ECTS
120 credits
Duration
2 years
Training Structure
College of Sciences
Language(s) of Instruction
French
Overview
The Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding (BAPT) track is based on course units (CUs) shared with the BiPa, IPM, and MEV tracks, designed to provide a foundation of fundamental knowledge in the fields of genetics and genomics, cellular and molecular biology, plant biology (development, ecophysiology, basics of interactions with microorganisms, etc.), and the tools required for a scientific approach (statistics, bioinformatics, critical analysis, project management, etc.). This core curriculum also includes an internship during the M1 and M2 years, which allows students to contribute to the development of a research project in a laboratory at a public institute or a private company.
Through specific course units—including a specialized thematic track and elective options offered in the M1 and M2 years—the Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding track focuses on mastering biotechnology tools as well as gaining practical knowledge of plant breeding, with a particular emphasis on the major food and cash crops of Mediterranean and tropical regions. A specific first-year (M1) module, shared with the IBION-Tec track, covers engineering approaches aimed at producing phytomolecules of interest.
Given the projected global population growth in the coming years, one of the major challenges for development is to support increased agricultural production in the Global South amid global warming. Thus, the two specialized modules in the M2 program allow students to work in small groups on a project centered on a research question aimed at improving a crop’s resilience to environmental changes (water stress, poor soil, etc.). To do so, students are required to apply their knowledge to analyze plant phenotypes and adaptive strategies, model them, and propose a breeding goal (ideotype). The thematic school “Functional Genomics of Tropical and Mediterranean Plants” aims to illustrate, through case studies, how knowledge gained from model species and the use of genomic data on species that have not yet been extensively studied can be used to design classical or biotechnological breeding strategies tailored to enhance stress resistance in major tropical species. This program, which facilitates exchanges among master’s students, doctoral candidates, and researchers, also highlights the structures and tools for partnerships that enable the development of international and inter-institutional collaborative research projects focused on development assistance. Through the elective options offered, students can tailor their education to either delve deeper into plant adaptation to climate change or their resistance to biotic stresses, or explore the human and social dimensions of plant breeding. Finally, drawing on the international campus in Montpellier—which is Europe’s leading research hub in plant sciences dedicated to the improvement of Mediterranean and tropical crop species, thanks in particular to the presence ofthe IRD (French Research Institute for Development) and CIRAD (Center for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development)— students will have access to a wide range of internships in France or abroad, giving them the opportunity to gain hands-on experience conducting research on a tropical crop species and/or to participate in a field research project in the Global South in partnership with a national or international research institute.
In addition to this specialization, skills that complement scientific expertise are considered essential in all tracks of the Master’s program in Biology and Agrosciences, and they are fully integrated into the curriculum of the Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding track. These include literature review, database management and utilization, scientific communication, and project design, management, and execution.
For more information about this course and its content, visit https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/biologie-des-plantes/biotechnologie-et-amelioration-des-plantes-tropicales/
> 80%
Success Rate
Objectives
The goal of the BAPT program is to train students to be ready to undertake a doctoral dissertation and become researchers who will be recruited by basic or applied research institutions in the plant sciences. Alternative career paths are available for students who do not wish to pursue this track (research engineers, science communication, consulting for local governments and nonprofit organizations, etc.). In terms of research, the program targets all research organizations (universities, CNRS, IRD, INRAe, and CIRAD), including applied research initiatives in partnership with companies in the fields of plant breeding, plant biotechnology, or development aid research, as well as international research centers (such as CGIAR centers). The Tropical Plant Biotechnology and Breeding track specifically enables students, through several specialized modules and elective courses, to acquire a more in-depth specialization in translational biology (the transfer of knowledge and approaches developed using model species to the improvement of non-model species of agronomic interest) and to familiarize them with managing international projects for development aid. The selection of internship topics for the M1 and M2 years also reinforces this specialization in a unique context where demand in this field is exceptionally high both in France and internationally (national research institutes, CIRAD, IRD, international organizations, CGIAR, and private companies operating internationally).
Expertise and Skills
Good to know:
- Gain in-depth knowledge in the fields of genetics and genomics, cellular and molecular biology, and plant biology (development, ecophysiology, fundamentals of interactions with microorganisms, etc.)
- Acquire the tools required for the scientific approach (statistics, bioinformatics, critical analysis, project management, etc.)
- Master modern research strategies used in plant breeding (high-throughput genotyping and phenotyping, association genetics, modeling, comparative genomics and translational biology, molecular engineering, etc.)
- Have an understanding of the related disciplines that need to be drawn upon to carry out a plant improvement project in the context of development assistance (biolaw, ethnoecology, fair and equitable partnerships, etc.).
Expertise:
- Be able to apply concepts and tools from various disciplines to define a research question and design an experiment, analyze results, and draw conclusions and/or develop operational models.
- Be able to identify the issues at different levels of integration (molecule, cell, whole plant, plant in relation to its environment, plant in relation to a human and social context) and incorporate them into a multiscale analysis in order to develop a strategy for improvement.
- Know how to search for or gather scientific information relevant to a given problem, prioritize that information, compare and contrast it, synthesize it, and develop working hypotheses for further research.
- Be able to communicate and present arguments with rigor and precision, adapting to different audiences or contexts, through oral or written presentations.
- The ability to lead a project as part of a team, and to identify and establish collaborations with researchers or professionals who bring complementary skills and expertise.
Interpersonal Skills:
- Be able to work as part of a team, develop, and carry out a joint project.
- Be able to work independently.
- Understand how to comply with legal, ethical, and scientific standards related to experimentation, publication, and the use of documents, as well as the sharing of biological resources and partnerships.
- The ability to adapt to multicultural work environments.
Organization
Internships, supervised projects
Internship | Required |
|---|---|
Duration of the internship | 5 and 6 months |
Internship Abroad | Possible |
Internships and supervised projects are essential components of the Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding program
A 5-month internship is offered during the first year of the master’s program (M1), and a 6-month internship is offered during the second year (M2), culminating in a defense before a panel of experts in a setting that reflects a high-level scientific debate. The Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding track draws on the particularly rich scientific environment in the field of tropical plant breeding that exists in Montpellier, allowing students to join a laboratory addressing these issues—either directly in France as part of a team within a research unit affiliated with CIRAD or IRD, or through fieldwork in the Global South with which these research units collaborate (CIRAD partnership programs, IRD international joint laboratories, or international or national institutes in the Global South). This structure ensures that these issues are addressed at a high scientific level with supervision meeting Master’s program standards, and provides students with exposure to an international context and multicultural partnerships.
Many courses in the Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding program are based on participatory approaches that place at the heart of the teaching process student-led, tutor-guided assignments and projects designed specifically to integrate the knowledge acquired in more academic courses in order to define and/or resolve a research question related to plant breeding.
Program
The Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding program spans four semesters, each comprising course units (UE) awarded ECTS credits. It is offered as a follow-up to a Bachelor’s degree (L3) in Life Sciences. The program is both academic in nature and places a strong emphasis on a participatory, project-based learning approach in many of its course units.
The first year (M1) is primarily devoted to acquiring the fundamental and technical foundations of research in plant biology, focusing on several major themes: plant genetics and breeding, plant adaptation to the environment and ecophysiology, development, plant-microorganism interactions, metabolic engineering, as well as research tools such as statistics and bioinformatics. The 5-month internship rounds out the M1 program with a first-hand experience in laboratory research.
The second year (M2) aims to broaden this knowledge by delving deeper into these disciplinary fields and, through several modules, providing students with the opportunity to apply and integrate their knowledge to address research questions or develop projects focused on plant improvement. The 6-month internship is an experience aligned with the student’s career goals.
The list of course units that make up the program is available on the Master’s program website at https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/master-biologie-agrosciences/biologie-des-plantes/.
Select a program
M1 - Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding (BAPT)
The list of course units that make up the program is available on the Master’s program website at https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/master-biologie-agrosciences/biologie-des-plantes/.
Biostatistics with R
5 creditsPlant Development
5 creditsPlant-Microorganism Interactions
5 creditsFundamentals of Ecophysiology
2 creditsPlant Molecular Genetics
5 creditsMetabolic engineering for the production of plant biomolecules of interest
3 creditsTools for Plant Breeding
3 creditsPlant Nutrition
2 credits
Bioinformatics: Data and Databases
2 creditsLiterature Review
2 credits4-month internship
15 creditsCHOICE 1
3 creditsChoose one of the following two options:
Gene Networks—Modeling
3 creditsBreeding of Tropical and Mediterranean Plants
3 credits
Experimental Approaches to Plant Biology
5 creditsProject Management
3 credits
M2 - Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding (BAPT)
The list of course units that make up the program is available on the Master’s program website at https://bioagro.edu.umontpellier.fr/master-biologie-agrosciences/biologie-des-plantes/.
An Integrated Approach to Plant Breeding: A Case Study
3 creditsEpigenetics in Plants
3 creditsBigOmics, Comparative Genomics
2 creditsEcophysiology: From Phenotype to Ideotype
2 creditsQuantitative Genetics
3 creditsData Processing
3 creditsIntegrated Plant Breeding Project: Phenotypes
3 creditsBioinformatics: Building Queries
2 creditsCHOICE 1
3 creditsChoose 1 of 4
Adaptation of Tropical Field Crops to Climate Change
3 creditsPlants and People: A Shared History
3 creditsModel plants, modeling
3 creditsVirology
3 credits
Project Management
3 credits
Laboratory or Company Internship
28 creditsCritical Analysis of Scientific Information
2 credits
Admission
Registration Procedures
Applications can be submitted through the following platforms:
French and European students:
- For the M1 program, follow the “My Master’s” procedure on the website:https://www.monmaster.gouv.fr/
- For the M2 program, students must submit their application through the e-candidat portal:https://candidature.umontpellier.fr/candidature
International students from outside the EU: Follow the “Études en France” procedure:https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/etudesenfrance/dyn/public/authentification/login.html
Applications are reviewed by an academic committee composed of the program’s leading faculty members.
Successful applicants must complete their administrative registration as soon as possible, then proceed with their academic registration, specifying the courses they have selected.
Target Audience
The Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding track is open to students with at least a Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or equivalent for the M1 level, and to students with at least an M1 degree in Plant Biology or equivalent for the M2 level. The track is open to both French and international students through the “Bienvenue en France” program, subject to acceptance of their applications.
Mandatory Prerequisites
Plant biology and physiology, molecular biology, biotechnology
Recommended Prerequisites
Genetics
Concepts in Statistics and Bioinformatics
A Passion for Plant Breeding
A Passion for International Collaborative Research
Basic knowledge of English (reading publications)
And then
Continuing Education
A very high percentage of graduates from the Master’s program in Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding go on to pursue a Ph.D. immediately after completing their master’s degree, either in France or abroad, where they are highly valued.
Some students supplement their education with management training to pursue a career in entrepreneurship, or with bioinformatics training to strengthen their skills at the intersection of experimental biology and computer science.
Upon completing the master’s program, some students join research organizations as research engineers or as international volunteers working in the Global South. Other students pursue careers in science communication (museums, public outreach) or consulting (local governments, associations, nongovernmental organizations).
Continuing Your Education Abroad
Thanks to the numerous connections between the Master’s program’s teaching teams and the exceptional network of international collaborations maintained by the laboratories in Montpellier, both M1 and M2 internships can be completed abroad (Africa, North and Latin America, Asia, and Europe). This provides students with the opportunity to pursue a PhD at the host laboratory or to join international PhD programs. This opportunity is not limited to students completing their Master’s internship abroad; it is also widely available to those completing their internships in Montpellier or at other research centers in France.
Transition Programs and Reorientation
Students enrolled in the Biotechnology and Tropical Plant Breeding track may switch to other tracks within the Master’s in Agricultural Biology program between the M1 and M2 years, particularly to the BiPa, IPM, and MEV tracks, subject to approval by the program directors of the relevant tracks.
Employment Placement
- Doctoral Contracts with Public or Private Organizations
- National and international research organizations
- Research and Development Sector in the Private Sector
- Consulting and expertise for local governments, associations, and nongovernmental organizations
- Scientific Communication (Press, Museums)