PhD position in Plant Photobiology and Epigenome Dynamics under the supervision of Fredy Barneche at Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS) in Paris, France.

What are you going to do?

Non-genetic phenotypic plasticity induced by light acclimation

You will work in a project about short-term priming and transgenerational acclimation to light stress. The host laboratory identified that gene induction during Arabidopsis photomorphogenesis is enhanced by a prior, short and transient, exposure to light. The physiological relevance and molecular mechanisms underlying light-induced plant priming have not been addressed, nor its links to other priming mechanisms. The process could significantly favour seedling vigour in agriculture under extreme light conditions (heat waves, high altitude, low latitude).

Your aim will be to contrast and compare epigenome and transcriptome/epitranscriptome changes induced by short-term priming in Arabidopsis and oilseed rape plants. In parallel, you will characterise gene regulatory pathways impacting light-induced priming and transgenerational effects of high light acclimation. In these analyses, you will use Arabidopsis chromatin and photoperception mutant lines and benefit from a unique collection of Arabidopsis wild type and mutant lines with different life histories of light environment for five successive generations. This will be a highly multidisciplinary project in which you will integrate phenotypic, molecular and epigenomic information, including transcriptome/epitranscriptome time-series (RNA-seq), chromatin marks and accessibility, transcription factors and DELLA protein profiles of Arabidopsis and oilseed rape plants in the selected conditions.

You will actively collaborate with partners at the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands), Regensburg (Germany), CSIC in Madrid and Valencia (Spain). You will also benefit from training in plant phenotyping and bioinformatics by the DSV and Sequentia companies.

What do you have to offer?

  • MSc in Molecular Biology, Plant Science or related biological sciences
  • Strong interest in deciphering how plant adapt to changing environmental conditions
    with a specific emphasis on light
  • Conceptual background in epigenetics and gene expression
  • Knowledge in molecular biology techniques

It is a preference if you also have experience in data analysis and motivation for training in
bioinformatics.

Our offer

The appointment will be on a temporary basis for a period of three years. The appointment will be according to the employment rules of CNRS and should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). A Personal Career Development Plan will be drafted that includes the attendance to EpiSeedLink courses and meetings.

The gross monthly salary will be according to the MSCA programme, taking into account the country-specific correction coefficient. Besides the salary, you will obtain a mobility allowance (see page Requirements and Conditions).

About us

Ecole Normale Supérieure is a small and historical French institution located in the centre of Paris. ENS is dedicated to training through research with a multidisciplinary and international perspective with 300 foreign researchers and 650 PhD students. ENS is a founding member of Paris Sciences Lettres (PSL) University, ranked among the top 5 young universities under 50 years of age in the THE (Times Higher Education) and QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) rankings (2019-2021), and the 38th best university according to the 2021 Shanghai ranking.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions, or do you require additional information? Please contact: Dr Fredy Barneche; Barneche@bio.ens.psl.eu, phone: +33 144323531.