Prof. Laurent Legendre is a full professor at Avignon University, where he leads a research master’s programme on the agricultural production of fruit and vegetables. He obtained his PhD from Purdue University in the United States and has held academic positions in France and Australia. 

His expertise focuses on plant–microorganism interactions, plant physiology, pathogens, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, and water-limited environments. His research uses integrated biological approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. 

Over the past 20 years, Prof. Legendre’s work has focused primarily on tropical root and tuber crops, including sweet potato, taro, yams, and cassava. Within the ROTATES project, he leads the French Pilot Living Lab in Avignon.