Location: Teagasc Oak Park, Carlow
Research
Salary: Research Officer with a Salary Scale of €40,580 to €77,284
Closing Date: 17/04/2025 12:00 PM
Funded Full Time
Job Description
Duration:
Temporary externally funded non Grant-in-Aid contract post, the indicative duration of which is 36 months, subject to contract. A panel may be formed from which future similar vacancies may be filled; such a panel will remain active for a maximum period of 12 months.
Basic Function:
We are seeking a highly organized, dynamic individual with strong background in applying genomics-based approaches to plant breeding. The goal is to develop advanced breeding lines and candidate varieties of potato that combine the disease resistance required for use in IPM-based strategies with characteristics required for commercially successful potato cultivars. The successful candidate will run a combined MAS and GS exercise whose goal is to stack multiple blight resistance genes whilst simultaneously selecting for processing quality in tetraploid potato germplasm from participating commercial breeding programmes. A background in practical plant breeding, combined with demonstrated experience in genome-based breeding approaches, mid-to high throughput phenotyping and data analytics are essential for the post.
Background:
IPMorama is a €5M Horizon Europe funded Research and Innovation Action, co-ordinated by Teagasc (ipmorama.eu). The consortium comprises 17 partners from EU and associated countries. IPMorama will improve the state of the art in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for important diseases in wheat, potatoes and grain legumes, with a focus on efficiently incorporating resistant crop varieties into the management process.
Factors such as climate change and EU policy mean that controlling disease in crops central to food security in Europe is becoming more challenging. Plant protection products (PPPs) are under increasing pressure, both from rapid evolution of target pathogens/pests, which can render PPPs ineffective, and from societal and regulatory factors seeking to restrict their use. This has brought about an increased focus on adopting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in European agriculture. In order to reduce the reliance on PPPs, breeding for disease and pest resistance is a major goal of many crop breeders. However, the resulting resistant crop varieties are insufficiently integrated into current IPM approaches.
IPMorama will contribute to the future development of disease and pest resistant crop varieties by developing genotyping and phenotyping tools, and breeding germplasm to enable efficient development of these resistant varieties. Beyond breeding, IPMorama will also develop the infrastructure for the effective deployment of these varieties in IPM systems. The core innovation of IPMorama is to integrate knowledge of varietal resistance and the pathogen virulence landscape over space and time, to produce predictive tools and IPM strategies which will be validated from small plot to farm scale during the course of the project. The project has a strong knowledge transfer component, and we will actively pursue the upskilling of stakeholders in this new variety-centric approach to IPM.
IPMorama has a genuinely multi-actor basis, and either directly involves or engages actors along the entire crop production value-chain, including researchers, breeders, variety testers, seed growers, extension specialists, farmers, consumers and policy makers. The coordinating institute, Teagasc, is a vibrant, diverse and inclusive organisation with research centres located around Ireland. The main objective of the Crops Research Programme at Oak Park, Carlow is to support the tillage sector with through-to-practise research that promotes both the economic and environmental sustainability of the Irish tillage sector.
Job Objectives
* Management of potato germplasm trials in field and glasshouse environments, and managing the crossing and hybridization of parental material.
* Phenotyping of potato germplasm for processing and agronomic performance traits.
* Carrying out targeted and genome wide molecular marker assays based on KASP and amplicon sequencing approaches, including the associated downstream bioinformatics processing.
* Carrying out statistical and quantitative genetics analyses and performing cross selection from the results.
* Drive the experimental design of the potato breeding activities in IPMorama, monitor the outcomes and modify the approach as appropriate.
* Develop deployable protocols for MAS and GS that can be utilized routinely in real-world breeding scenarios.
* Drive the dissemination and exploitation of the results of the research through publication, knowledge transfer channels as well as public engagement and other appropriate routes.
* To assist Teagasc in meeting the commitments of the Quality Customer Service Charter and Action Plan.
* To actively participate in the annual business planning and Performance Management Development System (PMDS) processes.
* Fully co-operate with the provisions made for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of themselves, fellow staff and non-Teagasc staff and co-operate with management in enabling Teagasc to comply with legal obligations. This includes full compliance with the responsibilities outlined in the Safety Statement.
* Any other duties as may be assigned from time to time.
* This job specification is intended as a guide to the general range of duties and is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive. It will be reviewed from time to time with the post holder.
* A PhD in the area of plant molecular genetics.
Skills
* Demonstrated strong molecular biology/genetics laboratory skills with specific experience in the generation of NGS libraries and genetic marker analysis
* Demonstrated practical experience in managing and carrying out parental crosses in an experimental or breeding environment
* Demonstrated experience in practical plant phenotyping in a phenotyping environment and managing large phenotyping datasets
* Demonstrated experience in managing teams in field and/or glasshouse environments
* Demonstrated experience off NGS data analysis in a linux-based HPC environment
* Demonstrated experience with the R statistical analysis environment, in particular its use for statistical genetics applications including QTL analysis/GWAS and GS
* Specific experience in cultivation of potato in a field and/or glasshouse setting
* Specific experience in KASP marker analysis
* Specific experience in the application of genomic prediction to breeding populations
Knowledge
* Demonstrated knowledge of plant breeding and the application of genome-based technologies to enhance it.
* A specific background in potato genetics, genomics and breeding.
* Highly organized self-starter with ability to multitask effectively.
* Capable of carrying out complex tasks successfully with minimal supervision in areas of expertise.
* Has the ability to problem solve and demonstrates an ability to develop innovative and cost effective solutions in areas of expertise.
* Ability to work as part of a team, including consulting, collaborating and building relationships with key partners.
Other
As this role will involved driving vehicles, candidates must satisfy and continue to satisfy during employment with Teagasc, legal requirements to drive a car unaccompanied on Irish public roads.
This is an open public competition. Should a current serving Teagasc staff member be successful in their application through open public competition for this post, their current contract of employment with Teagasc will come to an end on taking up this post.
Note: The ‘essential’ qualifications, knowledge, skills and behavioural competencies outlined above are ‘must-have’ which will be used in the selection process.
Note: Alternative location(s) may be considered solely at the discretion of Teagasc management.
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