Jonathan Plett is a molecular biologist who recently spent one month working with Francis Martin and his team on site at the INRA Nancy-Lorraine Center in Champenoux with the LabEx joint research unit IAM (Tree-Microorganism Interactions) furthering the study of symbiotic plant/microbe interactions.  Jonathan holds a PhD in biology from Queen’s University (Canada) and is currently a research fellow at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment housed within the University of Western Sydney (Australia) where he is studying how symbiotic fungi ‘talk’ with plants while colonizing their tissues.

Jonathan is an accomplished early career researcher with 28 publications/book chapters published in leading scientific journals including Nature Genetics, PNAS, Current Biology, Trends in Genetics and New Phytologist. The broad aim of Jonathan’s research is ‘to understand how plants are able to differentiate between symbiotic and disease-causing microbes…and how microbes try to influence the outcome of these plant/microbe interactions by using proteins to alter plant cellular function.’  The ultimate goal of his work is to ‘genetically identify new plant varieties that can ignore disease-causing organisms and that can enhance relationships with symbiotic organisms.  These plants will grow faster, produce more food and rely less on pesticides and fertilizers thus leading to more sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural and forestry practices.’

Jonathan was kind enough to talk with us recently about his science and his path as a researcher. To read the full interview, please follow this link :
ARBRE Interview — Jonathan Plett