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Clare Gough

CNRS Research Director

SMS group co-leader
clare.gough@inrae.fr

RESEARCH SUBJECTS

Since 1985 when I started my PhD in Mike Daniel’s group at the John Innes Institute (UK), I have been studying how plants and bacteria interact together. Firstly, I worked in plant pathology with two phytopathogenic bacteria, Xanthomonas campestris and Ralstonia solanacearum, and their host plants. I studied the molecular mechanisms both by which these bacteria infect and cause disease symptoms on plants, and those that enable plants to resist such infection. During my analysis of the hrp genes of R. solanacearum as a post-doc in Christian Boucher’s group at the LIPM, I contributed to the discovery that the type III secretion system is conserved with bacterial mammalian pathogens, and is involved in secreting elicitors for disease and the hypersensitive reaction in plants. I was recruited by the CNRS in 1998 in Jean Dénarié’s group at the LIPM. Since then I have been studying the molecular and genetic mechanisms of early symbiotic signalling between Medicago truncatula and the two endosymbiotic microorganisms of this plant, Sinorhizobium meliloti and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. I was involved in the identification of a Nod factor signalling pathway in M. truncatula, and the demonstration that this is common between the two symbioses. I am particularly interested in the roles of LysM receptor proteins in plant-microbe interactions, as well as the interconnections between biotic and abiotic signalling mechanisms, including the role of redox signalling.

TRAINING

  • Habilitation à Diriger les Recherches (2004); Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France

  • PhD (1989); John Innes Institute, East Anglia University, UK

  • Bachelor of Science in Botany (Hons) (1985); Cambridge University, UK

RECENT FUNDING

ANR Project "DUALITY"  (Receptor proteins and redox control at the interface of symbiosis & immunity) coordinated by C. Gough, 2021-2024.

ANR Project "GRASP" Analysis of the genetic basis of symbiotic partner choice for improving symbioticnitrogen fixation in pea) coordinated by V. Bourion 2016-2022.

ANR Project "AOI" (Autoregulation of infection in the rhizobium-legume symbiosis) coordinated by J. Batut, 2015-2021.

COLLABORATIONS

 A. Boscari, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech (ISA), UMR INRA- Université Côte d’Azur-CNRS, Nice

C. Jacquet, Laboratory of Research in Plant Science (LRSV), UMR CNRS-UPS, Toulouse

J.F. Arrighi, Laboratory of Tropical and Mediterranea n Symbioses (LSTM) UMR IRD-CIRAD-INRAUM/Agro-M, Montpellier

V. Bourion, UMR Agroécologie, INRAE, Dijon

Clare GOUGH
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Sandra Bensmihen

CNRS Research Director

SMS group co-leader
sandra.bensmihen@inrae.fr

RESEARCH SUBJECTS

I was trained as a geneticist and developmental biologist. After a PhD on seed development in Arabidopsis (Gif-sur-Yvette, France), a first post doc on modelling of leaf development (JIC, Norwich, UK) and a second one on symbiotic signalling during nodulation in Medicago truncatula (LIPM, Toulouse), I was hired at CNRS to lead a project on how symbiotic microbial signals stimulate root development. To do so, I use approaches such as transcriptomics, natural variation (quantitative genetics) and reverse genetics. My research interests encompass :

  • Root phenotyping (medium and high-throughput)

  • Crosstalks between symbiotic and hormonal signalling

  • Root development in Medicago truncatula

  • Crosstalks between root cell layers (such as epidermis and cortex).

GRANTS and FUNDING

Past :

AAP INRA-SPE 2016 : LCAUX, coordinator S . Bensmihen (2017-2018)

FRAIB : AUXIMED, coordinator S . Bensmihen, collab C. Jacquet (LRSV Toulouse) to set up higher throughput root phenotyping at TPMP (2018)

 « Interlabex » OPERA project « optimisation of medium throughput root phenotyping in Medicago truncatula », coordinator S. Bensmihen, collab. P. Nacry, BPMP, Montpellier. (2019)

Present :

FRAIB: SINGULARITY, coordinator S. Bensmihen, collab. JM Couzigou (LRSV, Toulouse) (2020-2022) to develop single cell and single nuclei transcriptomics

Participant of the ANR projects DUALITY (2021-2024, coord. Clare Gough) and SYMWAY (2022-2026, coord. JF Arrighi, Montpellier)

TRAINING

  • November 2014 : Habilitation à diriger de recherches, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse

  • 2006-2008 : Post-doc with C. Gough (LIPM) on structure-function analysis of NFP in host specificity

  • 2003-2006 : Post-doc with E. Coen (JIC, Norwich) on leaf developmental modelling in Anthirrhinum majus and Arabidopsis thaliana

  • 2003-2000 : PhD Université Orsay Paris Sud, at l’ISV, Gif sur Yvette, director F. Parcy, group J. Giraudat.

COLLABORATIONS

  • International (academics) :

H.  Motte and T. Beeckman, VIB Ghent, Belgium, LCAUX project, 2017-2018, (coord. S. BENSMIHEN).

D. O’Connor, Cambridge University, UK. Brachypodium root studies (Buendia et al., 2019a).

N. Provart, Bio-Analytic Resource for Plant Biology (BAR), Toronto, Canada (Herrbach et al., 2017).

M. Libault, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA : « single cell » technology, in the frame of the SINGULARITY project (2020-2022, coord S. BENSMIHEN) and a « Thomas Jefferson Fund » initiative (coord. JM Couzigou).

-  French (academics) :

P. Nacry, BPMP, Montpellier, root phenotyping (« OPERA » project, 2019, coord. S. BENSMIHEN)

N. Peeters, TPMP, LIPME, Toulouse and « Phénome » : medium and high throughput root phenotyping (AUXIMED project, 2018, coord S. BENSMIHEN).

M. Bonhomme/ C. Jacquet, LRSV, Toulouse : for GWAS approaches and in the frame of the ANR project NICECROPS  (Bonhomme, Bensmihen et al., 2021)

JM Couzigou, LRSV, Toulouse : « single cell » transcriptomics (SINGULARITY project 2020-2022, coord. S. BENSMIHEN) and « Thomas Jefferson Fund » (2021-2023) initiative.

C. Maugis, INSA/IMT, Toulouse : for transcriptomics statistical analysis. LCAUX and SINGULARITY projects (coord. S. BENSMIHEN). « MITI » CNRS Project DDisc (2021-2024, coord. P. Neuvial).

MetaboHub metabolomics plateform, Toulouse : for hormones and secondary metabolites dosages (Buendia et al., 2019a)

COMMITTEE MEMBER

2016- 2020: Elected member of the scientific council of the FR-AIB;

2016-2020:  Elected member of the scientific council of the SEVAB doctoral school

2021-2025: Head of the "  Plant development, biotic and abiotic interactions  » (23 reception teams on 3 different units) of ED SEVAB

Co-facilitator of the monitoring committee for LIPME thesis students

October 2019-current: elected member of the executive board of the EUR (University Research School) TULIP-GS

February 2021-current: member of the scientific animation committee of the Symbiphyt network (INRAE-SPE, Coordination M. Lepetit and A. Carlier).

January 2019-January 2023: co-organizer of the “Legumes” workshop at the international Plant and Animal Genome (PAG) conference, San Diego, USA.

EDUCATION

2000-2003: monitor (contract lecturer) at Orsay-Paris Sud University (64h/year)

2008-2018: Vacations of TP and TD in plant physiology in License (L1/L2) at UPS, Toulouse

2010-current: participation in bibliographic workshops for M2R students.

2021: course for the M2R Paris-Saclay

EDUCATION

Oral presentation at Thursdays Sciences of the FR-AIB (scientific popularization seminar for the INRAE center in Auzeville): "Plants also have hormones" (September 2017)

Participation in ESOF (European Science Open Forum), Museum of Natural History, Toulouse, July 2018

Extension activity on legumes in primary schools (October 2021) and high schools (2010, 2011)

Since January 2020: co-organizer of the Jeudi Sciences seminars of the FR-AIB

Sandra BENSMIHEN

Carole LAFFONT

Ingénieure d'Etudes (CNRS)

SMS
Carole.Laffont@inrae.fr

Training and Research Subjects

I was recruited by the CNRS in 2006 in the Institute of Plant Sciences at Gif sur Yvette (91), firstly in the group of Martin Crespi. Then, in Florian Frugier’s group, I studied the molecular mechanisms that control legume root architecture, notably in the context of the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between Medicago truncatula and the diazotrophic bacterium Rhizobium meliloti. In this project, I participated in the characterisation of hormonal mutants of M. truncatula, and I developed a direct genetic approach to identify new genes that control root development.

Between 2015 and 2020, I did a PhD in which I characterised peptide signals involved in the control of the formation of lateral roots and nitrogen-fixing nodules. Throughout this time, I have acquired essential expertise both in molecular biology (cloning, ChIP, transactivation), and plant physiology (culture, phenotyping, genetic transformation).

In 2024, I joined the group of Sandra Bensmihen in the LIPME to study the influence of microbial symbiotic signals on root development and plant nutrition. For this, I am using single cell transcriptomics, as well as reverse genetics via either retrotransposon mutants or genome editing with CrispR-Cas9.

For fifty percent of my time I am developing a “plant genome engineering” service for the LIPME. In this service, which will rely on the plant transformation platform led by Céline Remblière, I will give advice on plant genome editing tools and genome diagnostics for different species of plant.

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Nicolas Pauly

University lecturer and scientist (UCA)

SMS
nicolas.pauly@inrae.fr

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Niclas PAULY
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AlexanderJohansson

PhD student

SMS
alexander.johansson@inrae.fr

TRAINING AND RESEARCH SUBJECTS

Graduated in 2021 with an master in plant biotech engineering from Umeå university. I performed my master thesis in Alizée Malnoë lab at Umeå Plant Science Centre, where I investigated the redox function of SOQ1, a protein crucial for the regulation of a photoprotective mechanism in Arabidopsis thaliana. The following year I worked with somatic embryogenesis in a biotech company called SweTree before I started my PhD in the SMS group. My PhD project studying connections between abiotic stress tolerance and symbiotic signalling in legumes (CASTLE) is funded 50% by INRAE and 50% by the region of Occitanie. 

Bich LUU
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Agathe Nicolas

Ingénieure d'Etude (ANR)

SMS
agathe.nicolas@inrae.fr

TRAINING AND RESEARCH SUBJECTS

After obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Genetics and Cell Biology at Lyon 1 University, I pursued a Master's degree in Plant Biology at the same university. During my Master, I completed an M1 internship at the Plant Reproduction and Development Laboratory in Lyon with the Cell Signaling and Endomembranes team, and an M2 internship at the Jean-Pierre Bourgin Institute in Versailles with the Seed Development and Quality team. I joined the SMS team in January 2023 to work with Guilhem Reyt on the ENDOSYMB project: "Coordination between the root endodermis and endosymbioses."

Agathe
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Baptiste Sarrette

PhD student

SMS
baptiste.sarrette@inrae.fr

TRAINING AND RESEARCH SUBJECTS

I'm graduated with an ecology degree and a plant biology master from the University Paul Sabatier of Toulouse (France) in 2020. I arrived in the SMS group thanks to an internship in which I characterized a biosensor of the reactive oxygen species (ROS)  in planta. I also made phylogenetics studies on genes capable of synthetizing those molécules (the RBOH gene family).

Since 2021 I'm a PhD student in the SMS team. My project is funded by the Duality ANR project which aims to decipher the molecular mechanisms involved in immunity and legume symbiosis in the legume clade of plants. My purpose is to study specificaly the interactors of the NFP gene during biotic interactions thanks to genetics, transcriptomics and microscopy studies.

Baptiste
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Zélie Lesterps

PhD Student

SMS
zelie.lesterps@inrae.fr

TRAINING AND RESEARCH SUBJECTS

After obtaining my undergraduate degree in Cell Biology and Physiology and my master's degree in plant biology, ADAM (Adaptations, development, improvement of plants, in association with microorganisms) at the Paul-Sabatier University of Toulouse, I started my thesis in 2022. My thesis project is a continuation of my second year master's internship. It aims to study the AUX/IAA7 gene during root development and in the context of root endosymbiosis, nodulation and mycorrhization in Medicago truncatula. Another part of my project is to compare the specificities of this Medicago truncatula gene with its homolog in the non legume plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Zélie
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Julie Cullimore

INRAE Research Director

SMS
julie.cullimore@inrae.fr

RESEARCH SUBJECTS

After a career in the UK, I was recruited by INRA in1991 to direct a new team to work on the perception and response of the legume plant to symbiotic signals.

In 2018, I relinquished the direction of the team to other members, and currently I am continuing my research on Nod factor perception by «lysin-motif receptor-like kinases» (LysM-RLK), using molecular biology, biochemical and genetic approaches.

TRAINING

PhD (1981); University of East Anglia, UK

Julie
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Fabienne Maillet

Engineer

SMS
fabienne.maillet@inrae.fr

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Frédéric Debellé

INRAE Research Scientist

SMS
frederic.debelle@inrae.fr

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Frédéric
Guilhem
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Guilhem Reyt

CNRS Research Scientist

SMS
guilhem.reyt@inrae.fr

RESEARCH SUBJECTS

During my PhD (2010-2013), I characterised the function and regulation of a family of proteins, the ferritins controlling iron homeostasis in plants and root architecture. After my PhD, I wanted to keep working on plant nutrition, by studying how root development controls nutrient acquisition. For this, I joined the group of Prof. David E. Salt working on the formation of root barriers and how they contribute to the acquisition of mineral nutrients, water from the soil and microbiome assembly. I was recruited by the CNRS in 2021 to characterise the role of endodermal barriers during plant-microbe interactions. I am particularly interested in the roles of the endodermis in gating nutrient exchanges between the vascular tissues and endosymbiotics structures formed by rhizobium and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

TRAINING

2010-2013 : PhD Université de Montpellier, director : F. Gaymard, J-F. Briat

2013-2014 : ATER Université de Montpellier

2014-2016 : Post-doc in the group of D. Salt, University of Aberdeen

2016-2021 : Post-doc in the group of D. Salt, University of Nottingham

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Léo Bunel

PhD Student

SMS
leo.bunel@inrae.fr

RESEARCH SUBJECTS

I graduated from the University of Caen (Normandie, France) with a master's degree in biology and agrosciences. In 2022, I studied the effect of biostimulants on nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis and sulfur absorption in soybean as part of an internship at the EVA laboratory in Caen. In 2023, I worked on the improvement of pea tolerance to drought through the lens of its root system architecture during an internship in the SEVE group at the EBI laboratory in Poitiers (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France). In October 2023, I joined the SMS group at the LIPME to start a PhD on the coordination between the root endodermis and endosymbioses in Medicago truncatula. This project aims to understand how the deposition of root barriers is coordinated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal and rhizobial symbioses, and how this impacts plant nutrition. To this end, I use various approaches including confocal imaging, nutrition analyses and transcriptomics that I combine with data exploration techniques.

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Léo
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