Postdoctoral researcher M/F - Quantifying spruce budworm outbreaks in the boreal forests of Quebec over the Holocene using lacustrine sedimentary DNA

Job Description

Missions

The recruited person will be responsible for developing a protocol to detect and quantify the Spruce Budworm (SBW) during the Holocene using analyses of lake sedimentary DNA (qPCR, ddPCR). They will use these data to reconstruct the frequency and/or intensity of SBW outbreaks and to characterize interactions with fire regimes. Ultimately, these results will also contribute to a combined paleo-modeling approach at the core of the RETROPEST project (https://anr.fr/Projet-ANR-24-CE02-6823).

Activity

• Identification of a target gene specific to Choristoneura fumiferana in mitochondrial DNA
• Development of a qPCR and ddPCR protocol to quantify this target gene in sediment matrices (objective: obtain robust and reproducible concentrations)
• Application of this protocol to the project's lacustrine sediment records. For this component, the candidate will benefit from technical support from laboratory staff and may also supervise one or more Master's (M2) students
• Processing of the obtained concentrations (Choristoneura fumiferana DNA) to calculate outbreak frequencies
• Comparison of the obtained data with forest fire records and vegetation dynamics
• Publication of the developed methodology, as well as the combined results in a multi-
proxy study on multiple disturbances

Your Profil

Skills

• PhD in paleoecology sedimentary DNA, e-DNA.
• Strong knowledge of molecular biology techniques and protocols (PCR, qPCR, DD-PCR)
• Strong skills in numerical data processing (proficiency in R)
• Ability to integrate into a multidisciplinary team and participate in collaborative projects.

Your Work Environment

This postdoctoral researcher position is part of the ANR RETROPEST project
(“Wildfires & Insect Outbreaks in Boreal Forests: A Combined Approach Using Paleoecology, Sedimentary DNA & Modelling,” 2025–2029, PI: D. Rius).
The main objective of this project is to better characterize the interactions between these two disturbance regimes in response to past, present, and future climate change, and to assess their impact on forest vegetation dynamics in Québec across these same time scales.
The project will rely on a network of regional study sites, including both short cores (ca. 2,000 years) and long cores (ca. 8,000 to 9,000 years, i.e., since deglaciation). It will also incorporate paleoclimatic reconstructions of summer temperatures, as well as reconstructions of vegetation (pollen) and paleofires (charcoal) throughout the Holocene. Spruce budworm (SBW) outbreaks will be reconstructed from sedimentary DNA in lake cores.
The recruited researcher will be supervised by the project PI and by B. Valot (CNRS research engineer), who will provide expertise in molecular biology. They will also benefit from technical support from the molecular biology technical unit staff (A. Cardot-Laboisière), as well as from new facilities dedicated to ancient DNA within the laboratory.
The successful candidate will work at the Chrono-Environnement laboratory, within the DYNABIO team (“Biodiversity Dynamics and Functional Trajectories of Ecosystems”), one of whose three research axes focuses on the “spatio-temporal trajectories of ecosystems in response to global change.”

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

3000 € gross per month, depending on experience

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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