Eglantine Mathieu

Within the EcoFUN team (IRHS), my research project aims to understand the evolutionary responses of V. inaequalis to quantitative resistances in apple, which are considered more durable than qualitative resistances.

The project is structured around two main objectives:

Identify the evolutionary trajectories followed by V. inaequalis in response to its host

Assess whether V. inaequalis can be constrained into evolutionary dead ends that prevent the durable breakdown of resistance

To address these objectives, I am building an integrative approach combining quantitative genomics (genome-wide association analyses: QTL, GWAS, co-GWAS) and molecular functional ecology (based on hypothesis-free transcriptomic approaches). These approaches will make it possible to identify, respectively:

The genetic determinants of V. inaequalis aggressiveness

The biological processes in trade off with this aggressiveness

The ultimate goal is to improve our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms underlying V. inaequalis aggressiveness, in order to guide future apple breeding strategies and contribute to the sustainable management of apple scab.