Presentation
The laboratory uses and develops the methods of genetic engineering, of structural analysis, of bioinformatics and more generally of macromolecular engineering. Several unicellular models (bacteria, archaea and yeast) are studied.
GENERAL THEMES
Structure-function relationships in the translation machinery
The macromolecules we study insure faithful translation of the genetic message. They are either proteins or ribonucleic acids (RNA). Some of these macromolecules are potential targets for antibacterial agents. More about translation initiation and regulation or mRNA degradation.
Selenium toxicity
Our interest for this element comes from its dual role in mammals.Indeed,selenium is strictly required in trace amounts but becomes toxic if its concentration is too high. Added in food at sub-toxic concentrations, selenium may prevent the appearance of several cancers. More...
Structural bioinformatics
We are developing methods for in silico protein engineering using directed evolution. The methods are applied to the design of novel proteins with specific properties, such as binding a particular ligand. We are also working on protein structure prediction. More...
Cytoskeleton in cell morphogenesis
Our team strives to understand the role of the actin cytoskeleton in membrane remodeling. The Arp2/3 complex is a molecular machine that creates branched actin networks, which are known to generate a force. This force participates in intracellular traffic and in membrane protrusion during cell migration. In this context, we are looking for novel regulators of the Arp2/3 complex using various screens in order to understand the different roles of branched actin networks in the cell. More...
Disciplines - MEthodologies
- Molecular and structural biology (X-crystallography and cryoEM)
- Biochemistry of proteins and nucleic acids
- Physical biochemistry
- Bioinformatics
- Cell Biology
TEACHING
Organization and supervision of biology practical courses of the Biology Department of the Ecole polytechnique (6000 hours.students/year)
Year M2 of the Master "Biomolecules: structure, function and engineering"
68 theses from 1975 to 2020