Laboratory Assistant at the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Section for Plant Biochemistry

The 'Plant Ecophysiology' research group at the Section for Plant Biochemistry at the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences (PLEN), Faculty of Science (SCIENCE), University of Copenhagen, look for a motivated student or similar for a position as a laboratory assistant with start date 3 February 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter, with employment until and including 31 May 2026.

About us The Plant Ecophysiology Group research various aspects of plant metabolism with the aim to understand how plants evolve to survive and adapt to their surrounding abiotic and biotic environment. Plants produce many diverse natural products that are essential for how plants interact with their environment, and our group elucidates mechanisms by which plants biosynthesize different metabolites, to ultimate understand their role in plant metabolism across different scales. The group is embedded with the Section for Plant Biochemistry, a highly dynamic and international working environment, of approximately 100 researchers and students working on plant metabolism and biotechnology. We contribute new knowledge that can support the development of new crops and sustainable production of plant-based pharmaceuticals. You can read more about the section and the research group here: https://plen.ku.dk/english/research/plant_biochemistry/ and https://plen.ku.dk/english/research/plant_biochemistry/plant-ecophysiology/

Tasks
As a laboratory assistant, you will help researchers carry out parts of the basic work in our research projects.

Your tasks include:
• Preparation of growth media, buffers and standard solutions for use in the laboratories
• Assistance with growing and maintaining plants, including seed sorting
• Harvesting, processing and weighing plant material
• Extraction of constituents and DNA from plant material
• Labelling, weighing and sorting of samples
• Other laboratory-related tasks by agreement

We expect
As a laboratory assistant, you must be service-minded, show great responsibility and flexibility, and have excellent communication. It is important that you are able to work systematically and follow instructions and protocols precisely. It is an advantage if you are enrolled in a higher science education and have an interest in the relevant type of laboratory work, but necessary training will also take place.

We offer
A flexible job that is compatible with your study activity. You will have the opportunity to participate in the planning of your work, and you will gain insight into daily life and processes in a research laboratory and training in various basic techniques within plant research.

Terms of salary and employment
The employment is made in accordance with the Collective Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Organisations of Public Employees – governmental institutions (the OAO-S collective agreement) and the Professional Agreement for clerical employees, laboratory technicians and IT-officers in the state.

The employment and remuneration are as a laboratory assistant, salary group 1.

The average weekly working hours are 7.5 hours.

The University of Copenhagen (UCPH) is in the process of implementing a new joint administrative organisation, which comes into force on 1 March 2025. For more information, please contact the contact person for this position or the union representative Lisbeth Mikkelsen, limi@plen.ku.dk phone 35336813. You can also read more here.

Your application
If you find the job interesting, please send an electronic application with attachment via Jobportalen (click on the link "Apply Now" at the bottom of the post) no later than 2 January 2025.

Interviews will take place in the first week of January.
 

The University of Copenhagen seeks to reflect society and encourages applications irrespective of personal background.

Further questions
Any questions about the position may be directed to Elizabeth Neilson, email: en@plen.ku.dk  

The Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen – or SCIENCE – is Denmark's largest science research and education institution with 4,000 employees and 9,700 Bachelor and Master's students in 12 departments. The Faculty has an annual budget of DKK 3 billion.

Learn more about The Faculty of Science at https://science.ku.dk/english/.