Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant

Sitor Ndour

Junior Professorship

 Interactions Plantes-Champignon et Remédiation (IPCR) Team

Photo ID_2026

Papa Mamadou Sitor NDOUR

UCEIV-Calais
Université Littoral Cote d’Opale
50 rue Ferdinand Buisson
62228 Calais 

Tel : +33 (0)3 21 46 36 59

Mail : sitor.ndour@univ-littoral.fr

Academic Background

After obtaining a Master’s degree in Plant and Microbial Biotechnology from the Faculty of Science at Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD), Papa Mamadou Sitor NDOUR undertook a PhD in the same field, with a strong focus on the complex ‘plant-soil-microorganism’ interactions. Both his Master’s thesis and his doctoral thesis were carried out in collaboration with the French National Research Institute for Development (IRD), where he served successively as a Master’s intern, a PhD student and then a postdoctoral researcher. Following a second postdoctoral fellowship carried out jointly at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (Morocco) and Cranfield University (United Kingdom), he worked at the UCEIV at ULCO between January 2023 and October 2024 as a postdoctoral researcher in the field of phytomanagement of contaminated soils. Since January 2026, he has been part of the IPCR team at UCEIV, where he holds a Junior Professorship (CPJ). His research focuses on:

  • Assessing the phytomanagement potential of plant species and varieties
  • Studying the mechanisms by which plants tolerate stress caused by pollutants
  • The use of omics approaches (metabarcoding, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, etc.) in the phytomanagement of contaminated soils
  • The study of changes in ecosystem services provided by contaminated soils.

Bibliometric indicators

  • Publications in Q1-ranked peer-reviewed journals (WoS): 14 articles
  • Number of citations: 303 (Google Scholar, as at 8 October 2026)
  •  h-index = 8 (Google Scholar, as at 8 October 2026)

Scientific articles

  • Ndeko AB, Diedhiou AG, Ndour PMS, Fall S, Chuma GB, Mugumaarhahama Y, MushagalusaGN, Kane A (2026) Structure, dynamics, and ecological functions of rhizosphere fungal communities associated with maize (Zea mays L.) across contrasting rainfed agroecosystems, Scientific reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-66560-8
  • Martin, L.A., Mazuras, N., Hervé, V., Ndour, PMS., Linarès, S., Miambi, E., Frechault, S., Giusti-Miller, S., Sillam-Dussès, D., Maurice, L., Diouf, M., (2026). Exposure of termites and associated prokaryotes to soil mercury in a tropical rainforest (French Guiana). Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 23, 101356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2026.101356
  • Delaeter, M., Ndour, PMS, Tisserant, B., Randoux, B., Abdellatif, L., Stefani, F., Magnin-Robert, M., Lounès-Hadj Sahraoui, A., (2026). Co-occurrence networks reveal candidate AMF–microbe assemblages for generalist and crop-specific inocula. Mycorrhiza 36, 14. doi:10.1007/s00572-026-01257-4
  • Diouf MN, Nakombo-Gbassault P, Sané Y, Ndour PMS, Grondin A, Assigbetsé K, Gangashetty P, Heulin T, Vigouroux Y, Laplaze L, Diedhiou, AG, Cournac L (2025). Rhizosheath Formation is Positively Correlated with Retention of Water in the Rhizosphere and Water Stress Tolerance in Pearl Millet. Scientific African 1016/j.sciaf.2025.e03103
  • Langrand J, Lounès A, Ndour, PMS, Laruelle F, Facon N, Duclercq J, Fontaine J (2025). Angelica cultivation and mycorrhizal inoculation improve microbial diversity, functions and network complexity of trace elements-polluted soil: A three-year field study. Applied Soil Ecology 210, 106082. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106082
  • Ndour PMS, Bidar G, Staes L, Facon N, Laruelle F, Genies L, Tisserant B, Duclercq J, Fontaine J and Lounès – Hadj Sahraoui A (2025). Effect of different composts on the dynamic of soil organic pollutants, microbial network interactions and multifunctionality in an urban garden made from a former brownfield. Journal of Environmental Management 380,124951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124951
  • Ndour PMS, Langrand J, Fontaine J, Lounès-Hadj Sahraoui A (2024) Exploring the significance of different amendments to improve phytoremediation efficiency: focus on soil ecosystem services. Environmental Sciences and Pollution Research 32:485–513. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-35660-1
  • Abdelrahman Alahmad, Mourad Harir, Sylvain Fochesato, Joris Tulumello, Alesia Walker, Mohamed Barakat, Ndour PMS, Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin, Laurent Cournac, Laurent Laplaze, Thierry Heulin, Wafa Achouak (2024) Unraveling the Interplay Between Root Exudates, Microbiota, and Rhizosheath Formation in Pearl Millet, Microbiome 12, 1 (2024). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-023-01727-3
  • Ndour PMS, Bargaz, A., Rchiad, Z. et al (2023). Microbial Catabolic Activity: Methods, Pertinence, and Potential Interest for Improving Microbial Inoculant Efficiency. Microbial Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-023-02250-6
  • De la Fuente Cantó C, Diouf MN, Ndour PMS, Debieu M, Grondin A, Passot S, Champion A, Barrachina C, Pratlong M, Gantet P, Assigbetsé K, Kane N, Cubry P, Diedhiou AG, Heulin T, Achouak W, Vigouroux Y, Cournac L, Laplaze L (2022) Genetic control of rhizosheath formation in pearl millet. Scientific Reports 12, 9205. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13234-w
  • Ndour PMS, Hatté. C, Achouak W, Heulin T, and Cournac L (2022) Rhizodeposition efficiency of pearl millet genotypes assessed on a short growing period by carbon isotopes (δ13C and F14C), SOIL, 8, 49–57, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-8-49-2022
  • Ndour PMS, Barry CM, Tine D, de la Fuente Cant. C, Gueye M, Barakat M, Ortet P, Pablo A-L, Achouak W, Ndoye I, Heulin T and Cournac L (2021) Pearl millet genotype impacts microbial diversity and enzymatic activities in the rhizosphere, in relation to soil aggregation. Plant and Soil. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-04917-w
  • Ndour PMS, Gueye M, Barakat M, Ortet P, Bertrand-Huleux M, Pablo A-L, Dezette D, Chapuis-Lardy L, Assigbets. K, Kane NA, Vigouroux Y, Achouak W, Ndoye I, Heulin T and Cournac L (2017) Pearl millet genetic traits shape rhizobacterial diversity and modulate rhizosphere aggregation. Frontiers in Plant Science. 8:1288. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.01288

Book chapters

  • Ndour PMS, Achouak W, Heulin T, Laplaze L, and Cournac L (2022). Using Root-Soil Interactions in the Rhizosphere as Valuable Traits for Selection Against Drought in Crop Adaptation and Improvement for Drought-Prone Environments, Chapter 11, New Prairie Press, Manhattan, KS, USA, https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/49/
  • Blanchart, L. Bernard, J.L. Chotte, L. Cournac, L. Lardy, Ndour PMS, O. Ratsiatosika, T. Razafimbelo, J. Trap (2021) Soil biodiversity in action: ecological intensification of soil processes for agrosystem services in the tropics dans Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity, Proceedings du Global Symposium on Soil Biodiversity du 19-22 Avril 2021, FAO (https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb7374en)

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