Congratulations to Marine Guivarch on the acceptance of her thesis!

Summary of her research work:
Dendritic cells (DCs) are sentinel cells, notably found in skin dermis and epidermis. They are activated upon allergen recognition and migrate to the skin-draining lymph node, where they activate T lymphocytes to exert their functions in various immune responses. In my thesis, employing a TSLP-overexpressing experimental mouse model combined with genetic tools, we deciphered TSLP-triggered DC-T cell axes, revealing that TSLP drives GATA3+ Treg through a specific migratory DC population notably implicating necessary expression of costimulatory molecule OX40L. By conducting studies from transcriptomic identity, lineage-traced ontogeny, surface marker expression to functionality, we identified and characterised this DC population.
My thesis work uncovers a previously unrecognised tolerogenic axis in promoting immune suppression, which is likely conserved in human, in physiopathological contexts such as inflammation and cancer.
My work paves the way for therapeutic exploration of these tolerogenic DC in allergy and cancer.

Skills acquired at the IGBMC:
I learned a great deal over the course of my four years of PhD work, especially on the scientific side: I learned how to work with mice, developed my critical thinking skills, and presented my results at various conferences.
From a technical standpoint, I worked extensively with flow cytometry (for phenotyping as well as sorting), and I also learned bioinformatics by analyzing my own scRNAseq dataset as well as public datasets.
I also learned how to work in a team and manage my project, which involved numerous mouse genetic models and required strong organizational skills.
Finally, I was able to write a scientific article as well as funding applications, which proved challenging but ultimately very enriching.

Life at the IGBMC:
I really appreciated the scientific diversity of the institute, which is reflected in the many seminars offered. I also enjoyed the availability of technological platforms, which give us access to and training in many techniques. Moreover, new techniques are regularly introduced at the institute, allowing for constant innovation and learning.
The environment at the IGBMC is highly formative, and the collaborative spirit is very strong and fosters the transmission of knowledge.
I appreciated how easy it was to talk with researchers to discuss technical issues or simply to share advice or reagents!

Collaboration:
I collaborated with Marc Dalod from the CIML in Marseille for my thesis project, particularly for the bioinformatics component. I also collaborated with Vanja Sisirak’s team in Bordeaux.

Funding and partners:
My thesis was funded by the ANR, and I then received funding from the FRM for my fourth year.

Future projects:
I will stay in the team for a few more weeks to finish some experiments and hand over my project, then I will look for a postdoctoral position to learn new techniques and continue contributing to immunology research.