I’m a soil microbial ecologist working on microbial mediated processes and global microbial diversity. I’m particularly interested in the different factors regulating microbial function and diversity such as biotic interactions, soil water content, soil spatial heterogeneity from small to larger scales.

Current research

I am currently a post doc taking part in the Uppsala Microbiomics Center (UMC). My objective is to study the microbial diversity and the chitin degradation function along a terrestrial-aquatic continuum. Firstly, a descriptive 454-sequencing strategy will be performed to determine the fungal, bacterial and archaeal diversity in different water and soil samples as well as the chitinase gene diversity. Secondly, a functional analysis will be realised by focussing on chitin degradation to develop novel methods for specific detection of chitinase activity.

Previous research

During my PhD I focused on the impact of earthworm soil bioturbation on pesticide degrading bacteria. By burrowing the soil, earthworms create different soil microsites (casts and burrow-linings) which constitute more or less favourable habitats for soil bacteria. I therefore analysed the pesticide degradation function in relation to abundance, activity and diversity of pesticide degrading bacteria in earthworm soil microsites by quantifying degrading genes and their expression and using RNA-Stable Isotope Probing. I showed a contrasting effect of earthworm soil bioturbation on pesticide degrading bacteria. There was a negative impact of earthworm digestion (casts) on pesticide degrading bacteria but also the formation of pesticide degradation hot-spots in burrow-linings. By producing heterogeneity, earthworm soil bioturbation modified pesticide degrader diversity and sustained overall bacterial diversity.

Following on from my PhD research, I was in a post doctoral position in the French Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) on a project studying the heterogeneity of pesticide degradation at the microscale in soil. To carry out this project I first developed an experimental device for measuring the mineralisation of 13C-labelled substrates in small soil samples. This has then been used to study the impact of soil water content on pesticide mineralisation and on the relationship between degrading bacteria and mineralisation at a millimetre scale.

Publication list

• C. Monard, P. Vandenkoornhuyse, B. Le Bot, F. Binet. 2011. Relationship between bacterial diversity and function under biotic control: the soil pesticide degraders as a case study. The ISME Journal, 5, 1048–1056. Online
• C. Monard, N. Nunan, G. Bardoux, L. Vieublé-Gonod. 2010. A miniaturised method to quantify microbial mineralisation of 13C-labelled organic compounds in small soil samples. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 42 (9): 1640-1642. Online
• C. Monard, F. Martin-Laurent, M. Devers-Lamrani, O. Lima, P. Vandenkoornhuyse, F. Binet. 2010. atz gene expression during atrazine degradation in the soil drilosphere. Molecular Ecology, 19: 749-759. Online 
• C. Monard, F. Martin-Laurent, C. Vecchiato, A.J. Francez, P. Vandenkoornhuyse and F. Binet. 2008. Combined effect of bioaugmentation and bioturbation on atrazine degradation in soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 40 (9): 2253-2259. Online 
• C. Monard, F. Binet, P. Vandenkoornhuyse. 2008. Short-term response of soil bacteria to carbon enrichment in different soil microsites. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74 (17): 5589-5592. doi:10.1128/AEM.00333-08. Online

CV

2008 – 2009: Postdoc : Small scale spatial heterogeneity of pesticide degradation in soil and impact of global change. UMR INRA / AgroParisTech Environnement et Grandes Cultures, France

2008: PhD : Herbicide biodegradation in temperate soils – Bioturbation control of degrading bacterial communities. UMR EcoBio / IFR CAREN, CNRS / university of Rennes 1, France.