Plants are associated with diverse communities of micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, oomycetes…) that collectively form the  microbiome. These micro-organisms, which can be beneficial or cause diseases, colonize all plant organs (roots, stems, leaves, fruits…). We specifically study the microbial habitat formed by the surface of plant leaves (the phyllosphere).  Like the root surface, the leaf surface harbor hyperdiverse microbial communities. We study the influence of these communities on plant performance and ecosystem functions in temperate forests, tropical forests and agricultural ecosystems (e.g. vineyards). We analyze the complex interactions between plants, microbes and their environment. Applications include  biocontrol of plant diseases and biomonitoring of ecosystem health.

Read more:

• Compant S., Cambon M., Vacher C., Mitter B., Samad A., Sessitch A. 2021. The plant endosphere world – bacterial life within plants.  Environmental Microbiology, 23(4): 1812–1829 (doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.15240)
• Vacher, C., Hampe, A., Porté, A.J., Sauer, U., Compant, S., Morris, C.E. 2016. The phyllosphere: microbial jungle at the plant-climate interface. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, vol. 47, 1-24 (doi: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-121415-032238)