About

Abstract.

I am an evolutionary ecologist with a master degree in applied mathematics. My research interests include community ecology, evolution, biodiversity theories, population dynamics and epidemiology. I am mainly interested in theoretical aspects of evolutionary ecology and develop modeling approaches to answer these theoretical questions.

During my PhD (in LBBE/CIRI), I transferred the framework of community ecology to bacterial mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in order to understand their diversity. MGEs are a diverse group of DNA molecules capable to transfer horizontally between bacteria and therefore drive horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Although these elements compete to access bacterial resource, a huge diversity of MGEs coexist in bacterial population, spreading key genes like antibiotic resistance genes. In the first axis of my thesis, I focused on a particular system of HGT: natural transformation. I showed that specific MGEs in Acinetobacter baumannii interfere with natural transformation to prevent their cleansing. In the second axis of my thesis, I generally modeled competition between MGEs and using the mains theories of community ecology I discussed mechanisms allowing MGEs coexistence. In the third axis of my thesis, I go deeper in the model of the previous axis, explored the outcomes of competition between MGEs, and discussed the impact of trade-offs on the evolution of MGEs traits.