Calls for proposals

The PTL aims to promote methodological developments in three sub-themes that are important for the spatio-temporal analysis of living organisms.

In 2026, the sub-theme is "Developing multiparametric approaches."

This call for proposals aims to support two types of projects:

• YRP – Young Researcher Project
  Maximum funding: €80,000
• CRP – Collaborative Research Project
  Maximum funding: €300,000

The program is open to all research units within the Biology and Health Cluster at the University of Montpellier.

👉 Application deadline: April 15, 2026, at 1 p.m. (Paris time).

Details of the call for proposals and the submission form are available below.

The PTL HiLight launched its first call for projects on the theme "Imaging Life – From Molecule to Organism."

The goal of PTL HiLight is to develop, integrate, and apply innovative technologies and methodologies to advance our understanding of living systems.

The PTL HiLight is open to all teams from research structures that are part of the Biology-Health Research Cluster at the University of Montpellier.

Appeal documents:

Collaborative Research Project (CRP)

• Laurent Le Cam, IRCM

Young Research Project (YRP)

• Charlène Boumendil, IGH

Implementing SPEED microscopy and 3D single molecule live-cell imaging to elucidate the role of heterochromatin exclusion at nuclear pores in mRNA export

Nuclear pore complexes are the only gateway between the nucleus and the cytoplasm in interphase cells. In particular, they mediate mRNA export, a process necessary for gene expression. Preliminary results in our group indicate that chromatin organization regulates nucleocytoplasmic transport dynamics of proteins. Whether chromatin organization might also affect mRNA export dynamics is however unknown. To address this question, we will develop SPEED-SMLM, an approach to track the nuclear translocation of single messenger RNAs at millisecond rates in the context of super-resolved nuclear pore complexes. This will allow us to measure mRNA export speed, penetration into the nuclear pores, and/or the percentage of abortive mRNA export events upon chromatin state modulations.

• Fabrice Caudron, IGMM

HyPRIA: High-resolution yeast Prion-like protein and RNA Imaging Assemblies

Proteins and messenger RNA have the capacity to organize into phase-separated condensates in response to environmental and cellular cues. Tracking these assemblies remains a technical challenge. The HyPRIA project aims to uncover how dynamic protein-RNA condensates regulate cellular memory and aging in yeast. Using advanced fluorescent protein engineering and microscopy, we will improve the visualization of condensate formation and dynamics at high temporal and spatial resolution. We will optimize and implement yeast-adapted fluorescent tags for multiplexed imaging with lattice light-sheet microscopy. Altogether, HyPRIA will yield new imaging tools, standardized protocols, and a conceptual framework linking phase separation to protein stability and function.

• Emmanuel Perisse, IGF

Virtual

Value-based decision-making is conserved across species. It enables individuals to select the most appropriate action based on the expected outcomes of different options learned from experience. However, to date, a comprehensive overview of how the brain uses value information to select appropriate action during decision-making is still lacking. We recently designed a setup enabling us to describe and model decision-making processes at the behavioral level in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. While the powerful genetic tools available in flies enable us to build functional circuit models describing decision-making processes, we are lacking links between dynamic circuit function and behavioral decision variables. The PTL HiLight funding will enable us to build a virtual environment that can be used under a microscope to match recording of relevant neuronal activity with decision variables.

BCM: BioCampus Montpellier
BC2M: Biocommunication in Cardio-Metabolism
CEMIPAI: Center for the Study of Infectious Diseases and Anti-Infectious Pharmacology
CBS: Center for Structural Biology
CRBM: Montpellier Center for Research in Cell Biology
DEFE: Embryonic Development, Fertility, and Environment
DMEM: Muscle Dynamics and Metabolism
EuroMov DHM: EuroMov Digital Health in Motion
IDESP: Desbrest Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health
IGH: Institute of Human Genetics
IGMM: Montpellier Institute of Molecular Genetics
IGF: Institute of Functional Genomics
IMAGINE: Initial Management and Prevention of Acute Organ Failures in Critically Ill Patients
INM: Montpellier Institute of Neuroscience
INTERTRYP: Host-Vector-Parasite Interactions in the Environment in Neglected Tropical Diseases Caused by Trypanosomatids
IRCM: Montpellier Cancer Research Institute
IRIM: Montpellier Institute for Infectious Disease Research
IRMB: Stem cells, cellular plasticity, tissue regeneration, and immunotherapy of inflammatory diseases
LBN: Bioengineering and Nanosciences Laboratory
LPHI: Laboratory of Pathogens and Host Immunity
MMDN: Molecular Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Dementias
PCCEI: Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections
PhyMedExp: Physiology and Experimental Medicine of the Heart and Muscles
Sys2Diag: Modeling and Engineering of Complex Biological Systems for Diagnosis
TransVIHMI: Translational Research on HIV and Endemic and Emerging Infectious Diseases
VBIC: Bacterial Virulence and Chronic Infections