Object of study :

The nucleoids in bacteria, or the nucleus in eukaryotic cell, carries the genetic information of the cell. This cellular domains is highly organized to allow the establishment of complex expression program. If this biological object has always fascinated biologists, the underlying mechanisms allowing this organization remain poorly understood. We now have many new experimental tools for improving our knowledge on this organelle: new tools in fluorescent microscopy, eletron microscopy and most of the genomic sequence of our model system. We can understand how the properties observed throughout the nucleus or nucleoid emerge from complex networks of interactions between its different elements (chromosomes, proteins, RNA, nuclear membrane or bacterial cell wall). We therefore aim to achieve a quantitative description of the laws governing the spatial organization of genomes. The implementation of cutting-edge experimental strategy will allow us to observe not only the nucleus or the nucleoid, but quantify and model there architecture.

Creation of Core-nucleoid Club : Following a meeting "Imaging functional core" of GdR 2588, held in Toulouse in January 2007, some participants expressed the wish to hold regular scientific meetings at the local level. At a first contact on 18 April 2007, twenty people from 5 Units (LAAS, LBCMCP, LBME, LGC, SCSV) have set up this club. We objectives are:

We now meet every three months, with two presentations (20-30 min each) followed by discussion. It was agreed that the focus will be on tools, the difficulties encountered and the tools used to solve our expérimental problem. Participants want the students to present their work , in the most interactive possible may.

Thank you to communicate the date of the next meeting to all persons potentially interested in these meetings.