Research

ELIM

The laboratory of mycology, including the mycothèque (BCCM/MUCL), is conducting basic and applied research in the domain of mycology. Interdisciplinarity is cultivated through numerous international collaborations.

Research thematics

Agro-food mycology

  • Analysis of the role of fungi in food manufacturing processes (brewery, dairy, bakery) and in alteration of  food products (fungal contamination in the production chains).

Agro-environmental mycology

  • Taxonomy, phylogeny and ecology of fungi from natural or anthropized environment (fungal diversity in litter and canopy of tropical forests, e.g., wood-decaying fungi in agricultural crops, in insect gut)
  • Study of trophic chain and host/symbiont or host/pathogen interaction
  • Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and ectomycorrhizal fungi
  • Endophytic fungi
  • Role of fungi in
    • Bio-stimulation of plant growth ( potato, maize, banana)
    • Bio-protection of plants against biotic (ex. Phytophthora infestans, Rhizoctonia solani, Mycosphaerella fijiensis) and abiotic (salinity, drought) stresses
    • Bio-remédiation of polluted sites (ex. hydrocarbons, heavy metals).
    • Production of secondary metabolites by medicinal or argricultural important plants
  • Purification and production of fungal bio-effectors

Current projects 

-EU

  • AGROSERV - Integrated SERVices supporting a sustainable AGROecological transition – Horizon-INFRA-2021 (2022-2026) 
  • ARISTO - The European Industry - Academia Network for Revising and Advancing the Assessment of the Soil Microbial TOxicity of Pesticides - H2020 UE MSCA - INT - EID (2020-2025)
  • MycUpscaling - Upscaling in vitro arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculum production via combinatorial lipid metabolic engineering of host plants - H2020 UE Marie Curie Fellowship (2021-2025)
  • RATION - Risk AssessmenT InnOvatioN for low-risk pesticides - Horizon-RIA (2022-2026)
  • ROOT-BENEFIT - Benefical root-associated microorganisms for sustainable agriculture - COST ACTION (2024-2029)
  • SMARTBIOMOLECULES -TRANSPEST - Developing and evaluating sustainable bioinsecticide solutions for agriculture, that are resilient to climate change - INTERREG (2024-2028)
  • SMARTOBIOMOLECULES - TRANSLIPO - Development of innovative biostimulants and biofongicides based on molecules derived from beneficial microorganisms - INTERREG (2024-2028)

- Walloon Region

  • ATTRACT AND KILL - Alternative à l'enrobage de semences : Développement d'une stratégie attract-and-kill pour le contrôle des insectes nuisibles en culture de betteraves - SPW - DGO3 (2021-2027)
  • MYCOPHYTO - Développement d'un produit écoinnovant basé sur l'enrobage de semences avec des souches fongiques endophytiques à activité de biocontrôle des nématodes phytopathogènes et biostimulation des plantes SPW - DGO6 BEWARE (2023-2026)
  • SOLAB - Soil management in organic farming how to optimize soil ecosystem services in Wallonia ? SPW DGO3 (2024-2026)

- Brussels Region

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- Fonds de la Recherche Fondamentale Collective

  • CROSS-TALK - Interaction interrègne entre champignons mycorhiziens et rhizobactéries de biocontrôle : signification moléculaire et gain fonctionnel pour la protection des plantes - FNRS-PDR (2023-2027)
  • UNDER-NET - Underground Networks : Characteristing the structure and growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks - FNRS-Post-doc (2024-2027)

- Institutional sources

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- Other sources

  • BUSCAR - The Bolivian Humid tropical zone for the implementation of a sustainable cassava value chain, within the framework of family farming, as a socio-ecological resilience strategy (PRD) (2019-2024)

  • Paving the way towards biotechnology and Bioeconomy in Ecuador: Oil polluted ecosystems as a model of microbial diversity and reservoir for bioremediation processes and bioeconomy – Projet de recherche pour le développement (PRD) (2019-2025)

  • Vers une agriculture plus performante et durable au Burundi : application de microorganismes pour améliorer la santé et la croissance des plantes – Projet de recherche pour le développement (PRD) (2019-2025)
  • VIAE - Improving livelihoods in Vietnam through agro-ecological innovations for sustainable banana Fusarium disease management in family farming (PRD) (2022-2027)