Mots-Clés

transposable element population genomics comparative genomics, plants adaptation domestication evolution

Description

MISSIONS

The activity of the recruited person will be mainly devoted to the analysis of the genomic data (SNPs, full genomes, assembly, annotation). Strong skills in bioinformatics are therefore desired, the candidate will also supervise students, PhD candidate for this purpose. In addition to his/her direct interaction with the group formed by A. Cornille (technicians, trainees and postdocs), the candidate will also work with the collaborators of A. cornille’s team (INRAE Bordeaux, CNRGV Toulouse, URGI Jouy-en-Josas, AGAP Montpellier, UK PorthMouth).

ACTIVITIES

The hired person will be responsible for comparative and population genomics approaches to understand the role of transposable elements in the domestication of emblematic fruit trees (almond, peach, apricots, apples and pears). He/She will examine signatures of selection, demographic parameters and population differentiation of crop and wild fruit tree populations in Eurasia. Datasets are available (raw assembly and thousands of resequenced fruit tree genomes, RNAseq data, and later on epigenomic data). The project will allow for a great deal of flexibility in scientific orientation, for example by combining population genomics with field data, or assembly of pangenomes, depending on the specific interests and skills of the recruited person.

COMPETENCIES

Applicants must have a PhD or equivalent in evolutionary biology, advanced knowledge in population genetics, and a genuine interest in understanding biodiversity, as well as in training and supervising students. Applicants should have experience with genomic datasets, population genomics, comparative genomes and / or transposable element evolution. An experience with heterozygous genomes will be an asset.

LAB CONTEXT

UMR GQE-Le Moulon (Gif-sur-Yvette, France, http://moulon.inra.fr/, (UMR 8120, CNRS, AgroParisTech, INRAE, Univ. Paris Saclay) ) is part of Paris-Saclay University, an institution of worldwide renown, with two Nobel Prizes, four Fields Medals, and other international distinctions. Paris-Sud University houses about 2500 permanent scientists and 2600 PhD students and is located to the south of Paris (30 min from central Paris by car or train). It benefits from interactions with other Parisian Universities and the Natural History Museum. Several other excellent laboratories in the field of evolution and genomics are located in the area, creating a highly stimulating and collaborative environment. GQE-le Moulon department is part of IDEEV (Institute for the Study of Ecology and Evolution), which brings together two other excellent departments working in the field of evolutionary biology.

The coordinator of the project will be A. Cornille, who is a CNRS researcher hired in February 2017 to work at the GQE-le Moulon. Since 2019, she is at the head of an international group of eight people (this includes one PhD candidate, one postdoc, one technician, one research visitor, and several Master students). Her group, called ECLECTIC for “Ecological genomics of multi-species interactions” (http://moulon.inrae.fr/en/equipes/eclectic/), uses combinations of various approaches (laboratory experiments, field work, modeling, population genetics and genomics) for contributing to our understanding of plant, insect, bacteria diversities and of how organisms evolve and adapt to their environment. Her group is very much involved in communicating the work of her group to the broadest possible audience, and uses the wild apple orchards built from scratch when she was hired four years ago by the CNRS for divulgation activities. This participative science project, along with her other research projects, involves outreached activities. Amandine Cornille obtained a highly competitive ATIP-Avenir CNRS Inserm research grant on the genomics of adaptation in the apple-aphid interaction (2019-2021, 300 k€), and recently, in October 2021, a ANR JCJC grant on the role of repetitive regions of the genomics in the adaptation of fruit trees (2021-2025, 441 k€). She also obtained 10 grants for additional research and divulgation projects, securing about 745 k€ of funding. Cornille A. ’s publication record (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=EqIE2h8AAAAJ&hl=fr) Her work has been recognized by CNRS as she was awarded by the CNRS Paoletti prize https://www.insb.cnrs.fr/fr/personne/amandine-cornille-0) and the Jeunes Talents France-Chine fellowship from Ambassade de France.