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Welcome to IMCBio – new PhD students 2024-2025 – Part V

A portrait of our newly minted IMCBio PhD researchers

In our fifth edition of Welcome to IMCBio we have portrait from Fanny, from France.

Fanny Lebois Manuel Mendoza’s team, IGBMC

Originally from France, Fanny completed her Master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Bordeaux in 2024. During her studies, she developed a strong passion for gene regulation, particularly at the level of RNAs. She gained hands-on experience through four internships, both in France and abroad (Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and Gurdon Institute in Cambridge, UK). These experiences allowed her to work in multidisciplinary research environments and significantly enriched her scientific expertise.

Since September 2024, Fanny has been a PhD student at the IGBMC in Strasbourg, working in Manuel Mendoza’s team. Her research focuses on unraveling the molecular mechanisms of gene-specific buffering of mRNAs in mouse embryonic stem cells and during differentiation.

Fanny chose the IMCBio program for its emphasis on interdisciplinary research and its vibrant international community, which provides unique opportunities for collaboration and scientific growth. She is excited to contribute to the dynamic and innovative environment fostered by the IMCBio program while advancing her knowledge in molecular biology and gene regulation.

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Welcome to IMCBio – new PhD students 2024-2025 – Part IV

A portrait of our newly minted IMCBio PhD researchers

In our fourth edition of Welcome to IMCBio we have portraits from Ananya, from India.

Ananya Aravind Catherine-Laure Tomasetto’s team & Jean-Luc Imler and Carine Meignin’s team, IGBMC & IBMP

Ananya Aravind is from Tamil Nadu, India, and she hold a 5-year BS-MS dual degree in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvanathapuram (IISER TVM). Her interest in organelle biology grew during her master’s thesis, where she explored the role of E3 ligases in peroxisomal dynamics. Further, she also completed an M2 internship at ENS-Paris Saclay, Paris, where she investigated the organelle dynamics of mitochondria and peroxisomes in neuronal cells.

Her PhD project is co-supervised by Dr. Fabien Alpy from the team Molecular and Cellular Biology of Breast Cancer at IGBMC and Dr. Carine Meignin from the team Antiviral Immunity in Insects at IBMC. She says “my decision to join the IMCBio program was strongly motivated by the opportunity to gain expertise in working with both Drosophila and mammalian cell models in my PhD project”. According to Ananya, the IMCBio program offers an ideal environment for developing advanced research skills, with its collaborative approach and access to cutting-edge facilities and resources : “This dynamic setting will allow me to contribute to impactful research while advancing my academic and professional growth”.

She adds : “During my internship in France in 2023, I had the chance to visit Strasbourg and was immediately drawn to the city’s beauty and its vibrant scientific community”.

Beyond research, Ananya is passionate about dancing and exploring different art forms, such as mandala art, portraiture, and scientific illustration. 

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Welcome to IMCBio – new PhD students 2024-2025 – Part III

A portrait of our newly minted IMCBio PhD researchers

This week we present the portraits of Dina, from Iran, and Shruthi, from India.

Dina – Angela Giangrande’s team & Nicolas Matt’s team, IGBMC & IBMC

 After learning French in her first year in France, Dina earned a bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Strasbourg, followed by a master’s in Molecular Biology and Genetics.

She was also part of the IMCBio program which, she said, “played a pivotal role in shaping my scientific interest by providing access to excellent laboratories, seminars, and internships”.

Through IMCBio, Dina completed a first-year master’s internship at Purdue University in the United States, where she studied epigenetic mechanisms involved in Hepatitis B virus biosynthesis. This experience sparked a strong interest in epigenetics, leading her to a second-year master’s internship on chromatin dynamics during gliogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster in Dr. Angela Giangrande’s lab at IGBMC. Currently, Dina is pursuing a PhD in the same lab, under the supervision of Dr. Nicolas Matt and Dr. Giangrande, at both IBMC and IGBMC, focusing on epigenetic changes that drive immune adaptation.

“As an Iranian woman, she adds, this journey from Iran has not been without its challenges. However, studying in France has allowed me to find my path, thanks to its excellent university system and additional programs like IMCBio, which provide everything needed to begin a research career.”

Shruthi Khrishnaswamy – Bruno Klaholz’s team, IGBMC

Shruthi is from India. She has a background in Microbiology and masters degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from Uppsala University. She became interested in structural biology after taking a course at Uppsala university. She interned in various labs to gain experience and insight into the field and pursued her master thesis on unraveling the structural mechanism of tRNA-induced -1 ribosomal frameshifting. The study provided insights on an alternative mode of decoding in bacterial cells and the work is currently under publication.

In IGBMC, she will be working in the team of Dr. Bruno Klaholz to study structural analysis of chemical modifications in human ribosome cell lines. She will use Cryo-electron microscopy and other functional assays to determine structural impact of the differing modifications on ribosomes between normal and cancer cells.
This project would be important in showcasing how ribosomal heterogeneity can be exploited for therapeutic purposes in cancer treatment.

“IMCBio graduate school program has been myobvious choice for graduate studies, she says, as it offers access to state-of-the-art equipment for structural studies along with an interdisciplinary approach to solving scientific problems. Also, being associated with an eminent institution such as the University of Strasbourg, known for its strong research environment would be highly motivating.” Shruthi explains that she will benefit from the training offered through the doctoral school program and exposure to hands-on-training workshops. She believe that the collaborative environment and training from experts in structural biology would aid her journey as a researcher in the study of rudimentary mechanisms of molecular machines involved in RNA processing and protein synthesis.X

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Welcome to IMCBio – new PhD students 2024-2025 – Part II

A portrait of our newly minted IMCBio PhD researchers

This week we have the portraits of Lisa Josefine, from Germany, and Nicolas Fournier, from France.

Lisa Josefine Winter – Joao Marques’ team, IBMC

Lisa Josefine Winter finished a Bachelor Degree in General Biology in Flensburg (Germany). For the Master´s programm she went to Hamburg (Germany) to specialize in Infection Biology. To have an internatioal education she did an exchange semester at the University of Vienna (Austria) and an exchange semester in Stockholm (Sweden).

At the beginning of her Master, she started to work as a student assistant at the renowned “Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for tropical medicine” in Hamburg. Here, she developed a fascination in mosquito-borne diseases and focuses her reseach in the unterstanding of mosquito biology and different abiotic and biotic factors involved in the arbovirus transmission.

Since September 2024, Lisa is a first year IMCBio PhD student and joint the team of Joao Marques at the IBMC-CNRS in the department of “Innate immunity in insect models”. During her PhD she would like to investigate the olfactory system in Aedes aegypti linked to the vector competence for Zika and dengue viruses.

For Lisa Josefine, to be selected for the IMCBio programm “means to be able to continue working with mosquitoes and viruses and to be internationally connected with other scientists in this growing field of medical entomology and arbovirology”.


Nicolas Fournier – Hubert Becker’s team & Pascale Romby’s team, GMGM & IBMC

Nicolas Fournier started studying biology at the University of Strasbourg in 2019, where he joined the French-german Bachelor program that is proposed between the University of Saarland and the University of Strasbourg. During his bachelor he had the opportunity to do different internships, which helped he discern his interests. He started working on tRNA in the lab of Pr. Dr. Mario Mörl in Leipzig, which awoke his strong interest for this molecule, that he continue to carry in his PhD. To try and expand his horizon, both in terms of technique and model organisms, he then joined the lab of Pr. Dr. Katrin Philippar, where he did his bachelor thesis titled “Determination of FAX1 interactome under cold stress using TurboID”.

After graduating, Nicolas joined the Biologie et Génétique Moléculaire Master at the University of Strasbourg, as well as the IMCBio Graduate school. During these 2 years, he joined the lab of Pr. Dr. Hubert Becker, where he first worked on aminoacyl-tRNA trasnferases and their non-canonical locations, before moving to the subject that became his PhD project, bacterial aminoacyl-tRNA transferases. During his Master, Nicolas also had “the great opportunity to join the lab of Pr. Dr. Osamu Nureki at the University of Tokyo, thanks to the support of the IMCBio program, which allowed me to discover the field of structural biology”.

For his PhD project, Nicolas is working on membrane modifications in pathogenic bacteria that are mediated by aminoacyl-tRNA transferases. This is a joint project between the Labexes MitoCross and NetRNA. He is supervised by Pr. Dr. Hubert Becker and by Dr. Stefano Marzi. This project brings together a lot of the different interests Nicolas has developed over the beginning of his scientific career, since it allows he to work on both biochemical and structural aspects of this tRNA mediated process.

“I chose to continue with the IMCBio programm for my PhD, add Nicolas, because it allows me to continue furthering my career in an international and interdisciplinary setting, while also giving me access to great training opportunities.”

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Welcome to IMCBio – new PhD students 2024-2025

A portrait of our newly minted IMCBio PhD researchers

After two stimulating rounds of PhD applicant interviews in the late Spring – early Summer, we are welcoming in Strasbourg the new IMCBio PhD students. Twelve young researchers are starting their PhD within the IMCBio program this Fall.

We will present in this section brief biographies of these new IMCBio colleagues. Make sure to keep an eye on our news posts!

Cindy Arias – Patrick Schultz’s team, IGBMC

Cindy Arias is from Colombia, and grew up in Bogotá. At 19 she moved to France, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree followed by the Master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Strasbourg.

As part of the IMCBio master’s program, she had the opportunity to go through three internships, which consolidated her passion for science and confirmed her decision to pursue a Ph.D.

She has always been fascinated by the mechanisms involved in the regulation of gene expression. She has joined Patrick Schultz’s team at the IGBMC, where she is am currently studying functionally and structurally the SWI/SNF complex, a chromatin remodeler involved in 25% of cancers.

The IMCBio PhD program caught her attention due to its reputation for encouraging innovative research through high-level courses and opportunities for international mobility.

Outside her research Cindy enjoy dancing, reading, traveling, and capturing beautiful moments and places through photography.


Wendy Lera – Redmond Smyth’s team & Gene expression analysis platform, IBMC & IBMP

Wendy Lera moved to France at the age of 18 years old from Albania, a country known for “its extraordinary hospitality and breathtaking riviera and alps” but “with limited scientific resources”. However, she was inspired by the number of successful examples of young scientists, working in prestigious labs worldwide. Her passion for molecular biology began during her high school years, especially when she was selected for the national Biochemistry Olympiad.

She chose Strasbourg for her studies inspired by the groundbreaking work of Pierre Chambon, which deepened her fascination with DNA repair mechanisms and gene mutations. During her BSc in molecular and cellular biology, she got particularly interested in the RNA world. Therefore, she decided to do a MSc in RNA and enzymology in Nancy. While she have conducted several summer internships, the one that marked Wendy the most are the MSc ones, both related to transcription. During her MSc internship at IGBMC she focused on how double strand breaks are repaired using an RNA template in absence of a sister chromatid. She used Cryo-EM as a tool to investigate the role of Rad51 and Rad52 proteins during homologous recombination repair.

For her PhD, Wendy says she is “honored to be working under the guidance of Pr. Redmond Smyth at IBMC”. She is quite passionate about transcription. It is one of the most fundamental processes in gene regulation. Regardless, how it is regulated across large genomic distances remains poorly understood. Can RNA transcription be measured across an entire DNA molecule of a single organism? To answer this question, she will utilize Oxford Nanopore sequencing, to obtain full length native DNA and RNA molecule analysis. Chemical probes and long read sequencing will be employed to directly measure DNA strandedness and further dissect the transcriptional program of the 100 kb Herpes virus genome.

The IMCBio Programme is particularly appealing due to its fascinating mission to foster a dynamic environment with researchers from various backgrounds. Wendy considers that during her internships in France, she had the chance to work under the guidance of well-esteemed international researchers, which further motivates her to follow their example, prioritizing collaboration and hard work.
She is confident that her background, skillset, and objectives perfectly align to this program. “In addition, she notes, having the chance to work in the same lab as the Nobel laureate Jules Hoffmann and in Strasbourg (la capitale de Noël, du livre, velos and more) is a lifetime opportunity.”

Wendy considers herself as a scientist with an artistic soul. She never entered a literature competition that she did not win. she dedicate this talent to her grandfather: “He was a well-known Albanian actor that I never met…”
She also love swimming and alpinism: they are her happy place. “Speaking of which, she adds, another hobby of mine is charity, as I believe that putting a smile on a child’s face or rescuing an endangered species is a small step towards a slightly more colorful world.”