ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. A Backcross nested association mapping (BCNAM) design has been implemented as a joint project associating the sorghum breeding programs of InstitutdEconomieRurale(IER) and ICIRISAT in Mali. This multi-parental design combines high-resolution population development for genetic analysis of complex traits, genetic basis enlargement and direct breeding application thanks to the use of advanced-backcross populations with adapted elite recurrent parent (RP). This complex multi-parental crossing scheme involved 3 elite varieties obtained from participatory breeding in Mali (Lata, Grinkan and Keninkeni) as recurrent parents and 29 donor parents either specific or common to one or several of the RPs. A total of 50 BC1F3 populations of 70 to 200 families were obtained representing a total of approximately 6300 individuals. These populations are being evaluated in multi-year and multi-site trials initiated in 2012 and continued in 2013 and 2014, as BC1F4-lines. The genetic diversity and polymorphisms of recurrent and donor parents assessed with the ca. 1400 SNPs, available through the IBP, provides a medium density genotyping framework for the analysis of the populations. Phenotyping in multi-location, various sowing dates, and high and low P environments of 33 populations in 2012 showed a wide range of agronomic and phenologic variation within and across populations.
The Fellowship is for a period of 12 months and extendable based on funding availability. An attractive compensation in US Dollars will be offered to the right candidate.The Post-Doc Fellow will be based at CIRAD in Montpellier, France, and frequent travel to Bamako Mali, for interactions with sorghum breeders in IER and ICRISAT.
ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. A Backcross nested association mapping (BCNAM) design has been implemented as a joint project associating the sorghum breeding programs of InstitutdEconomieRurale(IER) and ICIRISAT in Mali. This multi-parental design combines high-resolution population development for genetic analysis of complex traits, genetic basis enlargement and direct breeding application thanks to the use of advanced-backcross populations with adapted elite recurrent parent (RP). This complex multi-parental crossing scheme involved 3 elite varieties obtained from participatory breeding in Mali (Lata, Grinkan and Keninkeni) as recurrent parents and 29 donor parents either specific or common to one or several of the RPs. A total of 50 BC1F3 populations of 70 to 200 families were obtained representing a total of approximately 6300 individuals. These populations are being evaluated in multi-year and multi-site trials initiated in 2012 and continued in 2013 and 2014, as BC1F4-lines. The genetic diversity and polymorphisms of recurrent and donor parents assessed with the ca. 1400 SNPs, available through the IBP, provides a medium density genotyping framework for the analysis of the populations. Phenotyping in multi-location, various sowing dates, and high and low P environments of 33 populations in 2012 showed a wide range of agronomic and phenologic variation within and across populations.
The Job:
- Coordinate genotypic data collection from 50 BCNAM populations of sorghum
- Segregation analysis and genetic mapping of SNP markers in 50 BCNAM populations of sorghum
- Analysis of MET phenotyping data from field trials in Mali collected on BCNAM populations in 2012 and 2013.
- Multi-parental QTL analysis for key traits collected on BCNAM populations, focusing on adaptation to abiotic constraints.
The Person:
- Phd Degree in Genetics and plant breeding
- Experience with marker trait association analyses
- Experience with analysis of complex phenotyping datasets would be an advantage
- Experience with genetics and plant breeding
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and French.
The Reward:
The Fellowship is for a period of 12 months and extendable based on funding availability. An attractive compensation in US Dollars will be offered to the right candidate.The Post-Doc Fellow will be based at CIRAD in Montpellier, France, and frequent travel to Bamako Mali, for interactions with sorghum breeders in IER and ICRISAT.
How to apply:
Applicants should apply on or before 31 December 2013 by email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., with a letter of motivation, latest Curriculum Vitae, and names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable of the candidates professional qualifications and work experience. The reference name of the position (PDF-BCNAM-1) should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the email. Screening of applications will begin from 1January 2014,and will continue until the post is filled. All applications will be acknowledged, however only short listed candidates will be contacted.