Dr. Benoit Chassaing
Principal Investigator
Dr. Benoit Chassaing obtained his PhD in microbiology at the University of Clermont-Ferrand (France), identifying factors involved in the virulence of adherent and invasive Escherichia coli strains (pathovar involved in the etiology of Crohn's disease).
Following his PhD defense in 2011, he joined Georgia State University to work with Dr. Andrew T. Gewirtz on various subjects related to mucosal immunology, trying to decipher how genetic and environmental factors can perturb intestinal microbiota composition in a detrimental way, leading to intestinal inflammation.
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Currently associate professor, his laboratory is part of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) and focus on understanding how environmental factors are involved in shaping detrimental microbiota, with a particular focus on intestinal inflammation and metabolic deregulations.
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Héloïse Rytter, PhD
Post-doctoral fellow
Héloïse obtained her master‘s degree in microbiology in 2019 at the Sorbonne Université.
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Then she pursued a PhD degree at Institut Necker-Enfants Malades in Paris. Her research focused on the importance of bacterial metabolism in virulence of Francisella tularensis, a potential bioterrorism agent. She also studied cellular mechanisms involved in dissemination of facultative intracellular pathogens (Francisella tularensis, Salmonella enterica).
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After her PhD defense in 2022, she immediately joined Chassaing laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow in order to identify bacteria and bacterial functions involved in response to food additive.
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Héloïse loves reading, traveling and going out. She also likes testing new recipes for her greedy (or courageous) friends.
Quentin Lamy-Besnier, PhD
Post-doctoral fellow
After completing my biology studies at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Paris, I earned a PhD at the Institut Pasteur in 2021, co-supervised by Dr. Laurent Debarbieux and Dr. Martial Marbouty. My doctoral research centered on unraveling phage-bacteria interactions within the gastrointestinal tract.
I then pursued postdoctoral work through a collaboration between the MICALIS unit (INRAE) and CRSA (Sorbonne Université), where I investigated viral communities in human blood and gut, employing bioinformatic approches.
In 2024, I joined Dr. Benoît Chassaing’s unit to deepen my expertise on the gut microbiota. My main research interest is to better understand the role of bacteria and phages in natural microbial communities.
Outside of science, I love music, cooking and playing games.
Thaís earned her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Université Paris-Saclay and AgroParisTech (INRAE – MICALIS), in partnership with the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil). Her doctoral work focused on the Faecalibacterium prausnitzii protein MAM (Microbial Anti-Inflammatory Molecule), integrating structural, biochemical, and functional studies to elucidate its anti-inflammatory properties.
Right after completing her PhD, she joined Dr. Benoît Chassaing’s laboratory as a postdoctoral researcher to investigate how host–microbiota interactions shape resistance and susceptibility to colonization by intestinal pathobionts, such as adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC).
A curious mind, she enjoys discovering new cultures, foods, and places, practicing CrossFit, and spending time in nature.
Kenza Mourji
PhD student
Kenza Mourji earned her Master’s degree in Genetics from Sorbonne Université in 2024, following a Bachelor’s from Union College (NY).
She discovered her passion for research during an internship at the Wadsworth Center in New York. At Sorbonne, she was part of the iGEM 2023 team, which engineered Pseudomonas putida to produce biosurfactants for soil bioremediation and use as organic fertilizer. She then joined Dr. Julie Chaumeil’s lab to explore the role of nuclear organization in regulating V(D)J recombination during lymphoid differentiation. For her final master’s project, she investigated a nuclease-based approach to target trinucleotide repeats as a potential gene therapy strategy.
Now PhD student in Dr. Benoît Chassaing’s lab, Kenza studies how changes in the microbiota can be linked to disease mechanisms, notably colorectal cancer.
Outside the lab, she enjoys traveling, museums, cooking, baking, yoga, boxing, and running (sometimes).
Maeva Duquesnoy
PhD student
After graduating in Molecular Biology, Animal Genetics and Immunology at the Université de Nice Côte-d'Azur, driven by microbiology and immunology, Maeva moved to Paris to pursue a Master's degree in Immunology and Immunopathophysiology at Sorbonne University.
Fascinated by the host/microbiota relationship, she joined the Chassaing's lab for her M2 internship and is now pursuing as a PhD student . Her current researches focus on investigating the role of the human intestinal microbiota as a driver of its host response to vaccination and pre/probiotics.
Outside the lab, Maeva enjoys taking time to make new memories with friends and family, cooking, getting lost in a book, hiking and exploring new places.
After a degree in tourism in 2010 and a first experience in the hotel industry, I finally moved into corporate support. I held an assistant position for several years in an American multinational in the cosmetics industry based in Paris.
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I then joined the Institut Pasteur in 2018 as a research unit assistant. My role is to help the members of the lab with their administrative tasks and I like to feel useful :-)
In addition, I like to walk (especially with my dog), spending time with family and friends, traveling. And I love baking !
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Eva Chatonnat
Engineer
Eva holds a solid academic background in microbiology, virology, and food safety, developed through her studies in France and Canada. After earning a Bachelor's in Life Sciences from Sorbonne University and a Master's in Microbiology and Biological Engineering at Université Paris-Cité, she completed a two-year research master's degree at Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada. There, she investigated the prevalence of the hepatitis E virus in local food products.
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Professionally, Eva has contributed to applied medical research, focusing on antibiotic resistance to Clostridioides difficile. At Aquitaine Science Transfert, she studied the effects of synthetic copolymers on the bacterial life cycle, and at Institut Pasteur, she worked on developing modified pahges as a targeted treatment.
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Outside of the lab, Eva is passionate about traveling, expressing her creativity through cooking, and enjoying long-distance running as a way to unwind. She also has a deep appreciation for beauty, whether found in art, nature, or architecture.
