Rouages: “Researchers who need viral vectors turn to us”
Céline Lemmers (Inserm) and Marina Lavigne (CNRS) are engineers. They serve as technical managers for the two facilities at the Montpellier Vectorology Platform. Céline is at the Institute of Functional Genomics, and Marina is at the branch located at theMontpellier Institute of Molecular Genetics. Both produce viral vectors used in research. They tell us about their work in *Rouages*, the video series produced by the University of Montpellier. Action!
There’s a hint of spring in the air at theInstitute of Functional Genomics on this sunny early afternoon. A few doctoral students are finishing their coffee before heading back to their lab benches. The access card, which the security guard has exchanged for a form of ID, opens the doors to the lobby, where, upon seeing our equipment, a woman spontaneously approaches us:“Are you looking for Céline Lemmers? Is this for the film shoot?” Yes and yes.
Lentivirus, AAV, and adenovirus
Céline is a research engineer atInserm and the operations manager of the Montpellier Vectorology Platform (PVM), which is affiliated with the IGF; part of the PVM’s facilities are located in the neighboring institute,the IGH. She is waiting for us in her office with her colleague, Marina Lavigne. Marina is a research engineer at the CNRS and the technical manager of the PVM branch located at the IGMM on Route de Mende; she is therefore“visiting”Céline Lemmers’s platform. Although the two women do not work at the same sites, they nevertheless share the same mission: to produce viruses.
Each has its own specialty: lentiviruses and AAVs for the first, and adenoviruses for the second.“Lentiviruses—if I had to name a very well-known one—include, for example, HIV-1, which causes AIDS,” explains the research engineer. “AAVs, or adeno-associated viruses, on the other hand, do not cause disease in humans.” Marina Lavigne, for her part ,works on “ human adenoviruses and canine adenoviruses of serotype 2; these two vectors are particularly widely used in neurobiology.”
An airtight container
In basic and clinical research, viruses—in an inactivated form stripped of all pathogenicity—can be used as tools to deliver DNA containing a gene of interest into a cell. They then become viral vectors.“They can also be used for genome editing, gene therapy, or vaccination,” explains Marina Lavigne.“We are a service platform for Biocampus, and any researchers who need viral vectors for their work can call on us to produce them,” adds Céline Lemmers.
And to do that, working at a standard lab bench is, of course, out of the question—so we head to the L3, a Level 3 biosafety laboratory.“It’s a completely airtight chamber thanks to a pressure system that draws air inside and filters that control the air as it enters and exits,” explains the platform manager. To enter, you need more than just a pass: two pairs of gloves, a hairnet, a mask, goggles, a lab coat, and shoe covers are required.
More at ease in front of the microbiological safety cabinet than in front of the camera, the two engineers give us a demonstration using the ultracentrifuge—an indispensable tool in their experimental protocols—before detailing the various steps of the process: purifying, testing, and titrating the particles. “We use molecular biology to clone new constructs and cell biology because we’ll be producing our viral vectors in specific cell lines, where they’ll be able to replicate,” explains Marina Lavigne.
Advise, train, raise awareness
A role that goes beyond“lab work” and includes a significant focus on advising,explains Marina Lavigne:“We advise users based on their research and what they want to do. We direct them toward lentiviruses or AAVs produced by Céline, or toward adenoviruses.” For researchers and students who perform their ownlabwork, Céline Lemmers steps in to“train them and raise awareness about good laboratory practices. I also help them obtain the necessary authorizations to work with these viruses.”
The two engineers also handle more administrative and business-related tasks, such as preparing service price lists, quotes, and invoices, as well as managing orders and equipment. “We’re also involved in certification applications. We’ve created a national network of vector graphics platforms that brings together 17 French platforms and one Belgian platform, and that’s really great,” concludes Céline Lemmers.