To access all features of this site, you must enable Javascript. Here are the instructions for enabling Javascript in your web browser.
The François Jacob Institute of Biology brings together five departments and three services
The last two years in scientific news
This study, conducted notably by the CNRGH and teams from the University of Lorraine within the OBEPINE+ consortium, proposes a new method based on long-fragment digital RT-PCR to assess the integrity of viral RNA in wastewater. The results were published in Water Research in January 2026.
Why do some breast tumours stop responding to treatment? In a study published in Drug Resistance Updates in January 2026, European researchers, including scientists from the CNRGH, showed that the acquisition of resistance to certain chemotherapies is accompanied by extensive remodelling of DNA methylation. This work paves the way for the identification of new predictive biomarkers and for strategies aimed at restoring tumour sensitivity to treatment.
A study published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology in May 2026 and coordinated by a DRCM team reveals a key mechanism involved in telomere protection. The researchers showed that the Rap1 protein forms a physical barrier along telomeric DNA, preventing the MRX repair complex from recognizing chromosome ends as DNA breaks. This work sheds light on how cells distinguish short telomeres from functional telomeres, an essential process for maintaining genome stability.
Long considered simply as the brain’s defence cells, microglia and macrophages in fact play a far more complex role in gliomas. In a review published in Acta Neuropathologica in April 2026, experts including Marc-André Mouthon from the DRCM summarize recent advances on these cells, which can either support or restrain tumour progression. Taken together, this work paves the way for new therapeutic strategies aimed at reprogramming the tumour microenvironment to improve the care of patients with glioblastoma.
A review coordinated within the Pediatric Immunology Program (PIP) of the IDMIT Department provides an overview of the mechanisms by which maternal immunity is transferred to the newborn, as well as the impact of vaccination during pregnancy. It highlights the biological determinants, clinical benefits and limitations of this strategy for protecting infants during the first months of life. The review was published in Vaccine in February 2026.
Institut Jacob and Institut Joliot published a stufu providing policymakers with a structured tool to analyse critical dependencies, guide investments, and strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy in the biomedical field.
Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse marine ecosystems and provide numerous essential services, including coastal protection, food resources, and reservoirs of bioactive molecules. However, as their decline accelerates due to climate change and other anthropogenic pressures, the microbial and molecular potential associated with reef-building corals has remained poorly documented. The authors, including teams from Genoscope, sought to systematically map this hidden diversity. Their findings were published in the journal Nature in February 2026.
Tom Delmont, a researcher at the Genoscope Metabolic Genomics Laboratory, has been awarded the 2026 CNRS Bronze Medal.
Among Inserm’s 350 research units, the work carried out by IDMIT Department on the characterization of a vaccine against the monkeypox virus is among the 36 scientific advances selected by Inserm for 2025.
Marco Leonec, a technician at the FlowCyTech Laboratory within the IDMIT Department, received the Young Cytometrist Special Award at the 28th Congress of the French Cytometry Association, held from 26 to 28 November 2025 at the Dijon Convention Center.
CEA is a French government-funded technological research organisation in four main areas: low-carbon energies, defense and security, information technologies and health technologies. A prominent player in the European Research Area, it is involved in setting up collaborative projects with many partners around the world.