Date : 01/09/2011

Internship proposal for : Master 1 or Master 2

Laboratory
Cytosqueleton Dynamics and Motility, LEBS
UPR3082 CNRS
LEBS, bat 34, CNRS
avenue de la Terrasse
91198 Gif-sur-Yvette
Website : http://www.lebs.cnrs-gif.fr/carlier/carliereng.html
Main discipline : Biophysics
Lab director : Marie-France Carlier

Mentor
Guillaume Romet-Lemonne
email : Cet e-mail est protégé contre les robots collecteurs de mails, votre navigateur doit accepter le Javascript pour le voir
phone : +33.1.69.82.35.09

Subjects
1.: cytosqueleton
2.: regulation of actin assembly
3.: mechanical-chemical coupling

Tools and methodologies
1.: microscopy
2.: microfluidics
3.: optical tweezers

Summary of lab's interests

Our aim is to understand the molecular and physical mechanisms producing force and cell movement, by directed polymerization of cytoskeletal polymers. We are interested in deciphering various actin-based machineries, involved in cell processes such as adhesion, motility, mitosis, or cortex formation. We do so through in vitro studies, where we tackle these molecular machines using purified proteins, in order to obtain chemical, structural, and mechanical information. Our lab is a multi-disciplinary environment, with scientists from different backgrounds: biochemistry, molecular biology, structural biology, and physics.

Summary of project

We have recently developed a new setup, based on microfluidics, which allows to accurately monitor individual actin filaments under the microscope. We have used it to successfully unveil the molecular details of ATP hydrolysis in actin filaments. We now propose to use it to study the regulation of actin assembly by various proteins. Our aim will be to directly observe actin turnover (treadmilling) and its regulation, on individual filaments. Future developments of our setup, aiming at applying pico-newton forces to filaments (also using optical tweezers) will also be carried out. This will allow to better investigate how mechanical constraints applied to the filament affect interactions with other proteins. Depending on the student's aptitudes and wishes, image analysis and physical modeling may be included in the project.