Consultant – Applied Genetics and Molecular Breeding

Organizational Setting

The Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications implements the IAEA’s Major Programme 2, “Nuclear Techniques for Development and Environmental Protection”. This Major Programme comprises individual programmes on food and agriculture, human health, water resources, environment and radiation technologies. These programmes are supported by laboratories in Seibersdorf, Monaco and Vienna. The Major Programme’s objective is to enhance the capacity of Member States to meet basic human needs and to assess and manage the marine and terrestrial environments through the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques in sustainable development programmes.

The Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications implements the IAEA’s Major Programme 2, “Nuclear Techniques for Development and Environmental Protection”. This Major Programme comprises individual programmes on food and agriculture, human health, water resources, environment and radiation technologies. These programmes are supported by laboratories in Seibersdorf, Monaco and Vienna. The Major Programme’s objective is to enhance the capacity of Member States to meet basic human needs and to assess and manage the marine and terrestrial environments through the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques in sustainable development programmes.
The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture assists Member States of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the IAEA in using nuclear techniques and related technologies to improve food security, alleviate poverty and promote sustainable agriculture. The Joint Centre consists of five Sections, each with an associated laboratory (located in Seibersdorf, 45 km south-east of Vienna), in the areas of: animal production and health; plant breeding and genetics; insect pest control; soil and water management and crop nutrition; and food safety and control.
The Plant Breeding and Genetics Section and Laboratory assist Member States with the development of mutation induction methodologies and integrated applications of mutation breeding techniques for crop improvement and biodiversity, contributing to the sustainable intensification of crop production systems.

The Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications implements the IAEA’s Major Programme 2, “Nuclear Techniques for Development and Environmental Protection”. This Major Programme comprises individual programmes on food and agriculture, human health, water resources, environment and radiation technologies. These programmes are supported by laboratories in Seibersdorf, Monaco and Vienna. The Major Programme’s objective is to enhance the capacity of Member States to meet basic human needs and to assess and manage the marine and terrestrial environments through the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques in sustainable development programmes.
The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture assists Member States of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the IAEA in using nuclear techniques and related technologies to improve food security, alleviate poverty and promote sustainable agriculture. The Joint Centre consists of five Sections, each with an associated laboratory (located in Seibersdorf, 45 km south-east of Vienna), in the areas of: animal production and health; plant breeding and genetics; insect pest control; soil and water management and crop nutrition; and food safety and control.
The Plant Breeding and Genetics Section and Laboratory assist Member States with the development of mutation induction methodologies and integrated applications of mutation breeding techniques for crop improvement and biodiversity, contributing to the sustainable intensification of crop production systems.

Main Purpose

The aim of this consultancy is to provide technical expertise to Plant Breeding and Genetic Laboratory and counterparts integrate an adapt advance technologies for gene discovery of induced mutations and development of molecular markers for molecular breeding. The consultant will provide technical input to the design of the experiments for developing mapping population, technical backstopping on genetic association studies, nutritional and quality profiling methods etc. This will include analyses of sequencing datasets such as genotyping by sequencing (GBS)/whole genome sequencing (WGS) for marker development of relevant breeding traits with a team of cross-institutional breeders, and technicians to move forward the improvement of target crops.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Planning, design, coordination, and execution of trait discovery pipelines in target crops (rice, soybean and groundnut).
• Carry out phenotypic and genotypic data analysis (such as genetic mapping, genome-wide association, and genomic
prediction) to derive trait insights.
• Provide technical expertise to explore innovative methods for the identification of novel favourable alleles for target
traits and engage in continuous improvement of marker-trait associations.
• Provide expertise in implementing genomic selection into mutation breeding pipelines in close cooperation with
international experts.
• Provide technical expertise in supporting the Laboratory head on training and capacity building activities.
• Preparing technical report and publications.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required –

Skills and Expertise

•    Plant Breeding and Genetics

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s Degree – Advanced University degree in Plant Breeding and Genetics, Biotechnology and/ or Molecular Breeding
• Minimum of five years of experience in mendelian, quantitative and molecular genetics, breeding methods, statistics and experimental design, and relevant technologies
• Strong background on experimental design and data analysis using statistical methods
• Demonstrated skills in analysis of large, diverse and complex datasets, and data visualization
• Very good understanding of the use of molecular markers for marker-assisted selection
• Experience in designing trait specific markers based on sequences
• Knowledge of genomic selection and its application into breeding
• Mastery of data analysis in R in the context of population and quantitative genetics

Remuneration

The remuneration for this consultancy is a daily fee of up to a maximum of € 300, based on qualifications and experience. In case duty travel is required within the assignment, a daily subsistence allowance (DSA) and travel costs are provided. Health coverage and pension fund are the responsibility of the incumbent.