IMCBIO

Research Cluster INRT – Department of Development and Stem Cells, Yash Parekh

After finishing his Master’s from NIT, Bhopal, India, Yash joined the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology as a Project Associate. Being majorly exposed to translational research, he worked on the development of the 3D bioprinted cornea and was also actively involved in establishing the culture systems for various SARS-CoV2 strains.

In October 2022, he embarked upon his PhD journey under the mentorship of Dr Wojciech Krezel and Dr Pascal Dolle as part of the IMCBio International PhD program. His work revolves around the framework of the “Integrative Biology: Nuclear dynamics, Regenerative and Translational medicine” (INRT) research cluster. His research focuses on deciphering the role of retinoid receptors in the microglial and oligodendrocyte development

Moving to a new country was for Yash a big decision and he is glad his first international experience is in Strasbourg. The city has brought in many new experiences in his life and he states cooking as his upcoming talent.

Yash describes himself as calm, quiet and an ambivert. Apart from spending time in the lab, he loves to indulge in watching movies and is a big Bollywood and MCU fan.

His motivation to join IGBMC stems from his previous work experience and also from the excitement of getting a chance to work in an interdisciplinary and interactive environment and working alongside a very positive mentorship.

Research Cluster NetRNA at ARN-Unit, IBMC – Thomas Morand

After obtaining a degree in sociology in his native city of Nantes and spending a year as an Erasmus exchange student in Lund, Sweden, rich in experiences and discoveries, Thomas Morand decided to reorient himself towards the discipline that had attracted him for many years – biology – with the objective of doing scientific research. He followed a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology in Nantes, then decided to apply for the master’s degree in Biology and Molecular Genetics in Strasbourg associated to the IMCBio program. His choice was motivated by the reputation of the “Eurometropole” in terms of teaching and research in life sciences, but also by the living environment offered by the beautiful city of Strasbourg. As part of his master’s degree, he had the opportunity to do internships at the IGBMC and at the IBMC, which gave him a good overview of the research as a profession.

After his master, he joined Pr Carine Meignin’s team as a PhD Student in the IMCBio PhD program to study the epitranscriptome of viral RNAs and its role in viral replication using Drosophila melanogaster as a model, an innovative and under-explored subject.

He was attracted by the PhD subject which he finds exciting, by the seriousness of the research unit and the host team, as well as the reputation of the IBMC and the IMCBio program. His work will take place in the framework of the NetRNA research cluster.

Research Cluster INRT – Department of Integrative and Structural Biology, Brian Lopez

Brian Lopez Duran completed his studies in Biology at UNAM (Autonomous National University of Mexico). He followed his training with a master’s degree in biochemistry at Alfredo Torres Larios’ group, which he considers his most significant step. Throughout these two years, he discovered his passion for Structural Biology. It was common in his lab to be involved in different projects, but his efforts were focused on RNase P, a ribonucleoprotein complex that represents an attractive target for the development of antibiotics. In this challenging project, he explored different areas of the x-ray crystallography and bioinformatic analysis of biomolecules. After numerous attempts to obtain PhD financing, he got the opportunity to continue his training at IMCBio Graduate School under the supervision of Dr. Valerie Lamour.

On the reason for choosing IGBMC/IMCBio for his PhD, Brian says: “There are many reasons for me wanting to join the program. In general, I am deeply interested in the study of nuclei acid complexes from a structural approach. Secondly, I believe that IGBMC through the Structural and Integrative Biology Department has the potential and the resources to develop high-impact research and explore very interesting research questions. A common approach is to analyse the individual components of enormous macromolecular machines, but these elements are not isolated. Techniques like Cryo-EM open the possibility to ask more complex questions about biomolecules in the native cell environment. I would like to help in the search for answers to these questions”.