Promoting the Study of Endogenous Systems

The objective of this research area is to support the development of innovative approaches for observing and analyzing biological processes as they occur naturally, while preserving as much as possible the integrity, organization, and physiological dynamics of the systems under study.

Projects should aim to reduce the disruptions caused by sample preparation, molecular manipulations, or the artificial reconstruction of biological systems. Particular attention will be given to approaches that demonstrate a clear methodological advancement over the state of the art.

This topic includes, but is not limited to, the development of label-free imaging approaches (e.g., label-free optical microscopy, Brillouin, Raman, X-rays), new minimally invasive molecular detection strategies (antibodies, nanobodies, biosensors), spatialized mass spectrometry approaches, or any other technology that enables the characterization of biological systems as closely as possible to their endogenous state.

Conversely, projects that rely primarily on non-physiological overexpression systems, reconstituted systems, or approaches that do not demonstrate a significant improvement over existing methods will not be considered part of this theme.