L3—Molecular and Cellular Biology

This course provides an in-depth study of the structural biochemistry of biomolecules, particularly proteins and nucleic acids.

The basic concepts and terminology used in the analysis of 3D protein structures are briefly reviewed here (Ramachandran plot, structural motifs and domains, folding, family, superfamily, etc.). These concepts are supplemented by a study of the stability and dynamics of biomolecules.

The structural classification of proteins is described in detail based on the four main types of folding. Structure-function relationships are illustrated using examples of proteins. The specific characteristics of membrane protein structures (integral proteins, membrane-bound proteins) are discussed.

The main tools for modeling and predicting secondary and tertiary structures are presented.

The various structures and functions of nucleic acids are studied. Protein-nucleic acid complexes are described from a structural perspective (main recognition motifs, etc.), and the concepts of recognition specificity are explained in detail.

This course is supplemented by tutorials. These tutorials are designed to familiarize students with the main databases used in structural biology, as well as with the PyMol software for analyzing 3D structures.

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This course describes the methodology used by life sciences researchers to communicate the results of their experiments, both in writing and orally. Since English is the common language of international researchers, a large portion of this course is taught in English.

Written communication is addressed through an examination of the (macro) structure of a research article, as well as through an examination of the publication process in scientific journals. Several elements of written (micro) structure are examined in order to understand the differences between scientific English and literary English: clarity, cohesion, and coherence.

These courses are supplemented by a supervised project during the semester, in which students are required to analyze a research article recently published in the scientific literature and present it as an oral presentation (lecture) in English.

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Molecular biology is not only a fascinating field of study in its own right, but it also provides other branches of biology (cell biology, genetics, physiology, etc.) with fantastic tools for modifying and quantifying genes and their products.

The EU is deepening our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the organization, maintenance, replication, and expression (transcription, post-transcriptional modifications, translation) of eukaryotic genomes.

In particular, we will explore the properties of information-carrying macromolecules (DNA, RNA, proteins) and how the interactions between them account for the functioning of eukaryotic cells and their adaptation to the environment and to the development of organisms.

At the same time, the main techniques used to monitor or modify gene expression—or to study the mechanisms underlying gene expression—will be covered in lectures and explored in greater depth in tutorials through the analysis of results.

Thus, the tutorials address these topics through (1) exercises that allow students to assess their understanding of the concepts described above, and (2) experiments drawn from scientific articles for analysis. In this way, students will acquire and/or deepen their understanding of the fundamentals of scientific reasoning and the critical analysis of results.

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Functional genetics aims to better understand the relationships between genotype and phenotype. This course covers various aspects of analyzing gene and genome function at the whole-genome level using in vivo approaches, as well as transcriptional regulation and the regulation of gene expression in eukaryotic genomes. The course is illustrated with concrete examples from developmental genetics in both physiological and pathological contexts.

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This course unit enables students to deepen their understanding of metabolism. It provides a comprehensive overview of human metabolism. It will emphasize the connections between various metabolic pathways. It will also demonstrate how different tissues communicate with one another to maintain overall energy homeostasis. Disruptions in this metabolic process that lead to certain diseases will be discussed.

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This required course unit for the “Molecular and Cellular Biology” track aims to deepen and supplement—primarily through tutorial and lab sessions—the fundamental molecular and cellular processes covered in the BCM2, BCM3, and Advanced Molecular and Cellular Biology courses by exploring them in greater depth. These sessions will focus on the topics of intracellular trafficking, the cell cycle, and apoptosis, building on the material covered in the BCM3 course.

A group project will be conducted during the tutorial session, during which students will analyze a scientific article and write a structured summary that outlines the context of the study, the specific scientific question posed by the authors, the strategies employed, and the techniques used to address it. The purpose of this project is to help prepare students for writing their final-year project and internship reports in the Master’s program.

Tutorials and lab sessions will be conducted in an integrated manner, covering the same topics as those addressed in lectures. Tutorials will be directly linked to lab sessions. Students will be required to pose a question related to a cellular mechanism and, following the scientific method, propose an experimental strategy to answer it. The lab sessions will allow students to apply this strategy by incorporating techniques from biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology, such as immunoblotting, cell culture, immunolabeling, and fluorescence microscopy. The results obtained will be analyzed using image analysis techniques and bioinformatics.

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This required course for S6 explores the fundamental processes of embryonic development.

The course will cover all the major stages of embryogenesis, such as the establishment of axes, gastrulation, neurulation, and organogenesis, as well as basic concepts: induction, determination, differentiation, morphogenesis, etc.

The course will focus on a molecular and cellular interpretation of developmental processes, as well as on the importance of an evolutionary approach to embryogenesis. 

The course will therefore consistently draw connections between its various disciplines, as well as with the material covered in genetics courses.

The lectures will present the main principles by focusing on the two best-understood models of development in vertebrates (amphibians) and invertebrates (flies), while also including a historical perspective; the seminars, meanwhile, will be devoted to evolutionary aspects (comparison of different modes of development and understanding the logic of evolutionary constraints), as well as on experimental approaches in modern molecular and cellular developmental biology.

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The molecular biology practical training course aims to enable students to work independently on a molecular biology protocol and to introduce them to hypothesis-driven research. Students will have six days to address a biological problem that will be presented to them. This will allow them to apply, under laboratory conditions, some of the techniques covered in their theoretical coursework, thereby gaining a better understanding of them.

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As part of this course unit, students will learn the experimental principles involved in working with nucleic acids. The lectures will focus on two main areas:

1. Development of molecular tools (cloning, nucleic acid analysis, vectorology) ii. Their applications (recombinant protein expression, genomic banking, transgenesis, the CRISPR/Cas9 system, etc.) and reflection on ethical issues in biology.

The tutorials will consist of:

- Analysis of articles presenting problems to be solved using the knowledge gained in the course. The chosen topics will, as much as possible, relate to parallel course units in the third year of the bachelor’s program. Students will present these articles in the form of oral presentations, in groups of 3 to 4 students, to the entire class.

- Sessions dedicated to using basic bioinformatics tools in the computer lab.

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This course unit, offered in both lecture and tutorial formats, aims to build upon the concepts of cell biology covered in the second year in BCM2 and BCM3 through the study of physiological and pathological conditions, such as cancer.

These courses will introduce students to the importance of selecting a model system (cell lines or organisms for in vivo study, such as Drosophila, C. elegans, and zebrafish) that is suitable for addressing a specific research question and elucidating a molecular mechanism.

The lab sessions will provide students with hands-on experience with advanced concepts in cell biology, in conjunction with knowledge of the most commonly used methodologies in the field—such as flow cytometry, advanced fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy techniques, and proteomics—as well as familiarity with experimental models such as cultured cells and animal models, both genetically modified and non-genetically modified (C. elegans, zebrafish, transgenic mice, knockout (KO) and knock-in (KI) mice, etc.)

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Starting from the same genome, the various cells that make up a multicellular organism will follow different cellular fates in order to acquire distinct cellular functions. In addition to the genome, epigenetic regulations governing the control of genomic expression will be crucial in establishing phenotypes. The objective of this course is to convey the concepts and methodologies used to study the transmission of hereditary information via so-called epigenetic mechanisms.

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The structure of this course is specifically tailored to the various tracks within the L3 program. Nevertheless, the objectives are the same: to give students an overview of the professional world related to life sciences research.

Students will be offered a short internship in a laboratory or company, or a supervised project with a mentor working in a laboratory or company related to biology.

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The EU aims to advance knowledge in fundamental and applied virology, with an emphasis on an integrative approach to the discipline. It will present the specific characteristics of host-virus interactions and the pathophysiology of viral infections in different types of hosts (vertebrates, insects, and plants). It will address aspects of viral ecology, virus emergence, and associated risks to human and animal health. Finally, the course will cover research methods, virological detection and diagnostic tools, and the applications of viruses in biotechnology.

The course will consist of lectures, tutorials (analysis of current scientific articles and oral presentations), and practical exercises that illustrate the material covered in the lectures and tutorials (virus amplification and purification, and quantification using standard techniques).

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