Principal Investigator: Professor Philip LAWRENCE
Permanent members: Dr Maher ABLA, Dr Louis COSSUS, Dr Marine CROZE, Dr Benoît de CHASSEY, Pr Emmanuelle GORMALLY, Dr Isabelle HARDY, Dr Marine HILLAIRE, Dr Tina ILC, Dr Brice LAGRANGE, Dr Nadjet LEBSIR, Dr Camille LEVY, Dr Fanny ODET, Dr Alexia PATUREL, Dr Thanh Nhat PHAM, Dr Arthur SARRON
Disciplines involved: Cellular Biology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Cancer, Immunology, Microbiology-Virology, Chemistry, Pharmacology, Bioinformatics/Molecular Modelling, Drug Discovery, Ethics
Topic and goals
This group’s research involves the use of biotechnologies to provide innovative solutions to health and environmental problems from a One Health perspective, integrating the study of microbial biodiversity and its various applications in relation to global health as a whole (humans, animals, ecosystems). Our research questions are mainly focused on three areas: the study of the impacts of environmental factors, including infectious diseases, on human health; the management of waste and by-products from bio-industries with a view to ecological transition and sustainable development; the modeling of peptide interactions via artificial and hybrid intelligence tools for the discovery of molecules with therapeutic potential (drug discovery).
Our principal research areas are:
- 1 - Infectiology, inflammation, cancer
- Study of risk factors for liver cancer in West Africa
- Study of the molecular and cellular interactions between viral and cellular proteins during HBV/HDV infection in the context of exposure to mycotoxins
- Study of the role of inflammation and programmed cell death in the development of cancer - 2 - Biotechnologies and green chemistry applied to natural resources
- Valorization of by-products/biomass from bio-industries by their transformation into value-added products (bioactive molecules, therapeutic or antimicrobial molecules, etc.)
- Study of microbial biodiversity and its various applications in relation to the environment - 3 - Systems biology and drug discovery
- Hybridization of viral evolutionary intelligence and AI for the discovery of molecules with therapeutic potential
Biosciences raise ethical questions that can change the direction of research. That is why, following UCLy’s tradition of cross-disciplinarity, the ‘Biotechnologies, Health and Ethics’ research group also works closely with ethicists and philosophers, within the group or at UCLy, or through contact with businesses, who carry out work related to the impact of biosciences, artificial intelligence and technologies on society, and particularly on the research community and on vulnerable populations.
Flagship project for 2020-2025
‘Interdisciplinary approach to the study of different ecosystems’
The project being conducted by the research group for the next five years combines issues in animal and human biology with ethical questions. It involves studying the impact of environmental factors on biodiversity and human health, with the environment covering both natural and anthropogenic factors. Work will be carried out, for example, on the combination of viral infection and exposure to toxins in humans. This work could enable the development of models and proposals for ways to maintain ecosystems and lower the impact of liver cancer and chronic hepatitis in West Africa.