Dr Emilie Boissin
Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Tree Protection Co-operative Programme
Research Interests
My firsts years in research (third, fourth and fifth year of university) were focused on the population genetics of several fish using newly developed markers: EPIC (exon-primed intron-crossing) as well as microsatellites and mitochondrial data in order to explain populations' structure and patterns of connectivity (see Atarhouch et al. 2003, Berrebi et al. 2005, Boissin et al. 2011).
During my PhD thesis, I enlarged my skills using phylogeny and phylogeography in order to understand the origin and evolution of a species complex of ophiuroid found worldwide (see Boissin et al. MEPS2008, Boissin et al. ME2008). This research results highlight the importance of life history traits on the evolution of the species: the ophiuroid A. squamata is brooding and selfing and the genetic structure is very important and numerous endemics species are part of the complex.
During my PhD, I was also involved in several side projects. My different stays in Reunion Islands allowed me to start learning about the tropical ophiuroid community (Stohr et al. 2008). Also in collaboration with Dr S. Stohr, we studied the genetic organization of a brittle star from the Atlanto-Mediterranean region after the discovery of brooding specimens for this broadcast spawner species (Stohr et al. 2009; Boissin et al. in press). A complex mixture of vicariance and ecological adaptation seem to have played a role in the diversification of the species complex (Boissin et al. in press).
In 2008-2009, my first post-doctoral position, at the Université de La Réunion, allowed me
to evolve towards comparative studies (comparative phylogeography of marine invertebrates (ophiuroids and hydroids) in the South West Indian Ocean) in order to draw general patterns on the
origin and evolution of marine biodiversity in this area. We first had to develop specific COI primers for Echinoderms (Hoareau & Boissin 2010), investigate the taxonomy of tropical
ophiuroids from Reunion Island (Boissin et al. in revision) and compare the regional genetic structure of several ophiuroid species (Hoareau et al. in prep) as well as
hydroids species (Boissin et al. in prep). A stay at the Florida Museum of Natural History allowed us to enlarge the study to the whole Indo-Pacific Ocean (Boissin, Hoareau et
al. in prep).
Currently in South Africa, at FABI, I am involved in several projects that will allow me to deepen my knowledge in phylogeny, co-phylogeny and population genetics. Indeed, I work on the invasive woodwasp Sirex noctilio. From several samples from distinct locations in the world and the use of 14 microsatellites combined with a mitochondrial marker (COI), I am trying to retrace the evolutionary history of the different introductions, their timing and their pathways.
To better understand the symbiosis between Sirex noctilio and the fungus Amylostereum areolatum another part of the project is focusing on retracing the 2 genera's phylogenies in order to compare the speciation events.
I am also involved in the reconstruction of the phylogeny of the Botryosphaeriacea family. I sequenced 6 genes from more than 60 species in order to retrace the relationships of the different species of the family.
