Interest

I obtained my bachelor’s degree in natural systems from the University of Neuchâtel in 2023, where I became passionate about studying climate change and, during my final year of study, for the functional ecology of plants. I then decided to pursue a master's degree in biogeosciences, a path that allowed me to deepen my knowledge of soils and their relationships with vegetation. My passions led me to engage in a master’s thesis project proposed by Professor Sergio Rasmann, under the supervision of PhD candidate Théo Steiner.

Master's thesis project

In this project, I have the opportunity to focus on the ecosystem-level impact of climate warming in the Alpine region. In particular, we are analysing the effect of low-altitude soil microorganisms on alpine plants during their migration along the altitudinal gradient. During the summer of 2024, we collected samples from several sites in Switzerland (Neuchâtel, Vaud, Valais). The extracted microorganisms were then inoculated into pots containing different species of alpine plants. Analysis of the plant metabolome after a month of laboratory experience will determine whether there are differences in chemical compounds production. This will help us understand the potential effects of migration on vegetation and whether certain alpine species will be particularly disadvantaged.