François DELAVAT

Essentially in microbiology (from Bachelor to Master degree)

I have been working for many years on the individual, collective and social behavior of bacteria in different environmental contexts. Recruited in September 2019 at US2B (UMR CNRS/Nantes University), my research focuses on the ecophysiology of marine diazotrophic bacteria, whose activity is important for the functioning of marine ecosystems.

Marine diazotrophic bacteria have been studied for several decades, and until recently, cyanobacteria were considered the major contributors to N₂ fixation in the oceans. However, analyses of Tara Oceans data have shown a high diversity and abundance of marine diazotrophic bacteria not belonging to the Cyanobacteria phylum. However, the conditions regulating diazotrophy and the genetic and physiological response of these bacteria remain poorly understood, and this lack of knowledge is due to (i) the paucity of non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs (NCD) cultivated in the laboratory and (ii) the absence of genetic tools for these strains. and Using Vibrio diazotrophicus as a study model, we are interested in studying the ecophysiology of marine NCD, with a focus on their individual behavior.

October 2021: Habilitation to supervise research (HDR)
Since September 2019: Associate Professor at Nantes University
2017-2019: Post-doc at LEMAR (Brest) on the study of molecular mechanisms associated with virulence of a marine bacterial pathogen
2013-2017: Post-doc at DMF (Lausanne, Switzerland) on the single-cell study of horizontal gene transfer between bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas
2009-2012: PhD in microbial ecology (Strasbourg) on bacteria living in an acid mine drainage
2007-2009: Master's degree in Microorganism Biology (University of Strasbourg)
2006-2007: Licence 3 in Molecular and Cellular Biology (University of Strasbourg)
2005-2006: ERASMUS year in Düsseldorf (Germany)
2003-2005: L1 and L2 at the University of Southern Brittany

Selected publications (>20 publications)

(underlined: supervised researchers)
E. Agranier, P. Crétin, A. Joublin-Delavat, L. Veillard, K. Touahri and F. Delavat. Development and utilization of new O2-independent bioreporters. Microbiology Spectrum 2024
D. Oyanedel, (…) F. Delavat, (…), and D. Destoumieux-Garzón. Cooperation and cheating orchestrate Vibrio assemblages and polymicrobial synergy in oysters infected with OsHV-1 virus. PNAS 2023, 120(40) e2305195120

A. Joublin-Delavat, (...), F. Delavat. Genetic and physiological insights into the diazotrophic activity of a non-cyanobacterial marine diazotroph. Environ Microbiol 2022, 24, 6510-6523
A. Morot, (...) F. Delavat. Virulence of Vibrio harveyi ORM4 toward the European abalone Haliotis tuberculata involves both quorum sensing and a type III secretion system. Environ Microbiol 2021, 23(9):5273-5288
F. Delavat, R. Moritz and J. R. van der Meer. Transient replication in specialized cells favors conjugative transfer of a selfish DNA element. mbio 2019 10 (3) e01133-19.
F. Delavat, (...), and J. R. van der Meer. The hidden life of integrative and conjugative elements. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2017 41: 512-537
F. Delavat, S. Mitri, S. Pelet and J. R. van der Meer. Highly variable individual donor cell fates characterize robust horizontal gene transfer of an integrative and conjugative element. PNAS 2016, 113: E3375-3383

Grants and awards:

2024-2025: AGENCY project (EC2CO-CNRS). PI, 50 k€, in collaboration with S. Rodrigues (LBCM-UBS) and J-F Maguer (LEMAR, UBO)
2022-2025: “Doctoral Contract GdR OMER” (CNRS-MITI). PI, 125 k€
2022: “Diversity of Biological Mechanisms” (CNRS-INSB). PI, 17 k€
2020-2024: SMIDIDI project (rising stars of the Pays de la Loire region.) PI, 148 k€
2019-2020: CNRS “EC2CO” (Conception and co-writing. Official sponsor: Pr. Vianney Pichereau, UBO). 36 k€
2019-2020: “Programme de prématuration” from CNRS (Conception and co-writing. Official sponsor: Pr. Vianney Pichereau, UBO). 120 k€
2019: “Boost'ERC” from the Brittany region. PI, 20 k€
2017-2019 : LabexMER “International postdoctoral fellowship”. PI, 110 k€ [Equipment, consumables, personal post-doc salary].
2013: “Thesis prize” from the Fondation Université de Strasbourg. 1,5 k€

Research group

Pauline Crétin: PhD student, 2022-2025
Louise Mahoudeau: M2 then assistant-engineer, 2024
Several M1 and M2 students each year