The objectives of our team are to contribute to the acquisition of knowledge in the different disciplines that we mobilize (evolutionary biology, population genetics and quantitative genetics, molecular evolution, ecology, etc.), and to propose means of managing and enhancing diversity: in-situ and ex-situ management methodologies; creation of genetic resources for the production of varieties or new varietal formulas (mixtures of varieties), adapted to agrosystems that are more economical in terms of inputs and land area.

Our research is structured around three thematic axes:

Adaptive genomics - The objective of our research is to understand the impact of molecular mechanisms on the diversity, expression and organization of the genomes of cultivated species, based also on the study of related species and model species. We are interested in intra- and interspecific polymorphism patterns, and we rely on population genomics and molecular evolution models and concepts to determine the relative effect of different evolutionary factors (demographic, selective, but also molecular such as recombination, mutation, duplication) on the genome and its expression. This work mobilizes modern tools for accessing the genome (re-sequencing, transcriptomics, etc.) and is implemented at different scales of time (evolutionary history of Triticeae, domestication series, modern selection) and space (populations, species, genus, family).  They are also accompanied by the development of adapted analysis methodologies (phylogeny, inference models, etc.). The results of this research are multiple: identification of interesting sources of diversity, characterization of favorable versus unfavorable polymorphisms for crops, inputs for the management and development of genetic resources.

Population dynamics – The objective of this axis is to understand and predict the impact of demographic and selective factors on the evolution of populations and their adaptive potential.  We study the evolutionary forces at work in agro-ecosystems and their relative impacts on the diversity and adaptive potential of populations. We evaluate the response of populations to selection pressures (phenotypic plasticity, adaptation, maladaptation). Finally, we determine the genetic architecture of adaptation. To do so, we rely on temporal monitoring and/or fine spatial analysis of natural or artificial populations (experimental evolutionary devices, cultivated populations from traditional agro-systems), and mobilize population genetics and quantitative genetics tools. Modeling and simulation of complex scenarios are used to build theoretical predictions; these expectations can be tested on data collected by the team, or through literature reviews. The results of this work are used to develop diversity management schemes adapted to the biological properties of the populations concerned (reproductive regime, wild-cultivated contact zones, etc.), to management or development objectives (in situ; ex situ; pre-breeding, evolutionary breeding), and to agricultural issues (adaptation to climate change, resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, etc.).

Extended phenotype - Agroecology is based on the hypothesis that it is possible to maintain agricultural production while reducing the environmental cost of agriculture, by enhancing biological interactions within agrosystems to better reduce inputs. The objective of this axis is to understand the processes that govern biotic interactions in varietal mixtures (plant-plant, plant-plant-pathogen, plant-plant-microbiota) to mobilize them in the context of a more sustainable agriculture. We analyze the relationship between individual performance and plot performance as a function of the genotypes that compose it. We identify the plant traits involved in these interactions and the underlying mechanisms (kin selection, niche complementarity, etc). We develop models to predict the evolution of phenotypes and its impact on plot performance according to the selection schemes applied. This work is mainly developed on durum wheat. It is based on experimental and modeling approaches, using concepts from evolutionary biology, functional ecology, ecophysiology and plant pathology. The results of this research are used to guide the selection of new varieties adapted to diversified agrosystems and schemes in participatory breeding.