The team is directed by Thierry Durand. Jean-Marie Galano is the Deputy Director

  • Total synthesis of oxidized metabolites of various unsaturated fatty acids: Iso-, Neuro-, Phytoprostanes, Iso-, Neuro-, Phytofurans, dihydroxy-PUFAs (PD1-diHAdA..), Iso-, Neuroketals, FAHFAs, lipophenols and lipopeptides.
  • LC-MS and GC-MS quantification of these oxidized metabolites in various human, animal and plant matrices.

7 major areas of research are developed in the team. Through various collaborations with biologist and clinician colleagues, these metabolites have enabled us to study their original biological activities and their use as biomarkers. We have also developed expertise in LC-MS quantification methods for these cyclic oxidized metabolites (isoprostanoids).

Our Themes

Thematic 1 : Total synthesis of bioactive lipids:

1-1) (PI Jean-Marie Galano and Camille Oger) for the isoprostanoids/isofuranoids assisted by Valérie Bultel-Poncé and Alexandre Guy.

Radical peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), major constituents of cell membranes, leads to numerous cyclic oxidized metabolites, such as isoprostanes and their derivatives epoxy-isoprostanes, neuroprostanes, dihomo-isoprostanes, as well as isofurans, phytofurans, neurofurans. Enzymatic oxidation of PUFAs also leads to isolevuglandin-like non-cyclic metabolites, the ketals. Certain isoprostanes are now one of the most significant markers of cellular oxidative stress used clinically. These oxidized lipids also possess a broad spectrum of biological activities (anti-arhythmic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotection, cardioprotection, VIDD, anticancer, etc.).

1-2) (PI Laurence Balas) for the diH-PUFAs and FAHFAs

Enzymatic oxidation of PUFAs by lipoxygenases leads to numerous dihydroxylated non-cyclic metabolites (PD1, diH-AdA, protectins, linotrines…) with potent activities on the resolution of inflammation.

The esterification of hydroxylated saturated or monounsaturated fatty acids with other saturated or monounsaturated fatty acids leads to “fatty acyl esters of hydroxyl-fatty acids (FAHFA)”, which are thought to be important in the regulation of type II diabetes.

1-3) (PI Camille Oger) for the Synthesis of marine enzymatic oxylipins (Ecklonialactones, sacrolide A) assisted by Alexandre Guy

Synthesis of marine enzymatic oxylipins (Ecklonialactones, sacrolide A) with potent bactericide activities.

Thematic 2 :Total synthesis of lipophenols

2-1) (PI Céline Crauste) for the lipophenols as anti-carbonyl and oxidative stress in retina and neurodegenerative diseases

2-2) (PI Céline Crauste) for the natural lipophenols, discovered in EVOO

The coupling of polyphenols and PUFAs leads to lipophenols, of therapeutic interest in eye-related diseases (AMD, Stargardt). More recently, we have synthesized and discovered natural lipophenols in olive oil.

Thematic 3 : Synthesis of lipo-oxadiazolone to fight Mycobacterium tubercolosis

(PI  Céline Crauste), assisted by Alexandre Guy.

Thematic 4 : Synthesis of lipopeptides and their analgesic activities on probiotic bacteria

(PI Jean-Marie Galano) assisted by Alexandre Guy

The coupling of lipids and certain amino acids leads to lipopeptides of therapeutic interest in diseases linked to the intestinal microbiota and gastric pain.

Thematic 5 : Total synthesis of fluorescent probes of neuroprostanes

(PI Jean-Marie Galano) assisted by Valérie Bultel-Poncé

This project is based on Syntheses of multi-functional bioorthogonal probes capable to a/manipulate the lipid levels with organelle-specificity b/visualize and confirm its location of action in intact cells, and c/ fish for lipid-binding proteins.

Thematic 6 : Quantification of non-enzymatic isoprostanoids by LC-MS / MS (Targeted lipidomics)

(PI Claire Vigor), assisted by Valérie Gros and Guillaume Réversat.

Thematic 7 : Looking for the unknown oxylipins: Similarity analysis and molecular networking.

(PI Jean-Marie Galano)

Molecular networking offers the possibility to link MSMS pattern of detected feature related to oxylipins in order to understand the complexity of oxylipin metabolites.

The members of the team

Thierry DURAND

TEAM LEADER

Thierry Durand studied chemistry at University of Paris VI, then moved to Montpellier and received his PhD degree at University of Montpellier I in 1990. After a postdoctoral training at FIT in Melbourne, USA, Thierry became Chargé de Recherche CNRS at Montpellier in 1991. He finished his Habilitation in 1996 and became Directeur de Recherche CNRS in 2002…

Jean-Marie GALANO

DEPUTY TEAM LEADER

Jean-Marie Galano (directeur de recherche CNRS) studied chemistry at Paul Cézanne Université Marseille and obtained his PhD in 2001. He then moved to the University of Oxford to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship for three years, then joined the CNRS in 2005 as a Chargé de Recherche. His research focuses on new methods and strategies towards the total synthesis of natural …

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Laurence Balas

Associate Scientist (permanent staff)

Laurence Balas obtained her PhD in 1992 at the University of Bordeaux under the supervision of Pr. Joseph Vercauteren. After a postdoctoral fellowship on asymmetric radical chemistry in Pr. Dennis P. Curran’s Laboratory at the University of Pittsburg in 1993, she obtained a permanent position at the Centre National de...

BULTEL-PONCé Valérie
Valérie Bultel-Poncé

Research engineer (permanent staff)

Valérie Bultel-Poncé (Research Engineer) studied organic chemistry at the University of Montpellier and defended her PhD in pharmacognosy in 1991 from the University of Perpignan. She completed post-doctoral studies at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris, in the field of natural substance chemistry. She was then promoted as an...

CRAUSTE Céline
Céline Crauste

Assistant Professor (permanent staff)

Céline Crauste obtained her PhD in organic chemistry at the IBMM in the group of Pr. C. Perigaud in 2008. During her PhD, she worked under the supervision of Dr. S. Peyrottes, on the supported synthesis of nucleotides, based on soluble support, and also on the development of a new...

DURAND Thierry
Thierry Durand

Senior Scientist (permanent staff)

Thierry Durand studied chemistry at University of Paris VI, then moved to Montpellier and received his PhD degree at University of Montpellier I in 1990. After a postdoctoral training at FIT in Melbourne, USA, Thierry became Chargé de Recherche CNRS at Montpellier in 1991. He finished his Habilitation in 1996...

GALANO Jean-Marie
Jean-Marie Galano

Senior Scientist (permanent staff)

Jean-Marie Galano (directeur de recherche CNRS) studied chemistry at Paul Cézanne Université Marseille and obtained his PhD in 2001. He then moved to the University of Oxford to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship for three years, then joined the CNRS in 2005 as a Chargé de Recherche. His research focuses on...

GROS Valérie
Valérie Gros

Assistant-Engineer (permanent staff)

Valérie is a CNRS Assistant Engineer. She worked 20 years in Grenoble : 11 years at the IRBA (Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute) and 9 years at the LPCV (Cell and Plant Physiological Laboratory). In 2022, she joined the IBMM, team SLB at Montpellier. Valérie works on targeted lipidomic on the...

GUY Alexandre
Alexandre Guy

Research engineer (permanent staff)

Alexandre is a CNRS Research Engineer in the field of organic synthesis. He graduated as a chemical engineer from Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Mulhouse, before completing a PhD in 1998 in the field of total synthesis of oxygenated compounds at Montpellier; then was recruted at CNRS 1999. His ...

OGER Camille
Camille Oger

Assistant Professor (permanent staff)

Camille Oger was born in Saint-Gaudens (France) in 1984. She studied chemistry at Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse and University of Paris VI (UPMC). She then moved to Montpellier and received her PhD in the field of total synthesis of neuroprostanes at University of Montpellier II. She did a post-doctoral...

REVERSAT Guillaume
Guillaume Reversat

Technician (permanent staff)

Guillaume Reversat graduated from the University of Montpellier in chemistry (L2) and computer science (L3). He worked for 12 years in secondary education as a technical assistant for practical chemistry work. He joined the University of Montpellier and the SLB team in 2011 as a research technician. Within the laboratory,...

VIGOR Claire
Claire Vigor

Full Professor (permanent staff)

Claire Vigor (Professor) studied Cellular and Physiological Biology, specialty Plant Physiology at University of Rennes and then the Agro-resource Sciences. She obtained her PhD in Phytochemistry in 2002 from the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse under the direction of Pr Moulis. After two ATER positions in the laboratory of Pharmacognosy...

Team Publications