Phd contract in the field of Biological sciences financed for three years by the University of Clermont Auvergne

Role of polyphenolic phytostimulants in the resistance and resilience of plants to abiotic stress

Phytostimulants are currently proposed in crop protection as alternatives to conventional chemicals. Plant Defense Inducers (PDIs) are compounds that stimulate the plant's immunity to fight against diseases. Some of them have biostimulant properties andimprove after intentional application the plant development and resistanceto abiotic stress. The PhD project proposes to use PDIs well characterized in our laboratories: natural polyphenolic crude extracts (grape pomace, maple leaves) and active ingredients derived from gallates. The work will consist in exploring thebiostimulation properties of these compounds in relationto growth, flowering, resistance to abioticstress. The objective of the projectwill be to identify the most effective products and doses in the biostimulant activity, to evaluate the potential of resistance and resilience of plants to temperature, water, salt stress and to address the physiological and molecular mechanisms (by RNAseq) induced by these phytostimulants on the tomato model (Microtom variety). This work will be supported by thePack Ambition Recherche-Project”Plante Santé Abeille” and the expertise of the GDEC laboratory.

PEGHAIRE et al.(2020) Inducing plant defense reactions in tobacco plants with phenolic-rich extracts from red maple leaves: a characterization of main active ingredients. Forest 11, 705.

GOUPILet al.(2020) Relationships between plant defense inducer activities and molecular structure of gallomolecules. JAFC, 68, 15409-15417.