M2 - Biochemistry & Molecular Biology pathway

  RNA Biochemistry & Genetics - H. BECKER 

(shared with the 'Genetics and Epigenetics' pathway)

BMC_ThematiqueBGA-BBM_2024-25 (pdf 206.4 KB)

 Mots clés : Mondes ARN ; Expression des gènes ; ARN régulateurs ; ARN interférence ; Ribozymes ; ARNomique ; Nouvelles méthodologies de l'ARN et modélisations ; Interactions ARN/ADN/protéines ; Evolution moléculaire de l'ARN ; Applications thérapeutiques et médicales

 Source : © Getty - JUAN GAERTNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Aim of the course

The field of RNA is undergoing rapid (r)evolution, with the recent discovery of a multitude of new types of RNA (small and long non-coding RNAs, circular RNAs) and a huge number of chemical modifications on these RNAs, regulating their fate and functions (giving rise to the concept of epitranscriptomics, by analogy with epigenetics).

RNA plays an essential role in gene expression, through rRNAs, tRNAs and mRNA translation, but also through the very large number of genetic and epigenetic regulations carried out by non-coding RNAs. It should also be remembered that RNA plays an important role in maintaining the genome. Dysfunctions in these regulations lie at the heart of many pathologies (cancers, cardiovascular and neurodevelopmental diseases).

Recent events have reminded us that RNA can also be an infectious molecule, being the basic element of retroviral genomes (Covid-19, HIV, etc.). RNA can also be a therapeutic molecule, through the use of CRISPR, interfering RNA or aptamers to correct genetic defects or to target certain cancer cells for better destruction.

The aim of the BGA subject is to train high-level specialists capable of exploring biological processes involving RNA. To this end, our training programme is developing a wide range of study methods and concepts relating to RNA, at the interface of biochemistry/molecular biology and genetics (epitranscriptomics, structure-function relationship of RNA, RNA-protein and RNA-RNA interactions, RNA and epigenetic processes, complexity of splicing mechanisms, control of gene expression, RNA and evolution).

A one-day symposium on 'Multiple aspects of RNA' (in English), with numerous experts from the world of RNA, is an integral part of this course.

Workforce

12 to 20 students

Educational organisation

The specialisation course 'Biochemistry & RNA Genetics' (MU5BM823, 12 ECTS) consists of a common core (60 h) taken by all students enrolled in the subject. At the end of this core curriculum, students following the "Biochemistry & Molecular Biology" pathway will specialise further by taking the "Biochemistry & Molecular Biology of RNA" option (60 h), while students following the "Genetics" pathway will take the Pasteur course "Multiple roles of RNA: RNAomics" (60 h).

The project unit (MU5BM091, 6 ECTS) consists of a presentation of the internship project in front of a jury of biochemists, geneticists and geneticists.

The scientific analysis unit (MU5BM051, 6 ECTS) consists of presenting scientific themes supported by the analysis of scientific articles proposed by the lecturers and/or teacher-researchers involved in the courses and conferences.
The introductory UE (6 ECTS) will be chosen from those offered by Sorbonne Université or other higher education establishments. It should be noted that the Pasteur course "Multiple roles of RNA: RNAomics" (MU5BM817, 6ECTS) can be taken as an introductory course by students enrolled in this subject via the "Biochemistry & Molecular Biology" pathway.
The "Specialisation internship" UE (MU5BMSO6, 30 ECTS) requires students to find an internship in a research laboratory before the end of September. The choice of laboratory and placement topic is made in consultation with the teaching staff.

Topics covered

- Regulation of gene expression: non-coding RNAs, regulatory RNAs, splicing, intronic polyadenylation, epigenetics. - Protein/RNA interactions: structure/function studies, structural biochemistry, cryo-electron microscopy, spectroscopy, biological NMR. - Transcriptome and epitranscriptomics: next-generation sequencing (RNA-seq), cellular transcripts, RNAomics. Diversity and functions of modified nucleotides. - Degradation, stability and localisation of RNAs. - Medical, therapeutic and biotechnological applications. RNAs as regulators of biological processes. Dysfunctions and pathologies, biomarker RNAs, drug design. - Circular RNAs - Ribozymes / Telomeres. - Viral RNA: viroids, HIV-RNA, viral translation, RNA vesicles, interfering RNA. - Evolution - Phylogeny: bioinformatics analyses, origins of living molecules, modelling.

Student careers

This subject is essentially research-oriented, with many students continuing on to doctoral studies. Thesis topics are in the fields of life and health, chemistry and medicine, both in the public sector and in the pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology industries. Other students choose to go straight into working life as research engineers, technical sales staff, clinical research associates or secondary school teachers.

Contacts

Molecules and therapeutic targets - C. EL AMRI

 

This course is common to the "Biochemistry & Molecular Biology" program at Sorbonne University and the "Mechanisms of Life and Environment" program at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN). The MCT (Molecules and Therapeutic Targets) Master 2 program benefits from the complementary expertise from Sorbonne University and MNHN in the fields of molecular pharmacology, structural and functional biology, as well as chemistry and the biochemistry-bioengineering of natural products.

Training objectives

The Master 2 program “Molecules and Therapeutic Targets” is focused on research and the development of new therapeutic approaches. It aims to provide students with in-depth knowledge in pharmacology, biochemistry of bioactive molecules—particularly natural products—molecular and cellular biology, as well as biotechnologies, especially those applied to health. The program prepares students to better understand drug mechanisms of action, identify new therapeutic targets, and design innovative strategies for the treatment of human diseases. Positioned at the interface between fundamental research and pharmaceutical innovation, this master’s program is intended for students aiming to pursue a PhD or enter the pharmaceutical or biotech industries.

Program goals:

• Understand the fundamentals of modern therapeutic strategies
• Master the basics of molecular pharmacology applied to human diseases
• Analyze and compare therapeutic targets and mechanisms of action of bioactive molecules through multidisciplinary approaches
• Understand the challenges of therapeutic innovation and drug development
• Explore pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications of natural products

Keywords

Therapeutic molecules, Natural products, Protein targets, Drug design, Molecular pharmacology, Therapeutic innovation, Molecular engineering, Preclinical approaches, Translational research

Number of students

15 to 20 students

Admission requirements

This program is intended for students with a Master 1 background in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, or physical or biological chemistry; as well as medical doctors, pharmacists, veterinarians, and graduates from engineering schools specialized in life sciences or chemistry.

Lecturers and partnerships

The lecturers come from both academic institutions (Universities, CNRS, INSERM), the Pasteur Institute, CEA, and the industrial sector (pharmaceutical industries). Industrial partners for teaching and/or internships include companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Roche, and various startups.

Course Structure

Thanks to its multidisciplinary nature, this Master 2 program offers comprehensive training at the interface between biochemistry-molecular biology and chemistry. Various themes are explored throughout the course via two specialized teaching units (UEs).

The multidisciplinary structure of the program and internships enables students to adapt to the wide variety of professional environments they are likely to encounter throughout their careers.

Thematic courses run from mid-September to the end of December at the MNHN premises.

• Early September to early December: Shared specialization UEs within the "Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" and "Chemistry-Biology Interfaces" tracks:
  • UM5BM114 – Therapeutic Strategies and Molecular Pharmacology (6ECTS)
  • UM5BM124 – Chemistry and Bioengineering of Natural Products (6ECTS)
• UM5BM051 – Bibliographic Analysis: two presentations based on selected publications covering the concepts from both specialization UEs
• UM5BM091 – Scientific Project: bibliographic report and Master’s thesis proposal; reports and oral defenses take place in early January
• Internship: January to late June in a research lab, with thesis defense at the end of June

Career Opportunities

The “Molecules and Therapeutic Targets” Master 2 program opens a wide range of opportunities in health research and innovation. Graduates can join academic or industrial research labs, particularly in the pharmaceutical, biotech, or cosmetics sectors. This training also provides excellent preparation for pursuing a PhD in fields such as natural product bioengineering, structural biology, molecular pharmacology, drug design, therapeutic and biotechnological innovation, microbiology, virology, or oncology.

In addition, it offers prospects in R&D, quality control, scientific monitoring, or consulting in health-related industries, biotech companies, or the cosmetics sector. Some students also choose to directly enter the workforce in areas such as industrial R&D, innovation and intellectual property, clinical research, or secondary education.

Prerequisites

No specific prerequisites are formally required to enroll in this thematic area, though an interest in cross-disciplinary and translational research is considered an advantage.

Structural, Synthetic and Functional Proteomics - A.LADRAM / J. HENRI

thematique_ps2f_2025_26.pdf (pdf 209.21 KB)

 

The sequencing of the complete genomes of many organisms has given rise to new concepts. Genomes have been succeeded by metanogenomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, peptidomes and metabolomes leading to the development of several disciplines known as structural, functional and chemical genomics and/or proteomics. The progress made over the last decade is also linked to the development of technologies initially created by the world of physics, chemistry and computing, whose applications in biology are now irreplaceable.

Educational presentation

Through these different concepts and study methods, this course retraces the scientific approach which leads, from the structure of a gene, to the determination of the structural and functional properties of a protein. The in vitro and in vivo approach will form the initial and main basis of the teaching. The in silico approach will conclude the theoretical training, as it utilises all the experimental knowledge acquired to determine directly from a coding sequence the tertiary structure of a protein, as well as its potential substrates and inhibitors. Although most of these prediction methods are still under development, they represent one of the greatest challenges facing biochemistry because of their pharmacological and medical consequences. Students graduating from this course will therefore have an 'interface' profile that is particularly attractive to both academic and industrial scientific organisations, start-ups and biotechs.

This training course covers these different concepts:

- In vitro and in vivo biomolecule analysis methods;

- the scientific approach which, based on the structure of a gene, determines the structural and functional properties of bioactive molecules (proteins, peptides, etc.);

- The in-silico approach to determining the tertiary structure of a protein, as well as its potential substrates and inhibitors, from a coding sequence;

- Rational design of functions with synthetic biology (synbio). 

Audience

Holders of a first-year master's degree in biology, chemistry or physics or an equivalent qualification, but also doctors, pharmacists, veterinary surgeons or engineers wishing to extend their theoretical and practical knowledge of biochemistry and related fields of molecular biology, synthetic biology, or at the interface with physics and chemistry.

Careers

Fundamental, applied or clinical research in the fields of life and health, chemistry and the environment, as well as in the agri-food industry, whether in the public sector or in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and agri-food industries, large groups, biotechs and starts-ups.

Organization

The PS2F theme offers two options, both of which are associated with a specialisation placement in a public or private research laboratory:

•  "Structural, Synthetic and Functional Proteomics"
• "Protein structure and function - Institut Pasteur"

Biology and pharmacology of ageing - I. PETROPOULOS

 

Aim of the course

This subject offers students high-level generalist training in the biology of ageing, covering molecular, cellular and tissue aspects as well as associated pathologies. The biology of aging is taught in an original manner that combines pharmacology, from molecular pharmacology to animal models, enabling the identification and development of active molecules in physiological ageing and age-related pathologies.
This course is designed for first-year master's students, as well as professionals from the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and agri-food industries, engineers, doctors and pharmacists (continuing education).

Cohort

15 to 20 students

Programme

Theoretical training

Specialisation UE "Biology and pharmacology of ageing" (UE MU5BM106, 12 ECTS) :

• Molecular and cellular mechanisms of ageing: theories; effects of oxidative stress on different cellular constituents (modifications of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and DNA); maintenance of genome and proteome integrity via different detection and repair pathways, cell death; role of telomeric regions,
• ageing of integrated systems: extracellular matrix and skin support systems (photoageing, experimental models of artificial skin); nervous system, neurodegenerative pathologies, in particular Alzheimer's disease; atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis; osteoarticular systems (osteoarthritis, osteoporosis),
• pharmacology: concepts of molecular pharmacology; pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and drug metabolism; identification of therapeutic targets in ageing; pathological conformations of proteins; drug development (rational design, in silico
• screening, combinatorial chemistry, animal models, clinical trials, quality control),
• Bioinformatics workshop: modelling of biological phenomena; in silico
• studies of molecules of interest.

Scientific analysis UE (MU5BM051, 6 ECTS): specialised lectures by speakers from industry or academia combined with bibliographical seminars given by students.

Scientific project UE (MU5BM091, 6 ECTS): personal research project (presentation and written dissertation). Professional project: introduction to companies; personal and professional assessment.

 Molecular Enzymology & Mechanics (MU5BM107, 6 ECTS) - Franco-Quebec course in advanced enzymology given simultaneously by videoconference between the Université de Montréal and Sorbonne Université: mechanistic enzymology (enzyme reaction mechanisms, enzyme activity, metabolic pathways); molecular enzymology (experimental approaches to enzymology, enzyme dynamics); cellular enzymology (protein engineering and biotechnologies, metabolomics and metabolic pathways in disease and ageing); pharmaceutical enzymology (drug discovery process, drug design). Lecturers at the Université de Montréal and the French universities Sorbonne Université, Paris-Sud and Toulouse III.

English UE (3 ECTS)

Practical training

Laboratory placement 30 ECTS

Maximum duration: six months starting in mid-January. Internship in a company (generally in research laboratories in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics or agri-food industries) or internship in an academic laboratory, in France or abroad. If necessary, the confidentiality of work contained in the dissertation and oral presentation can be ensured upon request.

Admission requirements

M1 or degree in medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine or engineering.

Stakeholders and partnership

Lecturers come from academia (universities, CNRS, INSERM), the CEA and industry (pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries). Our industrial partners (teaching
and/or internships) include
Christian Dior-LVMH, Danone, Expanscience, Galderma, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Ipsen-Beaufour, Hybrigenics, L'Oréal, MDS Pharma Sciences, Nestlé, Pfizer, Pierre Fabre, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier,...

Diversity of courses and student careers

After completing M2, students go on to study for a doctorate (30%) or enter the workforce (70%): research and development in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics fields (design engineer, research engineer, researcher); quality assurance, database management (project manager, data manager, consultant); marketing and sales; miscellaneous: public research, IT professions.

Teaching schedule

Theoretical training: September to December

Practical training: from January