RÔLES DE L'ADN EXTRACHROMOSOMIQUE: DE LA PLANTE À L'HUMAIN

Circular extrachromosomal DNA (eccDNA) refers to circular DNA fragments found outside chromosomes. Long regarded as secondary, it is now recognised as an important component of genome function. It is found in both plants and humans. This PhD project aims to better understand the role of this particular DNA in different organisms, using a comparative approach between plant and human samples. The objective is to explore how cDNA contributes to gene regulation, adaptation to environmental conditions and, in humans, the development of certain diseases such as cancer. In plants, this DNA may play a role in the response to stress, for example in the face of drought or pathogens. In humans, it is often Grands défis sociétaux Mots clés - Keywords associated with the amplification of genes involved in cell proliferation, particularly in tumour cells. Understanding these mechanisms could help identify commonalities between species, as well as characteristics specific to each organism. This work will provide a comprehensive and comparative overview of this type of DNA, which is still poorly understood. Ultimately, it could help improve our understanding of plant adaptation and open up new avenues in biomedical research, particularly in the field of cancer. To answer these questions, the project will draw on molecular biology techniques and long-read sequencing, as well as bioinformatic analyses. The MANGO team has datasets (mobilome-seq) obtained from (1) Arabidopsis thaliana plants subjected to abiotic stress over several generations, and (2) samples from cancer patients. The PhD research will involve analysing these data to compare the characteristics and functions of extrachromosomal DNA. In addition, new data from plants producing bio-pesticides will be generated during the PhD. This work forms part of projects funded by the ANR (CropCircle, BioPest-Boost). The candidate will be required to interact with our academic partners (CNRS, IRD, University of Perpignan) as well as our private partners and will benefit from an international environment.

The LGDP lab is located on the University of Perpignan campus.

It has access to all facilities and benefits from an international environment.

We are looking for a motivated candidate with a strong interest for innovative approaches in genomics. He or she will have a Master degree in bioinformatics with basic knowledge in plant or animal genomics and biology. Prior experience with NGS data analysis will be preferred. Although the work will consist in computational analyses, a strong motivation for group interactions will be appreciated.