Pierre Bercier, doctoral student in biology

Do you have a research routine ?

I open my laboratory door at around 8 . I make myself a cup of coffee while defrosting the reagents. These are substances which, once heated, become liquid and which I mix together in precise proportions to start my experiments. As each of these experiments has its own development time, I initiate and control several in the same day. Some of them can take several days to complete... In this profession, we do things a bit like jugglers who throw several plates at the top of large flexible poles like spinning tops : each experiment has its own rhythm and requires special attention.

Do you experiment all day long ?

I do take a break at lunchtime ! And then I have a lot of exchanges, more or less informal, with other researchers. It's an opportunity to pass on ideas and methods... or to be helped by someone more advanced... In short, I work in the laboratory until around 7 p.m... and then I go off to train in ju-jitsu, a discipline I've been practicing since I was 5 years old. This allows me to " forget " my work for a while and get back to " normal   " life!

Did you have an early interest in science ?

Not at all ! It's a bit of a coincidence. I lived in Châtellerault. After taking my baccalauréat S, I simply wanted to follow in the footsteps of my friends... So I enrolled at the University of Poitiers for a degree in Life Sciences.
I liked it more or less... I found university neither easy nor difficult compared to the grandes écoles. There's a constant pressure and selection process, which can be difficult. In my third year, I was even thinking of changing direction. I wasn't very motivated. An internship at Bretonneau Hospital in Tours, under the direction of Patrick Vourc'h, made me realize that I liked spending time in a laboratory. I liked handling scientific instruments. I was won over by the " artisanal " aspect of the job. I put a lot of effort into my studies. And from then on, I found it truly fascinating.

What is your specialty in biology ?

Let's just say that, depending on the different stages of my research, I do cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics and/or physiology.

What is your subject of study ?

The myeloid proleukemia protein (PML). In the human genome, this molecule is located on chromosome 15. It is considered a " hub ", a cellular interconnection point, as it controls several biological functions. I'm focusing on just one of these functions, namely the relationship this protein has with oxidative stress.

How does this stress arise ?

Oxidative stress occurs naturally ! All living organisms feed on oxygen. Some of this food is transformed into energy to ensure vital functions and physical effort ; another part - much smaller - is transformed into toxic waste called free radicals. In small quantities, these free radicals are harmless, even beneficial. When they become excessive, however, too many cells are oxidized and literally attacked... this is known as oxidative stress.

How does myeloid proleukemia protein work ?

Myeloid proleukemia protein appears to " feel " the level of free radicals. Under normal conditions, it protects cells from this aggression and, to defend them, promotes the production of antioxidant molecules. But when cells suffer too much oxidative stress, this protein changes its strategy and, paradoxically, programs their death. This process is known as apoptosis. The cells are destroyed.

What implications can other researchers draw from your work ?

Given that cell oxidation is involved in the development of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, understanding how the myeloid proleukemia protein reacts to oxidative stress is of great interest in the development of future therapies.

What do you plan to do after your doctorate ?

Once I've defended my thesis, I imagine continuing to work in the research world, as a post-doctoral fellow, in basic research where the final applications are, as in my current research, clearly defined. The idea that I can continue to deepen my knowledge of biology and that my work could be useful is a source of great motivation.
Ultimately, what I like best about being a researcher is that it's an obsessive practice ! You can't do it by halves. Bringing theory and experience together takes time. Ideas emerge slowly. You have to keep abreast of articles written by other researchers, develop hypotheses, patiently test their accuracy and so on. Practising ju-jitsu has taught me to put up with defeat. On the tatami, results don't necessarily come when you want them to. It's the same in science ! Alas... and so much the better !

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Pierre Bercier works in the Nuclear Organization and Post-Translational Control in Pathophysiology team at the Collège de France's Interdisciplinary Biology Research Center, under the supervision of Prof. Hugues de Thé, Chair of Cellular and Molecular Oncology, and Dr. Valérie Lallemand-Breitenbach. Her thesis is entitled " Corps nucléaires PML et réponse au stress oxydant ".

Photos © Patrick Imbert
Interview by David Adjemian