Training Structure
College of Sciences
Overview
Plants form the basis of our food chain, both directly and indirectly. In their environment, plants are constantly interacting with microorganisms that make up their microbiome. Some of these microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.) cause serious damage to crops, while others generally improve their health (nutrition, growth, or disease resistance). Consequently, a strategy for addressing the challenges of both production and food safety—for animals and humans alike—is to understand how plants respond to, adapt to, and potentially benefit from the presence of microorganisms in their environment.
Objectives
Through a balanced combination of coursework and hands-on training (10 months of laboratory internships spread across the M1 and M2 years), our goal is to train students to describe and understand the molecular mechanisms underlying plant interactions with their biotic environment.
To this end, we will draw on the wealth of scientific expertise in this field within the Muse network (University of Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, INRAE, Montpellier Supagro).
Expertise and Skills
Knowledge and understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the relationships between a plant and its biotic environment.
Furthermore, although the program focuses on the study of biotic interactions, by the end of the program, students will also have acquired skills in key subject areas ranging from physiology to genetics, epigenetics, and plant breeding.
Students will also develop proficiency in using current research tools (statistics, modeling, database management, etc.)
Program
The Plant-Microorganism Interactions (IPM) track consists of 4 semesters (120 ECTS) comprising course units (UE) specific to this track as well as others shared with the three other Plant tracks (BiPa, BPT, MEV). The list and detailed content of each course unit in the master’s program are available on the Faculty of Sciences website.
The first semesters of the M1 and M2 programs are devoted to academic coursework. The second semesters are primarily dedicated to internships (in laboratories or companies) in the program’s thematic fields and aligned with the student’s career goals. Note that all practical assignments for the disciplinary course units in Semester 1 are grouped together in a dedicated course unit at the very beginning of Semester 2.
Study or internship opportunities (ERASMUS), lasting one or two semesters, are greatly facilitated by the extensive network of partnerships between the University of Montpellier and European universities.
Biostatistics with R
5 creditsElements of Plant Pathology
3 creditsPlant Cellular and Molecular Biology
3 creditsPlant Development
5 creditsPlant-Microorganism Interactions
5 creditsFundamentals of Ecophysiology
2 creditsPlant Molecular Genetics
5 creditsPlant Nutrition
2 credits
Bioinformatics: Data and Databases
2 creditsLiterature Review
2 creditsCHOICE 1
3 creditsChoose one of the following two options:
Gene Networks—Modeling
3 creditsBreeding of Tropical and Mediterranean Plants
3 credits
4-month internship
15 creditsExperimental Approaches to Plant Biology
5 creditsProject Management
3 credits
Admission
Admission Requirements
Applications can be submitted through the following platforms:
- French and European students: Follow the “Mon Master” procedure on the website: https://www.monmaster.gouv.fr/