Nicolas RODE, INRAE-CBGP
Friday 22 May 2026, 09:30, Grand meeting room + live on Youtube
Evolutionary genetics of a polyphagous insect: the impact of insect-symbiont interactions on adaptation and population dynamics
Understanding the mechanisms by which polyphagous insects adapt to their environment is a central objective of evolutionary ecology and has major practical implications for agriculture. How the population dynamics of polyphagous insects are shaped by interactions between their genotype, that of their microbiota and their host plants remains poorly understood. Gaining a better understanding of this three-way insect-microbiota-host plant interaction is important, particularly to enable the development of new, more environmentally friendly management strategies.
My research aims to understand how the complex interactions between host genotype, associated microbial communities and the environment (particularly the host plant) shape the adaptation of natural populations. In particular, I am exploring (i) the relative contribution of genetic and plastic factors to the adaptation of the pest Drosophila suzukii to its host fruits, (ii) the role of the fungal and bacterial microbiota in its plastic responses to host plants, and (iii) the mechanisms of co-evolution between D. suzukii and the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia, notably through the quantitative study of male sterility induced by this bacterium (cytoplasmic incompatibility).
I am developing a mentoring programme aimed at training young researchers in integrative approaches to evolutionary genetics, combining controlled experiments, quantitative genetics, metagenomic analyses and modelling. In line with this approach, I aim to structure these activities around issues that link fundamental questions regarding the mechanisms of rapid adaptation with more applied challenges, in particular the development of innovative management strategies based on Wolbachia-induced incompatibility (Incompatible Insect Technique).