Post-doctoral researcher in the genetics of Brassica resistance to the cabbage stem flea beetle

Inrae

INRAE presentation

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 be welcomed in the DEBI (Diversity and Evolution of Biotic Interactions) team at the UMR IGEPP unit (Le Rheu, France). This interdisciplinary team regroups expertise in molecular biology, metabolomics, functional genomics, and quantitative and population genetics. This postdoctoral position is part of the European HORIZON Europe – PROWILD project, which aims to explore and promote the genetic diversity of crop wild relatives of wheat, sugar beet, and Brassica species. Your mission will focus on the Brassica genus.

The major challenge is to identify sustainable control strategies against the cabbage stem flea beetle, one of the main pests of winter rapeseeds. While resistance to this insect varies little within the same species, it is highly contrasting between species: cabbage, turnips, and rapeseed exhibit very different levels of defense. Cabbage, although its direct wild variant is unknown, is naturally more resistant than rapeseed. The objective of your work will be to: trace the evolutionary history of wild cabbages, characterize their spectrum of resistance to the cabbage stem flea beetle, and determine whether this resistance is correlated with genetic proximity to domesticated species.

You will be in charge of:

• Organize and conduct field experiments to assess the resistance level of the 70 populations.
• Organize sampling to test demographic hypotheses regarding the origins of cabbages.
• Associate phenotypes to genetic data to be acquired and understand the evolutionary history of resistance (population genetics and quantitative genetics).

Field experiments under controlled conditions ; some travel by vehicle will be required. A driver’s license is recommended.

Training and skills

PhD

• Recommended training: a PhD in quantitative genetics of resistance to biotic pressure.
• Knowledge required: bioinformatics and SNP calling.
• Appreciated experience: experience in Brassica genetics is an asset.
• Skills sought: proficiency in R and/or bash, analytical skills in quantitative genetics.

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