Name: Cadet Jean

My Area of Interest: Chemical and biochemical aspects of oxidatively generated and photo-induced damage to DNA

My Favourite Quote: “Each day is a new opportunity for enjoying life”

I am a: Senior Scientist at CEA/Grenoble, France and Professor at University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada

Short Profile:

Scientific Adviser, French Atomic Energy Commission at CEA/Grenoble and Adjunct Professor, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada after being the head of the Laboratory of “Lésions des Acides Nucléiques” and Research Director at CEA. He his involved in research activities dealing with various aspects of the chemistry and biochemistry of oxidatively generated and photo-induced damage to DNA (mechanisms of reactions, measurement in cells, assessment of biological features such as substrate specificity of DNA repair enzymes and mutagenesis of base lesions). He is author or co-author of 510 publications consisting of more than 460 original contributions to peer-reviewed journals and about 50 book chapters including exhaustive surveys on the photochemistry of nucleic acids (”Bioorganic Photochemistry”, H. Morrison, Ed., Vol. 1, Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 1-272, 1990) and on oxidatively generated damage to DNA (Reviews in Physiology Biochemistry and Pharmacology, 131, 1-87, 1997; Functional Groups in Organic Chemistry - The Chemistry of Peroxides, Z. Rappoport, Ed., Vol. 2, Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 915-1000, 2006). His “h” factor is 55 with 950 citations in 2006. He is currently editor of Free Radical Research, member of the editorial board of several other journals (Chemical Research in Toxicology, Free Radical in Biology and Medicine, Mutation Research, Indian Journal of Radiation Research) and within a few months the Editor-in-Chief of Photochemistry and Photobiology, the journal pf the American Society for Photobiology. He is also in several international (Steering Committee of the ILSI Health and Environmental Sciences Institute group on DNA adducts and biological significance, Life Sciences Advisory Group of the European Space Agency, ESP council) and national (working group of the French Agency of Heath Safety on cosmetic, councils of the French Societies of Photobiology, Photodermatology and Free Radical Research in Biology) committees and societies. He has received several awards including “Armes Lecturer” from The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada (1986/87), “Weiss Medal” from the Association for Radiation Research, UK (1997), “Grand Prix Scientifique” from the French Atomic Energy Commission (1999), “Research Award” from the American Society for Photobiology (2004), the “Medal for Excellence” from the European Society for Photobiology (2005), the “Prix Charles Dhéré” in chemical biology and the “Médaille Berthelot” in chemistry, the two last awards having been delivered in 2007 by the French Academy of Sciences. He has also organized several major international conferences including the 1st and 11th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Grenoble (1986) and Aix-les-Bains (2005) and be involved in the organization of seven editions of the Winter Research Conferences on Free Radicals in Biology in the French Alps (1993-1995-1997-1999-2001-2003-2006) and the “Nutrition, Oxygen Biology and Medicine” conferences in Paris (2005 and 2007).

Question and Answers:

What are your future goals? Where do you see your research going?:
Emphasis is currently placed in the laboratory on a better understanding of the molecular mode of action of various oxidizing agents (ionizing radiation, UVA radiation, one-electron oxidants …) on cellular DNA. This relies on a a solid knowledge of the degradation pathways of model compounds as inferred from comprehensive model studies and the development of accurate chemical and biochemical assays aimed at detecting in a highly sensitive and specific ways dedicated DNA lesions. In addition efforts are made to gain further information on the biological role of DNA lesions (mutagenic features, substrate specificity of DNA repair enzymes, kinetics of removal of damage from cellular DNA …).

Technologies seem to changing faster than ever, how do you adapt to that? What are the current technologies you are using?:
In order to achieve the objectives that are outlined above we used a wide set of various techniques and approches:
- analytical techniques such as preparative HPLC and methods of characterization (ESI-MS, NMR, x-ray crystallography …) for the structural assigment of DNA lesions.
- ab initio theoretical methods to challenge mechanisms of reactions leading to the formation of DNA damage.
- oligonucleotide synthesis for the preparation of DNA fragments of defined sequence in which dedicated modifications has been site-specifically inserted (probes for DNA repair and mutagenesis studies)
- HPLC-MS/MS and modified comet assay for the sensitive asessment of damage in cellular DNA

In the broader picture, where do you see the application for your cutting-edge research?:
As I already mentioned our research activities are multidiscplinary involving complementary and overllaping expertise in several disciplines including analytical chemistry, structural assignment, theoretical chemistry, biochemistry and biology. This allows, starting from model systems to gain insights into the formation and the biological role of oxidatively generated and photo-induced lesions in the DNA of cells and human skin (for the photobiology of solar radiation). This obviously has major implications in protection against the deletrious effects of various oxidants and sunlight.

Fast forward to 2020. What’s your vision of Genomics in 2020?:
Genomics is still a fast growing research field in which both basic research projects and targeted applications cohabit very well. Due to the major role played by genetic in major diseases (cancer, aging …) gene therapy and gentic cloning to cite a few examples we are only at the early stage of a likely long and promissing scientific adventure that should be highly benefitial for the human population in the coming years.