Facilities

Cell Imaging platform of Normandy

PRIMACEN


Head


Dr David Vaudry - Dr Ludovic Galas


Contact


PRIMACEN/IRIB Faculty of Sciences, CURIB
Place Emile Blondel
76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex

Phone: +33 235 14 7048/6624

david.vaudry@univ-rouen.fr
ludovic.galas@univ-rouen.fr

http://primacen.fr


Research Topics


PRIMACEN is a research infrastructure for life sciences identified by RIO (Réunion Inter Organismes) as top level research facility in 2001 and 2003, as a “Regional Platform for Cell Imaging” in 2004 and 2006 and as an IBiSA (Infrastructures en Biologie Santé et Agronomie) platform since 2008. PRIMACEN is located in the CURIB building of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Rouen. The management of PRIMACEN conforms to ISO9001 regulation with the objective of satisfying researcher expectations. For this, PRIMACEN has developed a functional website (iPRIMACEN, APP n°IDDN.FR.001.190018.000.S.P.2010.0000.42000) in order to assist the management of its equipment and help the users working on the Platform. Public or private customers can access to PRIMACEN according to 3 modes i.e.  “Autonomous utilization”, “Scientific collaboration” or “Service delivery”. The mode of access to the Platform depends on the customer’s request, the degree of expertise of the customer, the staff availability and the access restriction to certain equipment of the Platform. Depending on the affiliation/origin of the customer (University of Rouen Normandy; public organization; or private company) 3 different rates are applied (see http://primacen.crihan.fr/Tarification).


Composition


Involvement of 18 researchers, professors and assistant-professors, engineers, technicians corresponding to 8.5 full-time:
  • 4.5 full-time from Inserm including  engineers dedicated to PRIMACEN
  • 2.5 full-time from the University of Rouen including PU, MCU et ITAOS
  • 1.5 full-time non-permanent positions (Inserm or University of Rouen)

Activity


Main activities

 

PRIMACEN encompasses 4 core-facilities covering the field of cellular imaging from the synthesis of biomarkers and sample preparation to the localization and the determination of biological activity of molecules of interest.  

      The specific offers of each facility include the following applications:  

 Peptide synthesis and Screening of bioactive compounds: design, synthesis, purification, analysis and characterization of peptides (notably for functional studies and production of antibodies), peptide analogs and biomarkers (biotinylated, fluorescent, iodinated molecules...), identification of bioactive molecules and determination of biological activities of natural/endogenous and synthetic molecules.  

 Biophotonics: localization of molecules of interest (neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, structural proteins, receptors, ion channels, transcription factors, enzymes, …) in bacteria, microalgae, plants, animals and human ; spatio-temporal studies of biological events (time lapse…) in living cells and tissues.  

 Electron microscopy: localization and identification of molecules of interest (glucide and protein epitopes) by immunocytochemistry at the subcellular level in bacteria, plant, animal and human cells with or without cryofixation.  

 Microdissection and real-time PCR: tissue sections on cryomicrotomes and vibratomes, laser microdissection, surgery for small animals, quantification of transcription of genes expressed in microdissected tissues or cultured cells. Development of thematic panels to study biological processes by high throughput PCR.  

 

Complementary activities

 
  • Information technology  (IT) solutions for communication, symposia and management
  • Consulting in cell imaging and biomarker synthesis
  • Technology survey and development of new technological approaches in cell imaging systems
  • Training and education
  • Scientific animation : symposia and workshops
  • Industrial partnerships and support to start-up development
  • Scientific information release and science promotion to public.

Main Contributions


Scientific projects
  • Identification of new ligands/receptors (ODN, SS2, UII, URP, 26RFa, kisspeptins,…)
  • Mechanisms of action of neuropeptides (ODN, UII, 26RFa,…) in the central control of feeding behavior
  • Role of PACAP in cell migration, differentiation and survival during development and physiopathological conditions.
  • Mechanisms  of intercellular communication through Tunneling Nanotubes in tumoral cells
  • Role of lymphangiogenesis in cardiac dysfunction
  • Structural and functional analysis of complex polysaccharides and glycoproteins in plants
Technological developments
  • STED  nanoscopy
  • Workflow from laser capture microdissection to transcriptomic analysis
  • Cryomethods for electron microscopy
  • Image analysis  (deconvolution, 3D volume rendering)

Main Publications


2017

  • Benjdia A, Guillot A, Ruffié P, Leprince J and Berteau O. Post-translational modification of ribosomally synthesized peptides by a radical SAM epimerase in Bacillus subtilis. Nat Chem 2017, 9: 698-707.
    28644475

2016

  • Henri O, Pouehe C, Houssari M, Galas L, Nicol L, Edwards-Lévy F, Henry JP, Dumesnil A, Boukhalfa I, Banquet S, Schapman D, Thuillez C, Richard V, Mulder P and Brakenhielm E. Selective Stimulation of Cardiac Lymphangiogenesis Reduces Myocardial Edema and Fibrosis Leading to Improved Cardiac Function Following Myocardial Infarction. Circulation 2016, 133: 1484-97.
    26933083

2015

  • Bénard M, Schapman D, Lebon A, Monterroso B, Bellenger M, Le Foll F, Pasquier J, Vaudry H, Vaudry D and Galas L. Structural and functional analysis of tunneling nanotubes (TnTs) using gCW STED and gconfocal approaches. Biol Cell 2015, 107: 419-25.
    26094971
  • Lecointre M, Vézier C, Bénard M, Ramdani Y, Dupré N, Brasse-Lagnel C, Henry VJ, Roy V, Marret S, Gonzalez BJ, Jégou S and Leroux-Nicollet I. Age-dependent alterations of the NMDA receptor developmental profile and adult behavior in postnatally ketamine-treated mice. Dev Neurobiol 2015, 75: 315-33.
    25220981

2013

  • Plancot B, Santaella C, Jaber R, Kiefer-Meyer MC, Follet-Gueye ML, Leprince J, Gattin I, Souc C, Driouich A and Vicré-Gibouin M. Deciphering the responses of root border-like cells of Arabidopsis and flax to pathogen-derived elicitors. Plant Physiol 2013, 163: 1584-97.
    24130195

2012

  • Pasquier J, Galas L, Boulangé-Lecomte C, Rioult D, Bultelle F, Magal P, Webb G and Le Foll F. Different modalities of intercellular membrane exchanges mediate cell-to-cell p-glycoprotein transfers in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. J Biol Chem 2012, 287: 7374-87.
    22228759
  • Percoco G, Bénard M, Ramdani Y, Lati E, Lefeuvre L, Driouich A and Follet-Gueye ML. Isolation of human epidermal layers by laser capture microdissection: application to the analysis of gene expression by quantitative real-time PCR. Exp Dermatol 2012, 21: 531-4.
    22716249

2011

  • Le Marec O, Neveu C, Lefranc B, Dubessy C, Boutin JA, Do-Régo JC, Costentin J, Tonon MC, Tena-Sempere M, Vaudry H and Leprince J. Structure-activity relationships of a series of analogues of the RFamide-related peptide 26RFa. J Med Chem 2011, 54: 4806-14.
    21623631

2010

  • Chevalier L, Bernard S, Ramdani Y, Lamour R, Bardor M, Lerouge P, Follet-Gueye ML and Driouich A. Subcompartment localization of the side chain xyloglucan-synthesizing enzymes within Golgi stacks of tobacco suspension-cultured cells. Plant J 2010, 64: 977-89.
    21143678