Eurofins CALIXAR, a company specialized in the development and production of membrane proteins, the CNRS, Université de Toulouse, and Université Paris Cité have launched a collaborative project aiming to accelerate the preclinical stages of pharmaceutical development.
Today, nearly 60% of FDA-approved drugs target membrane proteins, yet these proteins remain particularly difficult to study, notably due to the complex lipid environment of the cell membrane. Although they represent around 30% of the human genome, less than 5% of their 3D structures have been resolved to date.
As part of a CIFRE PhD fellowship, Magdalena Szczuka (Eurofins CALIXAR) will work on integrating molecular dynamics simulations of these proteins with artificial intelligence. This original approach aims to optimize lab developments, increase precision and specificity, and help identify high-quality therapeutic targets for drug discovery and development.
Over 15 Years of Scientific Expertise
Membrane proteins are key targets for drug development. Studying them requires their extraction from biological membranes, often using detergents. However, predicting which detergent will extract the protein without altering its conformation or activity is challenging. Numerous costly experimental trials are often needed to obtain the optimal protein for the intended application. Eurofins CALIXAR has developed a wide range of proprietary detergents as a result of many years of scientific research and experience on hundreds of membrane targets.
Predicting Detergent Effects On Membrane Proteins
Molecular modeling helps better understand protein-lipid interactions. Matthieu Chavent (CNRS), head of the "Multiscale Modeling of Biological Membranes and Their Interactions" team at the Laboratory of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (LMGM – CNRS/Université de Toulouse) within the Centre for Integrative Biology (CBI – CNRS/Université de Toulouse), is an expert in multiscale modeling applied to membrane proteins. In parallel, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) enable the analysis of complex datasets. Pierre Poulain, at the Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry (LBT – CNRS/Université Paris Cité), focuses on leveraging large-scale molecular dynamics datasets.
The project combines experimental data from Eurofins CALIXAR and the scientific expertise of CNRS researchers to predict the effects of detergents on the extraction and stabilization of membrane proteins. This approach aims to rationalize experimental workflows and even identify new detergent families. The project will span three years and will begin immediately following Magdalena Szczuka’s M2 internship.
About Eurofins CALIXAR
Founded in January 2011, CALIXAR originated from the Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Laboratory (MMSB - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS) and has been part of the Eurofins Scientific Group since April 2023. The company is led by Rodolphe Simonot and rooted in CEISAM (Chemistry and Interdisciplinarity: Synthesis, Analysis, Modeling – Nantes Université, CNRS). Based in Lyon, the Eurofins CALIXAR team consists of 12 highly qualified members, including 5 PhDs. A recognized leader in native membrane protein science, Eurofins CALIXAR provides high-value targets used for the development of new drugs and antibodies, vaccine formulation, and structure-based drug design or high-throughput screening assays.
About the CNRS
A world leader in fundamental research, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) is the only French institution active in all scientific fields. Its unique multidisciplinary position allows it to address complex societal challenges in collaboration with public and socio-economic stakeholders. Science is placed at the service of sustainable progress that benefits society as a whole. The CNRS branch in Occitanie Ouest is the largest outside the Paris region in terms of research personnel (scientists, engineers, and technicians), with 60 research units covering all scientific disciplines.
Contact
Press: presse@cnrs.fr – +33 (0)1 44 96 51 51
