The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a major player in research and innovation. It is a community of 12,000 people with 272 research, experimental research, and support units located in 18 regional centres throughout France. Internationally, INRAE is among the top research organisations in the agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, as well as in ecology and environmental science.
It is the world’s leading research organisation specialising in agriculture, food and the environment. INRAE’s goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. Faced with a growing world population, climate change, resource scarcity, and declining biodiversity, the Institute has a major role to play in building solutions and supporting the necessary acceleration of agricultural, food and environmental transitions.
Work environment, missions and activities -You will work in the UMR 1065 Santé et Agroécologie du Vignoble (SAVE). SAVE’s mission is to produce knowledge and develop tools to achieve low-input management of vine diseases and pests. The work of the unit is based on complementary expertise in ecology, epidemiology, plant pathology and entomology. The finalized stakes of the research are: (i) the agroecological transition and the exit of the pesticides in viticulture, (ii) the management of vine decline and (iii) the monitoring of the emergences of vine bioagressors.
Your missions will be carried out in the “Vineyard decline” team which works on the understanding of the mechanisms underlying vine decline, in particular caused by trunk diseases in relation with climatic factors. Scientific context: Grapevine trunk diseases are a major factor in the declining vineyard problematic affecting the wine industry. Plant breeding appears to be an important lever to be used to meet the challenges of reducing phytosanitary inputs and adapting to climate change.
While no grape variety seems to be totally spared, very contrasting differences have been identified in their degree of susceptibility to these diseases. The selection of traits with reduced susceptibility to vine diseases, using simple breeding methods or genetic markers associated with resistance to vine vascular pathogens, would therefore represent a major step forward in the fight against trunk diseases and, in the long term, a major step forward for the French wine industry.
This offer of a 2-year post-doctoral position is linked to the XYLOSAFE project (2022-2025) financed by the Carnot Plant2Pro Institute. The aim of this post-doctoral project is to identify the physiological and genetic determinants responsible for the variability in grapevine trunk disease susceptibility. In particular, it aims: (i) to study the diversity of resistance to two grapevine wood pathogens in a panel of genetic diversity of cultivated grapevines and of a biparental offspring, (ii) to study the role of structural characteristics of the xylem in disease resistance and (iii) to identify the genetic determinants associated with these different characteristics (in collaboration with different labs).
–More specifically, you will be in charge of : – Phenotyping a large number of V. vinifera genotypes (“panel 279”; Nicolas et al. 2016 BMC Plant Biology) and a biparental progeny (n=177 F2 Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon x Vitis riparia cv; Gloire de Montpellier; Guillaumie et al. 2020 BMC Plant Biology) for (i) their susceptibility to two wood pathogens (inoculations under controlled conditions on detached internodes) and (i) the anatomy of their vascular system (size and density of xylem vessels; Pouzoulet et al. 2020; Lamarque et al. 2023) in collaboration with the host team (UMR SAVE).
All genotypes have been grown in pots at INRAE Bordeaux Nouvelle Aquitaine since 2022. The experiments will be carried out using detached internodes of each genotype harvested during the dormant season (2024 and 2025). – The identification of putative regions of the genome involved in the variability of the traits phenotyped as described above (QTLs for susceptibility of the vine to wood pathogenic fungi and xylem anatomy) using two complementary approaches:
(i) construction of a high-density genetic map based on SNP markers derived from genotyping by sequencing (GBS) of the F2 CS x RGM population and detection of QTLs in collaboration with the UMR EGFV and (ii) association genetics on the panel of 279 genotypes (carried out by the UMR AGAP).
This research will be carried out in close collaboration with Dr Chloé Delmas of the UMR SAVE, Dr Sabine Guillaumie and Dr Pierre-François Bert of the UMR EGFV, Dr Cédric Moisy of the IFV (French Wine and Vine Institute) and Dr Thierry Lacombe and Dr Agnès Doligez of the UMR AGAP, in the framework of the XYLOSAFE project funded by the Carnot Plant2Pro Institute.
Training and skills: PhD – Recommended training: PhD in plant pathology/biology and/or genetics, a strong interest in applied research and excellent skills in plant phenotyping and experience in QTL analysis would be appreciated.
-Desired knowledge :
- Experience of plant phenotyping
- Excellent theoretical knowledge of genetics
- Proficiency in QTL analysis
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, and the ability to work effectively as part of a team
- A strong publication record and the ambition and ability to publish in high-impact journals
INRAE’s life quality By joining our teams, you benefit from (depending on the type of contract and its duration):
- up to 30 days of annual leave + 15 days “Reduction of Working Time” (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.
Offer reference
- Contract: Postdoctoral position
- Duration: 2 years
- Beginning: 01/10/2023
- Remuneration: gross monthly salary ranging from 2604,47€ to 3293,17€ depending on previous experience
- Reference: OT-18832
- Deadline: 30/09/2023
Contact: DELMAS Chloé chloe.delmas@inrae.fr
How to apply I send my CV and my motivation letter to: chloe.delmas@inrae.fr