PARCOURS

1986 - Doctorate of Biological Sciences (H. Wroblewski's laboratory, University of Rennes, France)
1995 - Qualified as Director of Research (University of Rennes, France)

1986- 1988 - Visiting Fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda (MD, USA)
1988-1991 - Staff scientist at the Pasteur Institute, Paris
1991-1992 - Visiting Scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (AL, USA)
1992-1999 - Staff scientist at the Pasteur Institute, Paris
since September 1999 - Professor of Microbiology at the University Bordeaux, Bordeaux
2003- 2010 - Director of the Laboratory "Génomique Développement Pouvoir Pathogène”
February 2007-2012 - Board Member of the University Bordeaux Segalen
2007-2012 - Vice-President for Research Affairs, University Bordeaux Segalen
2008-2010 - Chair of the International Organization for Mycoplasmology
2013-2017 - Head of the “Mollicutes” group within the UMR 1332 BFP (Dir. T. Candresse)
March 2014-Sept 2016 - Research Deputy Director, Institute for Wine and Vine Sciences.
Sept 2016-Jan 2023 - Director, Institute for Wine and Vine Sciences (http://www.isvv.u-bordeaux.fr/en/ )

AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS :
December 1991 - Jacques Monod Award from the "Fondation de France"
May 1992 - Outstanding Visiting Scholar Award at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
July 1996 - Derrick Edward award from the International Organization for Mycoplasmology
July 2013 - “Chevalier des palmes académiques” from the French Ministry of Education
May 2019 - “Officier des palmes académiques” from the French Ministry of Education 
July 2019 - Membre associé de l’académie nationale des sciences, belles-lettres et arts de Bordeaux ;

SOCIAL NETWORKS :
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alain-blanchard-7a6ba325/
https://twitter.com/Alain_Blancha

RESEARCH TOPICS

Our research efforts are dedicated to understanding the biology and pathogenesis of bacteria belonging to the class Mollicutes. Our approaches combine synthetic biology tools with comparative genomics within Mollicutes and with model organisms. We also develop applied projects aiming at finding new vaccines for mycoplasma diseases and new ways to control epidemics due to phytoplasmas. In particular, we are interested in grapevine diseases such as Flavescence dorée that is spreading in Europe.

PUBLICATIONS 

Liste des publications sur le portail HAL-INRAE
Research Gate : https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alain_Blanchard3

More than 120 publications. H index 41.

6 representative publications:
- Ipoutcha  T, Rideau R, Gourgues G, Arfi Y, Lartigue C, Blanchard A, Sirand-Pugnet P. (2022) Genome editing of veterinary relevant mycoplasmas using a CRISPR-Cas base editor system. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 88(17) DOI: 10.1128/aem.00996-22
- Arfi Y, Lartigue C, Sirand-Pugnet P, Blanchard A. (2021) Beware of Mycoplasma anti-immunoglobulin strategies. mBio 12; DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01974-21
- Arfi Y, Minder L, Di Primo C, Le Roy A, Ebel C, Coquet L, Claverol S, Vashee S, Jores J, Blanchard A, Sirand-Pugnet P. (2016) MIB-MIP is a mycoplasma system that captures and cleaves immunoglobulin G. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 113(19):5406-11.
- Grosjean H, Breton M, Sirand-Pugnet P, Tardy F, Thiaucourt F, Citti C, Barré A, Yoshizawa S, Fourmy D, de Crécy-Lagard V, Blanchard A. (2014) Predicting the minimal translation apparatus: lessons from the reductive evolution of mollicutes. PLoS Genet. 10(5):e1004363.
- Lartigue C, Lebaudy A, Blanchard A, Yacoubi BE, Rose S, Grosjean H, Douthwaite S. (2014) The flavoprotein Mcap0476 (RlmFO) catalyzes m5U1939 modification in Mycoplasma capricolum 23S rRNA. Nucleic Acids Res. 2014 Jun 17. pii: gku518.
- Pereyre, S, Sirand-Pugnet, P, Beven, L, Charron, A,  Renaudin, H,  Barré A, Avenaud, P, Jacob, D,  Couloux, A, Barbe, V, de Daruvar, A, Blanchard A, Bébéar, CM. (2009). Life on arginine for Mycoplasma hominis: clues from its minimal genome and comparison with other human urogenital mycoplasmas. PLoS Genet. 5(10):e1000677.