Mathieu Mahillon is an FWO Senior Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Plants and Crops at Ghent University, holding a PhD in Plant Pathology from UCLouvain and prior postdoctoral research experience at Agroscope in Switzerland. Specializing in plant pathology, molecular microbiology, and NGS data analysis, his current research focuses on the lifestyle transition and emergence of phytopathogenicity within the Sarocladium oryzae species complex (SOSC)—a group of filamentous fungi responsible for rice sheath rot disease. By integrating pangenome analyses, comparative genomics, and metabolomics, Mathieu’s project aims to uncover the evolutionary mechanisms that turn harmless endophytes into destructive pathogens. Additionally, his work investigates specialized metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters producing phytotoxins like helvolic acid and antifungal compounds like cerulenin. His research also explores the role and diversity of mycoviruses in fungal adaptation and ecology.
