Irina Gutsche, CNRS Research Director and group leader at the IBS, has been awarded the Jacques Piraud Prize by the French Foundation for Medical Research (FRM).
With her group (IBS/Microscopic Imaging of Complex Assemblies group), Irina Gutsche investigates large assemblies of biological molecules using state-of-the-art electron microscopy techniques and develops new tools to improve image analysis of these complex structures. This research aims both to decipher fundamental mechanisms at the atomic scale and to open up new therapeutic avenues.
Their work focuses in particular on the study of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is responsible for bronchiolitis in infants and severe pneumonia in elderly people. The researchers also explore the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in certain pathogenic bacteria, as well as the survival strategies of other bacterial species under extreme stress conditions.
Each year, thanks to the generosity of donors, the French Foundation for Medical Research honors outstanding researchers for their innovative and promising work. The Jacques Piraud Prize, endowed with €15,000, comes from a donation by Marcel Piraud dedicated to his son Jacques. It is intended to support research on infectious diseases.