Career path

EDUCATION

Habilitation to supervise research, Aix Marseille University, 2010

PhD, cellular biology & microbiology, Aix Marseille University, 1991

M. S., microbiology (molecular biology), Aix Marseille University, 1986

B. S., biochemistry, Aix Marseille University, 1984

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

09/2016-        Head of the BiosCiences laboratory, ISM2, Aix Marseille University, France

2014               CNRS research director (DR2), Aix Marseille University, France

1998-2014     CNRS researcher (CR1) , Aix Marseille University, France

1994-1998     CNRS researcher (CR2) , Aix Marseille University, France

1991-1994     Human Frontier PostDoc research fellow, Dartmouth Medical School, USA

1991               FEBS research fellow (3 months), Biochemistry Dept., Bologne University, Italy

1991               Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale PostDoc (7 months), CNRS Marseille, France

1988-1990     European Union Mobility fellow, Catholic University, Louvain la Neuve, Belgium

Teachings

PhD level: Doctorate School of Industrial Biotechnology, Federico II University, Napoli : lectures on heterologous expression of metalloenzymes, artificial enzymes, 2012, 2014, 2016.

M. S.level: EU FP7 funded summer schools, ChemBioMeme (2010-2012) and BioMaSolUti (2013-2014) : lectures on heterologous expression of metalloenzymes, artificial enzymes, hybrid photo-catalysts.

Research themes

My research interests are in the area of biochemistry at the interface between biological, catalytic and inorganic chemistry. With my group we are interested in studying metalloenzymes, in particular copper containing oxidases, that we functionalize with different nano-objects (e. g. transition metal complexes) to obtain hybrid catalysts with original properties. We are currently developing researches on the following topics: 1) bioinspired photo-oxidases allowing a renewable Oxygen Atom Tranfer Reaction, 2) original hybrid Pd-based oxygenases as novel catalysts for environmentally friendly industrial processes, 3) surface-ordered enzyme for high performance bio-cathodes, and 4) surface-modified enzymes with an efficient control of the selectivity.

Catalysts based on surface functionalized laccases

with Yasmina Mekmouche, Viviane Robert, Pierre Rousselot Pailley, Jalila Simaan

Laccases are well known biocatalysts with great robustness, high oxidation power and substrate versatility.[1] Their unique set of copper centres - a near-surface located mononuclear type 1 and an embedded tri-nuclear cluster (TNC) made of a type 2 and a binuclear type 3 - couple the oxidation of substrates (organic or metal ions) to dioxygen reduction.[2] We shape new catalysts based on oriented functionalizations of a laccase surface with different “plug-ins”.
 From our initial demonstrations on bi-molecular systems - a sensitizer/laccase system coupling the light driven four-electron reduction of dioxygen to water[3] to the photo-oxidation of styrene[4] or a Pd(II)/ laccase system competent for the aerobic oxidation of alcohol in mild conditions[5] -  our latest architectures are based on the oriented grafting of the enzyme surface with prospects on olefin oxidation[6] and laccase functionalized electrode materials[7].

Collaborations: Prof. Athanassios Coutsolelos (Univ. Crete), Dr. Alan Legoff (Univ. Grenoble-Alpes), Dr. Victor Guallar (Barcelona Supecomputer Center), Prof. Ally Aukauloo (Univ. Paris Saclay), Dr. WInfried Leibl (CEA Saclay)

References

1. T. Tron, in Encyclopedia of Metalloproteins, Springer, New York, 1066 (2013)
2. E. Solomon, U. Sundaram, T. Machonkin, Chem. Rev., 96, 2563 (1996)
3. T. Lazarides et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 3095 (2013)
4. L. Schneider et al., Chem. Sus. Chem., 8, 3048
(2015)
5. Y. Mekmouche et al., Chem. Sci., 6,1247 (2015)

6. V. Robert, et al., Chem. Plus Chem., 82, 607 (2017)
7. N. Lalaoui et al., ACS Catalysis, 6, 1894 (2016)

Administrative responsabilities

Head of the BiosCiences Laboratory (35 staffs: CNRS researchers,  Professors,  Assistant Professors, Engineers, Technicians)