OPEN COMPETITIONS CR26-AgroEcoSystem-4
Junior research scientist in ecophysiology of plant holobionts: trophic interactions and signalling
21000 DIJON
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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 conduct your work within the INRAE Agroecology joint research unit in Dijon, which comprises 4 research hubs, including the LEGae (Ecophysiology and Genetics of Legumes for Agroecology) hub.Interactions between symbiotic and non-symbiotic plants (especially grain legumes) and soil microorganisms (rhizobium, mycorrhizae) are the cornerstone of the work of the LEGae hub where you will be recruited. You will join the Legume Ecophysiology (EcoLeg) team within the LEGae hub, which comprises 4 researchers, an associate professor, an engineer, an assistant engineer, a research technician, and a technical assistant. You will work closely with ecophysiologists and geneticists within the LEGae hub, as well as with microbial ecologists from the MICSOL hub or agronomists from the ADVENSYS hub.
Grain legumes are an essential component of sustainable agricultural systems and represent a major potential lever to address the global challenges of climate change and food security. However, the yield and quality of these crops are irregular as a result of their sensitivity to abiotic constraints, making them less attractive to the agricultural profession. Legume-based intercropping offers the potential to improve and stabilise production while promoting interactions between plants and soil microorganisms. In this context, you will contribute to removing scientific hurdles associated with understanding the multi-trophic and signalling interactions between grain legumes cultivated in combination with non-legumes and soil microbial communities. You will implement a scientific approach to improve understanding of the mechanisms that drive the components in the plant-microorganism feedback loop in these complex systems of plant associations.
You will be in charge of characterising the molecular dialogue between organisms (plant-plant-microorganisms) through the study of metabolic fluxes rhizodeposited by the plants and their variations according to (i) the species or associated genotypes, and (ii) the environmental conditions encountered (e.g., abiotic stress). To achieve this, you will have at your disposal experimental facilities in controlled conditions such as the Serres-4PMI platform, or in the field with facilities involved in the IVD Innov'Asso project. You could address the trophic aspect of the interactions using the fluxomics tools available in the laboratory, and the signalling aspect using targeted or non-targeted metabolomics approaches, in collaboration with the dedicated analytical platforms. You will help search for funding to develop your research project, supervise students on the topic, and promote your research results through publications or oral presentations intended for various audiences (academic, professional, civil society). You will join scientific networks working on your research topic and collaborate with teams at local, national or international level.
Training and skills
Competition open to candidates with a PhD (or equivalent).
Sound knowledge in the field of ecophysiology and plant physiology, with skills in metabolomics and fluxomics, would be greatly appreciated.
Strong taste for multidisciplinary approaches and the necessary collaborations.
Experience in studying plant-microorganism interactions would be desirable.
Experience in experimental design in controlled and semi-controlled conditions or in the field would be desirable.
Ability to manage a research project independently is recommended.
Candidates should have a good command of English, and long-term international experience would also be desirable. Successful candidates who have not yet acquired this experience abroad will be required to do so after their probationary period (1st year).
Your future role explained in 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
- I download the applicant guide Guide for applicants 2026 pdf - 1.41 MB
- I write down the profile number CR26-AgroEcoSystem-4
- I apply GO
All persons employed by or hosted at INRAE, a public research establishment, are subject to the Civil Service Code, particularly with regard to the obligation of neutrality and respect for the principle of secularism. In carrying out their functions, whether or not they are in contact with the public, they must not express their religious, philosophical or political convictions through their behaviour or by what they wear. > Find out more: fonction publique.gouv.fr website (in French)