Free Scholarship Info

Post-doctoral Position Mechanosensitive Channels in Plants

A 2-years post-doctoral position Mechanosensitive channels in plants

A 24-month post-doctoral position in the area of ion channel physiology funded by the French
National Research Agency (ANR) is available starting April 2010. The host group “Membrane
Transporters and Signalling Laboratory” http://www.isv.cnrs-gif.fr/isv/recherche/hbb/hbb.html)
belong to the "Institut des Sciences du Végétal" (ISV) located on the CNRS campus
of Gif sur Yvette, at 30 km south west of Paris.


Although plants respond
to a wide variety of mechanical stimuli, and many mechanosensitive
channel activities have
been characterized in plant membranes using the patch-clamp method, the
molecular nature of
mechanoperception in plant systems has remained elusive. We recently showed
that the MSL9 and MSL10
proteins relatives of the E. coli MscS (Mechanosensitive channel of
Small conductance) might
function cooperatively and provide mechanosensitive channel activities
at the plasma membrane
of Arabidopsis root cells (Curr. Biol., 18: 730-734, 2008; Plant Signaling
& Behavior, 3:
726-729,
2008).

The first objective of
the project is to characterize the electrophysiological properties of MSL9,
MSL10 and other members
of the MSL family (homologous system and bilayer). This part will be
done in close
collaboration with A. Ghazi 's lab (IBBMC, Orsay). The second objective will be
to
enlighten the functions
of the MSL channels as sensor of vibrations in aerial part of the plant. This
will be conducted by a
multidisciplinary approach involving, electrophysiology, molecular biology
and modelling in
cooperation with other partners of the project.
Salary ~ 2000€/month

Applicants should hold a
PhD and have a good experience in electrophysiology and, possibly, in
molecular biology. A
background in plant biology would be an added value but is not required.
English but not French
is required.

Candidates should send a
CV with a brief summary of research experience, a list of publications
and the names and
addresses of 3 contact information referees to Jean-Marie Frachisse
(frachisse@isv.cnrs-gif.fr).
institu t des
sciences du
végétal

No Comment