Europole Mer : research consortium on marine science and technology in Brittany

The European PhD Program of Integrated Marine Biology
Led by University Pierre et Marie Curie, various European universities (Naples, Göteborg, …) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in order to promote French leadership on marine models for fundamental biological research and to attract new talents in Marine Sciences.

The aim of the proposal is to provide early stage researchers with an advanced integrated training program in marine biology with an emphasis on the new approaches related to systems biology and biodiversity. It will be based both on research and technology training in the research groups belonging to the PhD consortium and on an integrated curriculum of specific courses and workshops.

This is motivated by two considerations.

• With the advances in genomics, which now can target all of the components of living organisms, from nucleic acids to metabolites, biology is rapidly moving towards systems biology. Systems biology investigates the behaviour and relationships of all of these elements in a particular biological system while it is functioning. These new approaches are relevant to all of the domains of biology, from the deciphering of gene networks within cells to ecosystems functioning. Thus, it is crucial that young researchers who intend to pursue their career in biology benefit from an integrated program in genomics and systems biology.
• In this context, it is important also that key issues in marine biology - such as, the census and preservation of biodiversity, the sustainable management of living resources, the understanding of the evolution and adaptation of life and the uncovering and production of natural products of interest - are addressed with systems biology approaches. Thus, those young scientists who wish to enter the field of marine biological sciences must now be prepared to simultaneously grasp the main issues in their domain and become familiar with the most recent developments in genomics and systems biology.