Léo Sillon

PhD student in my first year within the "Taste and Post-ingestive Integration" (TPI) team at CSGA. My thesis focuses on understanding how gustation modulates the immune response. Gustation allows the detection of chemical compounds in the environment and helps anticipate the beneficial or toxic effects of ingested food. For instance, the sweet taste signals caloric intake, while the bitter taste indicates potential toxicity. In addition to classic tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, Umami), other food components are detected, triggering appropriate physiological and behavioral responses. In Drosophila melanogaster, receptors located in gustatory neurons detect the presence of bacteria in food, initiating a signaling cascade conserved between flies and humans. In adults, this detection leads to reduced food intake, while in larvae, it stimulates hematopoiesis, thereby enhancing immunity. My thesis aims to identify the types of bacteria responsible for these effects, study the molecular mechanisms involved, and explore other potential impacts on the immune system in this model.

Immunohistochemistry, Imaging, Microscopy, Molecular Biology, bacteriology

Isabelle supervised numerous students.

Neuroscience, immunity, taste, Drosophila melanogaster, behavior