Veronica Nuccetteli et Makram Mghezzi
“Article of the Month” award April 2025. The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein interferes with the full enzymatic activation of UPF1 and its interaction with UPF2. Nucleic Acids Research (2025).
Profile
Veronica Nuccetelli
Veronica Nuccetelli, 26 years old is a first-year PhD student in Biochemistry at the Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB) research unit in Lyon, within the Retrovirus and Structural Biochemistry team. She earned a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Sapienza University of Rome in July 2024, graduating with honors (110/110 cum laude). She began her PhD in October 2024.
Between October 2023 and March 2024, during her Master 2 thesis at the MMSB, she worked on two projects: the biochemical characterization of the interaction between the UPF1 helicase/translocase—an essential factor in the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway—and the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2, as well as the study of the human SAMD9L protein. She primarily focused on the biochemical aspects of the UPF1 project and presented a poster on this work at the SifrARN conference in November 2024.
Her PhD research builds upon her previous work on SAMD9L, a human protein whose structure remains unknown. This protein plays multiple cellular roles, including a key function in the antiviral response to HIV, and is implicated in several genetic diseases. However, its cellular mechanisms and structural characteristics remain largely unexplored. The objective of her research is to resolve its structure and elucidate its mechanisms of action. She initially presented this project at the DyNAVir congress in Lyon in March 2024.
Makram, 27 years old, completed his Bachelor’s degree and the first year of his Master’s at the University Claude Bernard of Lyon I. His studies focused on genetics and cellular biology. During this period, he developed an increasing interest in RNA biology and viral RNA, leading him to pursue a specialized diploma in these fields at Paris University, where he also completed his internship. During his PhD, he focused on studying the consequences of viral infections on host cell homeostasis. He investigated two RNA viruses, SARS-CoV-2 and HTLV-1. Makram’s research demonstrated that the HTLV-1 Rex protein interferes with CRM1-dependent export of UPF1, a key player in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), an antiviral pathway. UPF1 is retained in the nucleus upon infection, and this phenotype correlates with a defect in NMD activation. There is a disruption in UPF1 binding to cellular mRNA. Paradoxically, however, UPF1 is also a component of the gag viral mRNP and plays a role in orchestrating a proviral function at different stages of the viral lifecycle. This finding reveals a coordination between antiviral and proviral functions. His research also showed that the SARS-Cov2 virus also inhibits NMD. The viral nucleocapsid protein sequesters UPF1 and UPF2, disrupting their protein-protein interactions. Unexpectedly, UPF1 appears to have a proviral function, as it stimulates viral replication.
Profile
Makram Mghezzi
The latest winners
Léa Prochasson and Makram Mghezzi-Habellah
Curie Institute and Sorbonne University, Paris
Nour Ayoub
Institut Pasteur Paris, UPCité and INSERM UMRS-1124, Paris
Markel Martinez-Carranza
Pasteur Institute, Paris
Maëliss Germain
Rennes University, BRM Lab. (Bacterial RNAs in Medicine)
Akandé Eyitayo
IBGC, CNRS, Bordeaux University
Veronica Nuccetteli et Makram Mghezzi
Biology et Cell Modelisation Lab., ENS, Lyon and IBCP, Lyon
Alexia Godet
Université d’Aarthus, Danemark
Robine Maffo Woulefack
Sciences and Technologies Faculty,Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy
Zhao Jiangfeng
EMBL, Grenoble
Mélisse Hamidi
Institute of Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Lyon
Olga Kolosova
IGBMC, Strasbourg
Léa Prochasson and Makram Mghezzi-Habellah
Curie Institute and Sorbonne University, Paris
“Article of the month”award December 2025
Nour Ayoub
Institut Pasteur Paris, UPCité and INSERM UMRS-1124, Paris
“Article of the Month” award January 2025
Markel Martinez-Carranza
Pasteur Institute, Paris
“Article of the Month” award February 2025
“Article of the Year” award 2025
Maëliss Germain
Rennes University, BRM Lab. (Bacterial RNAs in Medicine)
“Article of the Month” November 2025
Akandé Eyitayo
IBGC, CNRS, Bordeaux University
“Article of the month” March 2025
Veronica Nuccetteli et Makram Mghezzi
Biology et Cell Modelisation Lab., ENS, Lyon and IBCP, Lyon
“Article of the Month” award April 2025
Alexia Godet
Université d’Aarthus, Danemark
“Article of the month” May 2025
Robine Maffo Woulefack
Sciences and Technologies Faculty,Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy
“Article of the Month” award June 2025
Zhao Jiangfeng
EMBL, Grenoble
“Article of the Month” award July and August 2025
Mélisse Hamidi
Institute of Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Lyon
“Article of the Month” award September 2025
Olga Kolosova
IGBMC, Strasbourg
“Article of the Month” award October 2025
Mickaël Guérin
CNRS, UMR7025, Enzymatic and Cellular Engineering
Thomas Eychenne
CEA, Saclay
Clément Charenton
École Polytechnique, Palaiseau
Juliette Fédry
Institut Pasteur, Paris
Florent Waltz
Université de Strasbourg
Yoann Santin
Institut de Duve, Bruxelles
Charbel Alfeghali
Laboratoire d’Ingénierie Moléculaire et Physiopathologie Articulaire (IMoPA), Nancy
Pauline Herviou
Institut Beatson, Glasgow
Aria Gheeraeart
INSERM, Paris
Mickaël Guérin
CNRS, UMR7025, Enzymatic and Cellular Engineering
Dina Surdin award 2025
Thomas Eychenne
CEA, Saclay
Dina Surdin award 2017
Clément Charenton
École Polytechnique, Palaiseau
Dina Surdin award 2018
Juliette Fédry
Institut Pasteur, Paris
Dina Surdin award 2019
Florent Waltz
Université de Strasbourg
Dina Surdin award 2020
Yoann Santin
Institut de Duve, Bruxelles
Dina Surdin award 2021
Charbel Alfeghali
Laboratoire d’Ingénierie Moléculaire et Physiopathologie Articulaire (IMoPA), Nancy
Dina Surdin award 2022
Pauline Herviou
Institut Beatson, Glasgow
Dina Surdin award 2023
Aria Gheeraeart
INSERM, Paris
Dina Surdin award 2024
Apply for the Dina Surdin Award
Applications must be submitted in March. The exact deadline is announced each year by email.
Documents to be submitted:
Downloadable application guidelines document below, a copy of the thesis manuscript.
Pascale Romby
CNRS, UPR 9002, ARN “RNA Architecture and Reactivity”, IBMC, Strasbourg
Carine Tisné
IBPC, Paris
Pascale Lesage
CNRS et équipe de Biologie de l’instabilité des génomes, Paris
Pascale Romby
CNRS, UPR 9002, ARN “RNA Architecture and Reactivity”, IBMC, Strasbourg
Marianne Grunberg-Manago award 2025
Carine Tisné
IBPC, Paris
Marianne Grunberg-Manago award 2023
Pascale Lesage
CNRS et équipe de Biologie de l’instabilité des génomes, Paris
Marianne Grunberg-Manago award 2024
Apply for the Marianne Grunberg-Manago Award
Applications must be submitted by email to martin.picard@ibpc.fr. The exact deadline will be announced annually via email.
Required Documents:
Updated CV, including a summary of the candidate’s work and publications, formatted according to the downloadable guide below.
Any application received after the specified deadline will not be considered.
Laure-Emmanuelle Zaragosi
Inserm, IPMC, Sophia-Antipolis
Maxime Wery
Institut Curie, Paris
Célia Plisson-Chastang
CNRS, UMR 5099, Toulouse
Tamara Basta-Le-Berre
CNRS, UMR9198, Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette
Ludovic Pelosi
Laboratoire UGA (Groupe Quinones Respiratoires), Grenoble
Cyril Bourgeois
ENS, Lyon
Odil Porrua
CNRS, UMR7592 (Institut Jacques Monod), Paris
Hervé Seitz
CNRS, UMR 9002 (Institut de génétique humaine), Montpellier
Michaël Ryckelynck
Biologie Digitale de l’ARN, UPR 9002, Architecture et réactivité de l’ARN, IBMC, Strasbourg.
Martin PICARD
CNRS UMR 7099, Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-chimique des protéines membranaires, IBPC
Laure-Emmanuelle Zaragosi
Inserm, IPMC, Sophia-Antipolis
Maurice Nicloux Award 2025
Maxime Wery
Institut Curie, Paris
Maurice Nicloux award 2024
Célia Plisson-Chastang
CNRS, UMR 5099, Toulouse
Maurice Nicloux award 2020
Tamara Basta-Le-Berre
CNRS, UMR9198, Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette
Maurice Nicloux award 2023
Ludovic Pelosi
Laboratoire UGA (Groupe Quinones Respiratoires), Grenoble
Maurice Nicloux award 2022
Cyril Bourgeois
ENS, Lyon
Maurice Nicloux award 2021
Odil Porrua
CNRS, UMR7592 (Institut Jacques Monod), Paris
Maurice Nicloux award 2019
Hervé Seitz
CNRS, UMR 9002 (Institut de génétique humaine), Montpellier
Maurice Nicloux award 2018
Michaël Ryckelynck
Biologie Digitale de l’ARN, UPR 9002, Architecture et réactivité de l’ARN, IBMC, Strasbourg.
Maurice Nicloux award 2017
Martin PICARD
CNRS UMR 7099, Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-chimique des protéines membranaires, IBPC
Maurice Nicloux award 2016
Apply for the Maurice Nicloux Award
Applications must be submitted by March of each year. The exact deadline will be announced annually via email.
Required Documents:
Updated CV, including a summary of the candidate’s work and publications, formatted according to the downloadable guide below.
Any application received after the specified deadline will not be considered.
Our scientific awards
“Article of the Month” award
Honors a young researcher for a paper published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Dina Surdin award
Rewards a young researcher for an outstanding PhD thesis in biochemistry or molecular biology.
Marianne Grunberg-Manago Award
Honors a woman who has made an outstanding contribution to public research, recognized for the significance of her work and her impact in her scientific field.
Maurice Nicloux award
Honors an established researcher for their overall contribution to the scientific community and to research in biochemistry or molecular biology.
