IMCBIOLooking for a stimulating master of excellence?
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🇬🇧 Training fully in English
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👨🏫 Innovative teaching methods
More info here: https://imcbio.unistra.fr/imcbio-training-programs/#master
Application phase for European countries is now open on https://monmaster.gouv.fr/formation !
🚨 Registration deadline March 16!
This week we have the portraits of Inzhu Tanoz, from Kazakhstan, and Loïc Boeglin, from France.
Inzhu Tanoz – Mikhail Eltsov’s team, IGBMC
Inzhu Tanoz is from Almaty, Kazakhstan. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology in Strasbourg, followed by an M1 in Structural Biochemistry in Marseille.
She then realized that she preferred Strasbourg both for the master’s program and the city itself, so she returned to do M2 in Bioinformatics and Structural Bioimaging.
Her supervisor is Prof. Mikhail Eltsov, and herproject is about chromatin architecture. The main technique is cryo-electron tomography, a relatively recent method that requires many adaptations and methodological developments. Her work focuses mostly on image processing and analysis, so a large part of her PhD is computer-based, although she also does some bench work. She says “I enjoy the diversity of my work and the collaborative aspect of the project”.
Outside the lab, she does stand-up comedy in English and enjoy crocheting.
During her M2, she was part of the IMCBio master’s program, and she “appreciated the strong interdisciplinary training, international atmosphere, and supportive community”.
Continuing with the IMCBio PhD program felt like a natural choice for Inzhu, offering access to state-of-the-art facilities, and opportunities for both scientific and personal development.
Loïc Boeglin – Nicolat Charlet’s team, IGBMC
Loïc Boeglin comes from a small village in the Haut-Rhin region of Alsace, France. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Strasbourg, within the Faculté des Sciences de la Vie, and subsequently obtained his master’s degree at the same university.
He says “I chose the Master’s program in Genetics and Molecular Biology because I have always been interested in pursuing a research career, and this program offered the most suitable academic and scientific training for this goal”.
As part of the master, he joined Nicolas Charlet’s team, which focuses on neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases — an area that strongly interested Loïc and continues to do so. The team is located at the IGBMC in Illkirch-Graffenstaden and is part of the Translational Medicine and Neurogenetics department. “I greatly appreciated both the research topic and the working environment, he adds, which led me to return to the same laboratory for my second-year master’s internship.”
Loïc is now a first-year PhD student in this team. His research focuses on the molecular basis of Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 36 (SCA36), a rare autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of GGGCCT hexanucleotide repeats in the first intron of the NOP56 gene. Although NOP56 is known for its essential role in ribosomal RNA processing, the molecular mechanisms by which this repeat expansion leads to neurodegeneration remain poorly understood.
Using classical cellular models, induced pluripotent stem cells, patient-derived tissues, and animal models, his PhD project aims to determine how an expansion located in a sequence annotated as “non-coding” can drive neurodegeneration, particularly in the context of SCA36.
He concludes “I am very grateful to be part of the IMCbio PhD program, which offers valuable opportunities for interdisciplinary training, collaborations, and scientific development that will be highly beneficial for my future career”.
After two stimulating rounds of PhD applicant interviews in the late Spring – early Summer, we are welcoming in Strasbourg the new IMCBio PhD students. Eleven young researchers are starting their PhD within the IMCBio program this year.
We will present in this section brief biographies of these new IMCBio colleagues. Make sure to keep an eye on our news posts!
Louise Couturier – Stéphane Vincent’s team, IGBMC
Louise Couturier comes from a city near Paris where she grew up and completed her studies up to the end of her bachelor’s degree.
She first studied biology and chemistry at Université Paris-Saclay, where she discovered the thrill of research through two internships, and particularly one in developmental biology.
These experiences motivated she to move to Strasbourg to join the Molecular Genetics of Development and Stem Cells master’s program to strengthen her skills in developmental biology and scientific research.
“During my master, she says, I had the opportunity to meet Stéphane Vincent, who offered me the chance to join his lab for my second-year internship to work on a topic that truly fascinates me: oogenesis and early embryogenesis.”
She was now fortunate to pursue my PhD in the same lab under the supervision of Stéphane Vincent, working on the transition in the RNA polymerase II machinery during oocyte growth and early embryogenesis.
Besides science, one of her hobbies is reading, which she particularly enjoys doing during her tram rides to Illkirch [where the Stéphane Vincent’s team is located, editor’s note].
She adds “I chose to join the IMCBio PhD program because it offers the opportunity to be part of a dynamic and collaborative scientific community. I believe the program provides high-quality training and strong support for the development of young researchers, which will be highly beneficial for my growth as a scientist”.
Estelle Giunta – Christelle Golzio’s team, IGBMC
Estelle Giunta comes from Arles, in the south of France. She began her bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences in Montpellier for the two first years before moving to Umeå in Sweden for a year of ERASMUS+ exchange.
She explains “This experience definitely shaped me, personally and academically, by allowing me to integrate in a true multicultural environment. I also had the chance to do an internship there”.
She then returned to France to join the Biotechnologies Master’s program of Toulouse, “BSM2T: Biomolecular Sciences – Mechanism and Therapeutics Targets”.
Estelle has always been strongly interested in contributing to translational medicine and therapeutics mechanisms.
“I had the chance to study ribosome biogenesis during
my Master 1 internship, she adds, but for my M2 internship, I broadened my horizon to the IGBMC and joined Christelle Golzio’s lab, in which I pursue my IMCBio-PhD now !”
Her project aims to model autism using IPSc-derived neurons and cerebral organoids, focusing on the copy number-variation of the human 1q21.1 locus and its impact at the molecular and cellular levels.
She concludes “I chose the IMCBio program for its unique environment, which fosters international relations and offers opportunities for scientific growth, both technically as personally. I am excited to contribute to advancing our understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders, and to actively participate in this stimulating scientific environment.”
The application phase of our International PhD Call is now over. Thank you all for your interest in our PhD program! 👐
Files will now be evaluated and results will be annonced February 20th.
You missed your chance?
Stay alert and follow us on LinkedIn or here to know when the next Call will be annouced! 🚀
First of all, the IMCBio teams wish you the best for this new year! ✨
⏰ One week left to finalize your application to our PhD Call!
Go now on our website and validate all the steps:
https://imcbio-phdprogram.unistra.fr/
Don’t miss your chance! The Call close January 25 at 6:00 pm (Paris time).
🚨𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟯 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟱. 𝗡𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!