Adapting plants to climate change is a major challenge for agriculture worldwide. Like many tropical trees, coffee is particularly sensitive to these changes, which are already affecting production and the geographical distribution of crops, with major socio-economic consequences for the sector and the farmers who, in the majority of cases, are highly vulnerable, small-scale producers.

Most current varieties are no longer adapted to the new pressures exerted by these global changes. As conventional coffee breeding processes take a long time (around 30 years to create a new variety), breeders have turned to biotechnologies, and more specifically somatic embryogenesis and in vitro culture (IVC[DL1] ) to speed up the selection and multiplication of new varieties such as Arabica F1 hybrids, which are more tolerant to the various (a)biotic stresses, more productive and particularly suited to agroforestry. Functional analysis of genes through transgenesis, and rapid, targeted improvement of certain traits through genome editing (GE), also require the use of IVC. CIRAD, a pioneer in the development of these new biotechnologies for coffee breeding, has developed numerous innovations and built up a network of lasting collaborations within the coffee industry, with the aim of having a tangible impact on the coffee sector.

CIRAD is recruiting a plant biotechnology engineer for the DIADE joint research unit. The main role of the person recruited will be to run the coffee genome editing laboratory in Montpellier and to use  his knowledge of IVC to support selection and dissemination programmes for new coffee varieties, in collaboration with our partners in the Global South and North. [DL2]
He/she will be responsible for developing the following activities in relation to coffee trees: (1) In vitro production, conservation and traceability of plant material to support a range of genetic improvement and genome-editing research projects (callus, suspension cultures, seedlings, etc.), (2) Optimisation of in vitro culture and genome-editing protocols (production, transfection and sorting of protoplasts, regeneration of plantlets from isolated protoplasts, plasmid construction, genotyping of edited plants, etc.), (3) Participation in the technology transfer of coffee mass propagation and genome-editing methods in order to strengthen the skills and autonomy of our partners in the South, and in the deployment in partnership of the ECOM-CIRAD varieties [DL3] [GMTH4] throughout the intertropical zone, (4) Participation in setting up and coordinating genome-editing projects involving IVC and participation to the EDITROP (EDItion du génome des plantes TROPicales et méditerranéenne) network, in collaboration with the AGAP and PHIM [DL5] joint research units.

- You have a Master’s or engineering degree or a PhD with, if possible, some initial professional experience in the public (e.g. research centre) or private (e.g. seed company) sector.

- You have good theoretical and technical knowledge of in vitro culture and plant biotechnology.

- You are particularly drawn to laboratory experimentation and expert appraisal missions, knowledge/technology transfer and training of staff (partners, students) in the field in tropical areas.

- You are familiar with molecular biology techniques (e.g. DNA and RNA extraction, plasmid cloning, genetic transformation, genotyping) and new genomics techniques (NGTs) such as genome editing.

- You are capable of organising your work and rigorously following – and where necessary optimising – the experiment protocols you are given, in order to ensure reproducibility of results.

- You are able to present the results in writing in the form of scientific articles.

- You have an appetite for leading workshops and networks in your areas of expertise (IVC).

- You have a strong interest in working with others/in partnership (particularly in the South) and are able to collaborate on several projects at the same time.

- You are happy to carry out some of your activities abroad (individual assignments) with partners in the Global South.

- You are able and motivated to work with experienced researchers in the field, setting up projects and coordinating partnerships, including with the private sector [DL1] 

- Finally, you have a good command of both French and English.