Eric Guedon

I obtained my PhD in microbiology and molecular biology at Paris XI University in 2000. My PhD work, carried under the supervision of P. Renault, focused on the regulation of the proteolytic system of Lactococcus lactisby CodY, a pleiotropic transcriptional factor. In March 2000, I joined the group of Tarek Msadek at Pasteur Institute (Paris) to study the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation by two-component systems in Bacillus subtilis. In September 2001, I was appointed as permanent INRA research scientist in the Génétique Microbienne lab headed by S.D. Ehrlich (INRA, Jouy-en-Josas) where I joined the BAC team to work on the molecular mechanisms of adaptation, including genetic and genomic modifications, of Streptococci to environmental changes. In 2010, I joined the Micalis institute (INRA, Jouy-en-Josas) to work on commensal bacteria of the human gut microbiota in the frame of the MetaHit EU project. In 2015, I moved to UMR1253 STLO (INRA-Agrocampus Ouest, Rennes) to develop works on intercellular communication and bacterial extracellular vesicles and to lead the Microbio team. In January 2017, I was promoted INRA Senior Researcher (Directeur de Recherches INRA). From my PhD to now, the main focus of my research has always been the study of interactions and adaptation to environment of Gram-positive bacteria in order to gain a better understanding of how bacterial cell function. I have developed an expertise in microbiology, molecular genetics, genomic and post-genomic through works on the mechanisms of gene expression control, analysis of bacterial functions, genome evolution and bacterial-host interactions. My background reflects my curiosity and my interest for original, collaborative and multidisciplinary projects related to food and human health. Initially centering on lactic acid bacteria to improve the quality of fermented foods, my research activity evolved towards the study of commensal bacteria to unravel the mechanisms of their beneficial effects on human health and wellness. I participated to the pioneer works on the human intestinal microbiota at the UMR Micalis (INRA, Jouy-en-Josas). To further explore the relations between fermented foods, microbiota and host health, I joined the UMR STLO in 2015, in which I currently lead the MicroBio team. Our team shares a common ambition: to better understand the functioning of bacterial communities in relation with food and mammals in order to provide knowledge for their management and functionalization. For my part, I initiated studies on intra- and inter-species interactions and mechanisms of dialogue. In particular, my main interest now resides on extracellular vesicles (i.e. exosomes, EVs), nanoparticles produced by bacteria, and their role as mediators in communication with other bacteria, the microbiota and the host.