postdoctoral position in marine chemical ecology (M/F)

CNRS - National Center for Scientific Research; France; Sur place; EUR 40 000 - 50 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

CNRS–Sustainable Technologies for Littoral Aquaculture and Marine Research in BIGUGLIA, France, invites a postdoctoral fellow to join the RENATINS Junior Professorship project.

The successful candidate will design and run experiments on BVOC emissions from seagrass beds, analyze chemical profiles with PTR-ToF-MS, GC-MS, and UHPLC-qToF-MS/MS, and perform statistical analyses. They will publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences.

Qualifications

• PhD in chemical ecology, marine biology or marine ecophysiology required.
• Experience in benthic ecology and marine macrophyte physiology is essential.
• Strong knowledge of analytical chemistry techniques (GC-MS, PTR-MS, HPLC-MS).
• Good written and spoken English; ability to work in a team.
• Experience with statistical analyses and R is a plus.

Responsabilités

• Design, plan and conduct experiments on BVOC emissions from Mediterranean seagrass beds.
• Analyze chemical profiles using PTR-ToF-MS, GC-MS and UHPLC-qToF-MS/MS.
• Perform statistical analyses and interpret datasets.
• Prepare articles for peer-reviewed journals and present results at conferences.

Connaissances

Benthic ecology

Marine macrophyte physiology

Analytical chemistry

English proficiency

Team collaboration

Statistics and R

Formation

Ph.D. in chemical ecology, marine biology, or marine ecophysiology

Outils

GC-MS

PTR-MS

HPLC-MS

Description du poste

Sustainable TEchnologies for LittoraL Aquaculture and MArine REsearch

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Sustainable TEchnologies for LittoraL Aquaculture and MArine REsearch Research Field Biological sciences Environmental science Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 21 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 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

This postdoctoral fellowship is part of the research project of the RENATINS Junior Professorship, titled “Monitoring, Management, and Conservation of Natural Resources in Island Environments.” This project focuses on the specialized metabolism of seagrass beds in the Mediterranean as an indicator of resilience to global changes. Indeed, seagrass beds are coastal ecosystems of great ecological importance due to the ecosystem services they provide, namely maintaining coastal stability, filtering water, providing habitat for numerous plant and animal species, and their high capacity for blue carbon sequestration. However, these ecosystems are currently under serious threat due to human activities and climate change, particularly in the Mediterranean Sea—a highly urbanized region where waters tend to warm more rapidly due to its geographical context. For example, 34% of Posidonia oceanica beds are currently in decline in this area. It is therefore crucial to understand how these species will respond to current and future environmental conditions.
To this end, the study of specialized metabolism is key to understanding the defense mechanisms of seagrass beds. Indeed, this metabolism is known to produce metabolites that confer resistance against environmental stresses (both abiotic and biotic). Among all specialized metabolites, there are volatile compounds, also known as Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs), which, in addition to being defense compounds, also act as chemical mediators in intra- and inter-species interactions. Although previous studies have highlighted BVOC emissions from seagrass beds, their roles as chemical cues remain largely undocumented.

An initial study on the impact of herbivory on BVOC emissions from Mediterranean seagrass species identified potential volatile chemical mediators. The goal of this postdoctoral fellowship is to confirm the role of these VOCs as chemical mediators through priming experiments. Priming refers to a state of immune stimulation that enables a plant to respond more quickly and strongly to future stress, achieved following a specific treatment.
To this end, healthy individuals from seagrass beds (e.g. P. oceanica, C. nodosa) will be exposed to the chemical mediators for varying periods (ranging from a few days to several weeks). Subsequently, their chemical profiles will be analyzed and compared to those of control individuals at different sampling times. Chemical profiles will be determined for volatile compounds using PTR-ToF-MS and/or GC-MS, and for non-volatile compounds using UHPLC-qToF-MS/MS. Then, the attractiveness of primed individuals—that is, those exposed to the chemical mediators—will be assessed using various herbivores (e.g. Paracentrotus lividus).
This work is part of seagrass bed restoration programs.

In this context, the successful candidate will be responsible for designing, planning, and conducting experiments as well as evaluating the dataset by performing all BVOC analyses, including their identification and quantification; conducting statistical analyses; presenting the project's results and achievements; writing articles for peer-reviewed international journals; and presenting their results at national and international conferences.

The successful candidate will work in the Support and Research Unit StellaMare (Sustainable TEchnologies for LittoraL Aquaculture and MArine REsearch, UAR 3514), which focuses on ecological engineering in coastal and marine environments and is affiliated with the CNRS and the University of Corsica. The StellaMare UAR aims to achieve the sustainable management and integrated stewardship of Corsica's fisheries and coastal resources and, more broadly, those of the Mediterranean Sea.

- Ph.D. in chemical ecology, marine biology, or marine ecophysiology
- Knowledge of benthic ecology
- Knowledge on marine macrophyte physiology
- Knowledge on analytical chemistry (GC-MS, PTR-MS, HPLC-MS)
- Good English is required (written and spoken)
- Ability to work well in a team
- Knowledge of statistical analysis and R would be a plus

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Sustainable TEchnologies for LittoraL Aquaculture and MArine REsearch Country France City BIGUGLIA