Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC) is a research centre in Umeå, Northern Sweden, which is made up of two departments from two universities. We work at the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). The other department at UPSC is the Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University. UPSC is a truly international research centre, made up of around 250 staff and students of over 45 different nationalities and our working language is English. We also have a high proportion of young researchers. More than half of us are postdocs, PhD students and Masters students, while the rest of us are mainly group leaders, research engineers, technicians and administrative staff.

UPSC is a Centre of Excellence and the quality of our research output is at the forefront of plant science! We work on a wide range of biological questions related to plants, covering genetics, metabolomics, biochemistry, proteomics, cell and molecular biology, growth, stress responses, environmental adaptations and more. We are renowned for our cutting edge research facilities and our highly collaborative nature. Among our many facilities are state-of-the-art controlled plant growth, microscopy, transformation, transgenics and bioinformatics facilities, as well as phenotyping, metabolomics and biopolymer analysis platforms. You are welcome to check out the UPSC website for more information.

We work for the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences or Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet (SLU) in Swedish. SLU is a large university focused on education, research and environmental assessment within the agricultural and environmental sciences. SLU is located at several different campuses and research stations throughout Sweden, including the campus in Umeå. The motto of SLU is “Science and education for sustainable life”. Feel free to check out the SLU website.

We are located in Umeå, a small city of around 150,000 inhabitants in the North of Sweden, which is well-connected to the rest of the world via plane, bus, train and ferry. Umeå is a vibrant and active city with two universities and a large university hospital, which attract many international students and professionals. With a growing population, Umeå has a high proportion of young people and families with children. As a result, there are many facilities, attractions and events for all ages in Umeå, including sports centres, cinemas, festivals, concerts and shows. Umeå also boasts great infrastructure, including good public transport and plenty of preschools, schools, hotels, cafés, restaurants and more. Check out Umeå’s tourist centre website for more information.

Our city Umeå is surrounded by beautiful, remote countryside, with forests, lakes, hills and rivers all on our doorstep. While Spring in Umeå brings greenery and flowers to our surroundings, Autumn brings mushroom and berry treasures for picking in our forests. Our summers are mild with very long days, suitable for hiking, fishing, boating, swimming and camping in the wilderness. Although our winters are dark, our snowy winter landscape offers many fun outdoor activities including cross-country skiing, ice-skating, tobogganing, dog-sledding, snowboarding and downhill skiing.  Whether you are single or bringing a family, whether you are prefer busy city life or the peaceful countryside, whether you are an outdoor adventurer or would rather just relax indoors, Umeå really has something for everybody! Check out Umeå’s tourist centre webpage for more information.