BASTET Anna

Thesis subject:

The development of genetic resistance is important to avoid viral infections in cultivated crops. In this context, translation initiation factors eIF4E have a major role in resistance to potyviruses, a family of viruses damageable to crops. Although natural resistance alleles are often used in crops breeding, there are still species devoided of such natural resistance, making it impossible to develop genetic resistance. Using the Arabidopsis thaliana-potyviruses pathosystem, I aim at developing new sources of resistances as a proof of concept before considering their application to crop species. For this, I am developing artificial resistance alleles created by directed mutagenesis before testing them for both their functionality and their resistance efficiency in plants. By combining these synthetic resistance alleles with others eIF4E factors-mediated resistance, my aim is to enlarge resistance spectrum to potyviruses as well as to increase the resistance durability. This study will make proof of the feasibility of this system to obtain large spectrum resistance plants with the perspective of extending it to cultivated plants.

Qualifications and work experience

2010-2013 : Licence Biologie, Université de Nîmes

2013-2015 : Master Microbiologie, Biologie Végétale et Biotechnologies, Université Aix-Marseille

2015-2018 : Thèse au sein de l’unité GAFL, bourse MENRT, directeurs : Jean-Luc Gallois et Christophe Robaglia