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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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).
Zoya holds a Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology from Manipal Institute of Technology, India, and a Master of Science in Life Science from Central University of Gujarat, India. After relocating to the USA, Zoya worked with various non-profit organizations, including re-engaging veterans through vocational rehabilitation and assisting immigrants with cultural integration including English language learning.
In 2019, Zoya moved to France and joined the quantitative evolutionary biology lab of Olivier Tenaillon as a research engineer, where she implemented High Throughput Genome Editing technology in natural isolates of E. coli. Her Ph.D. project focuses on studying the eco-evolutionary dynamics of natural isolates of E. coli in the complex environment of the gut microbiota using in-vitro models such as the MBRA (Mini Bioreactor Array), with a specific emphasis on studying colonization by these natural isolates.
Zoya is also a communication manager for the young researchers of Cochin (JeCCo) and enjoys graphic design, reading books, hiking, practicing yoga, and exploring Paris on foot.
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.
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 !
Chloé completed her Engineering degree in Food science and technology in 2022 at the Institut Agro Rennes and specialized in Nutrition and Health at AgroParisTech engineering school (France). This multidisciplinary course allowed her to broaden various skills and knowledge.
In 2020, she studied during 4 months the emulsifying properties of fish skin gelatin at the Technical University of Denmark with the Dr. Casanova. However, it was really during her final year internship for the Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health at the Nutrition Institute of the University Laval (Quebec), that she felt the need to get involved in research on intestinal well-being. She worked for 6 months on the development and optimization of screening methods enabling the study of the intestinal microenvironment through organoid coculture on the supervision of Dr. Veilleux.
In 2023, she joined Dr. Chassaing laboratory as a study engineer in order to determinate the effect of multiple molecules by experimenting with the microbiota in vitro MBRA.
Besides science, Chloé loves discovering new places and as an adept of photography, capturing moments of life behind in her camera. She also expresses her creativity through her drawings.
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.
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.
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.
