Bioeconomy Reading time 5 min
An ERC grant to study why fungi oxidise the carbohydrates in their cell wall
Filamentous fungi are rather ingenious organisms, capable of altering the chemical composition of their cell walls in order to thrive and adapt to different environmental conditions. To investigate these mechanisms and their biological roles in greater depth, INRAE researcher Bastien Bissaro has received a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council. His FOX project will focus specifically on the enzymes that oxidise the carbohydrates in the fungal cell wall.
Published on 09 December 2025
Trained as a biochemist, Bastien Bissaro has long been interested in the enzymes of filamentous fungi and their ability to break down matter, whether natural—such as organic material—or human-made, such as plastics.
The vast world of filamentous fungi
Filamentous fungi grow as long, thread-like structures that weave together to form a network known as the mycelium. They inhabit a wide range of ecological niches and fulfil many functions: as pathogens they cause disease; as saprotrophs they help recycle organic matter; and as symbionts they live in mutually beneficial partnerships with other organisms, such as plant roots. Their remarkable biological abilities have also been channelled into human-driven biotechnological applications such as enzyme production, creation of bio-based materials and bioremediation.
FOX: exploring why filamentous fungi oxidise their cell wall carbohydrates
Filamentous fungi have the distinctive ability to secrete enzymes into their surroundings that break down a wide range of materials, and then absorb the resulting breakdown products. Their carbohydrate-rich cell wall gives them robustness and adaptability, as pathogens, saprotrophs or symbionts.
During their research, Bastien Bissaro and his team noticed that some fungal enzymes — oxidases — do not act on external matter, but instead target the fungus itself by oxidising the carbohydrates in its own cell wall. These oxidation processes may be central to how fungi resist or adapt to their environment.
The FOX project — “Why do fungi oxidise their cell wall carbohydrates?” — will explore this hypothesis, aiming to determine how widespread the phenomenon is, explaining the mechanisms involved and uncover its functions.
Bastien Bissaro will work on a model pathogenic filamentous fungus, Ustilago maydis, commonly known as corn smut. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, he will combine several techniques — chemistry, microscopy, chromatography and mass spectrometry — to identify oxidised carbohydrates in the fungal cell wall. He will pair in vitro protein biochemistry with in vivo fungal microbiology and in silico predictions of enzymatic activity to clarify how these enzymes function and what role they play. The FOX project will also benefit from the many scientific partnerships Bastien Bissaro has established in France and abroad.
The ERC programme funds exploratory research, based solely on scientific excellence. It enables researchers to identify new research avenues while recognising the status and visibility of Europe’s most outstanding scientists. The ERC’s ultimate goal is to build a European research community ready to meet the needs of a knowledge-based society and to provide the frontier research required to address global challenges.
Promising applications
This project opens significant prospects in agriculture and health, aiming to improve understanding of the resistance mechanisms of pathogenic fungi and to control them more effectively; in industry, by using these enzymes to modify the properties of bio-based materials; and in biotechnology, by optimising the behaviour of fungal strains in industrial processes.
In the longer term, these discoveries could even inspire research on other organisms, such as bacteria, paving the way for new applications.
Mini CV
Age: 37
- Professional career
From January 2026: Research Director, INRAE, Fungal Biodiversity and Biotechnology Unit – BBF (INRAE, Aix-Marseille University)
2021-2025: Research scientist, INRAE, BBF Unit
2019-2020: Postdoctoral fellow, BBF Unit
2014-2018: Postdoctoral fellow, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås (Norway)
- Education
2024: Accreditation to supervise research (Habilitation à diriger les recherches, HDR), Aix-Marseille University
2014: PhD in Microbial and Enzymatic Engineering, INSA, Toulouse
2011: MSc in Microbiology, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier
2011: Engineering degree, INSA, Toulouse
- Honours and awards
2020: Special Young Researcher Prize, Groupe Français des Glycosciences (the French Society for Glycosciences)