Postdoctoral Research Fellow based in Montpellier, France

Location	LEPSE – INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
Lab Website	https://www6.montpellier.inrae.fr/lepse_eng/
Date of Hire	As soon as possible
Duration	24 Months
Gross annual salary	42,672 – 49,248 € (commensurate with experience and qualification)

Job Description

We are seeking an outstanding, motivated candidate for a two-years Post-Doctoral position in root system modeling as part of the H2020 project SolACE. SolACE is inspired by the aim of finding “Solutions for improving Agroecosystem and Crop Efficiency for water and nutrient use”. In that project, our task is finding the best combinations of belowground traits to optimize plant foraging efficiency in suboptimal water and N supply scenarios.

Our strategy is to use crop models that are popular tools in plant sciences to integrate our knowledge about complex plant processes and performance as influenced their environment and their genotype (Muller and Martre, 2019). However, whereas above-ground processes have been the main focus in crop models for decades, the root part has been largely ignored and/or simplified due to difficulty and complexity in root phenotyping and limited access to root data. To fill this gap, you will develop an ecophysiological model of root growth and plasticity in response to spatio-temporal variations of soil water and nitrogen resources. The starting point will be the 3D root architectural model ArchiSimple that we have recently integrated into the wheat crop model SiriusQuality. An important aspect of the model will be that several genotypic parameters will be estimated in root phenotyping platforms. This will allow you to use this model to explore the value of root traits that have already been phenotyped for a bread and durum genetic panel in root platforms (4PMI, INREA; RootPhAir, UCLouvain) and in semi-field conditions (RadiMax, Univ. Copenhagen) and propose root ideotypes to improve wheat performance in suboptimal water and N supply scenarios.

Location

The position is open at the Laboratory for Plant Ecophysiology under Environmental Stress (LEPSE) of the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) and you will collaborate with SolACE partners at INRAE, UCLouvain and Univ Copenhagen. You will join a multi-disciplinary group of plant ecophysiologists, modelers, geneticists, and computer scientists. You will have access to state of the art laboratory, experimental, and computer facilities. Montpellier is a city of 270,000 ideally located in the south of France, on the Mediterranean sea. With over 3,000 researchers, Montpellier is the largest European center for plant sciences and agronomy.

Education and Experience Requirements

• A PhD degree in plant modeling, ecophysiology or a closely related field
• Good skills in object oriented programming (C#, C++, or Java)
• Strong scientific knowledge in applied mathematics and numerical modelling
• Ability to creatively identify and solve problems, use observational data to improve models and implement alternative solutions
• Proven record of research publications in peer-reviewed international journals
• Willingness to collaborate with others as part of a multi-disciplinary research team
• Proficiency in spoken and written English

Application conditions

Candidate of any nationality may apply. You must have a doctoral degree at recruitment date (French doctorate, PhD or foreign doctorate of equivalent level) for less than five years.

How to apply

To apply you should submit a letter of interest, complete curriculum vitae with a list of publications, the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about your professional qualifications and work experience.

For further information and to apply, please contact Dr Pierre Martre (pierre.martre@inrae.fr) and Dr. Bertrand Muller (bertrand.muller@inrae.fr).
This position will remain open until filled.

https://www6.montpellier.inrae.fr/lepse/Travailler-et-etudier-avec-nous/Post-Doctorats/Modeling-root-system-plasticity-in-response-to-drought-and-low-nitrogen-in-wheat