Julien Marcoux is awarded a grant from the France-Arizona Institute for Global Grand Challenges

Pore-forming peptides are natural and highly effective molecular weapons used by a wide range of organisms, including human cells (A), to target (B) and kill pathogenic bacteria and viruses (C, D).
The TIDyUP-FP project, coordinated by Dr. Julien Marcoux (IPBS, Toulouse, France) and Prof. Michael Marty (The University of Arizona, Tucson, USA), aims to better understand the specificity of pore-forming peptides and the molecular mechanisms responsible for pore formation in order to tackle infectious diseases.
Dr. Marcoux and Prof. Marty have complementary expertise in hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, and in lipid nanotechnology and native mass spectrometry, respectively. The project also involves Dr. Etienne Meunier (IPBS, Toulouse, France), expert in inflammasome biology and immunity to infection.

The project was selected through a highly competitive call and will provide a PhD salary and mobility expenses between IPBS and the University of Arizona for 3 years. Prof. Marty and Dr. Marcoux will be invited to present the progress of their research at the next annual conference of the new France-Arizona Institute for Global Challenges.