Thesis Prize SFBD 2020: Dr. Mélanie Gracia

24 June 2020
By aude maugarny-cales
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First prize:
→ Invitation to give a plenary lecture at the meeting “From Cells to Embryo” from 16 to 18 November 2020 in Paris.
→ Prize of €1000

In 2020, the SFBD thesis prize was awarded to Dr. Mélanie Gracia for her thesis entitled: “Epithelio-Mesenchymal Transition and Apoptosis: Cellular Dynamics and the Role of Snail in Drosophila melanogaster”. This work was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Mélanie Gracia did her thesis under the supervision of Dr. Magali Suzanne, at the Centre de Biologie Intégrative in Toulouse.

 
The work of the winner :

Using advanced techniques such as rapid in-depth imaging in living tissue, laser microdissection and biophysical modeling, Mélanie Gracia demonstrated during her thesis a new mechanical function of Drosophila cells undergoing an epithelio-mesenchymal transition (EMT): before detaching from their neighbors, these cells generate a force that causes the deformation of the apical surface of the neighbors by pulling them towards the depth of the epithelium. Cells that undergo an epithelial-mesenchymal transition therefore actively participate in the remodeling of the tissue they are about to leave.

The jury considered that this work makes an important contribution to the general field of cell mechanics during morphogenesis. It also appreciated the clarity of the manuscript’s writing.