DIGIT-BIO metaprogramme

Thesis by Julien Kossi Kowou (2025 - , UMR GABI). This PhD project aims to develop statistical analysis methods to explore inter-species genetic diversity.

The pressures exerted on plants by insect pests such as aphids are increasing, as are the viral diseases they carry. The changing climate, reduced insecticide use and the development of resistance to those pesticides that are still authorized have all conspired to boost the life cycle and population dynamics of these pests. With the need to reduce insecticide use, new agro-ecological approaches have emerged in recent decades that use crop genetic diversity as a tool to modify aphid behaviors or performance. To be effective, such approaches require the accurate characterization of plant genetic diversity, yet there is currently no open, high-performance, standardized and affordable phenotyping system available to developers of future applications. The aim of the Gratitude consortium is to fill this gap by developing a digital plant-aphid system that can characterize aphid development and behavior.

How caterpillars perceive gravity is still not known. However, an evolutionary adaptation in the caterpillars of the European corn borer enables these larvae to use gravity information to move down the cob and thus avoid being killed during harvesting. The main aim of this project is to understand how caterpillars use gravity information to orient their movement.