We are a group of theoretical biologists with various backgrounds, ranging from biochemistry to applied mathematics. Our main activity is the mathematical modeling of microbial dynamics, especially when microbes form interacting communities called microbiomes. We have projects that progress in close association with data collection, through experimental collaborations, and others, more conceptual, that explore the fundamental assumptions of evolution in constrained fitness landscapes. Our common languages are those of theoretical ecology and evolution, as well as dynamical systems. Each of our project spans several scales of interactions, from the molecular to the ecological level.
New Method for Analyzing Microbiome Interactions From R. Zapién-Campos, F. Bansept, A. Traulsen Researchers Develop Stochastic Approach for More Accurate Models of Microbial Communities. Microbial
The LCB is happy to celebrate a 15th team creation : Welcome to Florence Bansept. She brings to LCB a brand new expertise on mathematical
Our team investigates how molecular-level constraints shape cellular fitness and adaptive strategies in bacteria. In particular, we study how genotype-dependent molecular functions translate into phenotypic traits and fitness through explicit genotype–phenotype–fitness maps, with a particular focus on metabolism, resource allocation, and growth trade-offs. By integrating molecular processes into quantitative models of cellular behavior, we explore how intracellular constraints propagate to higher levels of organization, influencing cellular decisions, phenotypic heterogeneity, and evolutionary trajectories. This work complements experimental studies by providing a systems-level understanding of how molecular building blocks govern bacterial fitness.
Our research explores how bacterial cells respond to environmental changes and how cellular decisions emerge from intracellular and metabolic signals. Using theoretical and computational approaches, we investigate how variations in nutrient availability and intracellular states can trigger distinct phenotypic responses at the single-cell level. In particular, we study the emergence of phenotypic heterogeneity and cellular differentiation as adaptive responses to environmental cues, providing quantitative insight into how bacteria implement flexible strategies in fluctuating environments.
We develop models to study how bacteria adapt to heterogeneous environments by optimizing nutrient uptake strategies, spatial organization, and collective behaviors. Our work addresses how environmental constraints shape bacterial interactions with their surroundings, including resource exploitation and spatial structuring. These approaches provide a quantitative framework to understand how bacteria colonize and persist in complex environments, complementing experimental studies of secretion, motility, and environmental adaptation.
Our team develops theoretical and computational models to understand how microbes evolve and function within spatially structured and ecologically complex environments. We study how ecological constraints, resource availability, and interactions shape microbial strategies at the level of cells, populations, communities, and meta-communities. Using multiscale approaches combining differential equations and agent-based stochastic simulations, we investigate the emergence of phenomenons such as phenotypic heterogeneity, cellular differentiation, and adaptive nutrient usage strategies. Our work addresses how ecological pressures drive microbial evolution, metabolic specialization, and collective behaviors relevant to structured microbial communities. These models provide a quantitative framework to interpret experimental observations and to link molecular and cellular mechanisms to microbial lifestyles in natural and laboratory ecosystems. One particular focus of the team is the gut microbiome of animals, for which we investigate the conditions of its functional maintenance, with possible applications to health.
Group leader
Research engineer (IR-CNRS)
Researcher (research stay)
Researcher (CDD-AMU)
Researcher (CDD-AMU)
Trainee (Master 2)
