News

Mohammad Al Tarrass

In August 2024, Mohammad joined the EnVI Laboratory as a Postdoctoral Researcher for the EU-funded EIC Pathfinder project, MIMOSA.


	PhD in Cell Biology
	LinkedIn: Mohammad-al-tarrass ; ORCID: 0009-0003-9337-9100

Biography

Mohammad Al Tarrass is a passionate early-stage researcher with a strong background in biochemistry, cell biology, and expertise in vascular biology. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Lebanese University and completed a double diploma Master’s degree in Healthy Living Technologies with honors in 2019, through a collaborative program between Lebanese University (Lebanon) and the University of Grenoble Alpes (France). During this program, he performed his Master's internship at the Biomics Lab (CEA Grenoble), where he investigated the DNA-dependent protease SPRTN as a therapeutic target in cancer.

Following this, Mohammad began his PhD at CEA Grenoble-Biosanté, working within the BMP family in the angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis team (BAL). His research focused on deciphering phosphoproteomic changes in response to BMP9 and BMP10 in endothelial cells. The aim was to understand the role of these ligands in vascular homeostasis and propose novel therapeutic approaches for treating rare vascular diseases, particularly Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), which are associated with defects in their signaling pathways. He successfully obtained his PhD in Cell Biology from the University of Grenoble Alpes in 2023.

Throughout his scientific career, Mohammad has gained significant experience in various aspects of cellular biology, utilizing a wide range of molecular and biochemical techniques alongside advanced technologies (Mass-spectrometry). He has published three scientific papers, a book chapter, and presented his research at several national and international conferences (Researchgate).

In addition to his role in the MIMOSA project, Dr Al Tarrass is developing and validating, together with Dr Thomas Duflot, an analytical method for analyzing sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) species in biological samples (in vivo or in vitro models of cardiovascular disease) using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). He will also investigate the role of S1P signaling in vascular endothelial cells and its significance in maintaining vascular and lymphatic barriers. This work builds on ongoing international projects led by the EnVI laboratory, including ANR PHASM (Dr Jeremy Bellien) and ANR CITE-LYMPH (Dr Ebba Brakenhielm).

New review out in ATVB

ATVB 2024 New review article on cardiac lymphatics published in ATVB

Open postdoctoral position: Cell biology and/or analytical Biochemistry

A post-doctoral position is available in our laboratory starting in April 2024. We are looking for a candidate with a recent PhD in Cell biology and/or analytical Biochemistry to join our cardiovascular research team. The proposed project will be led by Thomas Duflot (MCU-PH) in close collaboration with Jérémy Bellien (PU-PH), Ebba Brakenhielm (DR2 Inserm), Sylvain Fraineau and Valentin Platel (both MCF).

The position is funded through the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder Open “MIMOSA” project (https://www.mimosa.cnrs.fr/), initiated in 2021. The project is based on multidisciplinary collaboration, involving physics, chemistry, biology, biomedicine and computational modelling. It is part of a European consortium that includes 3 research teams from UNIROUEN Normandy University: the EnVI UMR1096 laboratory, the GPM (Groupe de Physique des Matériaux) and CORIA (Complexe de Recherche Interprofessionnel en Aérothermochimie). The MIMOSA project brings together experts in light-matter interactions in the ultrafast regime, laser physics, atom probe tomography (APT) and biosample encapsulation. The ultimate goal to develop a novel high-resolution 4D microscopy platform based on a disruptive technology enabling high spatial resolution and chemical sensitivity analysis of biomaterial through ultrafast APT (THz-APT).

The recruited researcher will assume two main responsibilities:

1) synthesizing, purifying, and characterizing various nanosized biomaterials including mitochondrial fractions, proteins, lipoproteins, and extracellular vesicles for APT imaging.

2) assisting in the development and validation of an analytical method for analyzing sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). This part will build on ongoing international projects led by the EnVI laboratory including ANR PHASM (Bellien) and ANR CITE-LYMPH (Brakenhielm). Specifically, the researcher will investigate the role of S1P signaling in vascular endothelial cells, and its significance in maintenance of vascular and lymphatic barrier. The fellow will be responsible for the quantification of S1P in biological samples (from in vivo or in vitro models of cardiovascular disease) using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Additionally, the postdoc will conduct co-culture experiments involving endothelial cells and macrophages to study S1P release.

The INSERM UMR1096 EnVI laboratory is fully equipped for the proposed work, featuring an analytical chemistry platform situated within the Institute of Clinical Biology at Rouen University Hospital Charles-Nicolle. Additionally, state-of-the-art cell culture facilities are available at the EnVI research laboratory.

Key words: Sphingosine-1-Phosphate, Vascular Endothelial Cells, Macrophages, Angiogenesis, Lymphangiogenesis, Lymphatic endothelial cells, Extracellular Vesicles.

For further detail please see https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/181622