Academic focus: Ecology and evolution of plant pathogens in controlled environment agriculture (CEA)
Research summary: I study how biotic drivers such as the plant virome are shaping the ecology and evolution of plant pathogens. My lab aims to answer fundamental questions on how viruses such as bacteriophages are shaping pathogen-plant interactions as well as the role of the wider virome in disease ecology. Our goal is to leverage our knowledge on these eco-evolutionary interactions within the microbial world to design novel methods to suppress disease and support the ongoing expansion of the CEA sector.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I love nature, hiking, camping, all of that good stuff! There is nothing better to clear my head than to wander and get mesmerized by the world around me. Besides the outdoors, my cat and I really got into crochet – while I’m counting the stitches to get the rows right, she’s on the other side of the yarn pulling the thread, for better or for worse.
What are three adjectives people might use to describe you?
Empathetic, creative, motivated
What brought you to Cornell CALS?
The incredibly warm and welcoming community of fantastic scientists across all career stages. I’m so honored and excited to be part of a community whose main goal is to drive sustainable and resilient food systems by developing innovative solutions and building together toward solutions for the challenges to come.
What do you think is important for people to understand about your field?
There are more viruses on Earth than stars in the sky – as far as we know! Among them are bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, which play critical yet often overlooked roles in microbial ecosystems. As we uncover their diversity through recent technological revolutions, we are only beginning to understand their roles in shaping plant health, controlling bacterial diseases and influencing agricultural systems.
Why did you feel inspired to pursue a career in this field?
I remember vividly working with my grandmother and grandfather in their vegetable patch right next to my parents’ home. They taught me all about what and when to plant, the importance of rotation and how to recognize disease. While growing up, I become more and more fascinated in this concept of disease and especially bacteria and viruses. My mind was completely blown when I first learned about phages in college: viruses that infect bacteria. To me, this was a match made in heaven! Being able to mentor and teach students about this vast invisible world and support them to achieve their goals is my drive.
If you had unlimited grant funding, what major problem in your field would you want to solve?
For my research specifically, I would address the problem of plant diseases and their impact on production efficiency. I would chase the question of which (bio)technologies would allow us to alleviate this pressure and how we can build an ecosystem inside CEA that supports plant growth and productivity for each crop, reduces disease pressure for each pathogen, and unlocks the full potential of CEA with respect for the environment and our Earth.
If you could relate your work to one of the four transdisciplinary moonshots, which one would you most closely align with and why? They are: Redesigning 21st Century Agri-Food Systems; Accelerating Holistic Climate Solutions; Leading in Synthetic Biology; and Pioneering Life Science Breakthroughs.
My research aligns most closely with Redesigning 21st Century Agri-Food Systems. My work seeks to build a controlled ecosystem that supports plant growth while minimizing disease pressure. By improving the efficiency of CEA, I hope to help ensure equitable access to nutritious food in challenging environments.
Learn more about Dominique from his CALS profile.
