Plants form the foundation of life on Earth by converting sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. However, environmental stresses such as drought and nutrient limitation severely restrict plant growth, posing a major threat to global food security. Our team at BIAM-LGBP (CNRS/CEA/Aix-Marseille Université) has identified a molecular switch linking the TOR signaling pathway to the accumulation of ppGpp, a stress-responsive molecule that enables plants to adjust energy production and survive adverse conditions.
The PHOTOSWITCH project aims to decipher this switch at atomic and functional levels to reveal how plants coordinate growth and stress adaptation. By uncovering this mechanism, we seek new strategies to enhance crop resilience in the context of climate change. The PhD student will join a dynamic, international research environment and receive interdisciplinary training spanning structural biology, biochemistry, and plant physiology. The project includes collaborations with leading facilities such as the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), combining state-of-the-art structural approaches with functional validation in plants.
Through the SCHADOC doctoral program, the student will benefit from advanced interdisciplinary training, international mobility opportunities, and career development support, preparing them for paths in academia, agri-biotechnology, or science policy.
Overall, PHOTOSWITCH will advance fundamental understanding of how plants integrate environmental signals to balance growth and survival, while contributing to sustainable agriculture by identifying routes to improve tolerance to drought, nutrient limitation, and other stresses. By bridging fundamental discovery with applied impact, the project aims to support the development of climate-resilient crops for a sustainable future.
The PHOTOSWITCH project aims to decipher this switch at atomic and functional levels to reveal how plants coordinate growth and stress adaptation. By uncovering this mechanism, we seek new strategies to enhance crop resilience in the context of climate change. The PhD student will join a dynamic, international research environment and receive interdisciplinary training spanning structural biology, biochemistry, and plant physiology. The project includes collaborations with leading facilities such as the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), combining state-of-the-art structural approaches with functional validation in plants.
Through the SCHADOC doctoral program, the student will benefit from advanced interdisciplinary training, international mobility opportunities, and career development support, preparing them for paths in academia, agri-biotechnology, or science policy.
Overall, PHOTOSWITCH will advance fundamental understanding of how plants integrate environmental signals to balance growth and survival, while contributing to sustainable agriculture by identifying routes to improve tolerance to drought, nutrient limitation, and other stresses. By bridging fundamental discovery with applied impact, the project aims to support the development of climate-resilient crops for a sustainable future.
Supervisor
Dr. Field Benjamin, Institut de Biosciences et Biotechnologies d'Aix-Marseille (BIAM), Aix-Marseille Université
Co-Supervisor
Dr. Chloé Zubieta, Laboratoire Physiologie Cellulaire & Végétale, Université Grenoble Alpes, France
Intersectoral partner
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), France
International partner
Nicolaus Copernicus University Torun - Department of Genetics, Poland