Assistant professor at the Department of Genetic Biochemistry at the Faculty of Biotechnology as part of the NCN project

No 62.2025.OPUS.ZBG.WB.AH of 14.07.2025

Institute/Department: Department of Genetic Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology

Position: assistant professor

Type of position: research

• in research discipline: biological sciences, biotechnology
• in research field: natural sciences

Vacancies/positions:1

Type of contract: full time

Application deadline: 14.08.2025

Estimated date of the contest settlement: September 2025

Envisaged job starting date: 01.10.2025

Period of employment: temporary (1 year)

Salary: 7296 -7608 brutto PLN

Employment under the National Science Center project of the OPUS project of the National Science Center (2022/47/B/NZ9/00998), under the title ” Mechanism of action of b-cyclocitral and its derivative in inducing flax resistance to Fusarium oxysporum infection “.

The principal investigator of the project is dr Aleksandra Boba.

The project focuses on elucidating the role of the volatile apocarotenoid compound β-cyclocitral (bCC) and its oxidation product β-cyclocitric acid (bCCA) in the immune response of flax (Linum usitatissimum) to infection with Fusarium oxysporum, a major fungal pathogen causing substantial crop losses. While β-cyclocitral is known to be involved in plant stress signaling, its function in plant-pathogen interactions remains largely unexplored. This project aims to determine whether bCC and bCCA act as signaling molecules that trigger defense pathways in flax, including the activation of chitinases and other pathogenesis-related genes.

The research includes identifying biosynthetic pathways of bCC in flax—both enzymatic, involving carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCD), and non-enzymatic, driven by oxidative stress conditions. We also investigate whether bCC functions as a long-distance signal in systemic plant immunity and if its application can enhance disease resistance in flax plants.

Our team integrates expertise in plant molecular biology, biochemistry, and chemical signaling. The project offers access to state-of-the-art equipment for molecular analysis, transcriptomics, and metabolic profiling, as well as opportunities to present findings at international scientific meetings.

Requirements
The candidate is required to have:

1. PhD in biological sciences, medical sciences or in related disciplines.
2. Proven scientific output (publications, posters, or presentations) in molecular biology, plant physiology or related fields.
3. Experience in protein analysis.
4. Experience in RNA analysis.
5. Active participation in conferences, workshops, courses and other forms of supporting scientific development.
6. Proficiency in written and spoken English.
7. Ability to work independently and in a team.
8. Participation in scientific meetings.
9. Skills in scientific writing and literature review
10. Motivation for academic work and willingness to actively participate in project development.

Responsibilities  (in the research and organizational areas respectively)

1. In the research area: conducting experiments, results analysis, regular record keeping according to common standards, daily work in the science laboratory and good cooperation with other members of the research team, preparation of reports, presentations and publications
2. In the organizational area: participation in faculty/department meetings, seminars, preparing publications and grant applications.

The application for the competition should include

1. Personal  questionnaire  (download Personal questionnaire).
2. Curriculum vitae with information on the course of professional work.
3. Photocopy(s) of a doctoral diploma.
4. Statement that the University of Wroclaw will be the primary place of work in the case of winning the competition (download Workplace Statement).
5. Declaration of the discipline in which the candidate will conduct research and in the case of people conducting research in more than one discipline the percentage of their involvement in each of these disciplines (download Declaration of scientific discipline).
6. Self-presentation (information about scientific, organizational, and other achievements).
7. List scientific publications in the last ten years.
8. Electronic versions of the two most important publications that the candidate considers representative of his or her scientific achievements or an explanation of the lack of them.
9. Application for employment addressed to HM Rector.
10. Declaration – article 113 the Law on Higher Education and Science (download Declaration – Article 113).
11. Two recommendation letters sent by well-known specialists in the area of biochemistry, molecular biology, provided that these letters are sent by e-mail to the Chairman of the Competition Committee at aleksandra.boba@uwr.edu.pl, without the candidate’s mediation and are open only to members of the Committee, and the candidate, by entering the competition, waives the right to access these lists.

If you provide us with data voluntarily in your application other than what is necessary for you to participate in the recruitment procedure, we ask for your consent to their processing, which may read:

– in the case of ordinary data: ‘I consent to the processing of my personal data contained in (e.g. CV, cover letter or other attached documents) by the University of Wroclaw in the recruitment process for the position…’

– for special categories of data: ‘I consent to the processing of the special categories of my data referred to in Article 9(1) of the GDPR contained in (e.g. CV, motivation letter or other attached documents) by the University of Wroclaw in the recruitment process for the position…’’

All the documents should be send only in an electronic form to the following address: praca@uwr.edu.pl with the subject of the message: “assistant professor.62.OPUS.ZBG.WB.AH“.

Additional information

1. The University of Wrocław reserves the right to contact only selected candidates.
2. Selected candidates may be invited for an interview.
3. The University of Wrocław reserves the right to close the competition without selecting a candidate.
4. The University of Wrocław reserves the right to annul the competition.
5. The University of Wrocław does not provide housing.

Information clause for persons participating in the recruitment process