Junior research scientist on pollinator attractiveness in plants: genetic and molecular diversity

Back to campaign's jobs listing

INRAE presentation

INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment, is a public research organization bringing together 12,000 employees across 272 units in 18 centers across France. As the world’s leading institute specializing in agriculture, food, and the environment, INRAE plays a key role in supporting the necessary transitions to address global challenges.

Faced with population growth, food security challenges, climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss, INRAE is committed to developing scientific solutions and supporting the evolution of agricultural, food, and environmental practices.

INRAE is recruiting researchers by open competition and offering permanent position.

Work environment, missions and activities

You will be working in the Genetics and Improvement of Fruit and Vegetables unit (GAFL), which has 53 permanent staff on the Avignon site. GAFL's mission is to harness the genetic diversity of plants to support the agro-ecological transition in vegetable and fruit production. The organization focuses on enhancing plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, maintaining fruit quality under low-input conditions and climate change, and fostering beneficial interactions between plants and pollinators within agricultural systems.

The decline of pollinators poses a significant threat to ecosystem biodiversity and global food security, as the majority of cultivated plants rely on pollinators for their reproduction.
Your research will seek to elucidate the genetic and molecular bases of plants' abilities to attract and reward pollinators for their vital services—traits that have yet to be selected in breeding programs. You will focus on melon, an ideal model species for studying entomophilous pollination.

To identify the genes associated with pollinator attractiveness, you will employ quantitative and molecular genetic approaches, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and functional validation of genes, in close collaboration with the unit's researchers. Utilizing an instrumented phenotyping platform established at the Mediterranean Fruit and Vegetable Experimental Unit (A2M), you will analyze the traits essential for attracting both domestic and wild bees, leveraging image analysis techniques powered by artificial intelligence.

In the realm of bioinformatics, you will receive local support from our Informatics, Bioanalysis, and Biostatistics team (I2B). You will also utilize the unique genetic resources maintained at GAFL’s CRBLèg, along with genomic resources developed for Cucurbitaceae in partnership with the Institut of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay (IPS2) and the Plant Genome Polymorphism Study Unit (EPGV).

Your work will contribute to the development of tools for selecting traits that enhance pollinator attractiveness in plants, which are critical for improving productivity and conserving pollinator populations. You will benefit from multidisciplinary collaboration networks with both French and international academic researchers, as well as a robust partnership with private seed companies.

You must not be apprehensive about or allergic to pollinating insects.

Training and skills

The competition is open to candidates with a PhD (or equivalent).

You will need a solid background in quantitative genetics, statistics and plant breeding, with a good ability to obtain and analyse genetics and omics data related to the biological understanding of complex processes.
Experience in analysing the genetic determinism of resistance to pests and diseases and knowledge of plant pathology would be an advantage. 

You are a team player and willing to integrate and interact within a research team. 
Fluency in English is required. Successful candidates who have not yet had medium- to long-term international experience will be required to spend a period of time abroad before the end of the first year.

 Let’s talk about your future role in a video!

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from:

- 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.

For international scientists: please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE. 

How to apply

1. I download the applicant guide Application guidelines CRCN 2025 pdf - 3.93 MB
2. I write down the profile number CR-2025-BAP-2
3. I apply GO