The team at University of Paris-Sud has an in-depth experience on the development of new miniaturized techniques (electrochromatography, nano-HPLC, microsystems and microreactors) applied to protein, DNA or peptide analyses. As a research group of a faculty of pharmacy, the researchers of this team have strong competences on drugs, pharmacokinetics, neuropharmacology and biotechnologies.
Coupling CE with fluorescence detection and strategies for on-line covalent and non covalent derivatization of protein and peptides are the other main topics of this group. The group is currently involved together with partner 4 in a research project funded by the French government (NMAC N°71, 2003-2006) on the development of microchip devices to analyse the prion protein.
The department is equipped with several capillary electrophoresis instruments coupled to UV or diode array detection systems, with one CE instrument coupled “off line” with a laser induced fluorescence detection (325 nm), several HPLC systems, conventional electrophoresis equipments, fluorescence spectro-fluorimeters and UV spectrometers. The group has also a direct access to the proteomic platform equipped with 2D gel electrophoresis, fluorescence, and visible gel scanning, automated digester, pickers and spotters, MALDI mass spectrometry.
Most of the internal equipments will be fully dedicated to the research project. However, in addition to the resources specifically requested for this project (consumables, travel costs, salaries for one PhD and one post Doc position, the group will require extra equipment and in particular a new capillary electrophoresis instrument directly coupled to LIF detection with an increased sensitivity and compatible with other laser sources than helium-cadmium ones.
The group is also supported in related activities by several national funds, in particular Ministery of Research Grant NMAC, in collaboration with partner 4.
Profile on the leader of the group
Myriam Taverna received her PhD in 1992, at the University of Paris XI (France) in analytical chemistry. Her thesis focused on the development of new analytical methods to characterize glycoproteins. In 1993, she joined the “groupe de chimie analytique de Paris Sud (GCAPS)” at the faculty of pharmacy (university of Paris –Sud) as an assistant professor. In 2004 she obtained a professor position at the same university and is now the head of a multi-disciplinary research team, composed of 4 researchers, which is strongly dedicated to “miniaturized separation techniques for peptide and protein analysis”. The University of Paris-Sud is involved in a new “research pole of competitiveness” promoted by the French government which associate the largest pharmaceutical industries and prestigious universities. One of the main research priorities of this pole “Meditech-Santé” is “neurodegenerative diseases”.
Myriam Taverna has a strong background in Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) of proteins peptides and glycoproteins and a deep experience in biochemistry and analytical chemistry of proteins.
Myriam Taverna is also the scientific head of the new proteomic platform in the Faculty of Pharmacy. She has participated in several research projects on recombinant glycoproteins in collaboration with multinational and European pharmaceuticals companies. She is author of more than 45 international publications. She is member of two French societies of electrophoresis and proteomic analysis and separation sciences.
The group will especially contribute to the following objectives of the project:
- development of analytical conditions for separation of β amyloid peptides by capillary electrophoresis (CE), compatible with microfabricated devices
- development of the labelling chemistry and strategies for “on-line” tagging of Aβ amyloid peptides or Tau proteins
- development of separation conditions for screening the Tau phosphorylation by capillary isoelectric focalisation or capillary zone electrophoresis
- Cooperation with the other partners for the joint optimization of separation strategies with preconcentration and detection, and validation