MAGALI PROFFIT

CURRICULUM VITAE
Date of birth: July 8, 1980

Address:
Division of Plant Protection Biology
Chemical Ecology Group
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
P.O. Box 102
SE-230 53 ALNARP / SUEDE
tel: ++46 (0)40 41 52 49
fax: ++46 (0)40 46 19 91

Nationality: French
Marital status: bachelor
E-mail: proffitm@gmail.com and
Magali.Proffit@ltj.slu.se
Web-site http://www.cefe.cnrs.fr/coev/M_Proffit.ht

Education and Research

2009-2010

Post-Doc, in chemical ecology and plant protection.

Swedish Agricultural University (Alnarp, Sweden)
Research project: Multiple Challenges in Tropical Fruit growing
Advisor : Prof. Peter Witzgall (Swedish Agricultural University)
Funding: SIDA

2007-2009

Post-Doc. in chemical ecology and pollination biology.

University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa)
Research project: Chemical mediation and specificity of plant/pollinator interactions
Advisor: Prof. Steve Johnson (University of KwaZulu-Natal).
Funding: NRF

2003-2007

Ph.D. in evolutionary ecology . University of Montpellier II (Montpellier, France).

Research thesis: Chemical mediation and community structure of hymenoptera parasite of fig and
pollinating fig wasp mutualism
Advisor: Dr. M. Hossaert-McKey and Dr. B. Schatz (CNRS).

2002-2003

M.Sc. in Biology, Evolution and Population control. University Franois Rabelais (Tours, France).
Research thesis: Community associated to specific and obligatory pollination mutualism: structure,
functioning and impact in mutualism, a comparative study of fig-figwasp pollinator model.
Advisor: Dr. M. Hossaert-McKey and Dr. B. Schatz (CNRS).

2001-2002

B.Sc. in Ecosystem and Population Biology. University of Paris 6 (France).

Options: Ecology, interaction between plants and their environment.
Research thesis: Two loci polymorphism in basidiomycete ectomycorhizien fungi natural population.
Advisor: Prof. M-A. Selosse (MNHN Paris, France).

2002-1998

First degree. in Organisal and Population Biology. University of Paris 6 (France).

Options: Ecology et biogeography, Animal biology, Plants biology.

1998

General certificate of Education ('baccalaurat') in science.

RESEARCH, STUDENT SUPERVISING AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE

FIELD EXPERIENCE
2007-2009
2003-2005
2002
2001

POST-Doctoral research: fieldwork sessions in Western Cape, South Africa and several fieldwork
sessions in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Doctoral research: 3 fieldwork sessions (2 months each) in Karnataka, India and 1 fieldwork session (2
months) in Yunnan, China.
Master degree: 1 week study of pedology in Fontainebleau forest, France.
Fisrt degree: 3 days study of marine fauna in Granville, France.

LABORATORY EXPERIENCE
Insect behavioural test: Y-tube experiment, wind tunnel.

 Chemical plant volatile extraction: headspace, solvent extraction, SPME extraction.

Chemical volatile analysis: gas chromatograph with FID (GC-FID) detector and in a gas chromatogram-mass
spectrometer (GC-MS), thermal desorption.
Electrophysiological analysis: GC-FID/EAD.
DNA extraction, PCR.
SOFTWARE:
Plant and insect chemical profil analyses: Varian MS Workstation,
Stastitical analyses: Statistica, SAS, R.
STUDENT SUPERVISION
Supervision of one Master student: The co-occurrence of two pollinating wasps in Ficus natalensis
2008
natalensis in the KwaZulu Natal (South Africa).
2004 2005
Supervision of four Master students: Coexistence of communities of non-pollinating fig wasps
associated with F. racemosa, Ressource exploitation and impact of the communities of specific hymenoptera parasites
associated to fig-figwasp mutualism and Chemical ecology of interaction between fig and pollinating fig wasp:
functional variation of volatile cues.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Teaching assistant in life sciences at the University of Montpellier II:
2004 2006
Seminars and laboratory practical Plant biology and Chemical Ecology first master degree
(~25 hours).
Teaching assistant in life sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal:
2008
Seminars and laboratory practical on fig-pollinating fig wasp interactions first degree (~5h).

LANGUAGES
Native language: French.

Fluent in English.

Fluent in Spanish.

PUBLICATIONS in international peer-reviewed journals

Hossaert-McKey M., Soler C., Schatz B. & Proffit M. 2010. Floral scents: their roles in nursery pollination mutualisms.
Chemoecology, in press.
Proffit M. & Johnson SD. 2009. Specificity of the signal emitted by figs to attract their pollinating wasps: Comparison
of the volatile organic compounds produced by receptive syconia of Ficus sur and F. sycomorus in Southern
Africa. South African Journal of Botany, 75, 771-777.
Chen C., Song Q., Proffit M., Bessire JM., Li Z. & Hossaert-McKey M. 2009. Private channel: a single unusual
compound assures specific pollinator attraction in Ficus semicordata. Functional Ecology, 23, 941-950.
Proffit M., Chen C., Soler C., Bessire JM., Schatz B. & Hossaert-McKey M. 2009. Can chemical signals responsible for
mutualistic partner encounter promote the specific exploitation of nursery pollination mutualisms? The case
of figs and fig wasps. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 131, 46-57.
Roy M., Dubois MP., Proffit M., Vincenot L., Desmarais E. & Selosse MA. 2008. Evidence from population genetics
that the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete Laccaria amethystina is an actual multihost symbiont. Molecular ecology 17,
2825-2838.
Proffit M., Schatz B., Bessire JM., Chen C., Soler C., & Hossaert-McKey M. 2008. Signalling receptivity: comparison
of the emission of volatile compounds of figs of Ficus hispida before, during and after the phase of receptivity to
pollinators. 2008, Symbiosis 45, 15-24.
Proffit M., Schatz B., Borges R. M. & Hossaert-McKey M. 2007. Chemical mediation and niche partitioning in nonpollinating fig-wasp communities. 2007, Journal of Animal Ecology 76, 296-303.

Schatz B., Proffit M., Rakhi BV., Borges RM. & Hossaert-McKey M. 2005. Complex interactions on fig trees: ants
capturing parasitic wasps as indirect mutualists of the fig-fig wasp interaction. Oikos 113, 344-352.
BOOK CHAPTERS
Schatz B., Proffit M., Kjellberg F. et Hossaert-McKey M. in press Un rseau trophique complexe: le cas des figuiers
associs diffrentes communauts dinsectes. in : Des insectes et des plantes.

PARTICIPATION IN SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIA

Proffit M., Cornille A., Hossaert-McKey M., Johnson SD, oral communication. Role of floral scent in promoting the
co-occurrence of two pollinating wasps in Ficus natalensis natalensis in the KwaZulu Natal (South Africa). 35th
Annual Conference of the Botanists (SAAB), Stellenbosch, South Africa (January 2009).
Proffit M., Schatz B. & Hossaert-McKey M., oral communication. Chemical mediation and organisation of fig wasp
communities. 23rd International Congress of Entomology (ICE), Durban, South Africa (July 2008).
Proffit M., Schatz B., Kjellberg F., Borges R., Bain A. & Hossaert-McKey M., oral communication. Chemical cues and
ecological niche segregation of species parasitizing fig/ pollinating wasp mutualisms. 7th international
symposium on fig-fig wasp biology, Xishuangbanna, China (July 2006).
Proffit M., Chen Chun, J.M. Bessire, Schatz B. & Hossaert-McKey M., poster. Chemical usurpation of volatile signals
by parasites in a nursery pollination mutualism The case of fig and fig wasps. 22nd Annual Meeting of the
International Society of Chemical Ecology (ISCE), Barcelone, Espagne (July 2006).
Proffit M., Schatz B. & Hossaert-McKey M., oral communication. Chemical cues and ecological niche segregation of
species parasitizing fig/ pollinating wasp mutualisms. 11th meeting of PhD students in Evolutionary Biology,
Carcans-Maubuisson, France (September 2005).
Proffit M., Hossaert-McKey M., Rakhi R., Borges R. & Schatz B., poster. Effets des fourmis sur les parasites du
mutualisme figuiers/ pollinisateurs. 27th Meeting of Petit-Pois Drid , Bordeaux, France (August 2005).
Proffit M., Schatz B., Kjellberg F., Borges R. & Hossaert-McKey M., oral communication. Sparation temporelle des
niches cologiques des diffrentes espces de parasites de mutualismes figuiers/ pollinisateurs. 33rd meeting of
Entomophagistes, Gif/Yvette, France (Mai 2005).
Schatz B., Proffit M., Rakhi R., Borges R. & Hossaert-McKey M., poster. Positive impact of ants on parasites of figs/fig
wasp mutualism. Proceedings of the closing symposium of the EU Research Training Network INSECTS, pp.
48, Helsingor, Danemark (September 2004).
Proffit M., Schatz B. & Hossaert-McKey M., poster. Les communauts parasites associes au mutualisme de
pollinisation spcifique et obligatoire : une tude comparative du modle figuier-pollinisateur. 32nd meeting of
Entomophagistes, Sophia-Antipolis, France (Mai 2004)
Proffit M., Schatz B., Borges R. & Hossaert-McKey M., poster. Localisation de la ressource chez les communauts de
parasites associes au mutualisme de pollinisation figuier/pollinisateur. 26th Meeting of Petit-Pois Derid ,
Paris, France (August 2004).
REFEREES:
Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, 1919, Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
Dr. Martine Hossaert-McKey
Dr. Bertrand Schatz
Tel: +33 4 67 61 32 30
Tel: +33 4 67 61 32 62
Email: Hossaert@cefe.cnrs.fr
Email: Schatz@cefe.cnrs.fr
Prof Steven D. Johnson
Tel : +27 (0)33 260 5148
Email: johnsonsd@ukzn.ac.za
School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P. Bag X01 Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg
3209 South Africa