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The teams

The Bioinformatics Center of the Synergie Lyon Cancer Foundation places its expertise and human and technological resources at the service of the structure and interpretation of cancer genomic data.

Anne-Sophie Sertier, Bioinformatics specialist

Bioinformatics center

Research engineer for the bioinformatics platform of the Synergie Lyon Cancer Foundation, Anne-Sophie Sertier is specialised in the detection of genetic anomalies associated with cancers.

 

Anne-Sophie Sertier works, in accord with the projects conducted at the bioinformatics platform, on the analysis of genome sequences. She principally analyses genetic modifications of a specific genome from data obtained after DNA microarray processing. Although, her expertise lies rather in the detection of structural modifications, i.e. differences that can be observed at the level of an individual genome: insertions, deletions, duplications, inversions, chromosomal translocations…

: “We compare the genome of a cell originating from the tumour of a cancer patient, with that of a healthy cell, in order to determine the somatic events”, Anne-Sophie Sertier explains. “By examining structural rearrangements, which can be found in different samples of a single type of tumour, for example samples taken from several patients with HER2+ breast cancers, we can pin point mutations that are specific to a type of cancer”.

The young bioinformatics specialist is responsible for testing several existing bioinformatics techniques, which will subsequently be used by the platform to analyse data for its projects. “I try to combine the results of several computer programs available to the scientific community and add certain parameters that are essential to us”, Anne-Sophie Sertier explains. “I am currently trying to establish a methodology to specifically meet the needs of our team in order to extract data on genetic rearrangements and to reconstruct the genomes of tumours”.

The bioinformatics platform: centred around a continually evolving field, are an open-minded and forward-looking team and organisation

 

A “mathematics enthusiast” at heart, Anne-Sophie Sertier was very early on attracted to “modelling applied to Biology”, a subject taught at the Claude Bernard University of Lyon, and opted for the “bioinformatics” course as soon as it was created. Following a Masters (“Mastère”) in “Mathematics and Computing for Life Sciences”,  specialised in molecular bioinformatics, she graduated with a PhD in bioinformatics and genetics studying a method to recreate the evolution of proteins. “I did not want to conduct theoretical research but research engineering. The bioinformatics platform of the Synergie Lyon Cancer Foundation was, thus, a great opportunity for me”, relates Anne-Sophie Sertier. “In this continually evolving subject area of bioinformatics technologies, everything remains to be reflected upon and created. The platform is a very recent and dynamic structure open to the future with tangible means and resources in order to work efficiently”.