Fabienne Remize: a good vintage

We’ve come full circle. In 1999, Fabienne Remize completed her studies in Montpellier with a Ph.D. in microbiology from the Institut des Produits de la Vigne. Twenty years later, she returns to the capital of the Languedoc region to head the Joint Research Unit for Oenology (UMR SPO). While wine has occupied a significant portion of the researcher’s career, make no mistake: it is the microscopic aspects of wine that captivate her. This molecular biologist works on the yeasts and bacteria involved in winemaking.

As early as her doctoral thesis, Fabienne Remize discovered how to obtain yeast strains that produce less ethanol and more glycerol. This is a significant contribution to winemaking because this shift in metabolic pathways results in lighter, rounder wines. It is, therefore, applied research that meets the needs of the wine industry.

And these concerns have not lost their relevance; on the contrary. In the region, the alcohol content of wine has risen by four percentage points over the past 30 years due to global warming. Research on winemaking must—now more than ever—take this perspective on climate change into account. This is particularly true in its applied dimension, to support winemakers’ adaptation strategies.

Biopreservation

Times have changed: whereas winemaking used to rely heavily on additives—and even on genetic engineering to develop new strains—today, environmentally friendly practices are gaining momentum. “We’re more interested in the role of the grape’s ecosystem in the fermentation process,” explains the microbiologist, who observes the evolution of her field. Consumers are increasingly seeking out “natural” wines, particularly those with lower sulfite levels.

And here again, Fabienne Remize’s work on bioprotection has direct practical applications. “The goal is to alter microbial balances to promote microbial communities whose antimicrobial and antioxidant properties limit the need for sulfites,” explains the specialist. Biopreservation is indeed one of her main areas of research. First as a lecturer at AgroSup Dijon between 2000 and 2008, where she worked on microorganisms involved in wine spoilage. In particular, she focused on Oenococcus oeni, an important bacterium involved in malolactic fermentation, which alters the wine’s acidity. Controlling its growth is necessary to develop specific aromas and enhance the wine’s suppleness. Another focus of her research is Brettanomyces, yeasts that give wine an unpleasant animal-like odor. The researcher has developed a PCR testing method to quantify these yeasts before bottling.

Once again, the technique caught the attention of the wine industry—and not just the wine industry, for that matter. This gave Fabienne Remize the opportunity to take a step back and spend three years in the private sector at the Technical Center for the Preservation of Agricultural Products (CTCPA) in Avignon. As a project manager in microbiology, she implemented an early detection system for spoilage bacteria in the canned food production line.

“Positive momentum”

She then returned to academia after accepting a professorship at the University of Réunion. This marked a shift to a new field and a new research focus, as she began working on the use of lactic acid bacteria in the production of processed fruits and vegetables. By controlling the growth of these bacteria—which produce only a small amount of acid—it is possible to manipulate microbial balances to limit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The benefit is twofold: by avoiding heating, this technique preserves the nutritional quality of foods and ensures product shelf life. These are attractive features for various fresh fruit and vegetable products such as juices, smoothies, lacto-fermented products, and pre-cut fruits. Her team, in fact, obtained a patent last August for a biopreservation technique for carrots and mangoes. Discussions are currently underway regarding the adoption of this process by the food industry.

But her academic background isn’t everything. The professor and researcher knows that, for this new position, it is her leadership skills that will be most in the spotlight: “At the UMR SPO, my role will be to manage a team of nearly a hundred people (including sixty full-time staff). ” She has already taken her first steps in a leadership role as deputy director of the Réunion Indian Ocean School of Engineering (ESIROI), where she was in charge of education. Today, she appreciates “the positive dynamic” she discovered within this unit, which brings together INRAE, Montpellier SupAgro, and the University of Montpellier. “There was a lot of work done with the teams, which led to a reorganization focused on the major challenges of oenology,” she says with delight, adding that she is also thrilled about this promotion in her favorite city.

• UMR SPO Website