Morgane Enea

PhD student since the end of January 2023!

I had the incredible opportunity to join the Laforest-Lapointe lab to complete my PhD. Before landing in Quebec, I first studied in France with a Bachelor's degree (B.Sc.) in Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, followed by a Master's degree (M.Sc) in the same field, with a specialization in ecological engineering (ecotechnologies and bioremediation).

My research project focuses on the famous but no less mysterious sugar maple (Acer saccharum). In particular, how interactions between its roots and soil microbes in the rhizosphere can influence its growth and, ultimately, its establishment in a new environment. Indeed, in the context of the changing environment we are currently experiencing, with modifications in the assembly of communities, both on the tree side and at the root end, it is vital to learn more about the complex interactions that drive them, and thus to better understand the functioning of forest ecosystems. This is part of the context of research into microbial ecology in the face of these environmental changes, since biotic interactions are also likely to be altered in this context. The emblematic status of the sugar maple and the stakes involved in its conservation [yes, it has been in decline in Quebec since 1980] make this cellulose and lignin giant a tremendous opportunity to increase our knowledge of the consequences of climate change in our temperate forests.

To meet the project's objectives, greenhouse experiments are being carried out at the Université de Sherbrooke (psst... news is given regularly on the lab's Instagram account). Hundreds of maple seedlings are planted in experiments lasting one year each: four months of growth -> four months of winter rest -> four months of growth. Different soil origins (altitudinal gradients) and treatments (antibiotic, antifungal, sterilization) are applied, and a range of data is collected throughout these experiments, including DNA extraction to find out who's in our pots.

Finally, one of my great personal passions, and one which I use a lot in my work [I find this particularly true in management and communication situations], is horses. I was infected from an early age and this beneficial microbe has never left me!