Itys Vacher-Comet

Short presentation

Itys Comet is a postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Kristian Helin at the Biotech Research & Innovation Centre (BRIC), University of Copenhagen. He graduated with a M.Sc. in Chemical and Biological Sciences for Health from the Montpellier II, Sciences and Techniques University, France in 2002. He was awarded a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Montpellier I, Medicine University, France in 2007, for his research in the laboratory of Dr. Giacomo Cavalli, on the role of the conformation of the chromatin fibre in gene insulation and silencing in fly.

The major focus of Dr. Comet’s research in Prof. Helin’s laboratory is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying normal and pathological functions of the Polycomb group (PcG) family of proteins in mammals. PcG proteins are chromatin associated proteins involved in gene silencing and they are essential for many primary biological processes in multicellular organisms, including cell identity and differentiation, cell proliferation and cell death. Furthermore, somatic mutations and aberrant expression of PcG genes have been shown to be involved in human cancer.

Primary fields of research

Chromatin, Epigenetics, Polycomb, Cell identity and differentiation, Cancer

CV

Research experience and education

-Postdoc in the laboratory of Prof. K. Helin. May 2009 to present. BRIC, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Study of the recruitment mechanisms of Polycomb group (PcG) proteins in mouse Embryonic Stem cells and during cell differentiation

-Ph.D. in the laboratory of Dr G. Cavalli. Oct. 2002 to Apr. 2009. IGH, CNRS, Montpellier, France. Study of the role of the chromosome conformation in PcG and insulator functions in fly

-M.Sc. in the laboratory of Dr P. Pasero. Feb. to May. 2002. IGMM, CNRS, Montpellier, France. Study of the role of the yeast Sgs1 helicase in genome integrity maintenance

-M.Sc. in the laboratory of Dr M. Benkirane. Sep. 2001 to Jan. 2002. IGH, CNRS, Montpellier, France. Study of the role of the acetylation of F-box proteins in the regulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway

Grants and Fellowships

- Lundbeck foundation. Project grants, biomedicine. May 2012 to Apr 2015. EUR 201k

- EMBO Long-Term Fellowships. Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2012

- French National League against Cancer. Oct. 2005 to Sep. 2006

- French ministry of scientific research. Oct. 2002 to Sep. 2005. Ranked first out of 48

Scientific communications

-EMBO Conference on Nuclear Structure and Dynamics, La Grande Motte, France. Sep. 2005. Poster

-19th French Annual Drosophila Research Congress, Imbours, France. Oct. 2004.Talk

-69th Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Symposium on Quantitative Biology: Epigenetic. New York, US. Jun. 2004. Poster

Given lectures

- Guest lecture on Epigenetics. Aug. 2012. Future Biotech Summer School, Klyazma, Russia

-Nine lectures on Structural Biochemistry for undergraduate students. Sep. to Dec. 2003. Centre Galien private school, Montpellier, France

Mentoring experience

-Mentoring of two master students. Jan. to Jun. in 2006 and 2007. University Montpellier II, France

Attended courses

- EMBO Laboratory Management Course for Postdocs. Apr. 2013