Project presentation

What is a long-term thematic project (LTP)?

A PTL is responsible for developing initiatives aimed primarily at the teams that make up its reference group:

• Bring together, among the consortium's research units based in Montpellier, a diverse range of research expertise aimed at advancing science and producing new knowledge;
• Deploy, over time, a high-level scientific ambition, guided by light and effective governance, and likely to contribute to a structuring dynamic around the central theme of the PTL;
• Support training by and for research at PhD Master's level.

The PTL HiLight is open to all teams in the Biology-Health Research Cluster at the University of Montpellier.

PTL Hilight Theme

This project focuses on the study of living organisms at different scales of observation defined by their size, ranging from meters to nanometers, and aims to understand the different levels of organization: from the structure and dynamics of molecules and their involvement in cellular architecture or signaling, to the integration of these cells into organs and organisms.

We take on the challenge of understanding the dynamics of these systems regardless of the scale of observation and aim to combine these levels of analysis. To do so, we encourage 1) the development of innovative methodologies and 2) practical applications enabled by these technological advances to answer complex biological questions. Innovations in high-resolution spatial and temporal analysis of living systems in biology and health will provide solutions to medical and societal challenges. Cutting-edge research and innovation facilitated by these technologies will offer new approaches to disease prevention through new methods of detection and diagnosis, first by understanding how living organisms function and then by identifying the underlying causes of disease.

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

The PTIs of the biology-health cluster

After consulting with the Biology-Health community and discussions organized by the Biology-Health Cluster, two PTLs emerged and were approved by the COMIS (Strategic and Structural Investment Committee) of the University of Montpellier. The first concerns the development of new experimental models for future translational research (called COSMIC), while the second concerns high spatial and temporal resolution analysis of living organisms (called HiLight).

PTLs are valid for five years and can be renewed once.