Organisation/Company Cirad (la recherche Agronomique pour le développement) Research Field Agricultural sciences » Agronomics Biological sciences » Biology Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Leading Researcher (R4) First Stage Researcher (R1) Established Researcher (R3) Country Australia Application Deadline 29 Sep 2025 - 22:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Dec 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
The PhD project is part of ongoing research on resistance to Huanglongbing (HLB), a citrus disease caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). The disease is transmitted by psyllids (Diaphorina citri) in the Caribbean. HLB is the most destructive citrus disease worldwide and poses a major threat to the sustainability of citrus cultivation (Alquézar et al. 2022). All Asian citrus species, including commercial varieties, are susceptible to this disease (Ramadugu et al. 2016). Citrus glauca, C. australasica and C. australis are important in international breeding efforts for HLB resistance as they are either completely resistant (C. glauca) or highly tolerant (C. australasica and C. australis) to infection. Currently, we have limited genetic information on these Australian species and whether current collections used in breeding capture sufficient genetic variation from these species. Moreover, some of these wild resistant Australian species are difficult to breed and the identification of domestication genes appears crucial for successful breeding. The PhD project proposes to take advantage of the ongoing activities of interspecific breeding and genomic conductions in Australia where the resistant/tolerant germplasm is native, and France where CLas epidemy in Guadeloupe Island allows phenotyping for CLas resistance / tolerance.
The overarching aim is to identify and characterize genomic regions associated with domestication and HLB tolerance/resistance, and to evaluate their diversity across wild and cultivated Citrus germplasm. The identified genomic regions will be deeply examined in cultivated citrus and wild accessions and material already at Bundaberg and French collections to help determine parent choice for future HLB breeding efforts in the Australian and French citrus breeding program.
This PhD project leverages complementary capacities in France and Australia:
- Australia (Queensland): native germplasm, advanced genomic resources, and pre-breeding material;
- France/Guadeloupe: access to HLB-infected environments for phenotyping and disease resistance studies.
We are seeking a highly motivated student with a Master’s degree in Plant Sciences, Genomics, Bioinformatics, or related fields. Experience in genetics, bioinformatics, and molecular biology is desirable, as well as a strong interest in the application of genomics to plant breeding, biostatistics, and computational analysis. Fluency in English is required; French is desirable. Candidates should demonstrate autonomy, good teamwork, and international collaboration skills. A solid desire to work in an international agricultural research context, with an openness to travel and mobility between research sites (Guadeloupe, Montpellier, and Australia), will be considered a major asset.
Additional Information
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Cirad (la recherche Agronomique pour le développement) Country France City Guadeloupe Geofield
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📌 Exploring Genetic Diversity and Domestication Loci in Australian Native Citrus to Support Breed[...]
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