BERTHOMIEU Catherine, Biosciences and Biotechnology Institute Aix-Marseille, France
Deciphering determinants of actinide and lanthanide protein interactions using engineered EF-hand motifs
Biography:
After earning an agronomic sciences degree (INA Paris Grignon) and a Master’s degree in analytical chemistry, Catherine Berthomieu completed her Ph.D. in molecular biophysics at Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris VI). As a researcher in the bioenergetics department at the French Atomic Energy Commission in Saclay (CEA-Saclay), her early work centered on investigating structure-function relationships in metalloproteins, which play a crucial role in converting light energy into chemical energy during the initial stages of oxygenic photosynthesis. Later, at CEA Cadarache in the south of France, her research team has been studying molecular mechanisms underlying bacterial responses to metals, including radionuclides and, more recently, lanthanides. Her interdisciplinary research, spanning biochemistry and various spectroscopic methods, delves into the determinants of protein-metal interactions, alongside enzymatic processes associated with bioenergy and photoenzymes, with potential applications in nuclear toxicology, remediation, and recycling.