Eleonora ZONTA, PhD

eleonora.zonta<at>parisdescartes.fr

LinkedIn Profile

31 years old

Italian citizenship

EDUCATION         

2013-now: Post-doc at INSERM, Descartes University - Paris V (Paris, France).

2008-2012: PhD at INSERM, D. Diderot University - Paris VII (Paris, France).

2005-2008: French-Italian double degree program (European Master in Genetics, 9 months ERASMUS program exchange in D. Diderot University - Paris VII, Paris, France; BSc Degree, Human Biotechnology in Medicine University, Udine, Italy).

2002-2005: Diploma (Computational Biology & Bioinformatics) - Medicine University (Udine, Italy).

2001-2002: Baccaleureat in classical studies - High School “J. Stellini” (Udine, Italy).

EXPERIENCE / PROJECTS

2013-now: Post-doctoral researcher. Dr. V. Taly group, «Translational Research and Microfluidics » Team. INSERM UMR-S 1147, Head Pierre-Laurent Puig, Centre Hospitalier des Saints Pères (Paris).

Microfluidic approach for detection and study of resistance to therapy anti TK mechanisms in lung cancer.

2008-2012: PhD at INSERM  (4 years). Dr. D. Auboeuf Lab, « Alternative splicing and tumoral progression» Team. IUH, Hôpital Saint Louis (Paris) and Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, CLB (Lyon).

The role of ARN helicases, ddx5/ddx17 in splicing and in tumor progression.

2009-2010: One year collaboration in. F. Baralle Lab (ICGEB - Trieste, Italy) during PhD at INSERM.

2008: Internship at INSERM (6 months). Dr. D. Auboeuf Lab, « Alternative splicing and tumoral progression» Team. Institut Universitaire d’Hématologie, Hôpital Saint Louis (Paris).

Role of the transcriptional co-regulator ddx5 in c-fos mRNA export.

2006: Internship at University of Udine (6 months). Dr. C. A. Beltrami Lab « Pathological Anatomy Department». Medicine University (Udine, Italy).

Stem cells culture.

2005: Internship at University of Udine (8 months). Dr. F. Curcio Lab, «Pathology, Experimental and Clinical Medicine Department». Medicine University (Udine, Italy).

Ceramides and fatty acids in insulin signalling pathway.

TEACHING/MENTORING

2014-2016: Teaching in the “Frontière du Vivant” Bachelor program, Descartes University - Paris V (Paris, France).

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

TRANSLATIONAL SKILLS

Project management: financing research, projects and activity reports writing, collaboration with national and international teams, good at group work, deadline respect.

Communication: Writing, submission and articles publication, command of languages.

Enhancement: 5 articles published, one of them in first author, oral talks and poster presentation.

Administration: Monitoring of reagent stocks, purchase of consumable and order management for the research team.

SCIENTIFIQUE SKILLS

Techniques:

Molecular biology: DNA/RNA extraction from tissues and cells, protein extraction, blots, cloning, PCR, real time PCR, droplet-based digital PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP, RNA ChIP).

Cell biology:  human cells cutlure, transfections, murine-human co-culture.

Biochemistry: western blot, co-Immunoprecipitation, protein purification.

Microscopy:  in vivo imaging, experience in confocal microscopy.

Development: Development of RNA ChIP technique linked to NGS.

Computer Science: MacOS and Windows, Microsoft software, Prism software, analysis of microarray results (« exon-arrays », Affymetrix), use of bio-informatic tools in the web and/or developed by research group (interactions with bio-informaticians).

AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS

Financing for 4th PhD year from FRM  foundation (“Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale en France”).

Financing for 2 years Post-doc from INSERM (Physicancer).

PUBLICATIONS

• Base position error rates analysis of next generation sequencing to detect circulating tumor DNA mutations

N. Pécuchet, Y. Rozenholc, E. Zonta, D. Pietraz, A. Didelot, J-B. Bachet, E. Fabre, V. Taly, H. Blons, P. Laurent-Puig. Clinical Chemistry (2016), in press.

• Multiplex detection of rare mutations by picoliter droplet based digital PCR : sensitivity and specificity considerations. 

E. Zonta, F. Garlan, N. Pecuchet, K. Perez-Toralla, C. Milbury, A. Didelot, O. Caen, H. Blons, E. Fabre, P. Laurent-Puig, V. Taly. Plos One (2016), 11(7):e0159094.

• A Study of Hypermethylated Circulating Tumor DNA as a Universal Colorectal Cancer Biomarker. 

S. Garrigou, G. Perkins, F. Garlan, C. Normand, A. Didelot, D. Le Corre, S. Peyvandi, C. Mulot, R. Niarra, P. Aucouturier, G. Chatellier, P. Nizard, K. Perez-Toralla, E. Zonta, C. Charpy, A. Pujals, C. Barau, O. Bouché, J.-F. Emile, D. Pezet, F. Bibeau, J. B. Hutchison, D. R. Link, A. Zaanan, P. Laurent-Puig, I. Sobhani and V. Taly. Clinical Chemistry (2016), 62(8):1129-39.

• Digital PCR compartmentalization II. Contribution for the quantitative detection of circulating tumor DNA.

Caen, O., Nizard, P., Garrigou, S., Perez-Toralla, K. Zonta, E., Garlan, F., Laurent-Puig, P., Taly, V. Medicine/ Sciences (2015), 31(2):180-6. Review (French).

• RNA Helicases DDX5 and DDX17 Dynamically Orchestrate Transcription, miRNA, and Splicing Programs in Cell Differentiation

Dardenne E, Polay Espinoza M, Fattet L, Germann S, Lambert MP, Neil H, Zonta E, Mortada H, Gratadou L, Deygas M, Chakrama FZ, Samaan S, Desmet FO, Tranchevent LC, Dutertre M, Rimokh R, Bourgeois CF, Auboeuf D. Cell Rep. 2014 Jun 26;7(6):1900-13. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.05.010.

• The Ddx5 and Ddx17 RNA helicases are cornerstones in the complex regulatory array of steroid hormone-signaling pathway

Samaan S, Tranchevent LC, Dardenne E, Polay Espinoza M, Zonta E, Germann S, Gratadou L, Dutertre M, Auboeuf D. Nucleic Acids Res. 2014 Feb;42(4):2197-207. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkt1216.

• The RNA helicase DDX5/p68 is a key factor promoting c-fos expression at different levels from transcription to mRNA export

Zonta E, Bittencourt D, Samaan S, Germann S, Dutertre M, Auboeuf D. Nucleic Acids Res. 2013 Jan 7;41(1):554-64. doi: 10.1093/nar/gks1046. 

• Splicing switch of an epigenetic regulator by RNA helicases promotes tumor-cell invasiveness

Dardenne E, Pierredon S, Driouch K, Gratadou L, Lacroix-Triki M, Polay Espinoza M, Zonta E, Germann S, Mortada H, Villemin JP, Dutertre M, Lidereau R, Vagner S & Auboeuf  D. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2012 Nov;19(11):1139-46. doi: 10.1038/nsmb.2390.

• Dual role of the ddx5/ddx17 RNA helicases in the control of the pro-migratory NFAT5 transcription factor

Germann S, Gratadou L, Zonta E, Dardenne E, Gaudineau B, Fougère M, Samaan S, Dutertre M, Jauliac S and Auboeuf D.  Oncogene. 2012 Oct 18;31(42):4536-49. doi: 10.1038/onc.2011.618.

COMMUNICATIONS

The p68/DDX5 RNA helicase is a key operator in the c-fos production line. E. Zonta, D. Bittencourt, M. Dutertre, D. Auboeuf. CRCL Congress, Lyon (France), May 2012. Oral communication.

The transcriptional co-regulator and splicing factor p68 controls the nuclear fate of the cFos mRNA. E. Zonta, D. Bittencourt, M. Dutertre, J. Barbier, L. Gratadou, D. Auboeuf. EURASNET Congress, Assisi (Italy), April 2009. Poster.

LANGUAGES

English (fluent).

French (fluent; C1 level with « Alliance française » school).

Italian (fluent, mother tongue).

Spanish (intermediate; A1 level with « Cervantes school »).

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Modern art.

Cooking (participation at baking classes).

Sports (Jogging: half-marathon and trails; squash, 5 years of tennis; swimming; rugby).