Funded for 4 years by the Swiss National Science Foundation, the laboratory of Prof. Niko Geldner in the Department of Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Lausanne is seeking a position for a collaborative research project with Prof. Meibom, as well as Prof. Ramakrishna, at EPFL. We look for strongly motivated candidates for a young researcher position (either Postdoc or PhD student) to study plant physiology using the cutting edge genetic and analytical technics, including the novel (and unique) CryoNanoSIMS instrument.
Motivation and mission
A breakthrough in our ability to image mineral nutrients at high resolution and sensitivity has recently been achieved by the Meibom lab with the development of a CryoNanoSIMS ion microprobe (Meibom et al, BMC Biology, 2023). This unique instrument represents a quantum leap in our ability to visualize soluble elements in situ, which recently made it possible to demonstrate a completely unpredicted function of a major sodium transporter in protection of root meristems against salinity (Ramakrishna et al., Nature, 2025).
We now aim to expand on this breakthrough by generating the first, high-resolution maps of elemental distributions in roots of the model plants Arabidopsis, both in the presence and absence of the endodermis, the main extracellular diffusion barrier of roots. This will provide unprecedented insights nutrient distribution in plants. Furthermore, we seek to elucidate the uptake and distribution of potassium and nitrate through stable isotope tracing. This will provide novel insights into the uptake of these crucial minerals for agriculture.
