Rouages: “Cell biology—I could do this for the rest of my life”
Daria Mamaeva is an Inserm research engineer at the Montpellier Institute of Neuroscience, where she heads the iPSCs, organoids, and human cells facility. By reprogramming patients’ cells into induced pluripotent stem cells, she creates miniature replicas of our organs. She talks about her work and her passion in *Rouages*, the video series produced by the University of Montpellier. Action!
Entering a hospital is never quite a trivial matter. When we don’t do it for personal reasons, it’s because all or part of our work is dedicated to caring for others. This is the case for Daria Mamaeva, who, every morning, walks through the gates of Saint Eloi Hospital on her way to the Montpellier Institute of Neuroscience. It’s 9 a.m., and we meet her in the lobby of this laboratory, directed by Sylvain Lehmann, for the filming of *Rouages*.
As she leads us to her office, we soak up the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere that reigns within these walls.“We have more researchers now than when I first arrived, but the atmosphere remains very cozy—I feel right at home here,” says the engineer, who was recruited by Inserm in 2016 to establish the iPSCs, organoids, and human cells facility, which was later integrated into the Montpellier BioCampus (POM) platform. “The idea was to leverage our expertise in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and their differentiation into organoids, thereby meeting the growing needs of the Institute’s teams.”
From iPSCs to Organoids
Before stepping in front of the camera, Daria Mamaeva shows us some images of her latest findings. A shape resembling a snail shell appears on the screen:“This is a cochlea, a part of the inner ear derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Here we see it in its culture medium, and, to our knowledge, this is the first time a team has achieved such a result.” To put this success into perspective, it’s important to explain what induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs, are.
To obtain them, scientists collect somatic cells from a patient—such as cells from connective tissue or blood cells—and then reprogram them to turn them into stem cells.“And what’s great about stem cells is that, in theory, they can differentiate into any cell in the human body—liver, lung, eye, or ear…”
These are all opportunities for Daria to obtain organoids—these small replicas of organs that researchers can study without causing any harm to the patient.“I’m currently working on the retinal pigment epithelium, a tissue that lines the back of the eye, obtained from the cells of a patient with albinism. My goal is to understand the mechanism of disease development in this patient that could explain her vision problems.”
A comfortable and safe platform
In 2018, Daria Mamaeva joined Viki Kalatzis’s Vision team, to which she has since devoted 50% of her time. “My mission when I was hired was to establish the differentiation of iPSCs into retinal organoids.” To do this, the engineer trained in Paris before bringing the technique back to the Montpellier research campus.“Now, it’s being used by about ten doctoral students and postdocs on the team. Working 50% on the campus and 50% within a team is very rewarding; the two areas of expertise feed off each other.”
And it is on her workstation—located in a Level 2 biosafety area, which is mandatory when working with human cells—that Daria Mamaeva performs these incredible feats and welcomes the researchers working on these iPSCs.“I’m in charge of this Level 2 containment area. I monitor technological developments to stay up to date on the latest advances; I manage orders; I organize the workspace; I train new hires; and I ensure they follow safety protocols.” To stay up to date on best practices, the engineer is part of the network of Level 2 (L2) advisors in Montpellier-Occitanie and serves on the board of the specialized health, safety, and working conditions training department of the Occitanie-Mediterranean regional delegation (F4SCT).
Daria Mamaeva cultivates and values this openness to others.“I love communicating and working to improve the lab. Every time a new user arrives, I ask them to tell me how we could make this workspace more comfortable.” For example, she had a drawing of a window opening onto a forest installed for a student who felt a bit claustrophobic in the confined space of the L2 lab. “These are small things, but they’re important. Working with iPSCs is pretty demanding; sometimes you have to come in on weekends or during breaks because the cells sometimes make decisions for us.”
A Passion for Cells
It’s also a story of passion for this Russian scientist, who originally studied biochemistry and molecular biology and who, by her own admission, didn’t know much about cell biology when she arrived in France.“My husband had landed a job in Montpellier; we already had children, and I hadn’t finished my dissertation. I arrived at the IGH, and they introduced me to everything; they passed on their passion to me. When I saw the cells, the immunofluorescence staining—this work on living organisms—I told myself, ‘Cell biology—I could do this for the rest of my life.’”
While continuing her work at the IGH, Daria then returned to her dissertation, which she would defend in Russia before returning to Montpellier for her first postdoc. Others would follow, leading her to induced pluripotent stem cells.“Thanks to this work, we can give patients a little hope,”she emphasizes, before sharing an anecdote about a small painting hanging in the office of her Vision team leader.“This small painting was created by a patient with a condition that limits his field of vision. Despite his disability, he continues to pursue his passion, and to me, he’s an example of perseverance. Even if the work is difficult at times, you have to follow your passion—and mine is cell biology.”