ABCV Advanced Biology Course on Virology and Infections
Master’s in Life Sciences, ENS, EPHE
BIO-M2-ABCV | Advanced Biology Course on Virology and Infections
Year and Semester : 1 (M1, S1), 2 (M2, S4) and PhD
Where : ENS Paris Biology Department
Duration : 30 hours
When : One full week, January 11th to 15th, 2027
Hours : 9-12h and 14-17h
Maximum class size : 24 students ; this course is open to external students.
Contact : Maxime Ratinier and Pierre Bost ;
Administration contact : Bofei MA
Coordination
Pierre Bost (Institut Curie) and Maxime Ratinier (EPHE-PSL)
PSL Graduate program Life sciences
Anahi Molla-Herman, CIRB Collège de France
Terence Strick, ENS, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres
Credits
3 ECTS
Keywords
Virology | Pathogenesis | Interactions virus-host-vector | Immunology | Evolution | Omics | Entomology | Ecology | Surveillance | Policy and Public Health
Course Prerequisites
Basic knowledge in microbiology, molecular and cellular biology will be beneficial but no prerequisite is required as long as the student is keen to read the bibliography provided by the speakers/coordinators.
Course objectives and description
Aims : The goal of this course is to provide an overview of current research in the field of virology and an in-depth exploration of viruses across molecular, ecological and evolutionary scales.
Themes : Covered topics within ABCV are viral emergence, replication and pathogenesis, molecular virology, mechanisms underlying antiviral resistance, gene expression in viral infections, viral evolution and cross species transmission, virus-host interactions, arbovirus-vector interactions, mammalian and insect immunity, virus discovery and surveillance in the field, as well as the introduction of conceptual and methodological approaches essential to study viruses such as omics technologies, population genomics and single-cell analysis. More broadly, the objective is to foster interdisciplinary thinking in order to better understand and investigate complex viral processes, as well as address public health challenges.
Organisation : The course will be based on research seminars (each including an introduction for the non-specialists) by junior or senior scientists recognized in their field.
Plenty of time will be made available to exchange with the speakers and other students.
The seminars are open to everyone but with limited space for students requiring grade (24 students maximum).
The course will be organized from 11th to 15th of January 2027 (3h session per half-day) in Paris (ENS).
Registration is mandatory.
Assessment
– Validation with grades : at each session, one or two students will be asked to present an article selected from the speaker’s publications or field. Evaluation will be based on the oral presentation, quality of article analysis and answers to questions.
– Validation without grades : presence throughout the week is required.
Course material
The slides and presentations will be made available online (with speakers’ agreement).
Suggested readings
in relation with the module content
• Fields virology, 4th edition
• Traité de virologie médicale, 2ème édition (Société Française de Microbiologie)
• The Biology of Mosquitoes, Volume 3, “Transmission of viruses and interactions with bacteria” (A.N. Clements)
• Podcasts about viruses : https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/
• Janeway’s immunobiology, 9th edition
Speakers
Noam Stern-Ginossar (Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot)
Massimo Palmarini (ERAMUS MC, Rotterdam)
Chris Bowler (ENS, IBENS, Paris)
Thierry Wirth (EPHE-PSL, MNHN, Paris)
David Boutolleau (APHP, Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris)
Nolwenn Jouvenet (Institut Pasteur, Paris)
Yves Gaudin (CNRS, I2BC, Paris)
Thomas Vial (Institut Pasteur, Paris)
Pierre Bost (Institut Curie, Paris)
Vincent Raquin (EPHE-PSL, IVPC, Lyon)
Nolwenn Dheilly (Institut Pasteur, Paris)
Maxime Ratinier (EPHE-PSL, IVPC, Lyon)
Ana Joaquina Jimenez (Institut Pasteur, Paris)
Jeroen Kortekaas (Boehringer Ingelheim, Lyon)
Application procedure
The seminars are open to everyone but with limited space for students requiring grade (24 students maximum). Registration is therefore mandatory.
Please send these information and documents in your application email to bofei.ma chez bio.ens.psl.eu :
Last name, first name, study program (PSL Life Sciences Master, other...), study year (M1, M2, Doctoral candidate), CV and motivaton letter.
Do you need to be graded to receive ECTS for this course ?
Application Deadline
September 21st 2026