LCO2
The Laboratoire de Chimie Organique 2 is a team composed of three independently publishing research groups: "Methodology and Synthesis", "Systems Chemistry" and "Biological Membranes".
The members of each research group collaborate in the team and complement each others scientific work with know-how and instrumentation specific to each group.
Our team
The Methodology and Synthesis group focuses on carbohydrate chemistry in a very broad sense, from total synthesis, methodology, and the synthesis of biologically active glycomimetics, such as ATP-competitive kinase inhibitors, multivalent systems, carbohydrate-based peptidomimetics, glycosidase inhibitors, biological probes, etc. We specialize in developping novel methodologies and in the synthesis of biologically relevant molecules and natural products. Methodologies and total syntheses are usually initially applied to carbohydrate targets and structures, but we make a conscious effort to extend these methodologies beyond carbohydrates.
SysChem stands for "systems chemistry of biomolecules and prebiotic chemistry". We are generally studying the systemic interactions between synthetic lipophilic peptides, synthetic nucleic acids and racemic, scalemic or natural phospholipids to approach the self-evolution of synthetic living cells. The growth and division of giant phospholipid vesicles is one major research topic. We are studying the mechanism and scope of the phosphorylation of alkanols, nucleosides and glycerols under prebiotic conditions. We also engage in developing synthetic vaccines based on glycolipid vesicles.
The Biological Membranes Group analyses the molecular, structural and mechanistic bases of biological functions by using standard biochemistry techniques (expression and purification of recombinant enzymes, biochemical characterization of these enzymes, study of the structure-function relationships of these molecules, study of protein-ligand and protein-membrane interactions, lipidomics), at the level of both proteins and lipids but also by developing multidisciplinary approaches at the interfaces with Chemistry, Physics and Biology (study of the dynamics and organization of biological membranes under physiological or pathological conditions, development of new fluorescence tools in spectroscopy and microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, polarization modulation-infrared reflection-adsorption spectroscopy, Brewster angle microscopy, rheological and tribological properties of biomimetic or natural vesicles...), purification and characterization of various extracellular vesicles (exosomes, matrix vesicles, synovial vesicles).
In this perspective, several biological models are studied/used ranging from liposomes, lipid monolayers, lipid bilayers to cells.
Two topics are particularly developed (2 theses are in progress) related to the study of the dynamics of biological membranes through the use of fluorescence probes developed in the team. One thesis concerns the "Biophysicochemical characterization of cell membranes during tumorigenesis", with an application to breast and prostate cancer, the other is interested in joint pathologies and is entitled "Role of membrane fluidity in the behavior of synovial vesicles from healthy and pathological sampling ".
Publications Find the most recent scientific contributions
Hybrid core-shell particles for mRNA systemic delivery
Valentina Andretto, Mathieu Repellin, Marine Pujol, Eyad Almouazen, Jacqueline Sidi-Boumedine, Thierry Granjon, Heyang Zhang, Katrien Remaut, Lars Petter Jordheim, Stéphanie Briançon, Isabel Sofia Keil, Fulvia Vascotto, Kerstin C. Walzer, Ugur Sahin, Heinrich Haas, David Kryza, Giovana Lollo*
Journal of Controlled Release 2023, 353, 1037-1049
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A comprehensive characterization of “off/on” rhodol-based lysosomal tracker for orthogonal cellular analysis by confocal imaging
Carolina Chieffo, Emiliano Altamura, Layth Ben Trad, Guillaume Pilet, Ofelia Maniti, Thierry Granjon, Saïda Mebarek, Peter Strazewski, Michele Fiore*
ChemBioChem 2023, 24, e202200513
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An Optimized Workflow for the Discovery of New Antimicrobial Compounds Targeting Bacterial RNA Polymerase Complex Formation
A. Caputo, S. Sartini, E. Levati, I. Minato, G. M. Elisi, A. Di Stasi, C. Guillou, P. G. Goekjian, P. Garcia, D. Gueyrard, S. Bach, A. Comte, S. Ottonello, S. Rivara, B. Montanini*
Antibiotics 2022, 11, 1449
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Chemical models for understanding the emergence of homo-chirality of phospholipids for origin of life studies
Fryni Skorda, Carolina Chieffo, Michele Fiore*