Ingénieur 2A

Experimentation is central to progress in biology. It enables working hypotheses to be tested. Thanks to cycles of hypothesis verification and refinement, we end up with predictive models, despite the great complexity of the objects studied: living beings.

We cannot guarantee that a student will be registered for a specific theme. The distribution of students is based on supply and demand. The following themes are likely to be opened:

- Bioluminescence:

The chemical energy extracted from organic molecules by living beings can be transformed into thermal energy, mechanical energy, electrical energy, and even light energy. This last property is more widespread than we think since it exists in several hundred species as diverse as bacteria, fungi and animals. We will study the green fluorescent protein (GFP) of the jellyfish Aequorea victoria. We will use the tools of genetic engineering, biochemistry and biophysics to understand the origin of this fluorescence and how to exploit it in various biotechnological fields. Firefly tail luciferin will also be discussed to understand the origin and mechanism of its bioluminescence.

-Antibodies: from immune defense to clinical diagnosis:

Antibodies, central molecules in the humoral immune response, play an essential role in the prevention of infections. Moreover, thanks to their precise characterization, they have also become essential tools for research, medical diagnosis and therapy, in particular anti-cancer. This Modal aims to characterize the biochemical properties of antibodies as well as to illustrate several examples of the use of antibodies in research and medical diagnosis. The use of a large number of classical techniques of biochemistry and biology also make this Modal an excellent introduction to laboratory work.

- Intracellular imaging:

The organization and dynamics of the cytoskeleton play an essential role in many eukaryotic cell life processes, such as migration, division or intracellular transport. The objective of this Modal is to observe the different components of the cytoskeleton (microtubule and actin filaments) inside human cells. It is an opportunity to introduce multiple techniques in cell biology (culture of human cells, immunocytochemistry, transfection), microscopy and digital modeling.

- Cloning:

This modal allows you to discover the key tools and techniques used daily in laboratories. Baker's yeast dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an essential protein conserved in all eukaryotes. Thanks to its key role in cell growth and metabolism, DHFR is of pharmacological interest. It is the target of the few drugs that are used for the treatment of a wide spectrum of diseases. We will clone the gene coding for the eukaryotic DHFR in a bacterium, we will induce its expression and we will purify the protein produced. Finally, an enzymatic test will make it possible to functionally characterize the purified protein.

-Synthetic biology: design and construction of synthetic genetic oscillators:

Synthetic biology aims to design and build artificial life forms that perform a given function. Gene regulatory networks are sets of genes that interact with each other and with other molecules, via their expression products, allowing mutual control of their expression levels. One possible approach to synthetic biology is to modify existing genetic networks or design new ones, opening the way to the design of new biological functions. This is a very active area of ​​research with many potential applications. The purpose of this Modal is the study and fabrication of synthetic genetic oscillators, that is to say networks of unnatural genes with an oscillating behavior. It uses the following methods and techniques: modeling of gene networks, genetic engineering, cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, image analysis.

The main topics covered will be

• The cell is the most basic structure necessary for life. It is therefore interesting to understand what a cell is, how it is organized and how it functions. 6 lectures are dedicated to these questions. In particular, they cover
  - the internal organization of the cell (membranes, compartmentalization, trafficking)
  - the integration of the cell into its environment
  - Cell division and death. These two major cellular "functions" provide an opportunity to see how the cell can use simple molecules and chemical reactions to control complex functions and make decisions such as dividing or committing suicide.
  The cell is also the building block from which more complex organisms are constructed. Developmental biology seeks to understand this process and to answer questions such as
  - How is it that the adult organism contains so many different cells, even though they all originate from a single cell?
  - How do axes of symmetry and differences along these axes (head on one side, feet on the other) arise? Are these axes present in the egg?
  - How can we build complex shapes and organs instead of just a bunch of cells?

BIO451 provides a solid, recommended foundation for the other biology courses in the second year and in the third year. It complements BIO452. It is also an opportunity to explore many current topics: cloning, stem cells, regenerative medicine, crispr, gene therapy, cancer, epigenetics...

What is the current state of natural ecosystems? Should one be concerned about the disappearance of many species? Why is the distribution of biodiversity on Earth not homogeneous? Are there any rules underlying the distribution of biodiversity? What do we know about the evolution of life on Earth? Why are there more and more invasive species? What can be done to save endangered species? What can be done to ensure that our planet remains habitable for future generations?

The aim of this course is to present the main concepts and ideas in the evolutionary and environmental sciences that are useful for thinking about these issues.
To understand and preserve biodiversity, and more generally to understand the living world, it is necessary to understand the relationships between species, the factors controlling population dynamics, the forces determining the degree of genetic diversity of a species, its adaptation to its environment, and the forces generating species. This course will therefore focus on explaining the basics of evolution and ecology.

Course Language: French

Experimentation is central to advances in biology. It enables working hypotheses to be tested. Thanks to cycles of hypothesis, verification and refinement, we end up with predictive models, despite the great complexity of the objects studied: living beings.

We cannot guarantee that a student will be registered for a specific theme. The distribution of students is based on supply and demand. The following themes are likely to be opened:

- Bioluminescence:
The chemical energy extracted from organic molecules by living beings can be transformed into thermal energy, mechanical energy, electrical energy, and even light energy. This last property is more widespread than we think since it exists in several hundred species as diverse as bacteria, fungi and animals. We will study the green fluorescent protein (GFP) of the jellyfish Aequorea victoria. We will use the tools of genetic, biochemistry and biophysics to understand the origin of this fluorescence and how to exploit it in various biotechnological fields. Firefly tail luciferin will also be discussed to understand the origin and mechanism of its bioluminescence.

-Antibodies: from immune defense to clinical diagnosis:
Antibodies, central molecules in the humoral immune response, play an essential role in the prevention of infections. Moreover, thanks to their precise characterization, they have also become essential tools for research, medical diagnosis and therapy, in particular anti-cancer.

- Intracellular imaging:
The organization and dynamics of the cytoskeleton play an essential role in many eukaryotic cell life processes, such as migration, division or intracellular transport.

- Cloning:
This modal allows you to discover the key tools and techniques used daily in laboratories. Baker's yeast dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an essential protein conserved in all eukaryotes. Thanks to its key role in cell growth and metabolism, DHFR is of pharmacological interest. It is the target of the few drugs that are used for the treatment of a wide spectrum of diseases. We will clone the gene coding for the eukaryotic DHFR in a bacterium, we will induce its expression and we will purify the protein thus produced. Finally, an enzymatic test will make it possible to functionally characterize the purified protein.

-Synthetic biology: design and construction of synthetic genetic oscillators:
Synthetic biology aims to design and build artificial life forms that perform a given function. Gene regulatory networks are sets of genes that interact with each other and with other molecules, via their expression products, allowing mutual control of their expression levels. One possible approach to synthetic biology is to modify existing genetic networks or design new ones, opening the way to the design of new biological functions. This is a very active field of ​​research with numerous potential applications.