Conserved develoPmentaL trAjectories chaNnelling laTeral root prImorDium morphogenesis
Dr. BELLANDE Kevin
OrcID: 0000-0003-0478-2567
+41 32 718 22 07
Bureau A314
I am currently leading the MSCA-GF PLANTID project (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101106663) , a three-year interdisciplinary initiative focused on understanding de novo root organogenesis in Brachypodium distachyon and Lupinus albus. Utilizing advanced methodologies, including single-cell RNA sequencing and CRISPR-Cas9 techniques, the project aims to uncover the conserved genetic and molecular mechanisms driving lateral root development and cell wall remodeling. Key achievements include the publication of one peer-reviewed articles and one open-access script, the generation of novel biological resources (1st Sc-transcriptome in Brachypodium species), and the establishment of international collaborations (New-york University and Max Planck Institute of Potsdam). The project also includes a biodiversity conservation of wild Mediterranean Brachypodium species. My long-term goal is to establish an independent research profile that integrates the fields of root biology, cell wall dynamics, evolutionary developmental biology and machine learning.
- Education and key qualifications
13/11/2018 Ph.D. in Plant Biology, LRSV Laboratory, CNRS/Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III University,
Auzeville-Tolosan, France.
Supervisor: Dr. Hervé CANUT
2015 Master’s degree in Plant biology and Plant-pathogens interactions, Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III University, Toulouse, France.
- Current positions
2023 – 2026 CNRS Researcher Scientist (Post-doctoral MSCA-GF), Institute for Plant Sciences of Montpellier (IPSiM), France. Hosting Lab: Dr. Benjamin PERET.
2023 – 2026 Visiting Researcher Scientist (Post-Doc), Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, Neuchâtel University (UNINE), Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Hosting Lab: Prof. Dr. Joop VERMEER.
- Previous positions
2021 – 2023 Researcher Scientist (Post-Doc), Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, Neuchâtel University (UNINE), Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Hosting Lab: Prof. Dr. Joop VERMEER.
2018 – 2021 Researcher Scientist (Post-Doc), Diversity-Adaptation-Plant Development Laboratory (DIADE), IRD/Montpellier University, Montpellier, France. Hosting Lab: Dr Laurent LAPLAZE and Prof. Dr. Pascal GANTET.
2015 – 2018 PhD Student, Plant Science Research Laboratory (LRSV), CNRS/Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III University, Auzeville-Tolosan, France Hosting Lab: Dr. Elisabeth JAMET and Dr. Hervé CANUT.
Approved Research Projects:
2023-2026
Project n° 101106663 HORIZON TMA Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships – Global Fellowships, CNRS/UNINE. Funding: 308,000 Euros.
2022-2024
Neuchâtel University (UNINE) and Neuchâtel Botanical Garden Grant. Funding: 6,800 CHF.
2015-2018
French National Government, PhD Grant. Funding: 72,000 Euros.
2016-2017
Financial Support obtained for the European Plant Science Retreat Toulouse. Funding: 21,000 Euros
Throughout my career, I have actively engaged in various parallel activities alongside my research. From 2016 to 2024, I supervised and trained 9 junior researchers for 32 months in total, including Master and Bachelor students from various institutions, guiding their projects in plant development. I also informally took part of supervising PhDs students’ thesis during my experience in Neuchâtel (Brachypodium projects). I have also contributed to teaching at universities, instructing courses on plant physiology and molecular biology to undergraduate students. My involvement in scientific communities includes serving on review panels for grant evaluations and participating in editorial activities for peer-reviewed journals. As an organizer and member of scientific societies, I have contributed to events such as the 9th European Plant Science Retreat and the European Researchers’ Night. My active participation in congresses and conferences (8 in the last 5 years) has allowed me to present my research findings and foster collaboration within the scientific community.
- Project supervision / Supervision of Junior Researchers
2022-2024 (2 students, 18 months): Project: “Conserved Developmental Trajectories Channeling Lateral Root Primordium Morphogenesis”: Training of 2nd-year Master Student, Montpellier University, France (6 months). Project: “Spatial accommodation during plant development – adding new pieces to the puzzle”: Training of 2nd-year Master Student, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland (12 months).
2019-2021(4 students, 10 months): Project: “Properties of the Gene Regulatory Network for the Formation of New Lateral Roots in Plants”: Training of 3rd-year Bachelor Student, Montpellier University, France (2 months). Training of 2nd-year Master Student, University of Grenoble-Alpes/University of Milan (2 months). Training of 1st-year Master Student, Montpellier University, France (4 months). Training of 1st-year Bachelor Student, ENS Paris, France (2 months).
2016-2017(3 students, 14 months): Project: “Functional Study of a Lectin Receptor Kinase, LecRK-I.9: A Control for Cell Wall Dynamics in Arabidopsis thaliana”: Training of 1st-year Master Student, Sao Paulo University, Brazil (4 months). Training of 3rd-year Bachelor Student, IUT Nancy, France (4 months). Training of 3rd-year Bachelor Student, Chongqing University, China (6 months).
- Teaching Activities
2016-2018: Teaching Experience, Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III University. Subjects: Plant Physiology, 1st-year and 2nd-year Bachelors.
March 2022,2023,2024: Teaching Experience, University of Neuchâtel, (three sessions of five weeks each). Subjects: Molecular and Cell Biology of Plants, 3rd-year Bachelor students.
- Memberships in Panels, Boards, and Individual Scientific Reviewing Activities
2021-now: Vermeer Lab. Reviewing article for various Journals.
2019 and 2020: DIADE Project Grant Evaluation Scientific Committee at DIADE Laboratory.
2017: PhD Grant Evaluation Scientific Committee at the SEVAB Doctoral School.
2016 and 2017: FRAIB Project Evaluation Scientific Committee at Agrobiosciences, Interactions and Biodiversity Research Federation.
- Active Memberships in Scientific Societies, Fellowships in Renowned Academies
2022-2024 : Member of the Association du Corps Intermédiaire de l’Université de Neuchâtel (ACINE).
2021-2022: Member of the French Society of Developmental Biology (SFBD).
2018-2020: Member of the French Society of Plant Biology (SFBV).
- Organization of Conferences
2016-2017: Principle Organizer and Scientific Committee Member of the 9th European Plant Science Retreat (EPSR), Toulouse.
2017: Scientific Animator at the 11th European Researchers’ Night, Toulouse.
- Participation in congresses and communications
2023: Presented on conserved developmental trajectories in lateral root primordium morphogenesis at the 5th International Brachypodium Conference (Hamammet, Tunisia), and the SwissPLANT Symposium (Les Diablerets, Switzerland) as an oral communication. Also presented at the 10th International Symposium on Root Development (Ghent, Belgium) via a poster.
2021: Shared findings on the role of PUCHI in early LR development and meristem formation at the 2nd International Plant Systems Biology Meeting (Online event, Italy) and Shaping Life 2 Conference (Online event, France) through poster presentations.
2019: Invited speaker at the NetBio Workshop (Paris-Orsay, France) to discuss gene regulatory networks in de novo lateral root primordium development. Also presented orally at The International PhD School Plant Development (Zellingen-Retzbach, Germany) on LecRK-I.9’s role in cell wall dynamics and at the Lateral Root Workshop (Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium) on properties of gene regulatory networks in lateral root formation.
2018: Awarded Best Poster at the CNRS Jacques Monod Conferences during the First International Plant Systems Biology Meeting (Roscoff, France) for the presentation on “Sentinels at the Cell Wall”.
2017: Presented a poster on LecRK-I.9’s involvement in cell wall remodeling perception at the French Cell Wall Network Days (Orléans, France).