BiGEst

The BISTRO platform regroups several bioinformatics platforms/services in various research institutes in Strasbourg:

Molecular Genetics, Genomics, Microbiology (GMGM)

The study of microorganisms adapted to extreme environmental conditions can reveal unsuspected microbial capabilities. Their understanding, including metabolic functions and biofilm formation involved in the adaptation to specific conditions is a major objective of environmental microbiology. We study these microbial adaptation mechanisms in ecosystems contaminated by toxic elements at 3 levels: (i) isolation of new strains and characterization of their metabolic properties, (ii) study of the adaptive response to toxic metals in laboratory conditions, (iii) study of environments contaminated to understand the functioning of the in-situ microbial communities.

Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMC)

The "evolution of yeast non-coding RNA" team focuses on the role and evolution of ncRNA in biological mechanisms. These RNA have been known for a long time, but it was thought they were only "infrastructural components" of the translational machinery, leftovers of an ancestral "all RNA" world: ribosomal RNA, transfer RNA, intron RNA, as well as small nucleolar RNA. Through experimental and bioinformatics approaches, we are particularly interested in: (i) the study of structure-function relationships in certain families of ncRNA (ribosomes, riboswitches,...), (ii) the identification and the study of new ncRNA involved in pathogenicity mechanisms in certain yeast species.

Institute of Plant Molecular Biology (IBMP)

The research activity is dedicated to the study of the fundamental mechanisms of plant life, with applications including notably in the biotechnology or medical research fields. The studied areas are very diverse: (i) biosynthesis of bioactive molecules (involved in the development of materials, cosmetics, aromas or drugs) and their regulation, (ii) plant viruses, (iii) large regulatory pathways enabling the development and reproduction of plants and adaptation to their environment, (iv) the biogenesis of organelles, chloroplasts, and mitochondria, essential for the cells’ energy production and whose malfunction can cause highly deleterious effects with respect to cellular life.

Laboratory of engineering science, computer science and imaging (ICube)

The Complex systems and Translational Bioinformatics (CSTB), covers a broad spectrum of research in computer science: integrative bioinformatics and genomics, theoretical bioinformatics, data mining, knowledge engineering, and stochastic optimization. In the bioinformatics field, we focus primarily on the field of health, notably the study of rare genetic diseases, and the understanding of patho-physiological mechanisms involved in these diseases. These mechanisms often have a potential interest for the understanding of biological processes altered in more common diseases, such as obesity, diabetes or cancer.

Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC)

The objective of the Institute is to develop interdisciplinary research at the interface of biology, biochemistry, physics and medicine. We explore very diverse themes, combining basic and applied research in the field of health. The research work also concerns very diverse topics, ranging from structural analysis of proteins in human genetics, stem cells, biophysics and epigenetics. The scientific results have already allowed significant progress, notably in the understanding of many human diseases such as certain cancers or rare genetic diseases.

Mouse Clinic Institute (ICS - IGBMC)

The ICS IT service has strong computer expertise in the development of data processing protocols related to genetically modified mice: development of tools for phenotyping data capture, appropriate statistical analyses, procedures for interfacing with external resources. They are also developing integrative analyses of these data by cross-referencing them with available public resources (MGI, EMMA...).

Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC)

The goal of the “bioorganic mass spectrometry laboratory” (LSMBO) is the structural determination of macromolecules, mainly proteins, without any structural ambiguity at the atomic level. In proteomics, we focus on improving the description of structures (from identification to complete characterization), including post-translational modifications. Specific objectives include the description of non-covalent complexes and we are developing supra-molecular MS. We have applied this very innovative methodology to the analysis of biological complexes measuring several millions of Daltons, paving the way for a ‘complexomics’ that can be used in biology in the same way as proteomics.