The 2025 IBS Young Researcher Award has been presented to Florian Chenavier, in recognition of his outstanding doctoral research, conducted under the supervision of the VRM and MEM groups and funded by the Labex GRAL.
Influenza virus remains a significant human pathogen. During his doctoral studies, Florian developed an innovative experimental model to reconstitute influenza virus ribonucleoprotein-like complexes in vitro, using recombinant nucleoprotein (NP) and RNA fragments. This approach overcame the limitations of numerous earlier studies by enabling analysis at atomic resolution through cryo-electron microscopy. His work unveiled previously unobserved details of NP-RNA and NP-NP interactions. These findings led to the proposal of a novel model for viral genome encapsidation—an essential step toward a deeper understanding of influenza virus replication mechanisms—and open new avenues for the development of antiviral strategies. Following publication in leading scientific journals, Florian’s research received considerable attention in popular science media, underscoring the broader significance of these discoveries in advancing our understanding of this major pathogen. In parallel with his thesis work, Florian actively contributed to a number of other projects within the VRM and MEM groups, notably making innovative progress on the Borna disease virus and acquiring additional expertise in crystallography.
He has since joined the Francis Crick Institute to further pursue his specialization in structural virology.