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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

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

• The use of pesticide products for crop protection is an important cause of the decline in biodiversity and ecosystem services efficiency. Earthworms play a major role in soil functioning through their bioturbation activities and organic carbon mineralization, and are sensitive to pesticide products. However, most current studies assume that pesticide tolerance is identical between individuals. Thus, the link between individual sensitivity to pesticides, trait expression, and impacts on soil functioning remains still poorly understood.

As part of the ANR project  EEWORM (Eco-Evolutionary dynamics in earthWORMs exposed to pesticide mixtures), we seek to predict the impact of pesticides on the evolutionary trajectories of earthworms and to understand the resulting changes in soil functioning. Your objective will be to assess the link between intra- specific variation in life history traits of earthworms on carbon mineralization functions and soil macroporosity. In a second phase, you will conduct controlled exposures to environmental doses of pesticides in order to estimate the intensity and direction of selection on life history traits of earthworms. You will collaborate with soil biology experts who are partners in the project (EcoSys, IEES) and will also be able to participate in modeling work on eco-evolutionary dynamics that will result from the experimental phases of the project.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

You will be co-supervised by Raphaël Royauté and Juliette Faburé at  EcoSys and hosted at the Campus Agro- Paris Saclay in Palaiseau. You will be affiliated to the Sol&Tox team which specializes in the pedological processes involved in soil health. You will work closely with the soil fauna technical for field-collection and organism maintenance in the laboratory. You will supervise research interns that will assist your experimental work. You will have the opportunity to conduct missions with the project partners at  l’IEES Paris.

Training and skills

• Recommended training: PhD in Ecotoxicology, Soil Ecology, or Behahioral Ecology,
• Knowledge required: laboratrory experimentations with soil organisms or measures of soil functions
• Appreciated experience: Strong interests for evolutionary ecology

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.

How to apply

I send my CV and my motivation letter