Institut Jacques Monod

Paris Postdoc Seminar - Dennis Wörthmüller
2025-10-28 11:45 - 13:00 (Europe/Paris) | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Invited by theI nstitut Jacques Monod, Dennis Wörthmüller will present a Paris Postdoc Seminar on the theme:
When Actin Meets Curvature: Modeling Free-Standing Cell Protrusions
Abstract:
Cell shape changes are largely controlled by the actin cytoskeleton, a dynamic filament network beneath the plasma membrane. Some cell types can form extended free-standing protrusions that are not supported by an extracellular substrate, and whose initiation is thought to rely on proteins that modulate actin dynamics through sensitivity to membrane curvature. I will present a theoretical model for a free-standing viscous actin network growing on a corrugated membrane, which couples active-gel mechanics, membrane deformation, and the recruitment of curvature-sensitive actin nucleators. The model shows that uniform actin polymerization stabilizes membrane shape, whereas curvature-dependent nucleation can render the membrane linearly unstable and drive spontaneous deformations with a well-defined wavelength that could initiate protrusions. To explore these processes beyond the linear regime, we develop a finite-element framework that captures nonlinear deformations of fluid and elastic layers, opening the way to realistic simulations of actin-driven membrane shape changes.

PhD thesis defense - Ludivine Roumbo
2025-10-31 14:00 - 17:00 | Bâtiment Condorcet Amphithéâtre Pierre Gilles de Gennes, 4 rue Elsa Morante, Paris, Sélectionner un État :, 75013, France
Ludivine Roumbo ( Pintard Lab) will defend her PhD thesis:
Identification et caractérisation fonctionnelle d’une voie d’inhibition de la phosphatase PP2A-B55 chez C. elegans
The jury will be composed of:

Monica Gotta, Full Professor, Université de Genève, Rapportrice
Anne Pacquelet, CR-HDR, Université Rennes 1 Rapportrice
Julien Dumont, DR, Université Paris Cité Examinator
Aude Dupré, DR, Université Paris Cité Examinator
Thierry Lorca, DR, Université de Montpellier Examinator
Simonetta Piatti, DR, Université de Montpellier, Examinator
Lionel Pintard, DR, Université Paris Cité Thesis director
Batool Ossareh-Nazari, IE-HDR, Université Paris Cité Thesis co-director

Paris Cytoskeleton Day
2025-11-14 | Institut Jacques Monod Amphithéâtre Buffon, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
The Paris Cytoskeleton Day is a scientific one-day symposium open to all types of cytoskeletal components and all types of approaches.
This year is the fifth edition. It will take place on Friday, November 14, 2025.
The meeting will be entirely in-person in Auditorium Buffon (Institut Jacques Monod, Paris)
DEADLINES
Registration and abstract submission are open on https://pcd2025.sciencesconf.org/
Abstract submission closes on 19 October
Registration (45 euros) closes on 7 November
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Andrew Carter (Cambridge, UK)
Verena Ruprecht (CRG Barcelona, ES / Univ. Innsbruck, AT)
INVITED SPEAKERS
Marie-Cécile Caillaud (ENS Lyon)
Julien Dumont (Institut Jacques Monod, Paris)
Sandrine Etienne-Manneville (Institut Pasteur, Paris)
Manuel Théry (ESPCI/IPGG, Paris)
SHORT TALKS
Several short presentations will be selected from abstracts.
POSTERS
A poster session will take place during the day.
You can download the Flyer here

Institut Jacques Monod Seminar - Cécile Courret
2025-11-14 11:45 - 13:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Invited by the Duharcourt Lab, Cécile Courret (Department of Genome Biology, I2BC – Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS UMR 9198, Gif sur Yvette, France) will present an Institut Jacques Monod seminar on the theme:
Rapid turnover of centromeric DNA reveals signatures of genetic conflict in Drosophila
Abstract:
Centromeres are essential chromosomal regions required for faithful chromosome segregation during cell division. They are defined epigenetically by the presence of the centromere-specific histone H3 variant, CENP-A, yet they are typically embedded in repeat-rich regions of the genome, making the role of underlying DNA sequences in centromere function and specification unclear. In Drosophila melanogaster, centromeres correspond to islands of retroelements flanked by tandem satellite repeats, but their evolutionary stability remains uncertain. We investigate centromere evolution and variation both within D. melanogaster and across its close relatives in the simulans clade (D. simulans, D. sechellia, and D. mauritiana). Using a combination of long- and short-read genomic sequencing, CUT&Tag mapping of CENP-A, and cytological validation with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH), we characterize centromere organization, composition, and turnover. Within D. melanogaster, we find that centromere islands are polymorphic across strains from diverse geographic origins, with reference centromere islands absent in some genomes. We discover structural DNA variation that is associated with a shift in centromeric chromatin, suggesting that the organization of the reference centromere islands is not essential for centromere function. However, centromeres may still have conserved features even when their organization is variable, as we find that CENP-A enriched sequences are similar across strains, including those with polymorphic centromeres. Across species, we uncover dramatic centromere reorganization, including recurrent shifts between retroelements and satellite DNAs over short evolutionary timescales (<240 Kya). None of the D. melanogaster centromere islands are conserved in the simulans clade; instead, centromeres are largely composed of two clade-specific complex satellites (500 bp and 365 bp). Furthermore, in D. sechellia, the dot and X chromosome centromeres have relocated onto telomere-specific retroelements, creating true telocentric chromosomes. Interestingly, the G2/Jockey-3 retroelement, common to all D. melanogaster centromeres, shows variable enrichment across simulans clade species. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that centromeric DNA sequences are highly dynamic both within and between species, with recurrent turnover and structural polymorphisms shaping their evolution. These results highlight the plasticity of centromeric DNA and its role in chromosome function, consistent with ongoing genetic conflict driving rapid centromere evolution.

6th Fungal Genetics Ile-de-France Symposium
2025-11-18 | Institut Jacques Monod Amphithéâtre Buffon, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Registrations to the 6th Fungal Genetics Ile-de-France Symposium and abstract submission are open!

The symposium will be organized the 18 of November at the Institut Jacques Monod, amphitheater Buffon, bat. Buffon, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75013 Paris
This symposium will be, once again, free of charge and open to all. This year the different sessions of the conference will be introduced by invited speakers from the ‘fungal’ laboratories of the region.
You will find all the informations for registration and abstract submission (oral presentation or poster) on the symposium website: https://fungi-idf-2025.eventbrite.fr
Please send your abstracts to : fungi.idf@gmail.com
Deadline for registration and abstract submission is the 31 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”.
The organizing team

Frederique Bidard-Michelot: frederique.bidard-michelot@ifpen.fr
Sylvain Brun: sylvain.brun@u-paris.fr
Isabelle Fudal: isabelle.fudal@inrae.fr
Eugène Gladyshev: eugene.gladyshev@gmail.com
Fabienne Malagnac: fabienne.malagnac@universite-paris-saclay.fr
Jeanne Ropars: jeanne.ropars@universite-paris-saclay.fr

Institut Jacques Monod Seminar - Magali Suzanne
2025-11-25 14:00 - 15:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Invited by the Ladoux/Mege Lab, Magali Suzanne (University of Toulouse, CNRS, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Toulouse, France) will present an Institut Jacques Monod on the theme:
Spatio-temporal control of nuclear mechanotransduction during Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
Abstract:
During epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cells generate mechanical forces. How the nucleus reacts to these mechanical cues, ensuring a tight balance between mechano-protection and mechanotransduction, is a key yet unresolved question. Here we dissect the spatio-temporal control of nuclear mechanostransduction during EMT, using Drosophila mesoderm invagination as a model. We found that two conserved pro-EMT genes respond differently to compressive forces: while snail transcription remains unaffected, compression is sufficient to activate twist transcription within seconds. We further revealed a spatially patterned genome-wide transcriptional response to EMT forces, with an apical mechanoprotection contrasting with a permissive basal nuclear environment. The direct recording of nascent transcription in response to a controlled nuclear micromanipulation provides compelling evidence of nuclear heterogeneity in the transcriptional response to forces. Overall, these results reveal that EMT nuclei respond directly and rapidly to mechanical forces, in a spatially defined pattern.
Suzanne earned her PhD in 1999 from the University of Toulouse, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the CBM in Madrid, Spain. In 2005, she obtained a CNRS research position and worked at the IBV in Nice, France. From 2008 to 2010, she was a visiting scientist at Rockefeller University in New York, USA. She leads a team at the Centre de Biologie Intégrative de Toulouse. She was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2015, was appointed CNRS Research Director (DR) the same year, became an EMBO member in 2022, and received the Louise Basset Prize from the French Academy of Sciences in 2023. Her team has uncovered how cell death shapes tissues by combining cell biology, biophysics, and modeling approaches. Currently, her research focuses on understanding how the integrity of epithelial tissues—critical for protecting and covering our organs—is maintained.

PhD thesis defense - Fanny Wodrascka
2025-11-26 14:00 - 17:00
Fanny Wodrascka ( Ladoux-Mège lab) will defend her PhD thesis:
Mechanical control of epithelial cell extrusion via RhoA-dependent contractility
The jury will be composed of:
Elsa Bazelières, Sylvie Henon, Pere Roca Cusachs, Magali Suzanne

Institut Jacques Monod seminar - Raphaël Guerrois
2025-11-28 11:45 - 13:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
This seminar is organized by the Institut Jacques Monod and the Epigenetics and Cell Fate Centre as part of inIdEx FORMULA.
Raphaël Guerrois (Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, U P-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette) will present the Institut Jacques Monod seminar on the theme:
Decoding protein interaction networks with AI-driven evolutionary insights
Abstract:
The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence have, within a few years, enabled the prediction of the three-dimensional structure of most proteins at atomic resolution [1]. These predictions critically depend on the evolutionary information available in the sequences of homologous proteins. Beyond modeling individual proteins, there is now a fundamental challenge to establish the most comprehensive mapping possible of macromolecular assemblies, which are central to cellular function. This goal faces several constraints, such as the combinatorial complexity of the interaction space and the type of evolutionary information needed to identify coevolution signals, which are much weaker at complex interfaces, especially in disordered regions of proteins. To achieve this goal, we are setting up computational pipelines [2, 3] with the aim of targeting the difficult task of predicting interactions mediated by disordered regions and pushing further the current boundaries to predict the structure of assemblies at large scale, addressing issues of conformational changes [4] and interaction specificities.

PhD thesis defense - Anaïs Pillan
2025-11-28 14:00 - 17:00
Anaïs Pillan (Pintard Lab) will defend her PhD thesis:
Étude des mécanismes moléculaires d’activation des kinases mitotiques Plk1 et Aurora A lors de l’entrée en mitose
The jury will be composed of :

Régis Giet, DR-CNRS, Université de Rennes, Rapporteur
Sophie Zinn-Justin, DR-CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Rapportrice
Anna Castro, DR-CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Examinatrice
Sandra Touati, CR-CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Examinatrice
Olivier Gavet, MCU-HC, Sorbonne Université, Examinateur
Lionel Pintard, DR-CNRS, Université Paris Cité Directeur de thèse

Paris Postdoc Seminar - Nike Walther
2025-12-02 11:45 - 13:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Invited by the Institut Jacques Monod, Nike Walther (Institut Curie) will present the Paris Postdoc Seminar:
“Transcription factors in action during cell state transitions – quantitative insights from live-cell single-molecule imaging in intestinal organoid models”
Abstract : Transcription factors in action during cell state transitions – quantitative insights from live-cell single-molecule imaging in intestinal organoid models
Transcription factors (TFs) mediate gene expression changes during embryonic development and adult differentiation. They thus represent one regulatory level crucial for the generation and maintenance of healthy tissues. However, it remains poorly understood how the biophysical properties and the dosage of TFs dynamically regulate cell state transitions. To address these questions in in vitro models of the rapidly renewing mammalian intestinal epithelium, I established live-cell single-molecule tracking (SMT) and proximity-assisted photoactivation (PAPA)-SMT for dynamic protein interaction studies in multicellular intestinal organoids, and I co-developed an automated SMT imaging and analysis pipeline to resolve cellular subpopulations in heterogenous differentiation models. In this talk I will present how these technological advances allowed me to determine lineage TF-mediated regulatory principles of intestinal differentiation based on context-dependent TF single-molecule dynamics. I will further outline the power of our automated live-cell SMT framework to generate testable hypotheses towards unraveling molecular mechanisms underlying tissue-level phenotypes.

PhD thesis defense - Futura Gattobigio
2025-12-05 14:00 - 17:00
Futura Gattobigio ( Collignon Lab ) will defend her PhD defense:
NODAL is required for blastocyst development in the mouse
The jury will be composed of:

Pierre OSTEIL, MCF-HDR, Université Clermont Auvergne – Rapporteur
Kathy NIAKAN, Professor, University of Cambridge – Rapporteuse
Aitana PEREA-GOMEZ, CR-CNRS, Université Côte d’Azur – Examinatrice
Jean-Léon MAîTRE, DR-CNRS, Université PSL – Examinateur
Jérôme COLLIGNON, DR-INSERM, Université Paris Cité – Directeur de thèse

PhD thesis defense - Ludovic Mousseron
2025-12-10 14:00 - 17:00
Ludovic Mousseron (Veitia Lab) will defend his PhD thesis:
Interaction entre les voies de signalisation PKA et PKC et le facteur de transcription FOXL2 dans l’ovaire
The jury will be composed of:

Isabelle BEAU, Chargée de recherche, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris-Saclay, Rapportrice
Eric PAILHOUX, Directeur de recherche, INRAE-BREED-DGP, Université Paris-Saclay, Rapporteur
Gabriel LIVERA, Professeur, Institut François Jacob, Université Paris Cité, Examinateur
Francis POULAT, Chargé de recherche, Institut de Génétique Humaine, Université de Montpellier, Examinateur
Anne-Laure TODESCHINI, Professeur, Institut Jacques Monod, Université Paris Cité, Directrice de thèse
Reiner VEITIA, Professeur, Institut Jacques Monod, Université Paris Cité, Directeur de thèse

Authorization to supervise research (HDR) - Pierre Kerner
2025-12-11 14:30 - 17:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Pierre Kerner ( Gazave Lab) will defend his Authorization to supervise research (HDR):
Le paysage régulatoire de la régénération
Le jury sera composé de :

Mr Sébastien Bloyer, PU, UParis-Saclay
Mme Marie Manceau, DR, Collège de France
Mme Christine Rampon, MCU HDR, UPCité
Mme Mélanie Debiais-Thibaud, PU, UMontpellier
Mr Nicolas Dray, CR HDR, UPCité/Pasteur

Institut Jacques Monod Seminar - Mélanie Débiais-Thibaud
2025-12-12 11:45 - 13:00
Invited by the Gazave Lab, Mélanie Débiais-Thibaud (Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 34090 Montpellier, France) will present an Institut Jacques Monod seminar on the theme:
The vertebrate skeleton through the eye of a cartilaginous fish
Abstract:
Bone together with other mineralized tissues evolved early in the vertebrate lineage (more than 415 Myr ago), even before the evolution of jaws. Endochondral bone though has evolved as a general rule in the bony fish lineage only, to which most model organisms for developmental biology belong (tetrapods or teleost fishes). In the cartilaginous fish lineage however, bone is considered secondarily lost despite conspicuous mineralisation of the skeleton in the form of tessellated cartilage. Recently, an integrative set of data has informed the developmental dynamics, the cellular characteristics and the genetic actors of skeletal mineralisation in sharks and rays, in particular through the study of a non-model organism, the small spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula. These data have highlighted several aspects of cartilaginous fish-specific evolutionary events, including gene duplication, diverged developmental processes and probably cell type identity. Despite prolonged independent evolution in the bony fish and cartilaginous fish lineages, the comparative analysis of these data also helps identify an ancestral genetic toolkit, still to be discussed regarding other mineralised tissues in extant jawed vertebrates.

Cytoskeleton club
2025-12-17 09:00 - 11:00 | Amphithéâtre de l’Institut Pierre-Gilles de Gene, 6 rue Jean Clavin, Paris
The next cytoskeleton club meeting will take place on Wednesday December 17th.

Léa Mayeur, PhD student , Guillaume Montagna’s team, Institut Gustave Roussy will present “The role of epigenetic modifications in the establishment of the mechanical memory”
Sylvain Brun, MCU, Antoine Guichet’s team, Institut Jacques Monod will present “The fastest movements and the most extreme deformations of the cell nucleus are driven by microtubules in the model fungus Podospora anserina”

Authorization to supervise research (HDR) defense - Gabriel Krasovec
2025-12-19 14:00 - 17:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Gabriel Krasovec ( Gazave Lab) will defense his Authorization to supervise research (HDR):
Fonctions et régulation de l’apoptose lors de la régénération postérieure de l’annélide Platynereis dumerilii
The jury will be composed a:

MORGANE LOCKER, Présidente du jury, Université Paris-Saclay
MICHAEL LANG, Rapporteur du jury, Université Paris-Saclay
ROMAIN LEVAYER, Rapporteur du jury, Institut Pasteur
CHRISTINE RAMPON, Membre du jury, Université Paris Cité
CHRISTINE VESQUE, Membre du jury, Sorbonne Université

Move your science
2026-01-15 16:00 - 19:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Hall Buffon, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
MOVE YOUR SCIENCE dance conference
Thursday, 15 January 2026 at 7 p.m. in the Buffon Hall, Jacques Monod Institute.
Since September 2025, eight doctoral students from Paris Cité University, representing a range of disciplines, have been working with choreographers Cosetta Graffione and Namiko Gahier-Ogawa, as well as associate professor Mélina Heuzé, to share their scientific projects with the general public.
In a dialogue between art and science, the audience will be able to experience the scientific principles of their thesis work through dance sequences that bring out the poetry of the body.
This dance conference will be followed by a discussion with the audience over a drink.
This event is free of charge.
Information: https://sites.google.com/view/move-your-science/home

Forces at Play: Emerging Themes in Mechanobiology – In Memoriam of Professor Michael P. Sheetz
2026-01-19 - 2026-01-21 | Institut Jacques Monod Amphithéâtre Buffon, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
We are pleased to announce the upcoming international conference:
« Forces at Play : Emerging Themes in Mechanobiology – In Memoriam of Professor Michael P. Sheetz »
which will take place from January 19th to January 21st 2026 at the Institut Jacques Monod, Université Paris Cité, Paris France.
This special event honors the legacy of Prof. Michael P. Sheetz, a pioneer in the field of mechanobiology, and will gather leading researchers, students, and innovators from around the world to explore the latest advances in cellular mechanics, biophysics, and related disciplines.
Please find the speaker list and the registrations informations on the website: https://mikeinmemoriam.sciencesconf.org/?lang=en
Registrations are open until mid November.
Le comité d’organisation : Nicolas Biais, Nils Gauthier, Benoit Ladoux, Olivier Rossier

Cytoskeleton Club
2026-01-21 09:30 - 11:00
The next cytoskeleton club meeting will take place on January Wednesday 21st at the Pasteur Institute:

Shreyangi CHAKRABORTY (PhD student, C. Janke’s team, Institut Curie Orsay) présentera “The role of tubulin polyglutamylation in controlling the microtubule functions in healthy and degenerating neurons
Amir KHOSRAVANIZADEH (post-doc, N. Minc’s team, IJM) présentera “Agent-based simulations of cytoplasm crowding and viscoelasticity. »

Séminaire - Seema Grewal
2026-01-22 14:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Next week, Seema Grewal, Executive Editor of Journal of Cell Science will present the seminar:
The Future of Publishing
Abstract:
The publishing landscape is constantly evolving, being reshaped by new technologies, open science movements and changing incentives in academia. This talk will delve behind the scenes of publishing at the Journal of Cell Science, highlighting how to prepare an article and navigate the submission and peer review process. We will also explore emerging trends and challenges, such as the rise of preprints, experiments with peer review, alternative publishing models and the use of AI, as well as careers in the publishing industry.

Institut Jacques Monod Seminar - Jennifer Young
2026-02-05 14:30 - 16:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Invited by the Ladoux/Mege Lab, Jennifer Young (Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering Department, Principal Investigator, Mechanobiology Institute National University of Singapore) will present an Institut Jacques Monod seminar on the theme:
Biomaterial design for extracellular matrix mechanobiology

Abstract:
Extracellular cues stemming from the matrix dictate a multitude of cellular functions, from motility to stem cell differentiation. Yet, the extracellular environment is inherently complex and thus hinders our understanding of specific matrix-based contributions to cellular behavior. Our work focuses specifically on the context of age-related matrix remodeling and engineering materials capable of recapitulating matrix properties in vitro at both the micro and nano length scales. This talk will highlight some of our material approaches to control cell-matrix interactions in the context of aging and mechanobiology. Our strategies ultimately aim to interrogate the cell-matrix interface using highly defined biomaterial systems that can inform future matrix-based treatment strategies.
Jennifer Young was trained as a biomedical engineer at the University of California, San Diego (La Jolla, CA, USA). During her Ph.D. with Prof. Adam Engler, she studied the role of mechanics in cardiac development and created a hydrogel system capable of mimicking dynamic tissue properties in vitro. Inspired by the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in dictating cell behavior and fate, she joined the Cellular Biophysics group of Prof. Joachim Spatz at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research (Heidelberg, Germany) to study how nanoscale ECM cues regulate cancer cell function. She established the Soft Nano-Biomaterials Lab in 2021 at the Mechanobiology Institute and Biomedical Engineering Department, National University of Singapore where her work focuses on identifying and mimicking nano-to-microscale matrix properties and unraveling their contributions to cellular behavior.

Paris Postdoc Seminar - Maria Laura Rojas
2026-02-17 11:45 - 13:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Maria Laura Rojas (Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1151, CNRS UMR8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France) will give the next Paris postdoc seminar on the theme :
Organelle Crosstalk and Mitochondrial Renewal in Metabolic Adaptation to Shear Stress
Abstract:
Kidney epithelial cells play a central role in maintaining body water and electrolytes balance, a function that critically depends on continuous urinary flow to maintain metabolic homeostasis and support kidney differentiation.
Data from our lab have shown that urinary flow activates the autophagic machinery in kidney epithelial cells, promoting lipid droplets (LDs) catabolism and the transfer of free fatty acids to mitochondria. This process, in turn, promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and ATP production through oxidative phosphorylation.
Despite these insights, how mitochondrial remodeling and inter-organelle communication are coordinated during this metabolic transition remains poorly understood. Here, we found that physiological fluid flow triggers mitochondrial membrane remodeling and turnover during shear stress adaptation, suggesting that mitochondrial renewal is essential during metabolic shift. During mitochondrial specialization, inter-organelle crosstalk occurs, particularly with LDs and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where tethering and lipid transfer proteins regulate mitochondrial structure and function.
In this context, we identify a transient stabilization of ER–LD-mitochondria contact sites at early stages of fluid flow, required to mediate fatty acid transfer from LDs to mitochondria during shear stress, highlighting the importance of early organelle membrane mobilization in enabling cellular metabolic adaptation to mechanical cues.

Cytoskeleton club
2026-02-18 09:30 - 11:00 | Amphithéâtre de l’Institut Pierre-Gilles de Gene, 6 rue Jean Clavin, Paris
The next cytoskeleton club meeting will take place on February 18th:

Wouter Kools ( PhD student, Romet-Lemonne/ Jegou’s team, IJM) will present ” Deciphering actin bundle formation induced by Myosin-X “
Léa Mammri ( Ph D student/ Assistant Ingénieur, Conduit’s team, IJM ) will present ” Actin’s love for Microtubules: The Cryo-EM structure of the fly γ-TuRC “

Seminar - SangYoun Park
2026-02-19 10:30 - 11:30 | Institut Jacques Monod, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Invited by the Courtier Lab, SangYoun Park, Soongsil University in Seoul, will present a seminar on the theme:
The Insect Egg Glue Proteins of Human Lice, Bed Bugs, and Giant Toe-biters
Abstract:
SangYoun Park’s main tool of research is using X-ray to determine protein structures, and he has also been working on identification and characterization of various insect egg glue proteins. So far, he has worked on the egg glue protein of the human head/body louse (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-36913-z), which have been extended to the analogs of the pubic louse, chimpanzee louse, and gorilla louse (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-24011-w). He has also looked into the egg glue proteins of the bed bug (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126004) and very recently of the aquatic water bugs (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.052).
The seminar will take place in room 430B of the Institut Jacques Monod.

Institut Jacques Monod Seminar - Vicki Metzis
2026-02-20 11:45 - 13:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Invited by the Ribes / Nedelec, Dr Vicki Metzis, head of the Development and Transcriptional Control Group, MRC LMS, Imperial, will present the Institut Jacques Monod seminar on the theme:
Fine-tuning gene expression to build the body plan
Abstract:
Vicki Metzis is a developmental biologist investigating how cells establish and maintain their identity during development. Her lab studies how gene expression dynamics are regulated by cis-regulatory elements and their impact on the variety of cell types that emerge in the developing body plan. A central focus of this work is the transcription factor CDX2, whose transient expression is essential for caudal body formation and Hox gene patterning. In this seminar, Vicki will present the latest findings from the group revealing regulatory strategies constraining Cdx2, and the broader impact of CDX factors on the developing body plan.

Institut Jacques Monod Seminar - Erdem Karatekin
2026-02-24 11:45 - 13:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Invited by the Institut Jacques Monod, Erdem Karatekin (Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven) will present an Institut Jacques Monod on the theme:
How cell membrane tension dynamics impact cellular processes from bacteria to B-cells
Abstract:
The plasma membrane receives and responds to mechanical signals, arising from cytoskeleton activity, membrane trafficking, and external forces such as shear flow in endothelia, or mechanical stretch in tissues. Such pushing and pulling cause changes in plasma membrane tension, which is important for development, signaling, immune response, and axon branching, among others. Mechanosensitive channels respond to local changes in membrane tension and transmit this mechanical information across the PM. But mechanical information is also transmitted within the plane of the cell membrane in the form of membrane tension and flow. This transmission can be long range, and dynamically regulated. I will present examples we have studies across domains of life in which membrane tension and flow dynamics play a critical role: (1) membrane fission in bacteria, (2) exo-endocytosis coupling in neurons and endocrine cells, and (3) B-cell responses to antigen encounter.
NIH Biosketch – pdf file

Institut Jacques Monod seminar - Dr. Gautam Dey
2026-02-27 11:45 - 13:00
Invited by the Raote lab, Dr. Gautam Dey (Cell Biology and Biophysics, European Molecular Biology Laboratory) will present a Institut Jacques Monod seminar on theme:
Evolution and diversity of mitosis
Abstract:
Despite the fundamental role of cell division in the propagation of cellular life, eukaryotes have evolved a diverse range of strategies to remodel and partition organelles and cellular contents in mitosis. What drives the evolution of mitotic mechanisms? Bridging lab and field expeditions, we use a range of microbial model systems, comparative genomics, imaging and experimental evolution to probe mitotic diversity on short and long evolutionary timescales. I will present our recent work on the evolution of nuclear remodelling, the centromere-kinetochore interface, and spindle nucleation, as well as our initial efforts towards generating a pan-eukaryotic mitotic atlas.
Bio :
Gautam is an evolutionary cell biologist and Group Leader at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). His research group investigates the evolution and diversity of mitosis and nuclear remodelling across eukaryotes using a combination of comparative cell biology, experimental evolution and genomics in multiple microbial models. Gautam started his group at EMBL in early 2021, after a postdoc at UCL with Buzz Baum. Gautam holds a PhD from Stanford University and a research MSc. from NCBS in Bangalore. Gautam is an ERC Investigator (2023-2028), an EMBO Young Investigator (2025-2028), a FEBS Excellence Fellow (2024-2026); a previous holder of a Marie-Sklodowska Curie postdoctoral fellowship (2017-2018) and a Stanford Graduate Fellowship in Science and Engineering (2009-2012).

Institut Jacques Monod Seminar - Catherine H. Freudenreich
2026-03-02 11:45 - 13:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Invited par l’équipe Palancade, Catherine H. Freudenreich (Professor of Biology, School of Arts & Sciences, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA) will present an Institut Jacques Monod seminar on the theme:
Replication and repair of structure-forming repeats: role of repositioning to the nuclear periphery
Abstract:
All cells encounter replication barriers upon genome duplication and must overcome those barriers to survive. Many repeat sequences can form alternative DNA structures that interfere with replication and repair. This can lead to disease-causing repeat expansions. Alternatively, breaks within structure-forming repeats cause chromosome deletions and rearrangements, which are common in cancer cells undergoing replication stress. One strategy that cells use to overcome some types of replication barriers or difficult-to-repair lesions is repositioning to the nuclear periphery. I will describe research from my lab on how structure-forming DNA repeats are replicated and repaired and the role of relocation to the nuclear pore in these processes. Recent results on the mechanisms used to move damaged chromosomes to the nuclear pore and the role of this pathway in protecting genome instability will be covered.

Paris Postdoc Seminar - Katie Pelletier
2026-03-03 11:45 - 13:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
Katie Pelletier (postdoc at the Institut de Biologie de l’École Normale Supérieure (IBENS)) will present a Paris Postdoc Seminar on the theme:
Changing developmental signal has an effect on developmental bias: Wnt mutation modifies phenotypic co-variation patterns for cell fates in the nematode vulva
Abstract:
While mutation is mostly random at the DNA level, realized co-variation between traits following random perturbation can be strongly biased along some directions of phenotypic space. Development is often invoked as an explanation as to why some combinations of trait values are more probable to co-occur than others. However, studies that modify the accessible phenotypic space though a manipulation of development are lacking. We use variation in cell fate of nematode vulva precursor cells to ask if reduction of morphogen signal is sufficient to change the co-variation pattern of these cells. Previous work in the lab has demonstrated that in Caenorhabditis, the most posterior cell, P3.p, is sensitive to random genetic perturbations while the fate of the next most anterior cell, P4.p, is not (Picao-Osorio et al 2025). Posteriorly expressed Wnt signal, encoded by two genes, egl-20 and cwn-1, is important for promoting the divided cell fate in Pn.p cells in C. elegans. We reduced the Wnt signal dose using a cwn-1 deletion and assayed the accessible phenotypic space of this mutant. The large-effect cwn-1 mutation results in a shift in the phenotypically accessible space, as P4.p becomes sensitive to random mutation, in contrast to P3.p being sensitive in the wild-type line. This is a direct example of how changes to a developmental signal can modify the realized co-variation of traits following perturbations.

Cytoskeleton club
2026-03-18 09:30 - 11:00 | Institut Jacques Monod Salle François Jacob, 15 rue Hélène Brion, Paris, 75013, France
The next cytoskeleton club meeting will take place on Vednesday, 18th March

Etienne Pinard, (PhD student (Robin Team), CADMO – Cortical Actomyosin Dynamics in Development and Morphogenesis, Institute for Biology Paris-Seine will present “Dynamics of cortical actomyosin and ATP availability in the C. elegans early embryo”
Nicolas Joly, (Pintard team, Institut Jacques Monod) will present “Molecular Mechanisms of Katanin Activation: Coupling Microtubule Binding to ATP Hydrolysis”
