THOMAS LAVERGNE
Affiliation
Équipe de recherche
Domaines de recherche
Disciplines scientifiques
Habilitation à diriger des recherches
Scientific Career
2017: HDR, Université Grenoble Alpes
Since 2013 : CNRS Researcher at DCM-I2BM, Université Grenoble Alpes, France
2013 : Post-Doc at DCM-I2BM, Université Grenoble Alpes, France
2010-2012 : Post-Doc at The Scripps Research Institute, California, USA
2006-2009 : PhD in Chemistry at IBMM, Montpellier, France
Thomas Lavergne is a CNRS researcher (section 16) since 2013.
After a master degree, at University of Montpellier 2, where he primarily studied the chemistry and biology of different classes of biomolecules, his Ph.D. research, under the supervision of Dr. Françoise Debart at IBMM-Montpellier (2006-2009), focused on nucleic acid chemistry. He primarily developed a new strategy for the chemical synthesis of RNA molecules and a methodology to assemble modified siRNA for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
In 2010, he joined the group of Prof. Floyd Romesbeg at the Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA, USA). During his three years of post-doctoral experience, he shared his time between the multi-step synthesis of unnatural nucleosides and nucleotides for the expansion of the genetic alphabet, the in vitro and in vivo evaluation and structural characterization of such unnatural bases pairs and the site specific bioconjugation of the resulting unnatural DNA and RNA for biophysical studies and applications in nanotechnology.
At the present time, his research program focuses on the design, engineering and application of nucleic acid foldamers mimicking DNA and RNA secondary structures such as G-quadruplexes and i-motif. Those molecular objects are curently exploited, in collaboration, for the identification of selective binders (synthetic ligands or in vivo protein partners) and as catalysts and aptamers.
He is also engaged in the developement of novel classes of nucleic acid binders through combinatorial approaches.
This research is mainly established on bioorganic chemistry, nucleic acid chemistry (nucleoside, nucleotide, DNA and RNA), peptide chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, combinatorial chemistry and molecular biology, with the synthesis and manipulation of DNA and RNA conjugates, by chemical and enzymatic means.
Scientific Production
- Full publication list : Orcid: 0000-0002-0029-0015, ResearcherID: N-8896-2013- 26 publications including, 1 Nature, 1 Nat. Chem. Biol., 2 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 4 J. Am. Chem. Soc., 5 Chem. Eur. J., 1 Nanoscale, 1 Chem. Comm, etc.
- 2 licensed patents, 1 book chapter and 6 abstracts and proceedings
- >15 oral communications in international conferences and seminars (supported by fellowships from : iba-lifesciences, 5ECCLS and ACS Division of Biological Chemistry)
- Synthorx consultant since 2013
- Ganse-Liesel Award for Young Scientists 2014
Contact
Phone: +33 (0) 4 56 52 08 36
Fax: +33 (0) 4 56 52 08 05
E-mail: thomas.lavergne@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
Last update: Jan-2018

TRAVAUX MAJEURS
- A base-labile group for 2'-OH protection of ribonucleosides: a major challenge for RNA synthesis
- A semi-synthetic organism with an expanded genetic alphabet
- Expanding the scope of replicable unnatural DNA: stepwise optimization of a predominantly hydrophobic base pair
- {Template-mediated stabilization of a DNA G-quadruplex formed in the HIV-1 promoter and comparative binding studies.}
- {Templated Formation of Discrete RNA and DNA:RNA Hybrid G-Quadruplexes and Their Interactions with Targeting Ligands.}