Date : 30/09/2010

Internship proposal for : Master 1 or Master 2

Laboratory

IBDML
UMR 6216 CNRS, INSERM, universities...
Case 907 Parc scientifique de Luminy 13288 Marseille Cedex 9
Director : Pierre-François Lenne
Website : http://www.ibdml.univ-mrs.fr/equipes/lenne_web
Main discipline : Molecular biologyBiophysics

Supervisor

Pierre-François Lenne
email : This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
phone : +33 33491269365

Subjects / Tools-Methodologies

1 : 3D imaging/Optical set up : SPIM
2 : 3D reconstruction/programming
3 : high resolution/

During recent years biology has integrated new approaches to analyse the dynamics and the mechanics of supramolecular structures. Moving away from the qualitative study of individual components, biology is ready to welcome quantitative studies addressing the physics of living systems. In this context, our group tackles questions concerning the dynamics of muticellular systems, with a special focus on the forces shaping cells in developing embryos. We try to understand how forces are produced in cells, how they transmit from individual cells to their neighbours and how such forces drive morphogenetic movements. To get insight into the molecular origin of these forces we also study the supramolecular organization of force generators and transmitters. By nature, our work is multidisciplinary and integrates physical/mechanical and molecular/genetic approaches. In particular we develop microscopes to observe subcellular structures at high resolution and probe the local mechanics of cells. We also use modeling to make quantitative and falsifiable predictions, which we test experimentally. Modeling is also a guide for new experiments. We hope that such approaches may shed light on biological processes at different scales.
Summary of lab's interests

During embryo development, cell movements are spatially and temporally organised. Tracking in real time this cellular choreography requires non-invasive methods, which enable the imaging of whole organisms every seconds with submicrometer spatial resolution. The aim of this internship is the development of a 3D imaging system based on a recent optical method (single plane illumination microscopy). Specifically the student will work on image acquisition and 3D reconstruction. We study as a model organism the Drosophila embryo which is amenable to quantitative approaches combining biophysical methods and imaging. The internship will take place in a interdisciplinary lab gathering physicists, biologists and engineers.