large panel of inbred lines to identify genome regions controlling root growth and ... chambers), imaging, molecular &am
Postdoc position (24 months) Quantitative genomics of root traits in pearl millet IRD, UMR DIADE, Montpellier, France Studies of the genetic basis of adaptation have, for a long time, considered mainly above ground phenotype. Genetic basis of root traits and how plants shape their root microbial community only begin to be investigated as adaptive traits. Pearl millet is an important crop for food security especially in the semi-arid areas of the Sahel where other crops tend to fail because of low rainfall and poor soil conditions. We recently characterized the variability of exudation (Ndour et al. 2017) and root growth (Passot et al. 2016) in pearl millet. These results led us to conduct a genetic association studies on a large panel of inbred lines to identify genome regions controlling root growth and exudation. We plan to expand this research in a recently funded ANR project "Root traits for adaptation of pearl millet to future climate in West Africa" that targets root traits in pearl millet to enhance water and nutrient acquisition, production stability in changing climates, and concomitantly to increase global food security. The postdoctoral fellow will be in charge of the research to identify and characterize genes controlling QTLs for root growth and exudation in pearl millet. Activities: • Validation of the QTLs using biparental population • Gene and small RNA expression analyses • Functional studies of candidate genes Profile: • Ph.D. in biosciences, plant biology, bioinformatics or related fields • Experience in statistical methods for evaluating effects of various treatments and detection of QTL in mapping populations • Ability to work independently and in a research team • Knowledge of both written and spoken English Location: The postdoctoral fellow will be hosted at IRD Montpellier (France). The IRD is the French public research institute dedicated to research on international development issues. With a permanent staff of over 2000, many posted abroad, it develops interdisciplinary research in partnership with university and research institutes in developing countries to advance knowledge on sustainable development issues such as neglected tropical diseases, climate change, water resources or food security. The IRD research centre in Montpellier host 300 scientists, postdocs and students. It provides dedicated plant growth (greenhouses, growth chambers), imaging, molecular & cell biology and bioinformatics platforms with state-of-theart equipment and experiences technical staff. The position will be shared between the CERES and DYNADIV teams of UMR DIADE (IRD/U. Montpellier/Cirad). The CERES team brings together researchers in plant physiology, functional genomics and systems biology to study the genetic determinants of root architecture and root-microbe interactions in two cereals, pearl millet and rice (https://sites.google.com/site/cerealrootsystem/). The DYNADIV team has expertise in population genetics and genomics, as well as in association mapping using crossed or natural population. The team was involved in the sequencing of the pearl millet genome
(Vrashney et al. 2017). UMR DIADE develops bioinformatics tools and expertise through the iTrop platform. Selected publications related the project (last 3 years): Varshney R. et al. 2017. Pearl millet genome sequence provides a resource to improve agronomic traits in arid environments. Nature Biotech. 35:969-976. Ndour PMS, Gueye M, Barakat M, Ortet P, Bertrand-Huleux M, Pablo AL, Dezette D, Chapuis Lardy L, Assigbetse K, Kane N, Vigouroux Y, Achouak W, Ndoye I, Heulin T, Cournac L. 2017. Pearl millet genetic traits impact rhizobacterial diversity and rhizosphere soil aggregation. Front Plant Sci 8:1288 Ousseini IS, Bakasso Y, Kane NA, Couderc M, Zekraoui L, Mariac C, Manicacci D, Rhoné B, Barnaud A, Berthouly-Salazar C, Assoumane A, Moussa D, Moussa T, Vigouroux Y. 2017. Myosin XI is associated with fitness and adaptation to aridity in wild pearl millet. Heredity in press. doi: 10.1038/hdy.2017.13. Passot S, Gnacko F, Moukouanga D, Lucas M, Guyomarc'h M, Moreno Ortega B, Atkinson J, Niang M, Bennett M, Gantet P, Wells D.M., Guédon Y, Vigouroux Y, Verdeil J-L, Muller B and Laplaze L. 2016. Characterization of pearl millet root architecture and anatomy reveals three types of lateral roots. Front. Plant Sci., 7:829. Berthouly-Salazar C, Thuillet AC, Rhoné B, Mariac C, Ousseini IS, Couderc M, Tenaillon MI, Vigouroux Y. 2016. Genome scan reveals selection acting on genes linked to stress response in wild pearl millet. Mol Ecol. 25:5500-5512. Contact: Yves VIGOUROUX,
[email protected] Laurent LAPLAZE,
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