Vous trouverez le programme ici 

Speakers :

• Alexis Barr (Imperial College London)
• Stefania Castagnetti (LBDV, Villefranche)
• Vincenzo Costanzo (IFOM, Milan)
• Monica Gotta (Université de Genève)
• Jean-René Huynh (CIRB, Collège de France)
• Jens Januschke (Dundee University)
• Peter Lenart (Max Planck Institute – Göttingen)
• Joao Matos (Max Perutz Institute – Vienna University)
• Marie-Hélène Verlhac (LBDV, Villefranche)
• Aude Dupré (Institut Jacques Monod)
• Nicolas Minc (Institut Jacques Monod)
• Lionel Pintard (Institut Jacques Monod)
• Katja Wassmann (Institut Jacques Monod)

Ce workshop est gratuit, mais l’inscription est obligatoire ; elle est ouverte jusqu’au 15 octobre. : https://forms.gle/N8odsRkBvHCUYAwb6 

Disassembly of young ADP·Pi actin filaments by cofilin, studied using microfluidics

Le jury sera composé de :

• Rapportrices :
  • Julie Plastino, DR (Laboratoire de physique de l’ENS)
  • Feng-Ching Tsai, CRCN HDR (Institut Curie)
• Examinateurs :
  • Loïc Le Goff, DR (Institut Fresnel)
  • Rut Carballido-Lopez, DR (Institut MICALIS)
  • Alexandra Colin, CRCN (LPCV CEA Grenoble)
• Co-directeurs de thèse (non votants) :
  • Guillaume Romet-Lemonne, DR (Institut Jacques Monod)
  • Antoine Jégou, DR (Institut Jacques Monod)

Adresse de la soutenance :

Bâtiment Condorcet Amphithéâtre Pierre Gilles de Gennes 4 rue Elsa Morante, Paris, France

The interplay between the motor activity of myosin-X and the architecture and dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton

Le jury sera composé de :

• Stefan DIEZ, Full Professeur for BioNano Tools, Dresden University of Technology, B CUBE (Rapporteur)
• Gregory GIANNONE, Directeur de Recherche, Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neurosciences (Rapporteur)
• Patricia BASSEREAU, Directrice de Recherche, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, CNRS, Institut Curie (Examinatrice)
• Anne HOUDUSSE, Directrice de Recherche, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres et Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut Curie (Examinatrice)
• Myriam REFFAY, Maîtresse de Conférences, Université Paris Cité (Examinatrice)

When size determines fate: rethinking asymmetric stem cell division of neural stem cells of the fly

Résumé :

How does a stem cell produce two daughters with different identities? Classical models emphasise that in intrinsically controlled asymmetric cell division, unequal inheritance of molecules can determine fate, ensuring for instance in some systems that one daughter retains stem cell identity while the other embarks on differentiation. But what if something as simple as cell size could override these molecular instructions?

Asymmetric cell division is a fundamental mechanism of development and tissue homeostasis. In Drosophila neural stem cells, this process generates daughters that differ in fate but also dramatically in size. Understanding how this physical asymmetry emerges reveals an intricate interplay between cell polarity, cortical mechanics and membrane dynamics. Spatially controlled actomyosin contractility and local membrane expansion work together to shape dividing cells, translating molecular organisation into differences in daughter-cell size.

Intriguingly, cell size is more than a passive consequence of asymmetric division. It can actively influence developmental decisions, even challenging the instructions provided by inherited fate determinants. This raises the possibility that a cell’s physical characteristics are integral to how its identity is established and maintained.

In this seminar I will summarise our findings and sketch our direction of travel on the regulation of cell size asymmetry and its contribution on cell fate.

Jens Januschke is joint Head of Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology in the Faculty of Life at the University of Dundee. He studied at the University of Cologne and obtained his PhD in genetics from the University of Paris VI before joining the Institute for Research in Biomedicine in Barcelona as a postdoc. Jens started his independent research at the University of Dundee for which he was awarded a Sir Henry Dale fellowship in 2013. In 2023 Jens was awarded a personal chair in Developmental Cell Biology at the University of Dundee.

His group is interested in fundamental aspects of cell function during development. He uses Drosophila as a model system with a focus on epithelial biology and epithelial derived asymmetrically dividing neural stem cells of the developing central nervous system. His group uses genetics, chemical genetics and live cell imaging to unravel principles of how the cell polarity machinery controls epithelial mechanics as well as cell fate decisions in the developing nervous system.

Exploring the role of metabolism-dependent histone acylations during male germ cell differentiation and their sensitivity to metabolic perturbations 

Résumé :

The paternal epigenome is established during spermatogenesis and is particularly responsive to environmental cues. In line with the POHaD paradigm (Paternal Origins of Health and Disease), increasing evidence shows that environmentally induced paternal epigenetic alterations can have effects beyond fertilization, which is the case of paternal obesity. Within this context, our lab is interested in a type of epigenetic marks named histone acylations, whose abundance depends upon the availability of their precursor metabolites and, hence, are sensitive to the cell metabolic status. Among the different histone acylations, we have recently characterized that lactylation modifies several histone lysine residues in wild-type mouse testis by proteomics approaches (Manessier et al., 2026; PMID 42285509).

To better understand the effects of a metabolic stress on coordinated metabolo-epigenetic signatures in male germ cells, we established a mouse model of Western style diet-induced obesity (WD; high-fat/high-sugar, 16 weeks). WD males exhibit an altered testicular metabolome, characterized by changes in pathways related to energy metabolism and the generation of precursors of epigenetic marks. In parallel, we identified altered histone acylation levels in male germ cells of WD mice, suggesting a link between the observed metabolomic and epigenetic alterations. Multi-omics approaches in WD mice are currently being analyzed to determine the sensitivity to metabolic changes in male germ cells.

Thus, our work supports that the testis can sense metabolic disturbances, leading to dysregulations in developing male germ cells at the metabolic and epigenetic levels. These alterations could contribute to the effects of male obesity beyond fertilization described in the POHaD framework.

Intellectual Property and patent issues in the field of health and life science

Résumé :

Spécialiste de Propriété Intellectuelle (PI), ingénieur en mécanique de formation (INSA Lyon), Gilles a débuté sa carrière en cabinet de Propriété Intellectuelle en 1996 avant de basculer en 2001 vers l’industrie parapétrolière au sein de Coflexip devenue Technip, une société Française cotée au CAC 40 avant son rachat par FMC Technologies en 2016_2017. Il y dirige le département Propriété Intellectuelle pendant une vingtaine d’année. Après une parenthèse professionnelle de trois ans hors de la PI il rejoint l’université Paris Cité dans le cadre de la mise en place du PUI Valocité (Pôle Universitaire d’Innovation) pour occuper un poste d’ingénieur PI en charge des aspects PI du Pôle.

Le séminaire détaillera les différents actifs PI qui peuvent être mis en œuvre dans une stratégie PI ainsi que les potentiels et voies de valorisation de chacun d’eux. Après une revue succincte des fondamentaux de la PI, les dispositifs mis en œuvre par l’université seront présentés ainsi que les informations pratiques et les bons réflexes à acquérir en matière de protection de la PI pour ne pas compromettre une valorisation potentielle. On discutera également des différentes problématiques PI que vous pourriez rencontrer dans une carrière de doctorant ou de chercheur ainsi que les différentes manières d’y faire face. Enfin, un focus sur la brevetabilité des dispositifs médicaux et des médicaments ainsi que sur la brevetabilité du vivant et notamment les différences USA/Europe devrait conclure ce temps d’échange avec bien évidemment un moment dédié aux questions pour finir.

Behavioral evolution in a complex world: From environment to neural circuits

Résumé :

From dancing birds to singing flies, animals have evolved an astounding diversity of behaviors to attract and choose mating partners. Guided by innate preferences and aversions, the brain filters complex environments for cues and signals to successfully navigate these reproductive behaviors in appropriate spatial, temporal, and social contexts. To understand how the natural environment shapes sensory evolution and contributes to the diversification of neural circuits controlling mating behaviors, my lab studies the highly tractable nervous system of Drosophila as an inroad.

In Drosophila, courtship and mating occurs on fermenting food where many individuals congregate. Replicating this naturalistic context in the lab, we discovered striking differences in the sensory dependence of mating behaviors across species. Most notably, the host specialist Drosophila erecta requires the presence of food to engage in courtship and only mates in social groups. Harnessing the power of cross-species neurogenetics, we reveal that sexual arousal in D. erecta is uniquely gated by food odors that switch the valence of visual stimuli driving courtship. This provides a possible neural mechanism underlying the environmental modulation of reproductive behaviors, highlighting how social behaviors are shaped by the natural environments in which they evolve.

The symposium will be organized the 18 of November at the Institut Jacques Monod, amphitheater Buffon, bat. Buffon, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75013 Paris, from 9:00 to 18:00.

This symposium will be, once again, free of charge and open to all. You will find all the informations for registration and abstract submission (oral presentation or poster) on the symposium website: https://fungi-idf-2026.eventbrite.com

Please send your abstracts to : fungi.idf@gmail.com

Deadline for registration and abstract submission is the 30 of October.

All the topics related to fungal genetics are welcome including:

• Pathogenicity, effectors & secondary metabolism;
• Development and sexual reproduction;
• Genome structure and chromatin-based regulation;
• Population genetics and epidemiology;
• Fungal genetic engineering & biotechnology.

Please notice that there will be two prizes from the SFG for the best PhD student oral presentation and poster. A poster session will be organised and we will close the day with an ‘happy hour session”.