Francis M. Martin received a bachelors degree from the Plant Biology Department of the University of Nancy (Lorraine) in 1979, a PhD from the same University in 1982 and a Science Doctorate from the University of Paris XI–Orsay in 1986. He joined the INRA Forestry Center in 1981 where he built up a research group on the physiology and molecular biology of the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis. Francis headed the Tree–Microbes Interactions Department at INRA‐Nancy from 2001 to 2008. He now heads the Cluster of Excellence ARBRE, also at INRA‐Nancy. Francis's main research projects are currently dealing with: comparative genomics of lifestyles in fungi; and signalling pathways/effectors in ectomycorrhizal interactions. Francis Martin has been an Editor of New Phytologist since 1991.