My main interest is the understanding of the multiple and complex interactions existing between a host and its associated microorganisms. These microorganisms can either be pathogens or commensal/beneficial members of the host microbiota and interact with each other. Interactions between microorganisms or with their host can vary with environmental conditions, and impact the ecology and evolution of all partners. I have been using a combination of lab experiments, field sampling and single gene community profiling, to study these interactions on insect and plant hosts.

After completing my PhD and a first post-doc in south of France, I joined Prof. James McDonald’s group to study Acute Oak Decline (AOD), a complex pathosystem responsible for the death of many ancient oaks in the UK. I will be investigating the impact of environmental conditions on the tree microbiome and its consequences for the establishment of AOD. I will also focus on the specific interactions of two members of the pathosystem: the bacterium Brenneria goodwinii and the beetle Agrilus bigutattus, both required for the establishment of the AOD disease. I will investigate the potential chemical interactions between them, and how these relate to the expression of bacterial virulence genes.

• PhD: Heterogeneity within infectons: the case of Xenorhabdus nematophila, a vector-borne insect pathogen
  Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, 2018