RESEARCH TOPICS

Mibiogate is a structuring preclinical research project. It consists of a feasibility study, 5 thesis projects and 2 postdoctoral research projects. Below you will find the overall objectives of the research projects and details of the thesis topics and postdoctoral research.

1) Characterizing organ barrier evolution in chronic pathologies of interest
  • Studying the inflammatory response of barriers
  • Observing barriers through imaging
  • Developing imaging and molecular biomarkers
​2) Defining the role of intestinal microbiota in barrier dysfunctions
  • Studying the microbiota (analysis and development of bioinformatics tools)
  • Characterizing the role of bacteria-produced extracellular vesicles
3) Integrating and analysing all data generated to produce transcriptional maps of microbiota/host barrier interactions
  • Studying organ barriers
  • Analysing the transcriptome of host epithelial cells
  • Analysing microbiota using meta-sequencing techniques
4)Targeting the barriers and modulating the microbiota for therapeutic and preventive purposes
  • Investigating the targeting potential of a selected affitin
  • Selecting a bacteria cocktail to develop a probiotic
  • Testing probiotics and prebiotics within an industrial partnership framework

The Mibiogate consortium hosts 5 doctoral students and 2 postdoctoral researchers under the co-supervision of the 9 academic Pays de la Loire region laboratories.

Thesis 1: Studing barrier dysfunctions in respiratory allergies and asthma
Supervisors : Prof. Antoine Magnan (UMR1087 IT) / Dr Grégory Bouchaud (UR1268 BIA)
Doctoral student : Eléonore Dijoux

Thesis 2: Studying barrier dysfunctions in CIBD (Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases)
Supervisors : Dr Malvyne Rolli-Derkinderen (UMR1235 TENS) / Dr Marie Bodinier (UR1268 BIA)
Doctoral student : Amélie Le

Thesis 3: Studying barrier dysfunctions in developmental pathologies
Supervisors : Dr Michel Neunlist (UMR1235 TENS) / Dr Patricia Parnet (UMR1280 PhAN) / Dr Samuel Chaffron (UMR6004 LS2N)
Doctoral student : Johanna Zoppi

Thesis 4 : Studying the contribution of microbiota-derived extracellular vesicles in the pathophysiology of liver damage
Supervisors : Dr Ramaroson Andriantsitohaina (UMR1063 SOPAM) / Dr Jérôme Boursier (EA3859 HIFIH)
Doctoral student : Alexandre Villard

Thesis 5: Developing barrier study and targeting tools
Supervisors : Dr Axelle Renodon-Cornière (UMR1232 CRCINA) / Dr Maxime Mahé (UMR1235 TENS)
Doctoral student : Aurélie Loussouarn

Postdoctoral 1: Bioinformatics and biostatistics analysis of microbiota
Supervisor : Dr Emmanuel Montassier (EA3826 MiHAR)
Postdoctoral researcher : Philippe Bordron

Postdoctoral 2: Developing methods for Isolating and Characterizing microbiota-derived extracellular vesicles
Supervisors : Dr Ramaroson Andriantsitohaina (UMR1063 SOPAM) / Dr Hélène Boudin (UMR1235 TENS)
Postdoctoral researcher : Dr Nadia Benabbou