Senescence, Autophagy, Nutrient Recycling and Nitrogen Use Efficiency

 Three oportunities:

> IJPB Master 2 proposal
>  Postdoctoral Position in Ecological Genomics
> Post-Doctoral Fellow in Crop Optimization and Plant Phenotyping

> IJPB Master 2 proposal

Supervisor: Fabien Chardon, contact,

Assessment of Carbon and Nitrogen Management across a green scale panel of barley varieties

Introduction, scientific context
In the context of a global climate emergency and the need to achieve carbon neutrality, terrestrial ecosystems are facing major challenges. Of particular concern is the negative impact of climate change on the sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) by photosynthesis. In this situation, critical questions arise about agricultural solutions designed to mitigate these impacts and enhance plant adaptation, while sustaining high crop production levels.
High plant biomass is maintained in agriculture with nitrogen and water inputs. During the green revolution, breeders selected high-yielding varieties with higher nitrogen and water efficiency. To meet the future challenges that agriculture will have to face, this approach may have some limitations that need to be overcome. The grain filling process, which involves the accumulation of carbon and nitrogen reserves in developing and ripening grains, is highly sensitive to environmental conditions and has a major impact on the final yield, both in terms of quantity and quality. Reducing nitrogen inputs in high-yielding crops may lead to resource competition between plant organs and impede the efficient transport of sugars to sink tissues (Sinclair et al., 2019). To increase plant biomass via increasing photosynthetic carbon assimilation, the carbon economy of future "smart crops" needs to be well designed. The key to success lies in the flexible adjustment of carbon flow towards tissues at specific growth periods, aimed at optimizing both yield and resilience (Liang et al., 2023). There is a pressing demand for methods, experiments and models for accurate assessments of C/N budgets at the agro-ecosystem level, and for the redesign of sustainable farming practices for the future.

Research proposal
How does chlorophyll content in plant canopies impact photosynthesis, plant biomass production, and carbon and nitrogen flows within plants? Our working hypothesis is that a reduction in chlorophyll content leads to decreased nitrogen assimilation while maintaining carbon assimilation.
To test this hypothesis, the student will grow a panel of barley varieties under two nutritional conditions: normal and low nitrogen. At growth stage 6 (when one node is detectable, after tillering and before leaf flag development), a specific leaf rank will be covered with aluminum foil to induce leaf senescence. The covered leaves will be harvested at four different time points, from day 0 to day 7.
The student will monitor photosynthetic traits (light use efficiency, light harvesting, non-photochemical quenching, electron transport, electron transport chain limitation) using the MultispeQ platform. He will extract and measure the total chlorophyll per leaf area and the chlorophyll a/b ratio. Leaf carbon and nitrogen content will be analyzed using an elemental analyzer. Senescence stage will be monitored by qPCR on senescence related genes and autophagy genes. Metabolomic and proteomic analyses will be performed on the same samples.

Methodologies
> Plant growth in controlled conditions
> Morphology and Phenology measurements
> Biochemistry (chlorophyll extraction and measurement, photosynthesis traits by MultispeQ)
> pPCR
> Plant genetics and plant nutrition
> Biostatistics and multi-omics analysis

References
Sinclair, Thomas R et al. “Increasing Photosynthesis: Unlikely Solution For World Food Problem.” Trends in plant science vol. 24,11 (2019): 1032-1039. doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2019.07.008
Liang XG, Gao Z, Fu XX, Chen XM, Shen S, Zhou SL. Coordination of carbon assimilation, allocation, and utilization for systemic improvement of cereal yield. Front Plant Sci. 2023;14:1206829. Published 2023 Sep 5. doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1206829
Marmagne A, Jasinski S, Fagard M, et al. Post-flowering biotic and abiotic stresses impact nitrogen use efficiency and seed filling in Arabidopsis thaliana. J Exp Bot. 2020;71(15):4578-4590. doi:10.1093/jxb/eraa011
Marmagne, Anne et al. “Modulation of plant nitrogen remobilization and postflowering nitrogen uptake under environmental stresses.” Journal of plant physiology vol. 277 (2022): 153781. doi:10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153781

>  Postdoctoral Position in Ecological Genomics

Contract: 18 mounths
Location: Jean-Pierre Bourgin Institute (IJPB), Versailles, France
Application Deadline: September,30th 2024

Contact: Fabien Chardon, Research Director at INRAE 
"Senescence, Autophagy, Nutrient Recycling and Nitrogen Use Efficiency" SATURNE team
Jean-Pierre Bourgin Institute for Plant Sciences, France

Description
The Jean-Pierre Bourgin Institute (IJPB) is inviting applications for an 18-monthS postdoctoral fellowship focused on the genetic foundations of seed quality and soil microbial biostimulation. This position offers an exceptional opportunity to engage in pioneering research aimed at developing innovative solutions to enhance crop yields, optimize nitrogen use efficiency of plants in changing agricultural contexts, and mitigate the effects of climate change. This position offers the opportunity to interact with the company NOVAEM (Aigrefeuille-d'Aunis) and the LIPME unit (Toulouse).

Main Responsibilities
> Conduct fundamental research and experiments to better understand the mechanisms controlling seed composition, exploring the effects of climate on nitrogen assimilation and plant production
> Develop and implement innovative solutions for biocontrol of nitrogen use efficiency in plants
> Actively engage with stakeholders, including the private partner NOVAEM and the LIPME unit
> Publish research findings in high-impact scientific journals and present them at international conferences
> Contribute to the supervision of graduate students and research assistants

Qualifications
> PhD in quantitative genetics, plant physiology, plant-microbe interactions, or a related field
> Extensive experience in quantitative genetics
> Proven track record of scientific research, including peer-reviewed publications
> Experience in conducting experiments and data analysis
> Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a diverse team of researchers and stakeholders
> Demonstrated commitment to advancing plant science and climate change mitigation strategies

Preferred Qualifications
>Experience in analyses of omics
> Experience in microbiology
> Strong project management skills and the ability to lead collaborative research initiatives

Application Process
Interested candidates should submit the following documents:
> A cover letter detailing their research interests and suitability for the fellowship
> A comprehensive curriculum vitae (CV)
> Copies of relevant publications
> Contact information for three professional references
> Please send your application materials to Fabien Chardon, contact, by the 1st of October 2024

> Post-Doctoral Fellow in Crop Optimization and Plant Phenotyping

Location: CEA Cadarache, BiAM
Duration: 3 years
Application Deadline: 1st september 2024

Job Description
CEA invites applications for a post-doctoral fellowship position focused on optimizing barley varieties and sustainable agriculture. This three-year fellowship offers an exciting opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research aimed at developing innovative solutions to enhance crop yields, improve agricultural sustainability, and mitigate the impacts of climate change. This position is part of the excellence fellowship program France2030, PEPR FairCarboN, and offers opportunities to interact with INRAE, and CNRS.

Key Responsibilities
Conduct fundamental research and experiments to explore and optimize crop performance. Develop and implement potential solutions for sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation. Engage actively with stakeholders, including academic partners, and agricultural organizations such
as ARVALIS. Bridge the gap between scientific research and practical applications in agriculture. Publish research findings in high-impact scientific journals and present at international conferences. Contribute to the supervision of graduate students and research assistants.

Qualifications
> A Ph.D. in Plant Science, Agronomy, Agricultural Engineering, or a related field
> Strong background in plant phenotyping using the Licor6800 and/or the MultispeQ.
> Proven track record of scientific research, including peer-reviewed publications.
> Experience in conducting field experiments and data analysis.
> Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a diverse team of researchers
and stakeholders
> Demonstrated commitment to advancing crop science, sustainable agriculture practices, and climate
change mitigation strategies

Preferred Qualifications
> Experience with advanced genomic and phenomic tools for crop optimization.
> Familiarity with precision agriculture technologies and data-driven agricultural practices.
> Strong project management skills and the ability to lead collaborative research initiatives.

Application Process
Interested candidates should submit the following documents:
> A cover letter detailing their research interests and suitability for the fellowship.
> A comprehensive curriculum vitae (CV).
> Copies of relevant publications.
> Contact information for three professional references.

Please send your application materials to Jean Alric by the 1st of september 2024.

Benefits
> Competitive salary and benefits package.
> Access to state-of-the-art research facilities and resources
> Opportunities for professional development and career advancement
> Collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment

Join us in our mission to revolutionize agriculture and ensure food security in a changing climate. We look forward to welcoming a dedicated and innovative researcher to our team.
CEA is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds.

Contact Information
Jean Alric
Research Director at CNRS
BiAM, CEA Cadarach