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In this episode of our ‘Meet the Community’ series, we spoke to experienced researcher Patricia Bassereau. Based at the Institut Curie in France and working for the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Patricia has a long career in biophysics, working with her team on cell membranes and the cellular functions associated with this essential element of the cell. What drew her to this field?  What motivates her in her work? What is she working on? Here are 5 things to know about Patricia.

A liking for challenges and a curiosity-driven approach

With her ‘Membranes and Cellular Functions’ group, Patricia studies the cell membrane and how this crucial component of the cell mediates various cellular functions. She has never pursued an ultimate goal, but over the years has demonstrated a great curiosity for the physics behind biology and microbiology, as well as a taste for challenges, finding research a good fit for her.

“There’s nothing monotonous about research. Each new problem poses a technical and conceptual challenge, and once you’ve solved one you can move on to another. I find synthetic cell research stimulating because it is at the crossroads of different fields, which means that you are constantly learning and collaborating with people from different backgrounds,” she said.

A physicist by training, her curiosity (and the chance to be in the right place at the right time) led her to work on cell membranes.

She first studied soft matter physics

Patricia initially studied the physics of solid matter before turning to soft matter, a state of matter that sits between solid and liquid. But she eventually realised that questions in this area at that time did not arouse her curiosity as much.

Luckily for her, there was a growing movement at her institute of enthusiastic researchers who wanted to apply soft matter knowledge to answer biological questions, because biological materials such as cells are soft matter. She joined them and began working on membranes, which have never ceased to interest her.

“It was easy for me to move from soft matter to membrane physics because I had built structures in soft matter that were similar to membranes.”

Her group uses reconstituted systems to study the cellular functions mediated by membranes

Separating the inside from the outside, the membrane also plays many roles in cell dynamics and possesses properties of great interest to Patricia. She and her group use cell-like systems composed of lipids, proteins and cytoskeletal proteins to understand the role of membranes in certain cellular functions.

Her group focuses on three main areas of research:

• Membrane biophysics: in particular, how the mechanical properties of membranes, such as their ability to be stretched or deformed, can interfere with the functions of membrane proteins, for example, their ability to transport molecules, their localisation on the membrane and their diffusion.
• Membrane trafficking: how cells make small vesicles or tubes for intra- and intercellular communication and how the proteins involved deform, bend and cut the membrane.
• How cells interact with their environment: cells form protrusions to communicate with the outside world. Patricia is studying the formation of these protrusions and their physical properties. Thanks to a recent ERC Synergy grant, her team has also begun to study how protrusions can facilitate the migration of a cell in a confined environment and how the topography of the environment facilitates the formation of protrusions.

Several collaborations have played a decisive role in her career development

For Patricia, working in the field of synthetic cell research requires perseverance, a curiosity to learn and a taste for collaboration. She herself has collaborated with many researchers who have inspired her and had an impact on her career. She has worked regularly with biologists Bruno Goud and Ludger Johannes and theorists Jean-François Joanny and Andrew Callan-Jones. But Jacques Prost was particularly instrumental in her development and recognition as a researcher.

“Not only is Jacques a remarkable researcher who stimulated me scientifically – we came up with so many ideas together and embarked on many projects, not all of which were successful – but he also didn’t hesitate to put me in the spotlight. As a young researcher and a woman, the support of such an established researcher has been very important for my career.”

Her thoughts on the future of synthetic cells

Don’t neglect the people

When asked what could advance synthetic cell research, Patricia answered without hesitation: “People, you need people”.

“You can’t do research without people. We need to inspire new generations, motivate them to choose this field and also pass on our know-how so that they can take over and move the field forward,” she said.

Don’t overlook the path

Synthetic cell research is a stimulating and promising field. Patricia hopes that this field will provide answers to questions about the origins of life and the development of cellular systems through evolution. But she also believes in its technological potential, and not just in the long term.

“For a field such as synthetic cell research, which involves technological development, we should not focus solely on long-term applications, because they are often not what we expected in the first place and because the road to synthetic cells is also worthwhile. The knowledge we are currently acquiring and the tools we are developing will gradually give rise to innovations that we have not yet identified.”

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