Search

The main drawback of the coral-algae model is that the microalgae Symbiodinium are refractory to molecular biology techniques, which seriously restrict any functional exploration. In this proposal, this obstacle is circumvented by the use of a new emerging model, the photosymbiotic worm Symsagittife

Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) used to treat cancers, immune and infectious diseases represent a multibillion dollar industry. Chinese Hamster Ovary cells are currently the gold standard. However, high expense, potential virus contamination and mAb heterogeneity represent major drawbacks that drive sci

Seeds are at the core of agriculture, constituting a major source of food for humans and animals. Climate change is expected to have a dramatic impact on seed germination and seedling emergence as they are tightly controlled by environmental cues. In particular, the temperature regime that prevails

The MARWEL project proposes to unravel specific genomic adaptations and interactions related to Woesearchaeota ecology. Indeed, we benefit from a unique case study in an extreme microbial lacustrine ecosystem in which previous work reported a strong niche partitioning of Woesearchaeota between a fre

Plants are sessile organisms and naturally adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions. Recent evidence showed that extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) can drive rapid adaptation to a stressful environment, in yeast, cancer cells but also in herbicide resistant plants. However, in plants t

Metals are both essential for the development of organisms and toxic when found at elevated concentrations. Recent work has demonstrated that the broad-spectrum IRT1 metal transporter from the model plant Arabidopsis not only acts as a transporter, but also as a metal sensor. IRT1 is the founding me

As the first available prebiotics for neonates, milk oligosaccharides regulate gut microbial composition and modulate host immune response, playing a crucial role in the holobiont assembly. By using two livestock models (pigs and rabbits) with different maturity levels at birth, HoloOLIGO aims to d

Tomato is a major crop cultivated worldwide and a fleshy fruit plant model for biologists. Tomato genome contains large heterochromatic regions densely populated by transposons, which are typically targeted by DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification preventing transposons mobility. DNA methylati

FishNess investigates individual fish robustness as a determinant of population vulnerability and aquaculture sustainability in the face of major global change stressors, warming and hypoxia. Robustness is a core concern for agricultural sustainability in the face of global change. It is measured as

To advance the understanding of the early embryo-maternal dialog is a major task in cattle breeding since up to 40% of embryo mortality occur during the first 7 days of pregnancy. This represents a significant economic loss for dairy and beef industry. In the context of global climate change, early

Despite their major ecological role at the base of the food chain in oceanic ecosystems, the variation in phytoplankton-virus interactions as a function of abiotic factors is under studied. Indeed, efforts have focused on estimating the extraordinary interspecific diversity of these communities popu

Sincerely is a fundamental research project that is focused on the newly discovered essential cell cycle regulator FcrX in the model symbiotic bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti. Our unpublished data shows that FcrX controls both CtrA, the master cell cycle regulator, as well as the tubulin-like prote

Plants of the legume (Fabaceae) family establish a root endosymbiotic interaction of high agronomical and ecological importance with soil bacteria collectively named rhizobia. This interaction culminates in the formation of the dinitrogen (N2) fixing nodule where bacteria differentiate into bacteroi

Neutrophils fully participate to adaptive immunity by cross talk with T cells. We discovered a new population of regulatory neutrophils circulating in cattle blood under normal conditions with suppressive activity on T cells. Their function in infections is unknown. During tuberculosis (TB) in human

The emergence of antimicrobial resistant pathogens requires the development of antibiotic-free strategies to preserve gut health at weaning in farm animals. MetaboWean is founded on preliminary data showing that metabolites produced by the gut microbiota at the onset of solid food ingestion contribu

We recently discovered a protein from the model marine diatom, Thalassiosira pseudonana, that belongs to a new subclass of carbonic anhydrase, iota-CA. We showed that this protein is involved in CO2-concentrating mechanisms and uses Mn2+ as a co-factor instead of Zn2+. Since we also showed that iota

Plant response to heat stress has been extensively investigated for the past two decades. Heat stress (HT) applied to plants to study the effects of climate change often corresponds to T°C > at 40°C for 1h or less. However, global warming induces, among other things, long heat waves (1 week or more

Plants and their photosynthetic capacity are essential for animal survival, as are the complementary activities of respiration that occur in mitochondria, which directly affect crop productivity and plant adaptation to environmental changes. Research on plant organellar biogenesis is therefore of ma

Orobanche cumana is an obligate root parasitic plant that infects sunflowers, leading to significant yield losses. Broomrape seeds in the soil germinate only by perceiving molecules produced in the sunflower root exudates. Using the genetic resources of Helianthus, we have identified accessions that

Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, the multicellular and diazotrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC 7120 differentiate ~10% of its cells to become specialized nitrogen-fixing heterocysts. The decision to commit into terminal differentiated cells occurs ~13 h after the induction of differentiation. Whil

A major goal of developmental and evolutionary biology is to elucidate the genetic changes underpinning morphological innovations. Plant architecture is determined by the activity of meristems, groups of proliferating cells responsible for the construction of all organs, including leaves, branches a

In medaka (Oryzias latipes), a model fish species for reproduction, we have recently showed that the lack of miR-202 results in a dramatic decrease of female fertility; a remarkably strong phenotype that is associated with reduced fertilization rate in mutant eggs. While underlying mechanisms are cu

Improving yield and nutrient content of crop plants is a critical issue as deficiencies are very common in populations where plant-based nutrition is predominant. An effective strategy followed by microorganisms and plants is to release specific chelating molecules, which complexes metal ions and ma

Over the past decades, bovine selection has led to considerable progress in the dairy cattle performances. Recently, epigenetic mechanisms have been regarded as a potential source of phenotypic variance unaccounted by genomic selection. POLYPHEME will explore whether epigenomics may provide opportun

Small (s)RNA-directed RNA interference (RNAi) plays an important role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression, antiviral defence and cross-talk between eukaryotic organisms. In this project we will dissect the biogenesis and function of sRNAs in 3-way plant-virus-insect vector interactions and e

Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops for production and world trade. In the future the tomato demand is expected to increase by 60% by 2050, but climate change is an obstacle for yield increase. In this context scientists and plant breeders must prepare for climate change by identify

Most life forms depend on photosynthesis. Photosynthesis evolved in bacteria, its spreading and ecological dominance on earth and in the ocean were favorised by eukaryotic acquisition through one primary and many independent secondary photosymbiosis events. However, the molecular basis for photosymb

In C4-plants the separation of photosynthetic functions between highly specialized mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) chloroplasts allows an efficient CO2 fixation. Gene networks at the origin of the C4-syndrome remain largely undiscovered particularly at the level of plastid gene expression (PGE)

Densoviruses are orally infectious and lethal to insects of various orders. They are considered promising candidates, as an alternative to chemical insecticides, for the control of insect crop pests and disease vectors. Their use requires a prior in-depth understanding of viral pathogenesis and the

The timing of reproduction strongly contributes to fitness and yield in annual and perennial plants. Here, we aim to decipher molecular mechanisms and the regulatory logic that control the switch in meristem identity that occurs during floral transition, and its subsequent stabilization during inflo

Quantitative disease resistance (QDR) is a ubiquitous process limiting pathogen infection in land plants. QDR is often broad spectrum and durable but its molecular bases remain elusive. Determining the extent to which plants evolved QDR from a common ancestor or by convergence is key to understand h

Viral diseases cause severe damage to cultivated crops. By contrast, wild plants are often ‘tolerant’: i.e., free of disease symptoms, despite recurrent infection. Tolerance is a defense strategy that optimizes plant fitness while allowing the virus to propagate; this differs from plant resistance,

Legume plants can grow without nitrogen fertilizer because they establish symbiosis with Rhizobia. This interaction results in the formation of root nodules where rhizobia fix atmospheric nitrogen for the benefit of the plant. In addition to this well studied interaction, legume nodules are also tri

The large variability in metabolic responses of dairy cows with similar genetic background and breeding system during the transition period (late gestation - early lactation) reflects individual differences in adaptive capacity. Inadequate adaptation of the cow has negative effects on its health as

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) open avenues for the development of new technologies in veterinary medicine and animal production. However, the efficiency of iPSC reprogramming remains low, especially in livestock. Additionally, the iPSC generated are in a primed (restricted embryonic contrib

The goal of the RePairs project is to generate fundamental and transferable knowledge on plant immune receptors from the family of nucleotide-binding (NB) and leucine-rich repeat domain (LRR) proteins (NLRs). NLRs form a large family of intracellular receptors that detect virulence factors (also cal

The importance of heterogeneous shedding patterns in the context of infectious diseases is now well documented and recognized. The infected individuals that harbour and shed a given pathogen at higher concentrations than their congeners are often referred to as super-shedder, by opposite to low-shed

Carotenoids are an important source of bioactive compounds in plants, including phytohormones (abscisic acid, strigolactones). We recently identified new growth regulators and signaling molecules derived from the oxidation of ß-carotene in the chloroplasts of plants under environmental constraints,

Reciprocal exchanges of DNA between homologous parental chromosomes, cross-overs (COs), are initiated by the programmed induction of hundreds of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) per meiocyte during meiosis prophase. In flowering plants in particular, however, these exchanges remain limited because on

The diversity of plant immune mechanisms, shaped by 450 million years of evolution remains largely unexplored. The “LEVEL-UP” proposal will take advantage of a unique collection of 200 sequenced accessions of the model liverwort Marchantia polymorpha to run Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) for t

Plant-parasitic nematodes have a major impact on global food production with an estimated annual cost of about €100 billion worldwide. Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) alone are responsible for 5% of the global crop losses. These soilborne root pathogens have a worldwide distribution, can infe

In order to maintain a sustainable aquaculture, the traditional ingredients of aquafeed, fishmeal and fish oil, must be replaced by renewable and alternative sources like terrestrial plants products. However, in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), the total replacement of aquafeed led to drasticall

Foliar fertilization is a widely used tool in agriculture. Despite the recognized benefits of this practice on crops cultures, the molecular mechanisms driving the sensing of mineral and organic nutrients at the leaf level and their absorption are largely unknown. Nitrogen (N) is the most important

While global climate changes significantly affect crop yields, our understanding of plant tolerance to adverse environmental conditions still remains limited. The transient accumulation of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in organelles called lipid droplets (LDs) is considered as an essential cellular adapta

A new symbiotic pathway for rhizobial infection and nodulation in legumes Legumes are of prime agronomic and ecological importance thanks to their ability to develop a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with rhizobia that are hosted in a specialized root organ, the nodule. Research performed on two model

Plants constantly adjust their development in response to variations of environmental parameters, both above and below ground. How do plants sense and integrate various concomitant external signals? How does each signal influence the response to another? These questions are at the heart of the NitRe

Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of eukaryotic genomes and supposed to be evolutionary catalyzers. Unlike the extensive information available for annual crops, the role of TEs in adaptation of perennial crops, such as fruit trees, has been studied in less depth. Yet, the domesticatio

Seeds play a key role in plant dissemination and evolution, as well as in agriculture and food production. Understanding the core mechanisms underpinning seed development and the accumulation of storage compounds therefore constitutes a fundamental goal of plant biology. The transitions between

The stability and translational activity of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are important checkpoints in the regulation of gene expression. These processes are massively reprogrammed during development and in response to stress. In the last couple of years, several studies have shown that stability and trans

Vector biology is an essential field within global health. For plant pathogens and their arthropod vectors, a major mode of transmission involves a very early but specific interaction with peculiar cuticular surfaces of the vector. These mechanisms nevertheless remain poorly understood but those of

Hybridization between related species resulting from allopolyploidy is ubiquitous in the evolutionary history of plants. From the outset, allopolyploid organisms face the challenge of proper chromosome segregation during meiosis in the presence of related, but non-identical chromosome sets (called h