Lionel Imbert, research engineer in the NMR Large Assemblies Group (IBS/NMRLA), has been awarded the 2025 CNRS Crystal Medal for its key role in the development and dissemination of isotope labelling by cell-free.
Lionel Imbert is a specialist in cell-free expression systems. Responsable of the Cell-free platform - a structure open to the european scientific community working on this subject - he supports researchers and students in the production of proteins and RNA that are difficult to obtain using conventional methods. These samples are essential for studying their structure using NMR spectroscopy, crystallography or cryo-electron microscopy. With this in mind, Lionel Imbert has also developed advanced isotopic labelling methodologies that simplify and speed up studies of complex proteins.
Highly committed to training, he organises a practical isotope marking school every two years and lectures at a number of international universities and schools. He was awarded the CNRS Crystal Medal for his key role in disseminating these technologies to the scientific community.
The individual Crystal Medal rewards women and men working as research support in Joint Research Units, who, through their creativity, technical expertise and sense of innovation, contribute alongside researchers to the advancement of knowledge and the excellence of French research. In 2025, the CNRS awarded 34 crystal medals.