Postdoctoral position – Plant microbiome, remote sensing and AI for agriculture

Are you interested in how microbial communities influence plant performance? Do you enjoy combining molecular biology, ecology, remote sensing and data science? Would you like to work on research that connects fundamental science with real-world farming systems?
We are offering a 2-year postdoctoral position in the PoMiFrance project, an interdisciplinary research program aiming to optimize potato crop performance through the seed tuber microbiome.
The research: Potato is one of the most important food crops worldwide, and the Hauts-de-France region in northern France is a major centre of potato production in the EU. The microbiome is known to be a key regulator of the quality and performance of different seed lots of the same variety, but the composition and role of native microbial communities in this major potato-producing region are still poorly understood. By combining plant microbiome sequencing, drone-based crop monitoring, digital phenotyping and machine learning, the PoMiFrance project aims to develop predictive models of potato crop vigor and productivity under real farming conditions.
The position is based at EDYSAN (Ecology and Dynamics of Human-Influenced Systems; www.u-picardie.fr/edysan/), a joint research unit (UMR7058) between the CNRS and the University of Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV) in Amiens, France. The project combines expertise in microbial ecology, molecular biology, remote sensing and data science and involves collaborations with international partners including the University of Antwerp (Belgium) and Utrecht University (Netherlands), as well as regional agricultural organizations and industry partners such as CRIL, Inov3PT, Arvalis, Comité Nord Plants, and the Chambre d’Agriculture des Hauts-de-France.
Role and profile: The postdoctoral researcher will play a central role in generating and integrating biological and environmental data to better understand potato crop performance. The work will include studying plant–microbiome–environment interactions through the generation and analysis of sequencing and meta-omics data, including metabarcoding and metatranscriptomic analyses of potato seed lots, integrating these datasets with remote sensing and digital phenotyping data, contributing to the development of predictive models using machine learning approaches, participating in field campaigns and experimental trials, and publishing results in international journals and presenting them at scientific conferences. The postdoctoral researcher will also contribute to project coordination and will work closely with engineers, master’s students and collaborators involved in drone data acquisition, phenotyping platforms and data integration and modelling.
We are looking for a highly motivated researcher with a PhD in microbial ecology, plant biology, bioinformatics, environmental biology, agronomy, or a related field. The successful candidate should have experience in microbiome research, including metabarcoding and metatranscriptomic sequencing and analysis, as well as programming skills in R, Python, or similar languages. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are required, and knowledge of French is considered an advantage. Experience in collaborative research environments and project coordination is desirable, and familiarity with machine learning, digital phenotyping and remote sensing would be an asset. For questions about the position, please contact Marco Cosme (marco.cosme@u-picardie.fr).
Application: Applicants should send the following documents to Marco Cosme by April 15, 2026.
• a motivation letter describing their research interests and relevant experience
• a CV including a list of publications
• at least two recommendation letters from previous supervisors
Applications will be reviewed starting April 15, 2026, and the position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.