Ph.D. thesis in plant biology: Regulating stomata aperture in Arabidopsis through the control of ion transporter activity. (M/F)

Role: Ph.D. thesis in plant biology: Regulating stomata aperture in Arabidopsis through the control of ion transporter activity. (M/F)
Organization: CNRS - National Center for Scientific Research
Department: Institut des Sciences des Plantes de Montpellier
Location: Montpellier, France
Contract Type: Temporary, Full-time (35 hours/week)
Start Date: 1 Oct 2026
Application Deadline: 26 Jun 2026 - 23:59 (UTC)

Job Overview:
The PhD project will be under the supervision of Alexis De Angeli (DR2 CNRS, Institute of Plant Sciences of Montpellier, IPSiM). The project is part of an international ANR-NRF project (ADAPT) in collaboration with Prof. S. Lee (SKK University, South Korea). The project aims to solve the structural basis of the functional properties of the Arabidopsis ion channels of the ALMT family. The project also aims at AI design of Artificial protein binders to regulate in vivo these channels. The PhD project will be carried out in a multidisciplinary and international environment at the interface of plant and cell molecular physiology, biophysics, and structural biology. The candidate will be based in Montpellier at IPSiM in the INFLUX group headed by Alexis De Angeli and will work in contact with SKK university in Korea.

Background:
Stomata form pores on the leaf surface delimited by two specialized cells, the guard cells. The opening of the stomatal pore (i.e. ostioles) regulates gas exchanges (e.g. CO2 and H2Ov) between the atmosphere and the photosynthetic tissues. Stomata aperture is critical to control and limit leaf transpiration, and on the other hand, it allows the entry of CO2 to feed photosynthesis and produce organic molecules. Therefore, stomata are crucial for the adaptation of plants to their environment as well as for the production of biomass, two key factors for crops. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating the opening and closing of stomata is a key issue of plant biology, especially in the context of the future environmental challenges. Notably, the regulation of stomata aperture relies on the capacity of the two guard cells delimiting the stomata pore to modify their turgor pressure. Such turgor pressure changes depend on a tightly controlled movement of solutes (i.e. ions and sugars) between the apoplast and the guard cells' subcellular compartments. The ion channels residing the cellular membranes of the guard cells are key players of stomata aperture regulation. Several regulations operate on ion channels leading to stomata responses to several factors such as for example ABA, CO2, vapor pressure.

In the team, we are interested in the molecular properties of the ion channels of the ALMT (Aluminum activated ion transporters) family involved in the regulation of stomata aperture. The recent collaboration with the team of Prof. S. Lee at SKK University (South Korea) lead to the Cryo Em structure of the vacuolar ion channel ALMT9 and in the understanding of the structural basis of its functional properties. ALMT9 is one of the ALMT members having a role in the stomata regulation and one of the aims of the team is to expand our structural knowledge on ALMTs and to capitalize on it to generate artificial protein binders able to interact and modify the activity of ALMT ion channels.

Responsibilities:
The aims of the PhD project will be:
i) to decipher how the structural basis of the ALMT channels influence their function in vivo, at the level of the stomata and the photosynthetic tissues;
ii) develop artificial protein binders to regulate the activity of these channels in vivo.
The candidate will work in strong interaction with the Korean team to develop the project.

Requirements and Qualifications:
- Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent in Chemistry, Physics (Biophysics), or Biological sciences (Biological engineering).
- Research Experience: None required.
- Languages: French (Basic level).

Additional Information:
- Website for additional job details: https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Doctorant/UMR5004-CECABA-066/Default.aspx
- Contact Website: https://www1.montpellier.inra.fr/wp-inra/bpmp/