Postdoctoral Researcher: Evaluation of the efficacy and characterization of the modes of action of biocontrol solutions for the protection of tomato against fungal pathogens

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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

Main responsibilities:

Design, develop, adapt and evaluate new biocontrol solutions for the protection of tomato against fungal diseases and characterize their modes of action, within the framework of the BIOSPHAERE research project.

The successful candidate will join a highly supportive experimental environment within the Plant Pathology Research Unit (67 allée des Chênes, 84140 Montfavet), with access to facilities and platforms in microbiology, microscopy, molecular biology and metabolomics. They will also have access to experimental facilities enabling the evaluation of biocontrol solutions, from controlled conditions to semi-commercial settings. The position will be supervised by Marc Bardin (INRAE Research Director) and Clémentine Lepinay (INRAE Research Scientist), whose complementary expertise covers the evaluation of alternative strategies for controlling fungal diseases of tomato and the characterization of plant-associated microbiota. The successful candidate will also benefit from the support of the scientific and technical partners involved in the BIOSPHAERE project.

Main activities:

In response to the current challenges facing agriculture, the development of innovative biocontrol solutions represents a key strategic lever for promoting more sustainable production systems. Biocontrol, which includes the use of microbial agents or substances of microbial, plant or mineral origin, represents a promising alternative to conventional chemical pesticides. In this context, the BIOSPHAERE project aims to develop new biocontrol solutions to strengthen integrated crop protection strategies. This collaborative project brings together academic and industrial partners to design, characterize and validate innovative active substances, including enzymes, lipopeptides and natural metabolites of microbial origin. The biocontrol solutions developed will be evaluated for their efficacy against insect pests, bacterial pathogens and fungal pathogens of tomato.

The main objective of the recruited postdoctoral researcher will be to contribute to the development of these new biocontrol solutions for the protection of tomato against Oidium neolycopersici, Botrytis cinerea and Passalora fulva. The work will focus on evaluating their protective efficacy, characterizing their modes of action, validating their potential under semi-controlled conditions, and assessing their non-target effects on plant- and rhizosphere-associated microbiota.

• Evaluate the efficacy of biocontrol solutions through experiments under controlled conditions, in order to identify the most promising candidates.
• Characterize the modes of action of selected active substances by analyzing their direct and indirect biological effects.
• Validate the most promising biocontrol solutions under semi-commercial conditions and identify the factors influencing their efficacy.
• Assess the impact of treatments on plant-associated microbial communities.
• Contribute to the scientific coordination of the project through interactions with project partners, presentation of results at scientific conferences, and preparation of reports and scientific publications.

Training and skills

• PhD in plant pathology or a related field.
• Experience in experimental research on plant–microorganism interactions.
• Basic knowledge of molecular biology techniques (DNA extraction, PCR).
• Skills in statistical analysis, data processing and interpretation of scientific data.
• Strong analytical, synthesis and scientific writing skills.
• Ability to work in a collaborative environment involving both academic and industrial partners.
• Good command of scientific English, both written and spoken.
• Autonomy, rigor, organizational skills and initiative.

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