Florence Pojer
Head of Unit
florence.pojer@epfl.ch +41 21 693 19 76 https://www.epfl.ch/research/facilities/ptpsp/
Citizenship: Swiss-French
EPFL SV PTECH PTPSP
AI 2147 (Bâtiment AI)
Station 19
1015 Lausanne
Web site: Web site: https://www.epfl.ch/research/facilities/ptpsp/
Web site: Web site: https://go.epfl.ch/edms
+41 21 693 19 76
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Fields of expertise
Head of a core facility within the Life Sciences School - PTPSP
With main expertise in Integrative protein Structural Biology (e.g. biophysical techniques, X-ray Crystallography, SPR Cryo-EM,..)
And production/Purification of macromolecules (e.g. antibodies, membrane proteins, growth factors...) expressed in mammalian, insect and bacterial cells
With main expertise in Integrative protein Structural Biology (e.g. biophysical techniques, X-ray Crystallography, SPR Cryo-EM,..)
And production/Purification of macromolecules (e.g. antibodies, membrane proteins, growth factors...) expressed in mammalian, insect and bacterial cells
Mission
PTPSP is a hub for Protein Sciences and Integrative Structural Biology; with top-notch instrumentations, close connections to high-end facilities and a dedicated team of experts highly enthusiastic to help your project move forward. On a daily basis, the team advises, supports and trains scientists in production, purification and biophysical/structural characterisations of macromolecules, such as enzymes, antibodies or any kind of proteins you are interested in.Professional course
Head of Protein Production and Structure Core Facility
School of Life Sciences
EPFL
2011-now
Staff scientist
Chair of Microbial Pathogenesis, Prof. Stewart Cole
EPFL
2007-2018
Post-doc
Structural Biology lab, Prof. Joseph Noel
The Salk Institute (La Jolla, USA)
2004-2007
Education
PhD thesis
Antibiotic research
Tuebingen (Germany)
1999-2003
Pharm D
Pharmacy School
Besancon (France)
1992-1998
Publications
Infoscience publications
Antibody-peptide conjugates deliver covalent inhibitors blocking oncogenic cathepsins
Nature Chemical Biology. 2024-05-29. DOI : 10.1038/s41589-024-01627-z.Manganese Transfer Hydrogenases Based on the Biotin-Streptavidin Technology
Angewandte Chemie-International Edition. 2023-10-23. DOI : 10.1002/anie.202311896.Machine learning predictions of MHC-II specificities reveal alternative binding mode of class II epitopes
Immunity. 2023-06-13. DOI : 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.03.009.High-affinity peptides developed against calprotectin and their application as synthetic ligands in diagnostic assays
Nature Communications. 2023-05-17. DOI : 10.1038/s41467-023-38075-7.Uncovering and engineering the mechanical properties of the adhesion GPCR ADGRG1 GAIN domain
2023-04-06. DOI : 10.1101/2023.04.05.535724.Cryo-EM structures and binding of mouse and human ACE2 to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern indicate that mutations enabling immune escape could expand host range
PLOS Pathogens. 2023-04-05. DOI : 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011206.Broadly potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody shares 93% of epitope with ACE2 and provides full protection in monkeys
Journal of Infection. 2023. DOI : 10.1016/j.jinf.2023.10.008.Structure-based optimization of type III indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors
Journal Of Enzyme Inhibition And Medicinal Chemistry. 2022-12-31. DOI : 10.1080/14756366.2022.2089665.Patient-derived monoclonal antibody neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants and confers full protection in monkeys
Nature Microbiology. 2022-07-25. DOI : 10.1038/s41564-022-01198-6.A highly potent antibody effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern
Cell Reports. 2021-10-12. DOI : 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109814.A high-throughput cell- and virus-free assay shows reduced neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants by COVID-19 convalescent plasma
Science Translational Medicine. 2021-08-04. DOI : 10.1126/scitranslmed.abi8452.A Nanoscaffolded Spike-RBD Vaccine Provides Protection against SARS-CoV-2 with Minimal Anti-Scaffold Response
Vaccines. 2021-04-27. DOI : 10.3390/vaccines9050431.Palmitoylated acyl protein thioesterase APT2 deforms membranes to extract substrate acyl chains
Nature Chemical Biology. 2021-04-01. DOI : 10.1038/s41589-021-00753-2.Azole-Based Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) Inhibitors
Journal Of Medicinal Chemistry. 2021-02-25. DOI : 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01968.Changes in SARS-CoV-2 Spike versus Nucleoprotein Antibody Responses Impact the Estimates of Infections in Population-Based Seroprevalence Studies
Journal Of Virology. 2021-02-01. DOI : 10.1128/JVI.01828-20.Structural investigation of ACE2 dependent disassembly of the trimeric SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein
bioRxiv. 2020-10-12. DOI : 10.1101/2020.10.12.336016.Selective inhibition of STAT3 signaling using monobodies targeting the coiled-coil and N-terminal domains
Nature Communications. 2020-08-17. DOI : 10.1038/s41467-020-17920-z.High resolution CryoEM structure of the ring-shaped virulence factor EspB from Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Journal of Structural Biology: X. 2020-07-02. DOI : 10.1016/j.yjsbx.2020.100029.De novo development of proteolytically resistant therapeutic peptides for oral administration
Nature Biomedical Engineering. 2020-05-11. DOI : 10.1038/s41551-020-0556-3.Btk SH2-kinase interface is critical for allosteric kinase activation and its targeting inhibits B-cell neoplasms
Nature Communications. 2020-05-08. DOI : 10.1038/s41467-020-16128-5.Inhibition Mechanisms of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase 1 (IDO1)
Journal Of Medicinal Chemistry. 2019-10-10. DOI : 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00942.Structural and functional dissection of the DH and PH domains of oncogenic Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase
Nature Communications. 2017. DOI : 10.1038/s41467-017-02313-6.Selective Targeting of SH2 Domain–Phosphotyrosine Interactions of Src Family Tyrosine Kinases with Monobodies
Journal of Molecular Biology. 2017. DOI : 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.03.023.A rheostat mechanism governs the bifurcation of carbon flux in mycobacteria
Nature Communications. 2016. DOI : 10.1038/ncomms12527.Discovery of benzothiazoles as antimycobacterial agents: Synthesis, structure-activity relationships and binding studies with Mycobacterium tuberculosis decaprenylphosphoryl-beta-D-ribose 2 '-oxidase
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. 2015. DOI : 10.1016/j.bmc.2015.11.017.Lansoprazole is an antituberculous prodrug targeting cytochrome bc1
Nature Communications. 2015. DOI : 10.1038/ncomms8659.Structure of EspB, a secreted substrate of the ESX-1 secretion system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Journal Of Structural Biology. 2015. DOI : 10.1016/j.jsb.2015.06.003.2-Carboxyquinoxalines Kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis through Noncovalent Inhibition of DprE1
Acs Chemical Biology. 2015. DOI : 10.1021/cb5007163.Internalization and vacuolar targeting of the brassinosteroid hormone receptor BRI1 are regulated by ubiquitination
Nature Communications. 2015. DOI : 10.1038/ncomms7151.The Crystal Structures of Apo and cAMP-Bound GlxR from Corynebacterium glutamicum Reveal Structural and Dynamic Changes upon cAMP Binding in CRP/FNR Family Transcription Factors
Plos One. 2014. DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0113265.Dithiol amino acids can structurally shape and enhance the ligand-binding properties of polypeptides
Nature Chemistry. 2014. DOI : 10.1038/nchem.2043.The cysteine desulfurase IscS of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is involved in iron sulfur cluster biogenesis and oxidative stress defence
Biochemical Journal. 2014. DOI : 10.1042/Bj20130732.Functional Dissection of Intersubunit Interactions in the EspR Virulence Regulator of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Journal Of Bacteriology. 2014. DOI : 10.1128/Jb.00039-1.Towards a new combination therapy for tuberculosis with next generation benzothiazinones
Embo Molecular Medicine. 2014. DOI : 10.1002/emmm.201303575.Pyridomycin bridges the NADH- and substratebinding pockets of the enoyl reductase InhA
Nature Chemical Biology. 2014. DOI : 10.1038/nchembio.1405.Peptide ligands stabilized by small molecules
Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English). 2014. DOI : 10.1002/anie.201309459.Structure and Function of Essential Components of Contractile Injection Systems
Lausanne, EPFL, 2014. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-5939.Phenotypic Profiling of Mycobacterium tuberculosis EspA Point Mutants Reveals that Blockage of ESAT-6 and CFP-10 Secretion In Vitro Does Not Always Correlate with Attenuation of Virulence
Journal Of Bacteriology. 2013. DOI : 10.1128/Jb.00967-13.Mycobacterium tuberculosis EspB binds phospholipids and mediates EsxA-independent virulence
Molecular Microbiology. 2013. DOI : 10.1111/mmi.12336.Tetrahydrobiopterin Biosynthesis as an Off-Target of Sulfa Drugs
Science. 2013. DOI : 10.1126/science.1232972.Structural Basis for Benzothiazinone-Mediated Killing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Science Translational Medicine. 2012. DOI : 10.1126/scitranslmed.3004395.Towards a new tuberculosis drug: pyridomycin - nature's isoniazid
Embo Molecular Medicine. 2012. DOI : 10.1002/emmm.201201689.Characterization of Molecular Determinants of the Conformational Stability of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor: Leucine 46 Hydrophobic Pocket
PLoS ONE. 2012. DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0045024.Virulence Regulator EspR of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Is a Nucleoid-Associated Protein
Plos Pathogens. 2012. DOI : 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002621.Directed evolution of the suicide protein O⁶-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase for increased reactivity results in an alkylated protein with exceptional stability
Biochemistry. 2012. DOI : 10.1021/bi2016537.Structure and function of the transketolase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and comparison with the human enzyme
Open Biology. 2012. DOI : 10.1098/rsob.110026.Benzothiazinones Are Suicide Inhibitors of Mycobacterial Decaprenylphosphoryl-β-
Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2012. DOI : 10.1021/ja211042r.EspD Is Critical for the Virulence-Mediating ESX-1 Secretion System in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Journal of bacteriology. 2011. DOI : 10.1128/JB.06417-11.Atypical DNA recognition mechanism used by the EspR virulence regulator of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Molecular Microbiology. 2011. DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07813.x.Towards anti-virulence drugs targeting ESX-1 mediated pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Drug Discovery Today: Disease Mechanisms. 2010. DOI : 10.1016/j.ddmec.2010.09.002.Sigma Factor F does not Prevent Rifampin Inhibition of RNA Polymerase or Cause Rifampin Tolerance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Journal of bacteriology. 2010. DOI : 10.1128/JB.00687-10.A finite element model of the LHC dipole cold mass with hysteretic, non-linear behavior and single turn description
Lausanne, EPFL, 2009. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-4259.Teaching & PhD
Teaching
Life Sciences Engineering
Outreach
PTPSP is regularly hosting kids and classes to discuss scientific topics and propose practical experiments. PTPSP is also participating in EPFL open days.Courses
Concept to early-stage drug and medTech products
This course explores how innovative drugs and medical devices are brought to the market. Experts from leading companies share real-world insights and experiences. By the end, students gain a clear and practical understanding of the clinical, regulatory and quality aspects.
Integrative structural biology for Life sciences
The course will start on 11th September and end on 18th December 2025. It will take place every Thursday from 15h00 to 17h00 in room AI 3142. This course will teach how to interpret data from major structural biology techniques and connect experimental approaches to computational modeling. You will have sessions that are tutorial based on the main structural biology software as an introduction
Recombinant protein expression in animal cells for appli-cations in medicine and structural biology
Cultivated animal cells are important hosts for the production of recombinant proteins for biochemical and structural studies and for use as therapeutics. The course will provide an overview of the methods for the production and characterization of recombinant proteins.
Methods: from disease models to therapy
This course will describe methods underlying translational approaches from disease modeling and characterization to therapeutic applications. The presented techniques will be complemented by hands-on rotations in the technological platforms of the School of Life Sciences.
Methods: omics in biomedical research
High-throughput methodologies broadly called Omics allow to characterize the complexity and dynamics of any biological system. This course will provide a general description of different methods related to the Omics field followed by hands-on rotations in participating technological platforms.