Vinciane Mossion
Research interests
My PhD research focuses on the development of genomic resources for ferns, and on phylogenetics, taxonomy and ecological drivers promoting the diversity of Botrychium lunaria, a cosmopolitan group of ferns.
The scarce genomic resources available for the genus Botrychium, and more generally for ferns, motivated us to develop novel genomic tools. We used a transcriptomic approach to bypass the huge genome size of Botrychiumferns (10.22-38.26 pg, 1C-values) and defined genome wide markers for phylogenetics and populations genetics.
Recent studies in North America and Northern Europe divided B.lunaria in a multitude of new species (B. crenulatumWagner (1981), B. tunux, B. yaaxudakeit Stensvold & Farrar (2002), B. nordicum, B. neolunaria Stensvold & Farrar (2017)). Meanwhile, high genetic diversity was found among Western European populations. Following on these findings, I am currently investigating the taxa relationships and diversity within the B. lunaria group on the global-scale distribution, and the potential role of ecological factors in this group diversification using phylogenetic, climatic, and morphological analysis combined with geographic distribution patterns.
On the side of my primary project, I tested an experimental protocol to grow Botrychium gametophytes in controlled conditions.
Teaching activities
Practicals of general botany and botanical excursions, B. Sc. biology.
Curriculum
March 2016 – present: PhD candidate, in the Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, University of Neuchâtel. Project title: “Systematics and taxonomy of the Botrychium lunaria species complex (Ophioglossaceae)”
2015-2013: Research assistant, in the Earth and Life Institute Biodiversity (ELIB), Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. Project title: “Phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Rhinanthus (Orobanchaceae)”. Teaching assistant in plant biology, physiology, systematics, and molecular ecology.
2012: Scientific collaborator in the Natural History Museum of Aix-en-Provence (AIX), France. “Scientific valorization of botanical data and vulgarization of botanical collections”
2011-2009: M.Sc. in Ecology, Evolution, Biodiversity and Biometry, University Claude Bernard Lyon1, France. Master thesis: “Influence of environmental factors and phenotypic traits on the quality of Roe deer diet’s”
2009-2005: B. Sc. In Organism and Population biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Limoges, France.
