http://www.cercle-gutenberg.fr/titulaires-et-laureats/prix-guy-ourisson-et-autres-prix-jeunes-chercheurs/

The third edition of the IMCBio Summer School will take place between June 24 and June 27 in Strasbourg*!

• Experience Sci-fun
• Meet biology experts
• Visit top research facilities
• Assist to scientific lectures
• Participate to social events
• Discover the Alsatian charm
• And have the opportunity of getting 1-month financially supported internship!**

In a groundbreaking study published in Communications Biology, the ERA-NET SusCrop “BioProtect” consortium, led by Manfred Heinlein at IBMP and including Karl-Heinz Kogel (holder of the 2024 Gutenberg Chair at IBMP), along with collaborators from the Universities of Helsinki (Finland) and Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences (Germany), has demonstrated effective control of Magnaporthe oryzae, a major fungal pathogen. The research shows that exogenous treatment of plants with dsRNA targeting fungal genes can activate two complementary mechanisms: sequence-specific RNA interference (RNAi) and a sequence-independent fungal stress response.

For the fifth time in eight years, Professor Thomas Baumert at the Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Diseases (Unistra/Inserm) has been awarded a prestigious ERC Proof of Concept Grant by the European Union. This new ERC (PACMAN) will enable the researcher and his team to develop an innovative therapeutic approach to treat pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common form of pancreatic cancer.

These substances are found in a variety of everyday products, such as food packaging, kitchen utensils and household products. Their properties make them highly persistent, so they end up in the environment. Pollution by PFAS, some of which are highly toxic, is thus affecting the general public.

Michael Ryckelynck and Stéphane Vuilleumier are professors-researchers in biochemistry and microbiology at the CNRS and the University of Strasbourg. They explain this quest for PFAS-eating bacteria." Source = Air Zen Radio

These include EvoCure, a project involving the “Antiviral immunity in insects” team (Carine Meignin et Jean-Luc Imler). This project aims to discover new immune proteins by exploring the evolutionary conservation of immune mechanisms, from bacteria to animals.

Video explanation on https://labex-netrna.cnrs.fr/events/a-team-from-the-netrna-research-cluster-wins-inserms-impact-sante-program/?occurrence=2025-01-08

An article not to be missed! picked up by France Inter

Registrations are open until January 26, 2025 (deadline for creating an account: January 19, 2025) and can be made directly on the competition application: https://imcbio-phdprogram.unistra.fr/

The prize includes start-up training.

Will Radi be the leader of the next start-up to emerge from the team? To be continued!

The speaker will give his seminar at the Amphitheater CRBS, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, Strasbourg with the title “How Listeria outsmarts its host”.

See the article on the RNA Society website

Read more

NLRP3 activation in endosomes: From basic mechanisms to disease

Cells in our body are constantly exposed to environmental stressors. Cells have therefore developed an intricate system of proteins that can detect these insults. Once these proteins get activated by them, they eventually induce an inflammatory response. From an evolutionary perspective, inflammation has a beneficial role as it eliminates these stressors and facilitates the repair of tissue damage caused by them. However, if inflammation persists, it can also have detrimental effects.

Our project, supported by the 'Chaires d’excellence,' centers on investigating a specific protein known as NLRP3, capable of detecting a diverse array of seemingly unrelated environmental stressors. We recently made a discovery that these stressors share a common trait: they all disrupt the composition of a specific cellular compartment known as the endosome. In fact, NLRP3 is recruited to these “stressed” endosomes thereby initiating inflammation. The understanding of this mechanism could potentially explain low-grade inflammation observed in different human diseases including obesity-associated diabetes.

Our discovery created a new research axis in the laboratory that opened fundamentally novel scientific questions. Answering them in a more comprehensive manner constitutes a very ambitious endeavor that requires state-of-the-art experimental tools and collaborations at the international level. A project of this dimension clearly requires substantial funding on a long-term basis. The “Chaire d’excellence” will provide the necessary support that will increase our international visibility at the interface of cell biology and immunology.

*************

Albert WEIXLBAUMER, CoTransSplice Project

Decipher the coupling between mRNA splicing and gene transcription

Albert WEIXLBAUMER is one of the laureates of the ANR Chair d’excellence program. The generous funding will support his research group for 5 years, as they tackle a fundamental question: how is the coordination between transcription and splicing achieved in humans? In gene expression, transcription yields pre-mRNA, a transient DNA copy, which subsequently undergoes splicing to excise non-coding segments, resulting in mature mRNA. The process of splicing is pivotal for human proteomic diversification, as various mature mRNAs can be produced from a single pre-mRNA. Notably, splicing occurs concomitantly with transcription and is regulated by the transcription machinery. Yet, this intricate relationship remains poorly understood and will be the focus of the funded project. Ultimately, this endeavor aims to enhance our comprehension of the interplay between transcription and splicing, elucidating how humans diversify their proteome and how dysregulation of these processes may contribute to disease.

This call for applications is open to young researchers, from any field of research relating to plant mitochondria or chloroplasts, and having the capacity to lead a research team at the highest scientific level. Proposals relating to the scientific priorities of the MitoCross consortium will be preferentially considered, as well as those from candidates bringing new skills and/or developing new photosynthetic organisms' models.

Researchers applying for permanent positions (CNRS / researcher or lecturer-researcher at the University of Strasbourg) during the recruitment campaigns of 2024 are eligible for this funding program. Applicants are also invited to submit funding requests to other national and international calls (ERC, ANR JCJC, ATIP-Avenir, CPJ etc.), compatible and cumulative with these research chairs.

• Duration

These chairs are funded for a period of up to four years, with possible extension within the limit of the aid allocated.

• Funding

The aid allocated to each chair is 400 k€. The amount of funding may include the salary of the chair holder and expenses related to the installation and operation of a research team (salary of a post-doctoral fellow or of a technician, purchase of small equipment, etc.), as well as operational costs.

• Contact

Expressions of interest including a curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum) and a brief description of the scientific program (5 pages maximum) should be sent to

Philippe Giegé: philippe.giege[at]ibmp-cnrs.unistra.fr

et à

Ivan Tarassov: i.tarassov[at]unistra.fr

In this study, researchers investigated the impact of the human RNA helicase DDX5 on SINV infection, a model virus for studying other mosquito-transmitted emerging pathogens such as the Chikungunya virus. Using imaging and RNA immunoprecipitation approaches, they highlighted for the first time that DDX5 has the peculiarity of relocating from the nucleus to the cytoplasm of cells during infection by interacting with viral RNA. Furthermore, the analysis of DDX5 interactome by mass spectrometry in SINV-infected human cells identified new cellular and viral partners. The researchers identified a direct interaction between DDX5, its known cofactor DDX17, and the viral capsid. Scientists were able to demonstrate that the absence of DDX5 and its cofactor DDX17 in the cell reduces SINV infection. Conversely, overexpression of DDX5 has a positive impact on the virus, underscoring the central role played by DDX5 in host-virus interaction during the infectious cycle of SINV.

These results not only highlight that DDX5 is a novel host factor hijacked by SINV but also broaden our understanding of the roles played by DDX5 and DDX17 as regulators of viral infections. As the inhibition of both DDX5 and DDX17 reduces virus levels, further investigations are needed to better characterize these factors as potential targets for future antiviral therapies.

Scientific and technical half-day
special SPATIAL BIOLOGY, TRANSCRIPTOMICS, SINGLE CELL

Thursday, April 4, 2024 - 8:30am-12:30pm

Institute of Plant Molecular Biology (IBMP)
12 Rue du Général-Zimmer
67000 Strasbourg, France

Register

8h30 | Coffee and Pastries Welcome participants (salle Marie Curie)

9h00 - 9h25  | Jackson Peter, postdoc (IBMP) | Poly(A) tail length and nucleotide additions at the 3'-extremity of mRNAs detected using nanopore sequencing

9h25-9H50 | RARECYTE |Unlocking Spatial Biology with Orion™

9h50-10H15 |10X GENOMICS |Mind blowing science enabled by industry-leading single cell & spatial technologies

9h25-9H50 | STANDARD BIOTOOLS |High-plex whole slide spatial biology assays powered by the Hyperion XTi

|   Coffee Break

10h55-11h20 |  Guillaume Davidson, postdoc (IGBMC) | Mesenchymal-like Tumor Cells and Myofibroblastic Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Are Associated with Progression and Immunotherapy Response of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

11h20-11h45  | NANOSTRING | Multi-Omic Spatial Profiling to Unravel Complex Biology

11h45-12h10  | LEVITAS BIO | Overcoming Sample Quality Challenges for Single Cell Analysis

12h10-12h35  | Sébastien Pfeffer, CNRS directeur de recherche, Directeur Adjoint "Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN" (IBMC) | Noncanonical contribution of human Dicer helicase in antiviral innate immune response

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12h45 - 14h00 / LUNCH offert aux participants à la matinée

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STANDS OPEN ALL MORNING

Free participation upon registration.
Please note: places are limited, so register today.

Information and registration: www.labcluster.com

Aujourd’hui, nous vous proposons une vidéo de vulgarisation.

The second edition of the IMCBio Summer School will take place between June 25 and June 28 in Strasbourg*!

• Experience Sci-fun
• Meet biology experts
• Visit top research facilities
• Assist to scientific lectures
• Participate to social events
• Discover the Alsatian charm
• And have the opportunity of getting 1-month financially supported internship!**

BIOLOGY OF HOST-PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS BEYOND VERTEBRATES

The CNRS research department “Insects Models of Innate Immunity” invites applications for a group leader position. Applicants must have a strong record of scientific accomplishments in innate immunity or host-pathogen interactions, preferentially in non-mammalian models. We are looking for candidates who will bring new lines of research to the department (evolution, regulation of gene expression, metabolism, bioinformatics, etc…) and willing to work collaboratively with existing groups in the NetRNA LabEx network (https://labex-netrna.cnrs.fr/presentation/netrna-teams/).

The department “Insects Models of Innate Immunity” performs cutting edge basic research on insect-pathogen interactions, focusing on the fruit-fly Drosophila as well as vector mosquitoes Anopheles and Aedes (https://ibmc.cnrs.fr/en/laboratoire/m3i/). It is located in the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMC) on the central campus of the University of Strasbourg, France. IBMC offers an excellent research environment, with state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure for proteomics, genomics, cell imaging and an insectarium dedicated to studies in infectiology with BSL3 containment. Our department participates in the NetRNA consortium, which offers an attractive start-up package that includes salary and research support for 3-5 years.

Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a summary of research accomplishments (1-2 pages), a summary of future research plans (1-2 pages) and contact information for three professional references. Applications in the form of a single pdf document, or any question regarding the position, should be sent to bstevenin[at]unistra.fr.

• You can propose a single team project (supported by Cluster Research (/LabEx) funding). As a reminder, each Cluster Research has to organise its internal scientific priorities (eligibility, number of fellowships...) within the common Graduate School guidelines.

• You can submit a collaboration project involving two teams from two different IMCBio Cluster Research (INRT, NetRNA, MitoCross, HepSYS). Up to two doctoral contracts will be supported by the IMCBio Graduate School funds in 2024. Important: note that this year again, to allow applicants to get a better grasp of these collaboration projects and identify a main contact, one of the host team will be presented as the main project coordinator as the second team as the collaborator. The project needs to rely on strong collaboration to warrant support by the IMCBio Graduate School.

• You can submit a project with your own-funding (whatever the source of funding already acquired). 

And this year we propose you a new possibility: 

• You can submit a team-platform collaboration project involving, a research team and a technology platform if possible from two different IMCBio Cluster Research (INRT, NetRNA, MitoCross, HepSYS, note that this is not an absolute criteria). Up to three doctoral contracts will be supported by the IMCBio Graduate School funds in 2024. These projects will have for objective the development of a new method (not incremental progress or implementation of existing processes) that have the potential to result in a methodological leap forward associated to technology transfer (in this vein a link with a private company could be a plus). Note that this action is intended primarily to support to develop new technologies and not an alternative to support existing team projects. Importantly, for these new type of projects, a validation step by the IMCBio executive committee will occur before posting of selected projects the IMCBio PhD Call web site. The PhD student supervision has to be assumed by an HDR identified as the main contact (team or platform) with the second partner identified as the collaborator.

As a reminder: each Cluster Research (/LabEx) has to organize its internal scientific priorities for LabEx funded grants following the common Graduate School guidelines. If you are interested by submitting a collaboration project (team-team or team-platform; IMCBio Graduate School funded grants), please inform first your LabEx director before sending the collaboration project to me.

For each selected project, I will need the corresponding form attached dully filled. 

Please, note that you are also welcome to advertise a project on your own funds. If you are interested, you can send me directly the attached form.

For all questions, please contact :

Gwenaëlle Graulier, PhD

https://imcbio.unistra.fr

As in previous IMCBio PhD Calls, you have different types of project that you can submit to host a student in your team in 2024:

• You can propose a single team project (supported by Cluster Research (/LabEx) funding). As a reminder, each Cluster Research has to organise its internal scientific priorities (eligibility, number of fellowships...) within the common Graduate School guidelines.

• You can submit a collaboration project involving two teams from two different IMCBio Cluster Research (INRT, NetRNA, MitoCross, HepSYS). Up to two doctoral contracts will be supported by the IMCBio Graduate School funds in 2024. Important: note that this year again, to allow applicants to get a better grasp of these collaboration projects and identify a main contact, one of the host team will be presented as the main project coordinator as the second team as the collaborator. The project needs to rely on strong collaboration to warrant support by the IMCBio Graduate School.

• You can submit a project with your own-funding (whatever the source of funding already acquired). 

And this year we propose you a new possibility: 

• You can submit a team-platform collaboration project involving, a research team and a technology platform if possible from two different IMCBio Cluster Research (INRT, NetRNA, MitoCross, HepSYS, note that this is not an absolute criteria). Up to three doctoral contracts will be supported by the IMCBio Graduate School funds in 2024. These projects will have for objective the development of a new method (not incremental progress or implementation of existing processes) that have the potential to result in a methodological leap forward associated to technology transfer (in this vein a link with a private company could be a plus). Note that this action is intended primarily to support to develop new technologies and not an alternative to support existing team projects. Importantly, for these new type of projects, a validation step by the IMCBio executive committee will occur before posting of selected projects the IMCBio PhD Call web site. The PhD student supervision has to be assumed by an HDR identified as the main contact (team or platform) with the second partner identified as the collaborator.

As a reminder: each Cluster Research (/LabEx) has to organize its internal scientific priorities for LabEx funded grants following the common Graduate School guidelines. If you are interested by submitting a collaboration project (team-team or team-platform; IMCBio Graduate School funded grants), please inform first your LabEx director before sending the collaboration project to me.

For each selected project, I will need the corresponding form attached dully filled. 

Please, note that you are also welcome to advertise a project on your own funds. If you are interested, you can send me directly the attached form.

For all questions, please contact :

Gwenaëlle Graulier, PhD