Junior research scientist in systems genetics applied to plant-plant interactions

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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 work within the “Diversity, Evolution and Adaptation of populations” team (DEAP) and participate in the cross-disciplinary theme “Genetics of interactions”.
You will benefit from trials on wheat and pea on plots at the Versailles-Saclay experimental unit, studied using quantitative genetics coupled with ecophysiological modelling and drone-assisted high-throughput phenotyping.
You will benefit from statistical methods for multiomics integration developed by the GQE-Le Moulon and MIA Paris-Saclay units on the response of maize to water shortages (BASE, GEvAD and GQMS teams). Concerning the microbiome, you will join the collaboration initiated between DEAP and the LIPME, LEM and Eco&Sols units.
You will benefit from the proximity of the PAPPSO proteomics platform (one of GQE’s teams), as well as the POPS transcriptomics platform of the IPS2 unit.

You will benefit from the unit’s mutualised services to access storage and computing servers.
The agroecological transition involves limiting non-renewable inputs and mobilising biological interactions. Intra-plot diversification, with varietal and species mixtures, is a major lever, especially for straw cereals and grain legumes. However, the genetic bases of the ecological interactions are still largely unknown, and the combinatorial explosion of the number of possible mixtures complicates screening for mixing ability. You will coordinate research to understand the genetic and molecular determinism of interactions between plants and their related microorganisms (holobiont). You will contribute to mobilising omics technologies on several scales (transcripts, proteins, metabolites) to characterise the plasticity of varieties between monovarietal crops and mixtures, and quantify the diversity of associated microorganisms and their functions in collaboration with researchers within the unit studying the genetics of mixtures in wheat at plant and stand level. You will ensure the integrative statistical analysis of these systems in collaboration with the unit's researchers in systems genetics of maize to reach a certain level of genericity and assess the benefits of this integration in terms of predicting the mixing ability of varieties.

You will be in charge of identifying existing trials, then designing new trials involving varietal mixtures of wheat or wheat-pea species, enabling the collection of samples in the field obtained using more or less destructive sampling (leaves, roots, plants). You will design experiments to assess different protocols in terms of phenological stage, organ, number of replicas, sampling technique, depending on the desired type of molecular data (DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites), as well as to collect samples with a wide genetic and phenotypic variety, even in different environments (cultural practices, preceding crops, site-years). You will be responsible for identifying existing statistical methods and developing new ones, particularly to integrate new types of omics data and relate them to the genetic diversity of the species. You will be in charge of searching for funding for your projects. You will conduct scientific monitoring relating to omics technologies and scientific results from these technologies applied to intra-plot diversification and more broadly agroecology, as well as statistical models, machine learning, and AI. You will manage the data produced through your projects in accordance with the unit’s policy and FAIR data principles. You will contribute to the fundamental debate within the unit on the selection in and for agroecological conditions, as well as the use of omics approaches for this purpose. 

In all these activities, you will benefit from the help of your host team and their collaborators, with trials set up regularly and omics data already acquired or being acquired from trials of varying size. You will also benefit from scientific discussions with other colleagues within the unit.

Training and skills

Competition open to candidates with a PhD (or equivalent). 
A Master’s in Biology/Genetics/Ecology combined with a PhD in plant-plant interactions, quantitative genetics, or multi-omics data analysis is highly recommended. Sound skills in statistical analysis of large datasets, as well as the integration of structured but heterogeneous molecular data, are highly recommended. Expertise in experimental approaches, as well as programming, would also be recommended. You have excellent teamwork skills and know how to interact with diverse research teams. You have a keen interest in agroecology and field trials.
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

1. I download the applicant guide Guide for applicants 2026 pdf - 1.41 MB
2. I write down the profile number CR26-BAP-4
3. I apply GO