Thesis offer in the IJPB team "Seed - Development, Regulation and Metabolism" SEED-DREAM

The quality of seeds, used for food purposes, as raw material for industry, and as propagation vectors for agriculture, depends on both their content and their germinative vigor. In oil-rich species, the seed coat directly affects these two components, helping to nourish the embryo while protecting it from various environmental stresses. One cell layer in the seed coat produces a lipid polyester, suberin, which is deposited on the cell surface and whose biophysical properties are particularly well-suited to the various functions attributed to the seed coat.

In Arabidopsis thaliana, MYB9 and MYB107 activate suberin production in the seed coat during development. Mutations in the genes encoding these transcription factors have been shown to affect suberin deposition and seed coat permeability. One of the aims of this thesis will be to identify other transcriptional regulators of this biosynthetic pathway in order to reconstitute the regulatory network controlling suberin deposition. In the second part of the project, we will use different transgenic lines with qualitatively and/or quantitatively altered suberin deposition in the seed to understand the role(s) this polymer plays in seed resilience to abiotic stress, during development, ageing and germination.

Candidates must:
> Hold a Master 2 degree or equivalent,
> Have solid laboratory research experience,
> Advanced training in genetics and molecular physiology.
No expertise in analytical chemistry is required, but good teamwork and communication skills are absolutely essential to the success of this interdisciplinary and collaborative project.


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