Mélanie is assistant project scientist in Dario Cantu’s lab at University of California Davis,
USA. She received her Master’s degree in Viticulture and Enology at Bordeaux University,
France. Then, she pursued a PhD in Applied Biotechnologies at Verona University, Italy. Her
graduate research focused on the genome-wide transcriptional dynamics during berry
development and the effect of anthocyanin accumulation on fruit transcriptome. After
graduating in 2015, Mélanie joined the laboratory of Dario Cantu where she has been
studying the molecular mechanisms involved in grape-pathogen interactions, such as
grapevine trunk diseases, Pierce’s disease, and powdery mildew. She has also been
investigating the genetic basis of flower sex determination in wild and cultivated grapes,
particularly the molecular events involved in the advent of hermaphroditism in domesticated
grapevine. At present, Mélanie is exploring the genomics and transcriptomics of powdery
mildew resistance as part of Vitisgen3.
