Our group has a multidisciplinary character and its goal is to undertake research projects at the interface between chemistry and biology. Specifically, we are involved in studies on biologically active organic compounds (lipids, glycolipids, enzyme inhibitors, drug analogues), with the aim of defining novel mechanisms of action and to obtain new molecules of therapeutic and biological interest. We consider the participation in collaborative multidisciplinary research projects with academic and pharmaceutical partners an essential objective.
Our current interests are focused on the chemistry and biology of lipids (phospholipids, sphingolipids and glycolipids). We are particularly interested in the development of chemical probes for cell biology studies related to sphingolipid metabolism. We are also interested in the development of high throughput screening methods for the discovery new chemical entities or the repurposing of existing drugs as sphingolipid modulators. We are also interested in the development of chimeras for the targeted protein degradation (TPD), a new and promising therapeutic approach by which a target protein (the protein of interest, POI) can be depleted in an event-driven chemical knockdown process. The group is also interested in the chemical ecology of insects, in particular the characterization of semiochemicals for pest management, in order to reduce or avoid the use of classical insecticides.
RUBAM has expertise in different techniques of chemistry and biological chemistry and the ability to undertake the design, the synthesis and the biological testing of small organic molecules. More precisely, the group members have gained experience in the development of synthetic methodology, lipid metabolism (including lipidomics), enzymology, cell biology and molecular biology. Specialized investigations are conducted in the frame of collaborations with research partners with the required facilities and expertise.
