L3- Molecular and Cellular Biology

This course offers an in-depth look at the structural biochemistry of biomolecules, with a particular focus on proteins and nucleic acids.

The basic concepts and nomenclature used to analyze 3D protein structures are briefly reviewed (Ramachandran diagram, structural motif and domain, folding, family, superfamily, etc......). These notions are complemented by a study of the stability and dynamics of biomolecules.

The structural classification of proteins is detailed according to the 4 main types of folding. Structure-function relationships are illustrated using examples of proteins. Specificities 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 different structures and functions of nucleic acids are studied. Protein-nucleic acid complexes are described from a structural point of view (main recognition motifs, ...) and the notions of recognition specificity are detailed.

This course is illustrated by tutorials. These involve familiarizing students with the main databases used in structural biology, as well as with PyMol software for 3D structure analysis.

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

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

These studies are supplemented by a tutored project during the semester, during which students analyze a research article recently published in the scientific literature and transcribe it into an oral presentation (conference) in English.

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Molecular biology is a fascinating subject of study in its own right, but it also provides other disciplines in biology (cell biology, genetics, physiology...) with fantastic tools for modifying and quantifying genes and their products.

The EU provides a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of organization, maintenance, replication and expression (transcription, post-transcriptional modifications, translation) of eukaryotic genomes.

In particular, we'll be exploring the properties of information-carrying macromolecules (DNA, RNA, proteins), and how transactions between them explain how eukaryotic cells function and adapt to the environment and to the development of organisms.

At the same time, the main techniques for monitoring or modifying gene expression, or for studying the mechanisms of this expression, will be explained in class and analyzed in greater depth in practical sessions.

TDs will address these topics in the form of (1) exercises enabling students to check their understanding of the knowledge described above, and (2) experiments extracted from scientific articles to be analyzed. In this way, the fundamentals of scientific reasoning and the critical analysis of results are acquired and/or deepened.

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

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This course enables students to deepen their knowledge of metabolism. This course provides a global vision of human metabolism. It will emphasize the links between the different metabolic pathways. It will also show how different tissues communicate to maintain overall energy homeostasis. Dysregulation of this metabolism, at the origin of certain pathologies, will be presented.

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This compulsory course for the "Molecular and Cellular Biology" pathway is designed to deepen and complement the fundamental molecular and cellular processes seen in the BCM2, BCM3 and Advanced Molecular and Cellular Biology courses, by taking a more in-depth look at them. These lessons will focus on the themes of intracellular trafficking, the cell cycle and apoptosis, following on from the BCM3 course.

Students will be asked to analyze a scientific article and produce a structured summary giving the context of the study, the precise scientific question posed by the authors, the strategies implemented and the techniques used to answer it. The aim of this assignment is to help prepare students for writing their TER reports and Master's internships.

TD and TP will be carried out in an integrated way on the same themes as those covered in CM. The practical sessions will be directly linked to the lab work. Students will be asked to pose a question related to a cellular mechanism and, in line with the scientific approach, propose an experimental strategy to answer it. Practical work will enable them to apply this strategy, integrating biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology techniques such as immunoblot, cell culture, immunolabeling and fluorescence microscopy. The results obtained will be analyzed using image analysis techniques and bioinformatics.

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This compulsory S6 course explores the fundamental processes of embryonic development.

All the major stages of embryogenesis will be covered, including axis establishment, gastrulation, neurulation and organogenesis, as well as the basic concepts of induction, determination, differentiation and morphogenesis.

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

The course will therefore systematically make links between its various disciplines, as well as with the material taught in the genetics courses.

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

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The Molecular Biology practical course is designed to give students autonomy when faced with a molecular biology protocol, and to introduce them to hypothesis-driven research. Students will have 6 days to respond to a biological problem proposed to them. In this way, they will be able to put into practice, under laboratory conditions, some of the techniques they have learnt in their theoretical courses, and gain a better understanding of them.

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In this course, students will learn experimental principles based on the manipulation of nucleic acids. The lectures will be structured around two major themes:

1. Introduction of molecular tools (cloning, nucleic acid analysis, vectorology) ii. Their applications (expression of recombinant proteins, genomic banking, transgenesis, CRISPR/CAS9 system, etc.) and reflection on the notion of ethics in biology.

The TDs will consist of :

- Analysis of articles presenting problems to be solved with the knowledge acquired in the course. As far as possible, the themes chosen will refer to the parallel UEs of L3. These articles will be presented by students in the form of oral presentations in groups of 3 or 4 to the whole class.

- Sessions reserved for the use of basic bioinformatics tools in the computer room.

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This course is designed to complement the notions of cell biology covered in L2 in BCM2 and BCM3 through the study of physiological and pathological situations such as cancer.

These lessons will introduce students to the importance of finding a suitable study model (cell lines or organisms for in vivo study (Drosophila, C. elegans, Zebrafish) to answer a question and highlight a molecular mechanism.

TDs will allow the manipulation of advanced concepts of cell biology in connection with knowledge of the most commonly used methodologies in cell biology such as flow cytometry, advanced techniques of fluorescence and electron microscopy, proteomics as well as knowledge of experimental models such as cells in culture, genetically modified or non-genetically modified animal models (C. elegans, zebrafish, transgenic mice, KO, KI...).

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From the same genome, the different cells making up a multicellular organism will acquire diverse cell fates in order to acquire distinct cellular functions. In addition to the genome, epigenetic regulations governing the control of genome expression will be crucial in establishing phenotypes. The aim of this course is to convey the concepts and methodologies needed to study the transmission of hereditary information via so-called epigenetic mechanisms.

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The modalities of this UE are specifically adapted to the different L3 courses. Nevertheless, the objectives are the same: to give students an insight into the professional world of life science research.

Students will be offered a short internship in a laboratory/company or a tutored project with a tutor working in a laboratory or company associated with biology.

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The aim of this course is to acquire knowledge of fundamental and applied virology, with an emphasis on an integrative vision of the discipline. It will present the specific features of host-virus interactions and the pathophysiology of viral infections in different host types (vertebrates/insects/plants). It will cover aspects of viral ecology, emergence and associated risks for human and animal health. Finally, the course will present the study methods used in research, virological detection and diagnosis tools, and the applications of viruses in biotechnology.

The course will include lectures, tutorials (analysis of current scientific articles and oral presentations) and practical work illustrating the lectures and tutorials (virus amplification and purification, and quantification using reference techniques).

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