Thesis offer in the IJPB team "Meiosis Mechanisms" MeioMe

The Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin for Plant Sciences (IJPB) offers an outstanding research environment with state-of-theart facilities, strong interdisciplinary expertise, and a vibrant scientific community. Located at the edge of the Versailles Palace gardens, within the Paris-Saclay research ecosystem and close to Paris, IJPB
combines high scientific visibility with an excellent quality of life.

Project
Our lab has recently established that during A. thaliana meiosis, telomeres become anchored to the nuclear envelope (NE), establishing dynamic connections between chromosomes in the nucleoplasm and the cytoplasmic microtubule network. When this attachment process is defective, it leads to abnormal chromosome dynamics, impaired homologous recombination, and errors in chromosome segregation, ultimately resulting in reduced fertility and aneuploidy in the progeny (1 & 2).
The objective of this PhD project is to uncover the structural basis and regulation of chromosome attachment to the nuclear envelope during meiotic prophase. The PhD student will combine multiple super-resolution microscopy approaches to elucidate the organization and ultrastructure of chromosome–nuclear envelope interaction sites in wild-type plants, and will characterize these interactions in newly identified mutants exhibiting defects in chromosome dynamics during meiotic
prophase.

References 
1 Cromer L, Mariana Tiscareno-Andrade M, Lefranc S, Chambon A, Hurel A, Brogniez M, Guérin J, Le Masson I, Adam G, Charif D, Andrey P & Mathilde
Rapid meiotic prophase chromosome movements in Arabidopsis thaliana are linked to essential reorganization at the nuclear envelope. 2024. Nature Comunications. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50169-4
2 Cai B, Tiscareno-Andrade M, Luo Y, Lefranc S, Fei Cao F, Chambon A, Yuan X, Peuch M, Yashi Zhang Y, Hurel A, Jule Guérin J, Vrielynck N, Christine Mézard, Philippe Andrey, Laurence Cromer, Chao Yang & Mathilde Grelon. Identification of the cytoplasmic motor–LINC complex involved in rapid chromosome movements during meiotic prophase in Arabidopsis thaliana. 2025. Nature Plants. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02043-4

Training benefits 
> Advanced training in super-resolution and live-cell imaging of the nucleus
> Advanced training in plant genetics and molecular biology
> In-depth knowledge of plant reproduction and meiotic recombination
> Training in scientific communication through publications, presentations, and teamwork

Candidate Profile
Applicants should have a strong background in molecular biology and/or plant sciences, be highly
motivated, curious, and independent, with excellent experimental and analytical skills. Previous
experience in cytology and/or imaging will be appreciated.

Eligibility requirement (MSCA mobility rule) 
Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in France for more than 12 months
during the 36 months immediately preceding the recruitment date.


Research developed at the Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin for Plant Sciences.