Cécile BERNARD
Professor
Collection manager
Lecturer
Affiliation entity
CCE Cyanobacteria, Cyanotoxins and Environment
Interdisplinary research theme
Ecotoxicology of Cyanobacteria
Researches
Accreditation to supervise research
Speciality
Ecotoxicology of Cyanobacteria
Contact
Social networks
E-mail
cecile.bernard [at] mnhn.fr
Phone
01 40 79 31 83
Address(es)
12 rue Buffon
75005 Paris
Responsibilities outside unit
Involvement in local research management :
2020 - … Director of Research, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle
Direction Générale Déléguée à la Recherche, l’Expertise, la Valorisation et l’Enseignement-formation (DGD REVE), 57 rue Cuvier - CP 17 - 75231 Paris Cedex 05 - France
The mission of the Director of Research for the establishment consists of :
- Contribute to the definition of the establishment’s research policy, within the framework of the objectives of the five-year contract and the partnership policy led by the DGD-REVE and the Presidency, and based on the opinions of the establishment’s statutory bodies.
- Implement the establishment’s research policy by: i) accentuating the development of research interfaces with other areas of activity within the Museum’s statutory mission; ii) stimulating and supporting cross-disciplinary work between departments; iii) increasing research resources.- Support and coordinate the activities of the Museum’s analytical platform (PAM) and research support units,
- Prepare and monitor the Research Department’s budget within DGD REVE.
- Set up and monitor research indicators.
- Represent the institution’s research policy as required.
Involvement in research management at national level :
- Appointed member of Section 20 of the French National Scientific Research Committee (2004-2012)
- Appointed member of the Bureau of Section 20 (2007-2012)
- Member of GT9 Allenvi “Environmental, natural and ecotoxic risks” for CNRS & MNHN (2010-2016)
- Member of the Scientific Council of ED EPHE (2011-2019)
- MNHN representative on the Academic Senate of PRES Sorbonne Universités (2011-2014)
- Member of the Scientific Committee of the microbial thematic action of the EC2CO national program of the Institut National des Sciences de l’Univers, SIC division (Surfaces et Interfaces Continentales) of the CNRS (2007-2011 and 2015- 2020)
- Board member of the RTP Ecotoxicomic (2015-2019)
Leadership and/or participation in research programs :
- National programs: EC2CO, ANSES (2), R2DS, DGS, Programme National Arcachon (resp. task), ANR CYANOTOX_SEST (carrier), ANR PULSE_CEP&S (resp. task), ANR DZIANI (resp. task), ANR CYPHER (carrier) ; ANR SUBSILAKE (coord. for MNHN)
- Industrial or regional partnership: Conseil Département de Seine Saint Denis, Veolia environnement, SEDIF, Algama, Thermes de Balaruc les Bains.
Collections
2010-2020 : Responsible for the MNHN’s Biological Resources - Live and Cryopreserved Cells. This unit comprises 5 MNHN collections, including those of living microorganisms, cryopreserved cells and the Chemotheque.
https://www.mnhn.fr/fr/collections/ensembles-collections/ressources-biologiques-cellules-vivantes-cryoconservees.
2000- 2010 : In charge of the microalgae and cyanobacteria collection at USM 505/EA 4105.
Teaching
2015-2020 : Co-responsible for Master 2 “Microorganisms, Environment and Health” (MES), MNHN and SU http://mes.obs-banyuls.fr/fr/index.html
2008-2014 : Co-responsible for the Master 2 “Toxins, Microorganisms and Communication Molecules in Ecosystems” (TMMCE) MNHN “Evolution, Natural Heritage and Societies”, speciality Living Diversity Unit (UDV)
2005-2007 : Research Master’s degree in “Toxins and Ecosystems” (TE) MNHN “Évolution, Patrimoine naturel et Sociétés”, specializing in Unité Diversité du Vivant (UDV), (average of 20 equivalent hours of teaching per year).
Co-responsible for UDV “Microorganism and plant toxins: modes of action and biotechnologies” with Pr. D. Gillet (CEA, resp. Master TE).
1997-2003 : Coordination of a MNHN Doctoral School course.
Responsible for continuing education courses at MNHN (average 30 hours of teaching equivalent per year).
Presentation
Research activities
My research activities, through the supervision of thesis students and the promotion of research in several national and international programs, are centered around several items:
DIVERSITY OF PHYTOPLANKTON, CYANOBACTERIA AND CYANOTOXINS
By combining several approaches: morphological characteristics observable by light or electron microscopy, molecular characteristics that provide information on the phylogeny of the taxa studied, and diversity of functions (e.g. metabolites and molecules). The description and conservation of this diversity is a key activity of UMR7245 and the MNHN.
The databases obtained support scientific questions concerning the taxonomic and functional diversity of phytoplankton on several scales: local (water body), regional (Ile de France) and global (several regions of the world).
FACTORS CONTROLLING CYANOBACTERIAL DYNAMICS AND TOXIN PRODUCTION
On a regional (e.g. Ile de France) or local (e.g. Lac Dziani, Mayotte) scale, the environmental contexts for the development of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins are studied and analyzed using statistical modeling approaches that bring into play variables combining the morphological characteristics of water bodies and the nature of their catchment areas, geochemical, meteorological and biological characteristics (e.g. diversity of microbial communities and interactions).
TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF CYANOBACTERIA
These are studied in several models (from enzymatic tests and cell lines to medaka). The complementary nature of these models makes it possible not only to identify toxicity linked to the presence of clearly identified cyanotoxins, but also to characterize their mode of action through the characterization of targets using synergistic or competitive molecules.
SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE IN RESPONSE TO SOCIETAL REQUEST
Real-time monitoring and warning systems have been developed to manage the risks associated with cyanobacteria blooms and toxin production. Based on well-defined decision trees, decision support is provided to water body managers regarding the use of contaminated water bodies (drinking water, recreational activities or fish farming).
Publications
2025
- , February 2025 — A summer in the greater Paris: trophic status of peri-urban lakes shapes prokaryotic community structure and functional potential. With more than 12 million inhabitants, the Greater Paris offers a “natural laboratory” to explore the effects of eutrophication… Environmental Microbiome vol. 20, n° 1, p. 24ISSN2524-6372
- , January 2025 — Limnospira (Cyanobacteria) chemical fingerprint reveals local molecular adaptation. Microbiology Spectrum , , e01901–24 Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
2024
- , September 2024 — Seismic events as potential drivers of the microbial community structure and evolution in a paleo-ocean analog. Anthropogenic perturbations profoundly affect aquatic ecosystem microbiomes and associated ecological functions. Comparatively,… Communications Earth & Environment vol. 5, n° 1, p. 1-9 Publisher: Nature Publishing GroupISSN2662-4435
- , April 2024 — Transcriptomic insights into the dominance of two phototrophs throughout the water column of a tropical hypersaline-alkaline crater lake (Dziani Dzaha, Mayotte).
Saline-alkaline lakes often shelter high biomasses despite challenging conditions, owing to the occurrence of highly adapted…
Frontiers in Microbiology vol. 15, , Publisher: FrontiersISSN1664-302X - , January 2024 — Genomes of nine biofilm-forming filamentous strains of Cyanobacteria (genera Jaaginema, Scytonema, and Karukerafilum gen. nov.) isolated from mangrove habitats of Guadeloupe (Lesser Antilles). Biofilm-forming cyanobacteria are abundant in mangrove ecosystems, colonizing various niches including sediment surface and… FEMS Microbes vol. 5, , xtad024ISSN2633-6685
2023
- , October 2023 — Phytoplanktonic species in the haloalkaline Lake Dziani Dzaha select their archaeal microbiome. Microorganisms are key contributors of aquatic biogeochemical cycles but their microscale ecology remains largely unexplored,… Molecular Ecology , ,ISSN1365-294X
- , August 2023 — Monospecific renaming within the cyanobacterial genus Limnospira (Spirulina) and consequences for food authorization. The cyanobacterial genus, Limnospira (anc. Arthrospira Stizenberger ex Gomont 1892), commonly called “Spirulina”, is widely… Journal of Applied Microbiology vol. 134, n° 8, lxad159ISSN1364-5072
- , June 2023 — Intra-population genomic diversity of the bloom-forming cyanobacterium, Aphanizomenon gracile, at low spatial scale. Cyanobacteria are oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria that perform a substantial part of the global primary production. Some… ISME Communications vol. 3, n° 1, p. 1-4 Number: 1 Publisher: Nature Publishing GroupISSN2730-6151
- , 2023 — Diversity, metabolome profiling and bioactivities of benthic filamentous cyanobacteria isolated from coastal mangroves of Mayotte. Frontiers in Marine Science vol. 10, ,ISSN2296-7745
2022
- , December 2022 — Widespread formation of intracellular calcium carbonates by the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis. The formation of intracellular amorphous calcium carbonates (iACC) has been recently observed in a few cultured strains of… Environmental Microbiology , ,ISSN1462-2920