The good news: our project manager is taking a few months away for maternity leave !

The bad news: she is not replaced, therefore a few DIM activities (not everything, don’t worry!) will have to be put on hold for now.

Find below how this change will temporarily affect our activities. We apologise for any inconvenience, and thank you in advance for your understanding!

Funding for conferences or trainings

All funding for events/conferences and technical trainings will be suspended until further notice. Innovation trainings will still be offered and funded (see Innovation section for more info or contact[at]bioconvs.org)

Funding for iGEM teams

We will still fund iGEM teams for 2026, but requests must be submitted in May 2026. We apologise for the delay.

Follow-up contracts (conventions de reversement)

All conventions for 2025 laureates are signed or in the process of being signed. Laureates have already been adressed to an alternative contact for the last procedures.

All conventions for structuring projects are on hold until further notice.

 The project manager will be back in time to deal with all conventions for 2026 laureates.

For questions regarding payments, supporting documents / tables for conventions that are already signed,  please contact bioconvs.finances[at]u-paris.fr

Newsletter and communication actions

Fewer editions of the BioConvS newsletter will be sent, and the content will mainly concern innovation actions as it will be handled by the innovation manager. The updating of the website and communication channels will also be slowed down.

Science communication actions

All funding and organisation of actions regarding science communication will be interrupted during the absence of the project manager.

The DIM BioConvS’ PhD Fellowships Call will be open from January 5th to May 4th 2026. This call aims to fund five PhD grants for students working in academic labs within Ile-de-France that are members of BioConvS.

Academic labs interested in applying for these grants but are not yet members of BioConvS can do so by filling out the form provided at the link below. Labs working in the thematic areas of BioConvS are eligible to apply, however please note that gene therapy and cell therapy approaches are not prioritized in this call, unless they are based on a synthetic biology approach. 

Applications will be accepted until May 4th, 2026. Results of the selection process will be published no later than June 30th, 2026.

This initiative seeks to support promising PhD students and encourage groundbreaking research in the fields of bioproduction, biotherapy, and synthetic biology. The selected candidates will receive funding to further their research endeavors and contribute to the scientific community of Ile-de-France.

For detailed information about the call, including eligibility criteria, application requirements, and selection process, please visit the call webpage:

The DIM BioConvS’ 2026 equipment call will be open from February 2nd until June 1st, 2026. This call aims to fund up to 1M€ for research equipment for academic labs within Ile-de-France that are members of BioConvS and work in the thematics of biotherapy and bioproduction. The intervention rate of the DIM’s funding is up to 66%, which means that at least 34% of the equipment’s cost needs to come from a co-funding other than Région Ile-de-France.

Academic labs interested in applying for these grants but are not yet members of BioConvS can do so by filling out the form provided at the link below. Labs with projects in the thematic areas of bioproduction or biotherapy are eligible to apply.

Applications will be accepted from February 2nd until June 1st, 2026. Results of the selection process will be published no later than November 2026.

For detailed information about the call, including eligibility criteria, application requirements, and selection process, please visit the call webpage.

Clash Anticorps and colorful bacteria: science, fun and pipettes

The booth also featured the board game Clash Anticorps, where players take on the role of immune cells defending the human body from infections. The goal? Use your antibodies wisely to stop invading pathogens — a clever way to learn while having fun!
More info: clash-anticorps.com

Another highlight was a hands-on demonstration of bacteria cultivation and antibiotic resistance, run by a team of PhD students from the ELiS lab (Inserm/Sorbonne University). Using gelatin and food coloring, kids got to handle real pipettes and simulate bacterial growth and the effects of antibiotics — a playful yet effective way to introduce microbiology.

A buzzing atmosphere and a curious crowd

Throughout the weekend, the BioConvS tables stayed busy. Children clustered around the games, families asked questions, and the team explained tirelessly. The relaxed and festive atmosphere — complete with food stalls and chill-out zones — made science feel approachable and engaging for everyone, whether they were in between waffles or just curious wanderers.

A big shoutout to all the BioConvS participants for their dedication, enthusiasm, and high-quality contributions. It was a fantastic example of science in action — fun, interactive, and truly alive!

ZebraMed – Intelligent Screening on a Living Model

@Zebramed (Lorenzo Zolfanelli, CSO)
This start-up is developing a compound screening technology that combines the use of zebrafish larvae and AI to discover novel drug behaviors.

Drug discovery remains slow and disconnected from in vivo systemic biology, lacking a real feedback loop with AI.

The proposed solution:

• Industrialize data generation through live-organism testing,

• Simulate human-like responses in a controlled environment.

Objectives:

• Extract automated multimodal data,

• Evaluate toxicity and efficacy at scale,

• Improve AI models to accelerate R&D.

Julien Mozziconacci – AI and Targeted Therapies for Genetic Diseases

Julien Mozziconacci, Professor at the Structure and Instability of Genomes Laboratory (StrInG)

This presentation showcased an AI-powered strategy to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

Therapeutic target:
Utrophin, a promising substitute for dystrophin in DMD patients.

Approach:

• Use of generative AI models to identify precise DNA edits that can stimulate utrophin expression.

• Validation of these predictions through experimental lab techniques.

This method opens the door to precise, targeted, and long-lasting therapies for DMD, and potentially for other genetic diseases as well.

The DIM BioConvS 2025 Symposium took place on November 26 at the Conseil Régional d’Île-de-France. This year’s Innovation Day, titled Joining Forces,celebrate the power of collaboration at the crossroads of synthetic biology, biotherapies, and technological innovation. Nearly 250 participants attended a dense program of scientific and innovation-focused talks, enjoyed numerous networking opportunities, took part in a lively poster session, and visited the platforms and other partners present in our exhibition village. If you missed the event, or if you can’t get enough, take a look below at our photo gallery as well as a selection of videos from the conference.The event was feature international speakers, interactive sessions, and opportunities for networking and exchange.

The gallery

Introduction talks

Keynote talks

Short talks

Round Table

Intellectual property management in synthetic biology to facilitate the the transition to innovation.

Best poster award

Congratulations to Amir Cheraghali for winning the Best Poster Prize of our 2025 symposium!

Discover the full program

The DIM BioConvS’ 2025 equipment call is open until June 1st, 2025. This call aims to fund up to 750k€ for research equipment for academic labs within Ile-de-France that are members of BioConvS and work in the thematics of biotherapy and bioproduction. The intervention rate of the DIM’s funding is up to 66%, which means that at least 34% of the equipment’s cost needs to come from a co-funding other than Région Ile-de-France.

Academic labs interested in applying for these grants but are not yet members of BioConvS can do so by filling out the form provided at the link below. Labs with projects in the thematic areas of bioproduction or biotherapy are eligible to apply.

Applications will be accepted until June 1st, 2025. Results of the selection process will be published no later than November 17th, 2025.

For detailed information about the call, including eligibility criteria, application requirements, and selection process, please visit the call webpage.

The DIM BioConvS’ PhD Fellowships Call will open in mid-january 2025. This call aims to fund four PhD grants for students working in academic labs within Ile-de-France that are members of BioConvS.

Academic labs interested in applying for these grants but are not yet members of BioConvS can do so by filling out the form provided at the link below. Labs working in the thematic areas of bioproduction, biotherapy, or synthetic biology are eligible to apply.

Applications will be accepted until April 30th, 2025. Results of the selection process will be published no later than June 30th, 2025.

This initiative seeks to support promising PhD students and encourage groundbreaking research in the fields of bioproduction, biotherapy, and synthetic biology. The selected candidates will receive funding to further their research endeavors and contribute to the scientific community of Ile-de-France.

For detailed information about the call, including eligibility criteria, application requirements, and selection process, please visit the call webpage.