LAPLAZE Laurent

After a thesis on nitrogen-fixing symbioses carried out at IRD Montpellier, Laurent Laplaze carried out a postdoc on the genetic mechanisms of root development in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana at the University of Cambridge (GB). He then joined the IRD in 2001 to work on the establishment of symbioses (actinorhizal and endomycorrhizal symbioses) and their impact on root development. His current studies focus on tropical cereals (millet, rice, sorghum) and aim to characterize and mobilize root traits to develop new varieties and practices to sustainably improve the production and resilience of agricultural systems. His career is characterized by a strong partnership with West Africa and in particular Senegal, a country in which he was expatriated for seven years and where he co-directed between 2012 and 2021 the International Joint the Laboratoire mixte international Adaptation des Plantes et microorganismes associés aux Stress Environnementaux (LAPSE).