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Élise introduces herself:

"Interested in biology since I was a little girl, I discovered microbiology during my undergraduate studies. This discovery paved the way for me to deepen my knowledge of the world of microorganisms, which although small, can have an impact, positve or negative, on our daily lives. I went on to do a master's degree in molecular microbiology pathogenesis and microbial ecology at the University of Lyon, before crossing France to work for a PhD thesis at MycSA, INRAE Nouvelle Aquitaine Bordeaux research center.

Curious by nature, my research laboratory experiences focused on the discovery of new models ranging from the genetics of C. elegans to experimental bacterial-plant evolution, via the study of yeasts and their impact on the tiger mosquito. It was at the end of my Master's degree and after having been able to approach the (fascinating) biology of fungi through different models that I decided to concentrate on them and embark on a 3-year project alongside them.

During the following 3 years, I'll be looking at the impact of agroforestry (the presence of trees on farmland) on phytopathogens, and more specifically on the Fusarium spp. responsible for head blights in cereals. I'll be getting my boots wet to collect various samples and be able to characterize the Fusarium species present, their intra-specific diversity and compare these data with microclimate data. This thesis project is part of the AC²TION project, which is one of two projects in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region under the TETRAE program, which aims to respond to major agricultural, food and environmental challenges."