Group leader
Dr. Mayeul Collot, Directeur de Recherche CNRS
Mayeul Collot was born in Vichy, France in 1980. He first worked on carbohydrate chemistry at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris with Dr. Jean-Maurice Mallet where he obtained his PhD degree in molecular chemistry from the university Pierre & Marie Curie (Paris, France). In 2008 he joined the group of Pr. Peter H. Seeberger at ETH Zurich (Switzerland) and the Max Planck Institute Berlin (Germany) to work on the automated synthesis of sulfated glycosaminoglycans. In 2010, his interest focused on another research field, as he got involved in a project aiming at developing fluorescent molecular- and nano- probes. Since then and after joining the CNRS in 2013 (Strasbourg, France), he develops fluorescent tools, fluorogenic systems and photoswitchers for the bioimaging. Mayeul is now leading the team "Chemistry of Photoresponsive Systems” in UMR7199 at the university of Strasbourg. His research, supported by a young investigator grant (ANR JCJC 2019), national grants (ANR) and a CNRS award (bronze medal), aims at developing efficient fluorescent bioimaging tools for life sciences. Mayeul is specialized in designing and characterizing targeted fluorescent probes, and already brought three of his probes to the market (Calcium Ruby-Nano, MemBright®, LipiBright®).
Ingineers
Émilie Deprez
Recently graduated with a Master's degree in Molecular and Supramolecular Chemistry (CMS) from the University of Strasbourg, I have started a position as a research engineer within Mayeul Collot's team. My project is focused on the synthesis and characterization of fluorescent probes for cellular labeling of various organelles using fluorescence microscopy. This 6-month contract will allow me to gain new skills in biological chemistry and bioimaging, while strengthening my expertise in organic synthesis. Finally, I aim to begin a PhD in the field of emissive molecules in 2025.
Dr Lucille Weiss
After obtaining her PhD from the University of Strasbourg, conducted at LIT (UMR 7200), where she developed new fluorescent probes for the detection and analysis of bacteria in complex environments, Lucille joined the CSP group (UMR 7199) as a postdoctoral researcher. She is working on a project funded by IdEx “Attractivité,” aimed at developing photomodulable fluorescent probes for bioimaging applications.
PhD students
Yu Qiu
I completed my master's degree at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica in China. My PhD project focuses on developing custom block copolymers based on biodegradable polymers, specifically polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactide (PLA), incorporating polyethylene glycol (PEG). These copolymers are designed to enhance controlled drug release profiles for various therapeutic applications. Additionally, fluorescence labeling is employed to gain insights into the copolymers' behavior after formulation and during drug release. The main objectives are to synthesize biocompatible copolymers, characterize their properties, and optimize drug release profiles for controlled and prolonged delivery, with fluorescence serving as a key tool for assessing release dynamics.
![[Translate to English:] Photo of Carla Faivre](/websites/pharmacie/UMR7199/CSP/Images/Carla_Faivre.png)
Dr Carla Faivre
My doctoral research is affiliated with the ANR-funded initiative PAANIC, which seeks to pioneer novel approaches for combatting pulmonary infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Our focus lies on polymyxin E (colistin), a vital last-resort drug for such infections. Our endeavor involves the development of an innovative formulation employing a pro-drug approach to colistin, combined with highly effective and biocompatible nano-carriers. As part of our methodology, we utilize fluorescent molecules and analyze their spectroscopic properties, which serve as a key element in validating our concept.
![[Translate to English:] Valentine Le Berruyer](/websites/pharmacie/UMR7199/CSP/Images/Valentine_Le_Berruyer.jpg)
Valentine Le Berruyer
My project focuses on photomodulation of fluorescent probes for advanced bioimaging. I mainly work on the mechanism called “directed photooxidation”, which enables the development of photoactivatable and photoconvertible probes. My goal is to demonstrate that this mechanism, established by our team, is applicable to a large number of fluorophores. The probes displaying photomodulation properties are characterized by laser excitation spectroscopy and are targeted to various organelles for advanced bioimaging, including super resolution microscopy.
![[Translate to English:] Photo of Sonia Pfister](/websites/pharmacie/UMR7199/CSP/Images/Sonia_Pfister.png)
Dr Sonia Pfister
After receiving my ChemBiotech Engineering degree in chemistry and biotechnologies in 2020, I worked in pharmaceutical companies (Abbvie, Novartis) for a year. Then, I decided to join Mayeul Collot ‘s team to pursue a PhD degree working on the development and synthesis of fluorescent dyes for single molecule localization microscopy.
My thesis project focuses on the design and synthesis of spontaneous blinking plasma membrane probes (BODIPYs, Rhodamines, cyanines) that allow the reconstruction of an image at nanoscale resolution (SMLM) in living samples.
![[Translate to English:] Photo of Sophie Walter](/websites/pharmacie/UMR7199/CSP/Images/Sophie_Walter.jpg)
Sophie Walter
My thesis project is called “3D mapping of CO2 and pH dynamics in the normal and pathological brain”. The project is part of a collaborative project with Serge Charpak's team (Institut de la vision, Paris) aimed at studying the role of CO2 and pH in neurovascular coupling. The role of our team is to develop fluorescent probes compatible with multiphoton and in vivo microscopy which will then be used by our partner on mouse models. Our probes must be, on the one hand, sensitive to variations in pH in the blood and on the other hand, sensitive to the increase in the CO2 concentration in the blood.