CV Science

vincent peyrot Prof. Biophysics

Course and current status

- Pharmacist in 1980, PhD in 1985
- Part-time paramedic visitor (September 1980-late 1982)
- Teacher since 1983 as assistant, then lecturer (1989) and professor (1998), I assure at all levels (TP, TD, lectures) a teaching of biophysics and mathematics in the various training cycles: pharmaceutical, medical and scientific studies at the Faculty of Sciences.
- In research, I was team leader in the various research structures to which I belonged. I am currently co-leader (20 permanents) of team (team 2, rated A by AERES) within the CRO2 U911 Inserm.

Scientific summary

Our research activities on the microtubule network and related proteins (Architectural Maps, essentially Tau) focus primarily on conformational change studies of tubulin and antimitotic ligands. These studies, combined with protein-protein (Hsp90) and protein-ligand interaction studies, allowed us to develop a physicochemical approach to the processes involved. This led us to use a wide range of physical and biophysical methods.

1 / Search for new pharmacophores and antitubulin mechanism of action
Our expertise in oncopharmacology in tubulin-ligand interaction studies has enabled us to dissect the molecular mechanisms involved in the activity of molecules that bind as well, at the pharmacological site of colchicine, taxol and vinca-alkaloids.
2 / Microtubules and Tau.
Tau binding to microtubules is important in more than one way: 1) tau stabilizes microtubules thus regulating their activity, 2) after phosphorylation tau detaches from microtubules and can aggregate to form the PHF found in many neurodegenerative diseases. Although it has been studied since 1974, its structure and the mechanisms of its interaction with microtubules have not been fully elucidated.