Unlike animals, plants do not possess olfactory receptors neither associated neural networks. However, plant cells do communicate via volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzenoids, terpenoids and C₆-aldehydes. The key defense-related phytohormones ethylene, methyl jasmonate and methyl salicylate are bona fide volatiles that trigger profound reprogramming of the plant transcriptome into an optimized growth/immune response trade-off.

Our research questions the role of bacteria-derived VOCs as signaling cues between microbes and plants. Bacterial VOCs bouquets comprise plant-like and microbe-specific molecules that elicit plant growth and systemic resistance. Yet, it remains unclear how plants perceive such molecules and distinguish bacterial cues from plant signals. The overlap between plant and microbial volatilomes suggests that VOCs constitute an ancient cross-kingdom language that allows the early recognition of compatible or incompatible partnerships.

Using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and pathogenic or beneficial rhizobacterial species, we intend to unravel the molecular pathways translating VOCs recognition into directed plant responses at the root interface.

• Mining the Volatilomes of Plant-Associated Microbiota for New Biocontrol Solutions 
  Bailly, Aurelien; Weisskopf, Laure 
  FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, 8; https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01638 AUG 25 2017
• TWISTED DWARF1 Mediates the Action of Auxin Transport Inhibitors on Actin Cytoskeleton Dynamics 
  Zhu, JS; Bailly, A; Zwiewka, M; Sovero, V; Di Donato, M; Ge, P; Oehri, J; Aryal, B; Hao, PC; Linnert, M; Burgardt, NI; Lucke, C; Weiwad, M; Michel, M; Weiergraber, OH; Pollmann, S; Azzarello, E; Mancuso, S; Ferro, N; Fukao, Y; Hoffmann, C; Wedlich-Soldner, R; Friml, J; Thomas, C; Geisler, M
  PLANT CELL, 28(4): 930-948 10.1105/tpc.15.00726  APR 2016
• The Anti-Phytophthora Effect of Selected Potato-Associated Pseudomonas Strains: From the Laboratory to the Field
  Guyer A; De Vrieze M; Boenisch D; Gloor R; Musa T; Bodenhausen N;, Bailly A; Weisskopf L
  FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY  6 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01309  NOV 27 2015
• Volatile Organic Compounds from Native Potato-associated Pseudomonas as Potential Anti-oomycete Agents
  De Vrieze M; Pandey P; Bucheli, TD; Varadarajan AR; Ahrens CH; Weisskopf L; Bailly A
  FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY 6   10.3389/fmicb.2015.01295  NOV 23 2015
• Structure and mechanism of ATP-dependent phospholipid transporters 
  Lopez-Marques, RL; Poulsen, LR; Bailly, Aurelien; Geisler, M; Pomorski, TG; Palmgren, MG
  BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENERAL SUBJECTS, 1850 (3): 461-475  10.1016/j.bbagen.2014.04.008  MAR 2015

• Molecular plant-microbe interactions
• Induced systemic resistance in plants
• Plant growth- and health-promotion features of plant-associated bacteria
• Microbial volatile organic compounds

• Chemical signaling in plants
• Innate immunity in plants
• Auxin-driven plant growth responses
• Microbiology
• Bio/chemistry of low molecular weight compounds