Genopole® The genetic and biotech campus ® Genopole at the heart BE towards ROISSY Seine PARIS Charles-de-Gaulle La of the genetic revolution MARNE- LA-VALLÉE A 4 ® By creating Genopole in Evry, 25 miles south ME RER C R AL of Paris, France has given Europe a “genetic valley” ER D entirely dedicated to genomic research and N 7 to the development of biotechnology companies. N 19 A 86 ® Located in the Ile-de-France region, Genopole is the first French ORLY campus to be entirely dedicated to genetics, genomics and MASSY biotechnologies. Created in 1998 at the initiative of the French SOUTHEAST TGV A 6 government, regional authorities and the Association française contre N 6 les Myopathies (French Neuromuscular Dystrophy Association), Genopole® is based upon an original concept: it houses high-level academic research laboratories and innovative biotechnology companies RER C N 104 ® N 104 ÉVRY on a single site. Genopole helps to promote the development of La Francilienne large-scale biological activities and to make France a major competitor N 6 in the world of science and industry. In just four years, Genopole® SÉNART has already become a reference site: today, the campus is home to some twenty or so research laboratories —directed by internationally recognized scientists—, close to forty biotechnology companies and RER D La Seine the University of Evry-Val-d’Essonne. The latter works very closely A 6 N 20 with research centres to provide students with high-level teaching RER C N 7 LYON in the subjects of genetics, genomics and related sciences. ITALIE Genopole® is directed by Pierre Tambourin, who is also the Executive Manager of the national network of genopoles. To create and drive To support a centre To foster To promote the site a centre for for the teaching the development and genomics genomic research of life sciences of biotechnologies Genopole® manages the Working closely with In collaboration with The Genopole® site is home infrastructures of the campus, major national public the University of Evry- to many biotechnology fosters knowledge on research institutions and Val-d’Essonne, Genopole® companies. It helps genomics, leads the national the universities of the Ile- helps to provide high-level entrepreneurs to start up network of genopoles de-France region, Genopole® teaching in genomics, gene new companies, particularly and contributes to the ethical houses public research therapy and bioinformatics, during the first round debate on genetics structures specializing to create mixed research of the financing phase, and genomics related issues. in genetics, genomics and teams and to establish and provides them with related sciences. links with other French assistance during their first university centres. few months of creation. Network’s Lille strength Paris Strasbourg The national network of genopoles, the Rennes Evry/Ile-de-France Genoscope and the National genotyping centre form the National Consortium of Genomic Nantes Research (CNRG) created in December 2001. Their mission is to participate in the national research in genomics and functional genomics Lyon by offering to the french scientific community heavy technological equipments required to be competetive at the international level. Grenoble The goal of the French genopole network is to encourage large-scale development Toulouse Montpellier Marseille of unifying and cross-disciplinary research projects in biological science as well as Perpignan the creation of new biotechnology companies. Seven genopoles have been designated as part of the “Genomics” programme introduced by the Seven French genopoles and one test site French Research Ministry in 1999. Another genopole is being approved: Rennes-Nantes - Genopole® Evry/Ile de France Genopole Ouest (2002-2004). • Comprising Institut Pasteur in Paris, Ecole Normale Supérieure, In liaison with other academic sites specializing Institut Curie, Ecole Supérieure Physique-Chimie Industrielle de la Ville de Paris, Necker-Cochin Hospital, Bichat Hospital, Universities of Paris V, in genomics, these genopoles cover the entire Paris Sud-Orsay and Paris VI, CNRS/Gif-sur-Yvette, country and are actively involved in the creation • Fostering the development of large scale biological activities in the fields of a European innovation zone of scientific of genetics, genomics and post-genomics; high-level university teaching research and innovation. In the framework of and a multi-disciplinary pool of skills in both the public research sector and company creation and industrial development, the biotechnology industry; gene therapy; sequencing; genotyping; bioinformatics. national and regional collaborations have been Lille-Genopole: multifactorial genetic diseases and therapeutic innovations; initiated with the incubators and regional genomics and post-genomics technologies applied to age-related diseases. delegates of Research and Technology. Marseille-Genopole: immunology; developmental biology; medical The national network of genopoles coordinates sciences. Pioneer in the field of the transcriptome. the resources allocated to the genopoles and the Montpellier-Languedoc-Roussillon-Genopole (in collaboration managers of the five technological platforms with Perpignan): biodiversity of the genomes of higher plants, parasites, animals and humans. Only site in France, along with Genoscope, dedicated to unifying, cross-disciplinary projects concentrating on the genomics of rice and other tropical crops. and to industrial development: “structural Rhône-Alpes-Genopole (Lyon-Grenoble): from gene to understanding the biology”, “functional exploration”, “bioinformatics”, complexity of life. Two major platforms in european excellence clusters: mice “transcriptomics” and “proteomics”. imaging facility for funtional genomics and proteomics/structural biology. In addition, specific operations are dedicated to Strasbourg-Genopole: from gene to drug, with emphasis scientific and technical information and on the structure and function of proteins and genetic engineering in mice. communication, such as the organization of Toulouse-Genopole: identification of the genes involved in diseases scientific and industrial conferences and the and those associated with interactions between bacteria and higher creation or development of Web sites dedicated organisms; genome mapping of plants and animals. Specific features: to these genopoles. development of bio-chips and work on “ethics and society”. Rennes-Nantes (Genopole Ouest): test site at the stage of approvalmarine genomics, agronomics and health. Genomics and post-genomics The genomic era started in Evry back in 1992 when the Généthon laboratory published the first map of the human genome. Genopole® currently houses around twenty academic research laboratories working on complementary disciplines: biology, bioinformatics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering sciences, human and social sciences, etc. The governing institutions are the CNRS (French Centre for Scientific Research), Inserm (French Institute of Health and Medical Research), the CEA (French Atomic Energy Agency), Inra (French Institute for Agronomic Research)and the Universities of Evry-Val-d’Essonne and Paris VII. The agronomic research unit, directed by Pooled resources Michel Caboche, is developing Genopole® sets up infrastructures tools to analyse the genomes that are available to all the partners of higher plants as part of a wider working on the campus. The following research programme. A resource facilities are operational: the Genocenter, centre extending their work a large conference centre, a is in operation since spring 2002. transcriptome service and a high-speed network. In the process of being installed, Bioinformatics an electron and scanning microscope and A large effort is being devoted an irradiator for cells and small animals. to bioinformatics, essential for storing, An experimental functional research Sequencing utilising and understanding centre, a national DNA repository and a Genoscope, the National Sequencing the data produced on genomes. central library are scheduled to be set up Centre, directed by Jean Weissenbach, Created in 1995, Infobiogen within the next three years. is, among other projects, part of the —the national centre for computer international consortium that developed science applied to molecular biology— the “Human Genome Project”, which in provides the scientific community February 2001 published the almost with powerful analytical tools complete sequence of the human and access to an extensive range genome. Genoscope of data bases and training modules. is responsible for sequencing There are several bioinformatics, chromosome 14 and is now preparing biomathematics and genetic for the “post-genome” period, providing epidemiology teams working around the scientific community with new Infobiogen, directed by Guy Vaysseix, research Genopole® has also launched initiatives tools for the identification of genes. representing some 150 bioinformatics specifically targeting scientists: experts on the Evry site. post-doctoral research fellowships and incentive grants for particular Genotyping subjects (financed by the Ile-de-France The National Genotyping Centre, regional council)to attract scientists directed by Mark Lathrop, is dedicated liable to become future leaders to isolating and characterizing of high-level research teams. the genes involved in hereditary human diseases. The tools and techniques employed in the National Genotyping Gene therapy Centre are also applied to animals. The