Olivier Theodoly presented the results of the IMMUNOCHIP project, selected for funding through the 2024 Cancéropôle Maturation call. The project sought to demonstrate the technological feasibility of novel diagnostic microdevices designed to guide cancer immunotherapy through the functional profiling of immune cells. Prototype tests were developed and evaluated to assess the activation and functional responses of T cells, CAR-T cells and NK cells.

https://canceropole-paca.com/agenda/seminaire-annuel-2023-du-canceropole-provence-alpes-cote-dazur/

We are pleased to share that members of the LAI took part in the European South Atlantic Biophysics Conference 2026, held from 17 to 19 June 2026 in Montpellier.

Arnauld Sergé presented a poster entitled “Nanodynamics and blockade of RANK/RANKL interactions between leukemic and thymic epithelial cells”, a collaborative work with Loriane Maillot, Martine Biarnes-Pelicot, Magali Irla.

Pierre-Henri Puech was invited as a speaker and gave a talk entitled “Some aspects of T cells mechanobiology”.

Many thanks to the organisers for a stimulating meeting.

We are pleased to share that Arnauld Serge, from our lab, led a project at the 2026 CENTURI Hackathon, held from 5 to 7 June at the Villages Clubs du Soleil in La Belle de Mai, Marseille, an event dedicated to coding, engineering, and idea-sharing at the interface of computer science and the life sciences. Together with Magali Irla, Arnauld proposed and led Thymo3D: mapping thymic architecture to decode immune health, which set out to reconstruct the mouse thymus in three dimensions and quantify how its structural organisation relates to immune health and disease. This year’s edition brought together 36 participants across six interdisciplinary projects. Many thanks to Philippe Roudot, Léo Guignard, and the CENTURI team for organising such a stimulating event.

Olivier Theodoly presented the MOHICAN, laureate of the PEPR MED-OOC call 2025. The MOHICAN project aims to develop new medical devices enabling functional testing of patient immune cells as part of routine hospital practice. These innovative devices will integrate microfluidic components coupled with microprinted molecular patterns to recreate structures that mimic secondary and tertiary lymph. The MOHICAN consortium brings together leading biophysics teams (LAI – Marseille and IINS – Bordeaux), clinical partners from AP-HM and IPC, as well as the TAGC genomics laboratory.

https://www.pepr-medooc.fr/projet/micropuces-pour-lanalyse-personnalisee-des-fonctionsimmunologiques-en-oncologie-clinique-de-routine-mohican

We are pleased to share that members of the LAI attended the GdR AQV Days 2026, the annual meeting of the CNRS GdR “Approches Quantitatives du Vivant”, held in Aussois from May 11 to 13, 2026.

The meeting offered a valuable opportunity to follow current work in the quantitative approaches to living systems community, exchange ideas, and discuss shared research questions with colleagues from different backgrounds.

Pierre-Henri Puech, Marie Dessard, and Jana El Husseiny took part in the conference. Jana also presented her PhD work in a selected talk, contributing to the scientific discussions during the meeting. Pierre-Henri was also involved in the organisation of the event.

Many thanks to the organisers and participants for making this a stimulating and enjoyable meeting.

We are pleased to share that Jana El Husseiny, PhD student in our lab, participated in the 2nd meeting of the France-BioImaging Mechanobiology Working Group, held in Paris on March 26–27, 2026.

During the meeting, Jana gave a talk to present her work. The event brought together researchers for two days of scientific exchange, including presentations, poster sessions, and practical workshops on a range of mechanobiology approaches.

From 24 to 27 November 2025, members of LAI took part in the online scientific event BioPhysImmuno at UNAM, organized within the framework of the International Research Project (IRP) BioPhysImmuno.

The event brought together students and researchers from UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and IPN (Instituto Politécnico Nacional), focusing on cellular mechanotransduction and new methodologies for studying cells through biomimetic cell culture chips.

LAI was represented with the participation of Gaurav Varma, Jana El Husseiny, and Marie Dessard as speakers.
In addition, Pierre-Henri Puech, present in Mexico as part of the organizing team, contributed to strengthening scientific and institutional links between France and Mexico.

It was a pleasure for Marie Dessard and Jana El Husseiny to attend the 11th edition of the Thematic School MiFoBio 2025 – Functional Microscopy for Biology, organized by GdR ImaBio.

During the event, Jana El Husseiny presented her PhD project as part of the mini-symposium “Imaging and Physical Measurements, Mechanobiology”, while Marie Dessard presented her work during the poster session, and co-animated a workshop with her co-supervisor at CIML.

The school took place in Seignosse, from October 10 to 17, 2025, and brought together a vibrant community of researchers and industry experts.
This edition featured:

• 330 participants
• 14 homemade setups
• 1 culture room and aquarium
• 30 industrial microscopy systems
• 40 industrial partners
• 12 round tables
• 1 Scientibus
• 8 international seminars with 31 lectures
• 100 hands-on workshops

This intensive and collaborative event fostered discussions and training around the latest advances in functional microscopy and its applications in biology.

We are pleased to share that Jana El Husseiny presented her work “Unraveling Morphological and Biomechanical Responses to Stressors in Coccidian Oocysts”, and Gaurav Verma gave a flash talk titled “Molecular Geometry Controls Immune Response” at the CENTURI – Turing Centre for Living Systems Scientific Day, held on September 17th at Jardins du Pharo.

The event brought together current members and alumni, fostering networking, idea exchange, and discussions on future perspectives. The day concluded with a convivial cocktail evening at Villa Gaby.

On Friday, May 24, Arnauld Serge attended the Institute of Cancerology and Immunology Day at the Palais du Pharo, accompanying his two Master’s 2 students, Cyril Roty and Zacharie Nakache, who presented a poster detailing their research project titled: ”Imaging T-ALL cell transmigration: therapeutic potential of an anti-RANKL antibody to limit dissemination”.