at NMBU is at the same time an application for admission to a PhD programme at the institution. The documentation that is necessary to ensure that the admission requirements are met must be uploaded as an attachment.
Main tasks
Photosynthetic phenotyping of plants grown under steady-state and fluctuating light conditions
Temperature mapping of photosynthetic phenotype development
Identifying photoacclimation components in different species and genotypes through NPQ analysis
Applying a recently developed NPQ mapping pipeline to crop species fluorescence data
The successful candidate is expected to enter a plan for the progress of the work towards a PhD degree during the first months of the appointment, with a view to completing a doctorate within the PhD scholarship period.
Competence
The successful applicant must meet the conditions defined for admission to a PhD programme at NMBU. The applicant must have an academically relevant education corresponding to a five-year master’s degree or a cand.med.vet. degree, with a learning outcome corresponding to the descriptions in the Norwegian Qualification Framework, second cycle. The applicant must have a documented strong academic background relevant to the position and be able to document proficiency in both written and oral English. For more detailed information on the admission criteria please see the PhD Regulations and the relevant PhD programme description.
The applicant must document expertise and interest in the research subject.
Required Academic qualifications
Master’s degree in plant physiology, plant science, plant biology, general biology, or similar fields
Documented scientific writing skills in English
Knowledge of and/or experience with photosynthesis, gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements and calculations
Candidates finishing their education in the spring/summer of 2025 may also apply, but must provide documentation of their completed degree before employment
The following experiences and skills will be emphasized:
Good computational skills and a working knowledge of programming in R
Significant contribution to scientific publication(s)
Documented skill in public communication
Good problem-solving capability and critical thinking
You need to:
Have an interest in photosynthesis and all its connected processes
Be willing to work both independently and as part of a team
Bring your own creativity to the project
Be motivated to learn new skills
Remuneration and further information
The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1017 PhD. Fellow. PhD. Fellows are normally placed in a pay grade of 536 200NOK on the Norwegian Government salary scale upon employment and follow ordinary meriting regulations.
Employment is conducted according to national guidelines for University and Technical College PhD scholars.
To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button above. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.
Application deadline: 31.05.2025
Your CV must be entered in JobbNorge's CV form and not just included as an attachment. This is to be able to comply with the regulations of §15 of the Public Administration Act.
In the application, the candidate must confirm that information and documentation (in the form of attachments) submitted via the job application can also be used by NMBU in a possible admission process.
Applicants invited for an interview are expected to present original diplomas and certificates.
The following documents must be attached to the application:
Motivation letter (maximum 1 page)
Complete CV
Certified copies of academic diplomas and certificates. (i.e. Diploma, transcript. Diploma supplement for both bachelor and master). Diplomas, transcripts and diploma supplements that are not in Norwegian or English must be uploaded in the original language. An English translation of these documents must also be attached.
Applicants from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a diploma supplement, or a similar document, which describes in detail the study program and grading system.
Additional relevant documentation of professional knowledge (for example, list of scientific works). If it is difficult to judge the applicant’s contribution for publications with multiple authors, a short description of the applicant’s contribution must be included.
