Chesneau Guillaume

French National Research Institute for Agriculture, food and Environment (INRAE)

We all have a long story in common with microorganisms, and we have minimized their importance in our lives for years. First time I heard about a microbiota was during practical work at school, when I made a leaf imprint on a Petri dish. I realized that microbes were everywhere, incredibly diverse, and therefore inevitably associated with many functions in life. I was fascinated to discover their potential to combat modern human diseases (diabetes, obesity…), but also, by their impact on plant development.

Passionate about plants and sustainable agriculture, my PhD research focuses on the comprehension of the structuration of the seed microbiota, and in the detection of plant beneficial microbes that could be naturally introduced into the plant microbiota. It is outstanding to see, that the alliance, between microbes and plants, could be the answer to global challenges, such as the need to sustainably feed a constant growing population.