Past actions

March 2001: creation of foundation prize on the theme: "High resolution imaging of bacterial cytoplasm"

In order to help biologists to focus on systems analysis from "simple" cellular systems and to develop a continuous dialogue between "theoretical modelling" and "experimental results", it is key to obtain relevant information of the real topology of the bacterial cytoplasm.

1999: Publication of « LES OGM arrivent - apprennez a les connaitre»

In 1999, the Foundation wrote and published a brochure "Les OGM arrivent, apprenez à les connaître" aimed to give to the public high quality information about life systems. GMOs are a hot topic which encourages people to get interested in these biological mechanisms. This 110 pages document has been freely sent to 40,000 scientific magazine readers and to 10,000 former students from prestigious French engineering schools.

Most of the reactions were quite enthusiastic and show that the public is really interested by quality information.

1991 - 1997: The LETRAGE project

The first Foundation objective could be considered as a real challenge:

"To demonstrate the feasibility of a physical method for a direct genome reading" based on Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM). In 1991, foiled in its attempt to find industrial partners, urged by the Americans' lead, the Foundation, supported by ANVAR and regional aids, decided to create and finance up to 80% a laboratory, LETRAGE (LEcture Très RApide des GEnomes), and took on three doctors.

1991 - 1997: International workshops on near field microscopy

Nobel Prize G. Binning and H. Rohrer opened new perspectives to biologists for collecting data on a molecular level by developing the near field microscope. But this new tool had to be adapted to biological problems to avoid disappointment or even rejection. This was the objective of the international workshops organized and financed by the Foundation.

The second workshop held on November 1993, differed from usual workshops:

Each of the 40 researchers had to studied one or several of the five biological "objects" selected by the Scientific Committee and provided by two laboratories (Pr. Etienne Delain from Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif - France - and Pr.Andreas Engel from M. Müller Institute in Basel – Switzerland). During the workshop, they compared their results and tried to define protocols to get the most reproducible images.

In November 1994, the third Workshop compared images of purple membrane (A. Engel) and of a polynucleotide (E. Delain). It appeared difficult to get significant images of a single strand DNA with a STM as well as with the AFM. Two other themes arise: measures of intermolecular binding forces with an AFM and instrumental improvements.

The fourth Workshop of April 1997, add to STM and AFM, a new kind of microscope: the SNOM (Scanning Near Optical Microscope). Discussions focused on:

• Analysis of practical and theoretical difficulties (previously researchers noticed the main difficulties they had to face)

• Results and perspectives for these new instruments to: manipulate, modify and localize "biological objects", to measure strength between these objects, to visualize them in nano-spectroscopy or nano-fluorescence.

These workshops have been great successes thanks to the Scientific Committee gathering Professors E. Delain, A. Engel, H. Gaub, R. Guckenberger, W. Heckl, and the different chairmen, Professors W. Baumeister, C. Colliex et A. Engel. We also thank Pr. H. Rohrer for his kind support.

1991 - 1994: Biocontact Magazine

From 1991 to 1994, the Foundation decided to initiate its ideas and actions through a periodic newsletter, BIOCONTACT, published and distributed to 2,000 French administration responsible, to researchers, industrial managers and journalists.