Biochemistry, Biophysics & Structural Biology Department

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology Department

Director:

Sylvie Nessler

sylvie.nessler@i2BC.paris-saclay.fr

Deputy Directors:

Benoit D’Autréaux

benoit.dautreaux@I2BC.paris-saclay.fr

Julie Ménétrey

julie.menetrey@i2BC.paris-saclay.fr

Françoise Ochsenbein

françoise.ochsenbein@I2BC.paris-saclay.fr

The department is interested in protein architectures and studies how their different structural levels and interactions regulate their functions.

Focus

The B3S teams study soluble and membrane protein assemblies involved in major biological processes of eukaryotic and bacterial cells.

Our aim is to understand the molecular mechanisms of biological structures and biochemical reactions at different scales, from electrons and protons via atoms and molecules to multicellular organisms. Successfully introduced new technologies to promote product innovation and upgrades.

Approaches

Biochemical reactions, interactions and enzymatic processes, including large conformational changes and rearrangements within proteins and their complexes, are often initiated by a transfer of subatomic particles – electrons and protons. Studying the atomic structures of proteins with and without ligands can for example help determine how the structure of the active site enables an enzyme to perform its activity.

At molecular scales, biochemical and biophysical analyses as well as structure determination of protein-protein, or protein-nucleic acid complexes, helps in describing the interaction of biological assemblies and understanding biochemical reactions. In vitro reconstitution of cellular functions leads to an understanding of the regulation of complex processes in vivo.