Vanier Scholar Profile

Name: Eva Boon

School, department: Université de Montréal, Department of Biological Sciences

Title of Research Project: Multiple genomes in ubiquitous fungi

Researcher’s Vision:

"I would like my research to contribute to more sustainable agriculture and to show that understanding evolutionary processes can make a difference in the real world, outside the lab."

Description of Research:

An uninterrupted conversation has been going on in the soil for 460 million years — between plants and a special group of fungi, the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). AMF are believed to have helped the first plants colonize land, and currently, they still provide 60 to 80 per cent of plants with essential nutrients and protection from diseases.

Still, little is known about these fungi. Eva Boon is trying to develop practical molecular biology tools that will enable scientists to accurately estimate the biodiversity of AMF in the soil.

Boon’s work brings us closer to the possibility of using AMF in agricultural practices, and saving billions in crop loss, and fertilizer and pesticide costs. Moreover, it will address fundamental questions on the genome evolution of these enigmatic fungi.

Originally from the Netherlands, Boon is pursuing doctoral studies in biological sciences at the Plant Biology Research Institute at the Université de Montréal.