French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment
INRAE (formerly INRA) is a public research institute. The basic and applied research developed at INRAE all over the country aims to improve agriculture practices, enhance food security, and control and mitigate the effects of climate change. INRAE has been actively involved in the preservation and characterization of farmed animal genetic resources, as a leading member of the French Infrastructure CRB-Anim. Several INRAE research groups in Rennes, Tours, and Jouy-en-Josas are working on animal reproduction and preservation biotechnologies for mammalian, birds, and fish species.
Dr. Catherine Labbé
I am currently deputy director of the Fish Physiology and Genomics (LPGP) department of INRAE in Rennes, and leader of the research group on Sexual Maturation, Cell Cryopreservation, and Genome Regeneration (MaRé, 8 staff). Most of my research has been focused on genetic resources cryopreservation in aquatic species, while studying the alterations that affect cryopreserved cells and offspring development. My aim is to improve cell protection during cryopreservation (germ cell and somatic cell) and to master the reconstruction technologies necessary for fish population restoration, including germ cell grafting and nuclear transfer. My most recent research explores how cryopreservation can modify the epigenetic profile of fish cells: germinal stem cells, sperm and somatic cells, and the risk for offspring integrity.
Dr. Audrey Laurent
I was recruited in 2018 as a researcher at INRAE LPGP department in Rennes. With a strong background in developmental and stem cell biology as well as in epigenetics, I am developing my research in the field of fish gametes epigenetics. I am approaching the scientific questions at the genomic scale by exploiting the numerous applications of new generation sequencing (WGBS, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq) both in agronomic and model fish species. In this respect, I am involved in the ambitious and pioneer H2020 European project AQUA-FAANG, where I have been coordinating for INRAE the production of rainbow trout multi-tissues libraries (RNA, Histone ChIP, ATAC) for generating functional genomic annotation maps, together with 23 academic and industrial partners working on 6 aquaculture species from embryo to adult stages.
INRAE Members Associated with French Poultry and Aquaculture Breeders Technical Center (SYSAAF) and IMV Technologies
INRAE Reproductive Physiology and Behavior (PRC) Department
Dr. Marina Govoroun
I am a researcher at the PRC department and at the Biology of birds and Aviculture (BOA) department at INRAE near Tours (Nouzilly). I have been working for more than 30 years in the field of fish and bird reproductive biology. My areas of expertise are: biochemistry and physiology of gonadotropic hormones, sex differentiation in fish and birds, oocyte competence in birds, germ cell development, molecular and cell biology of avian primordial germ cells and their use in the conservation of the genetic resources of birds. I am partnering with the SYSAAF beneficiary of CryoStore (Dr. Maxime Reverchon), for the supervision of PhD 8, as I am entitled to be PhD thesis director.
Prof. Marie Saint-Dizier
I am co-leader of the team “Cell Interactions and Fertility” in the INRAE PRC department near Tours (Nouzilly), and professor at the University of Tours. I am working on communication between sperm/embryonic cells and maternal environment during sperm migration, fertilization and early embryo development in mammals and developing related reproductive biotechnologies (gamete and embryo production, sorting, cryopreservation). I am partnering with the IMV Technologies beneficiary of CryoStore (Dr. Lucie Gavin-Plagne), for the supervision of PhD 10, as I am entitled to be PhD thesis director.
Dr. Pascal Mermillod
I am co-leader of the team “Cell Interactions and Fertility” in the INRAE PRC Department near Tours (Nouzilly). I dedicated my research career to the study of early stages of reproduction in mammals, including oocyte differentiation, maturation, fertilization and early embryo development, with a special focus on the interaction between germplasm and maternal tissues. These studies include knowledge acquisition as well as its use to develop and improve assisted reproduction techniques for farm animals and wildlife and cryobanking (oocyte and embryos) using innovative cryopreservation techniques for commercial use and patrimonial conservation. I will contribute with Dr. Gavin-Plagne and Prof. Saint-Dizier to the supervision of PhD 10, whose beneficiary is IMV Technologies. I will retire during the course of CryoStore.
