Julie VITTET
General information
PdD Student
PERSING – Sensory Perception, Neuron and Glia Interactions
julie.vittet@u-bourgogne.fr
Job
PhD Student, UBE
Education
Master's degree in Neurosciences, Behavioral Sciences
Activities
Currently pursuing a PhD under the supervision of Yaël Grosjean, my research focuses on the impact of olfactory perceptions on social interactions, particularly in Drosophila. Our team has shown that two short-chain fatty acids, propanoic acid and butyric acid, disrupt the reproductive behavior of two Drosophila species (D. melanogaster and D. suzukii, an insect pest) by inhibiting courtship and copulation. Furthermore, these odours, while anaesthetic to adults in high concentrations, are attractive to larvae. My research aims to identify the receptors involved, particularly in organs that have been under-explored in olfactory detection, to better understand their effects on the nervous system and behavior. To achieve this, I employ genetic tools, transcriptomic analysis, confocal imaging, and behavioral tests. In parallel, I also plan to investigate the impact of these odors on the behavior and health of two key pollinators, bees and bumblebees.
Key words
Olfaction, Neurobiology, Genetics, Evolution, Reproduction, Courtship, Drosophila, Crop protection, Ecosystem
Representative publications
Coming soon ...!
Scientific and Public Communications
- Julie Vittet, Martine Berthelot-Grosjean, Yaël Grosjean. Talk. Club of Invertebrate Neurobiology, Saint-Germain-au-Mont-d’Or, France (May 12-13th, 2025). Behavioral Impact of Volatile Compounds on Drosophila Species: Toward Ecological Solutions for Managing Invasive Pests in Fruit Crops.
- Julie Vittet, Martine Berthelot-Grosjean, Yaël Grosjean. Talk. Forum des jeunes chercheurs, Besançon, France (June 5-6th, 2025). Behavioral Impact of Volatile Compounds on Drosophila Species : Involvement of a Complex Sensory Detection Pathway.
- Julie Vittet, Martine Berthelot-Grosjean, Marco Paoli et Yaël Grosjean. Poster. International and Interdisciplinary Meeting on Non-Target Effects of Biocontrols, Montpellier, France (October 7-9th, 2025). Toward Ecological Crop Pest Management: Behavioral Effects on Non-Target Pollinators.
Teaching
Teaching to students in Population Biology and Ecology classes :
- Statistics (tutorials and practicals)) - bachelor, year 2
- Animal Behavior (tutorials and practicals)) - bachelor, year 2
- Behavioral Ecology (tutorials and practicals)) - bachelor, year 2