Fabienne Remize: a good vintage

The circle is complete. In 1999, Fabienne Remize completed her studies in Montpellier with a doctorate in microbiology at the Institut des Produits de la Vigne. Twenty years later, she returns to the Languedoc capital to head up the Sciences pour l'œnologie joint research unit (UMR SPO). While wine has occupied a large part of this researcher's career, make no mistake: it is in its microscopic dimension that wine captivates her. This molecular biologist works on the yeasts and bacteria involved in winemaking.

As early as her thesis, Fabienne Remize discovered how to obtain yeast strains that produce less ethanol, in favor of glycerol. This is an important contribution to winemaking, as this reorientation of metabolic flows results in lighter, rounder wines. Applied research that meets the expectations of the wine industry.

And these concerns have not lost their topicality - on the contrary. In the region, the alcohol content of wine has risen by four points over the last 30 years, due to global warming. Now more than ever, research into winemaking must take account of climate change. Particularly in its applied dimension, to support winemakers' adaptation strategies.

Biopreservation

If winemaking used to rely heavily on inputs, or even on genetic engineering to develop new strains, today it's environmentally-friendly practices that are in vogue. "We're more interested in the role of the grape ecosystem in fermentation dynamics", explains the microbiologist, who is well aware of the evolution of her discipline. The demand is for more "natural" wines, in particular with fewer sulfites.

And here again, Fabienne Remize's work on bioprotection has a direct applied interest. "The aim is to modify microbial balances to favor flora whose antimicrobial and antioxidant role limits sulfite inputs", explains the specialist. Biopreservation is one of her main fields of research. Firstly, as a lecturer at AgroSup Dijon between 2000 and 2008, where she worked on the microorganisms involved in wine spoilage. In particular, she worked on Oenococcus oeni, an important bacterium involved in malolactic fermentation, which modifies the acidity of wine. Controlling its development is necessary to develop specific aromas and make wines more supple. Another focus of her research is Brettanomyces, yeasts that give wine an unpleasant animal odor. The researcher has developed a PCR test method to quantify these yeasts before bottling.

Here again, technology is of interest to the wine industry. And not just wine, either. This gave Fabienne Remize the opportunity to take a step aside and spend three years in the private sector at the Centre Technique de la Conservation des Produits Agricoles (CTCPA) in Avignon. As microbiology project manager, she set up a system for the early detection of spoilage bacteria in the canning production chain.

"Positive momentum

Then a professorship at the University of La Réunion brought her back into the academic fold. New hemisphere and new thematic reorientation, as she works on the use of lactic acid bacteria for the production of processed fruit and vegetables. Controlling the development of these low-acidifying bacteria enables us to influence microbial balances to limit the development of pathogenic bacteria. The benefits are twofold: by avoiding heating, this technique preserves the nutritional quality of the food and ensures product preservation. These are interesting features for various fresh fruit and vegetable products such as juices, smoothies, lacto-fermented products and pre-cut fruit. Last August, his team was awarded a patent for a biopreservation technique for carrots and mangoes. Discussions are also underway to have the process adopted by the food industry.

But her academic background isn't everything. The teacher-researcher knows that, for this new position, it's her management skills that will above all be in the limelight: "In the UMR SPO, my role will be to run a team of almost a hundred people (including sixty permanent staff)". She has already taken her first steps into management as deputy director of the École supérieure d'ingénieurs Réunion Océan Indien (ESIROI), in charge of training. Today, she is delighted with the "positive dynamic" she has discovered within this unit, which brings together INRAE, Montpellier SupAgro and the University of Montpellier: "There has been a great deal of work with the teams, which has led to a reorganization around the major challenges of oenology", she says, not least because she is delighted to have been promoted in her home town.

• UMR SPO website