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Postdoctoral Position for two years: Impact of prebiotics on the gut microbiota of rainbow trout fed with 100% plant based diet

Employer:

Our research aims to focus on the nutrition of farming fish for many years. The research falls with the context of the worldwide expansion of aquaculture and the need to find alternatives to using fishmeal and fish oil in aquaculture feed to ensure the sustainable development of Aquaculture. The research at NuMeA is based on an integrative biology approach ranging from studying the regulation of gene expression to animal performance in its farming system. We offer a stimulating scientific environment with adapted analytical facility (proteomics, genomics, microscopy…) and a very active international and collaborate network.

Scientific goal and strategy:

The intestinal microbiota plays a major role in animal’s health and physiology, for example in immunological development and nutrient utilization. As described before, replacement of fishmeal and fish oil is required for the development of Aquaculture, but the use of high level plant based diet induce changes of the fish gastrointestinal tract (presence of inflammatory cells, susceptibility to bacterial infection and reduce microvilli length and density). Prebiotics (such as non-digestible carbohydrates) may improve health and growth performance in fish, modulate the intestinal microbiota and may exert anti-obesogenic effects through various metabolic pathways. Indeed, to prevent perivisceral fatness observed when rainbow trout are fed with 100% plant based diet, we purpose to study the supplementation of prebiotics in the diet on zootechnical performance, metabolic and immune gene expression and intestinal microbiota diversity in rainbow trout using high- throughput sequencing and real-time PCR.

We want to explore:

  • How prebiotics modify microbiota diversity and the production of short chain fatty acids.
  • How microbial components and metabolites such as short chain fatty acids control metabolism, digestive function and immunity.

Partners involved:

A two years postdoctoral position funded by a FEAMP project is available starting in September 2019 at the research unit Nutrition, Metabolism, Aquaculture (NuMeA) of the Aquapôle in Saint-Pée-sur- Nivelle, France (https://www6.bordeaux-aquitaine.inra.fr/st_pee/UMR-NuMeA)

The position is a two-year appointment funded by a FEAMP project funded through collaboration with 2 INRA research units: the research unit LPGP (Physiology and Genomic of fish laboratory) at Rennes, the research unit GABI (Animal Genetics and Integrative biology) at Jouy-en Josas.

Required skills:

The project will require a strong knowledge including:

  • microbiology
  • 16S microbiota sequence analysis
  • transcriptomic analysis
  • immunology
  • metabolism
  • nutrition

The candidate should have a recent PhD, and be technically accomplished. Skills in microbiota studies (bioinformatics) would be a strong asset.

How to apply:

Applicants should email a cover letter stating their qualifications, interests, and career goals, as well as a CV with the contact information of three references directly to both Karine Ricaud and Stéphane Panserat:

karinebrugirardricaud@univ-pau.fr

stephane.panserat@inra.fr

Research Institute:
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