Flux d'inFormation et organisation de la membrane

Living systems are intrinsically dynamic as they develop, renew their components, adapt to their physiological environment. This is illustrated for instance in the development of embryos and organs. Understanding biological complexity is one of the most significant challenges for the future. It will impact both basic research and medicine, since diseases emerge from anomalies in the organization and dynamics of living systems.

The LABEX INFORM is an interdisciplinary consortium aimed at a quantitative understanding of these dynamic processes. The consortium brings together biologists and physicists and runs an ambitious programme that encompasses education, training and research. This has contributed to build up strong relationships between teams and research institute based on the Luminy campus, focused on innovative research.

The LABEX INFORM has its own PhD programme and efforts have been done to build up an adapted training programme. PhD students have different backgrounds; it is then important to teach them key elements, through theoretical and practical courses, to provide them with tools adapted to interdisciplinary projects.

Since the start of the project, 27 PhD students have been hired; 4 of them had their thesis defense in 2018 (see § "Recherche"). Globally, since 2012, the LABEX INFORM contributed to the structuring of life science studies on the Luminy campus. The Labex INFORM created a strong research basis and community, which made possible the CENTURI project, laureate of the “Institut Convergences” call in 2016.