5 Questions to Jean-Michel Jault | Echosciences

Decoding Life’s Energy:‍ A Lyon⁢ Researcher’s Quest to⁣ Understand Antibiotic ⁣Resistance

Lyon, ⁤France – What drives a scientist to dedicate their life to unraveling the mysteries of the microscopic world? for Jean-Michel Jault, a CNRS⁣ researcher at the Institute ⁤of Biology and Chemistry of Proteins (IBCP) in Lyon, it began with a childhood fascination with biology and a transformative encounter with a passionate biochemistry professor.

“I was lucky to have a passionate, and exciting biochemistry teacher, Prof.Pelmont, who ⁢revealed the beauty of ⁤research to me,” Jault recalls. “This step was really decisive for me and ⁣it convinced me to‍ continue my studies in this ⁤path.”

Now, Jault focuses on protein biochemistry, specifically the transporters found in bacterial membranes. These proteins act as gatekeepers, expelling antibiotics that attempt to enter the bacteria. Understanding how these ⁢transporters work on a molecular level ‍is crucial in the fight against antibiotic resistance, a growing‍ global ‍health threat.

“They are therefore an essential weapon used by bacteria to resist antibiotics and we seek to understand their operating mechanism on a molecular scale,” ‍Jault explains.”In the longer term, this should allow us to find new ⁢inhibitors in order to thwart this mechanism of antibiotic resistance.”

Jault emphasizes the importance of challenging established ideas in research. “When you‍ do‍ research, you ‍have to constantly beat the ⁢preconceived ideas and therefore ⁣do not hesitate to go against the dogmas ‘established’,” he says. “It is indeed not necessarily the easiest way to succeed in publishing your research, but ⁣I think it ‍allows the debate to be⁤ fueled ⁣in order to tend⁣ towards scientific reality.”

This October, Jault will be sharing his passion for science with⁣ the public at the Fête de la Science 2025 in⁤ isère.He will be ⁢giving a consumer conference in Voiron on Saturday, October 4th, 2025, on the theme of energy in the living world (“The ⁣living: an overflow of energies!”). he will also present an immersive conference at⁣ the Vaux-en-Velin Planetarium, on Saturday October 11, 2025, in connection with antibiotic resistance and which will be‍ called: “the secrets of rebel bacteria”.

Jault’s dedication to scientific outreach extends beyond the festival. He previously participated in a Declics ⁣exchange, engaging high school students in ⁢dialogues about the construction⁣ of knowledge.

When asked to represent intelligence with an object or image, jault reflects on the importance of recognizing ⁤intelligence in the animal kingdom. “I ⁤think we have too often neglected the animal intelligence that was foreign to us,” he says. “We would⁤ have a lot to learn from animals like dolphins or whales, even elephants, which are very social and very clever animals.”

Jean-Michel Jault’s work exemplifies the ⁤power of scientific curiosity ⁤and the importance of sharing knowledge with the world. His research offers⁤ hope in the fight against antibiotic resistance, while his outreach efforts inspire the next⁢ generation ⁢of scientists.