Advances in microbiome research allow us to question the nature of "us", the microbiota + host, as biological individuals ("holobionts"). One aspect of the holobiont is the symbiotic construction of host & host-microbial immunity. Findings in this area show that the immune system must be considered in its internalized and external ecological context, not just to assess its evolutionary context and trade-offs, but to fully understand the immune system's symbiotic development and activities.

My research under Thomas Pradeu's ERC grant examines how host-microbiota eco-immunity challenges an internalist paradigm in immunology that comes from two sources: genetic determinism and the self/nonself model of immunity. We argue that holobiont immunity is co-constructed by host and microbiota and transmitted to the next generation.

At the University of Bordeaux, I am embedded within the Immuno ConcEpT Lab (Immunology, from Concepts and Experiments to Translation). The empirical aspect of my work is conducted in collaboration with two scientific groups, a microbiota group (which includes members of the rheumatology unit of the teaching hospital of the University of Bordeaux) and an innate lymphocyte cell group focused on the diverse roles of immunity.

We will host the first workshop of the IDEM project in June. Please see our website for details: thomaspradeu.com/erc-idem/DB-microbe