Thomas Roulé: Doctoral student in biology

Studying at Paris-Saclay Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS2 - Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Univ.Evry), Thomas Roulé is currently in the fourth year of his thesis on "the regulation of root growth by long non-coding RNAs". He is due to continue his project for seven months at the Julia Bailey-Serres laboratory, at the University of California, Riverside.

Tell us about the subject of your thesis.

I am studying the regulation of gene expression by long non-coding RNAs in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Generated by DNA transcription, these molecules are capable of activating or inhibiting the expression of certain genes. To better understand them, I analyse their mechanism of action during germination and root growth, using molecular biology and biochemistry techniques.

During the first three years of my thesis, my team and I discovered a new mechanism for regulating gene expression in plants by long non-coding RNAs. This mechanism applies to a specific gene. I would now like to find out if this mechanism applies to other genes. I am therefore going to study long non-coding RNAs in the context of plant flood tolerance. This part of my research will be conducted at the Julia Bailey-Serres laboratory, at the University of California, Riverside, which specialises in the study of plants' resilience to climate change.

Why go to the U.S.? What attracted you to the Fulbright programme? 

In the first place, I want to do several years of post-doctoral research in the U.S. This country particularly appeals to me from an economic point of view. It devotes a large budget to research and there are lots of job opportunities for young researchers. Despite the fact that my long-term plan is to work as an associate professor or researcher in France, I would like to maintain international connections. 

I am taking advantage of this mobility programme to develop my network of contacts and make my future plan a reality. I could meet Fulbright alumni at seminars, create possible collaborations and expand my field of research. The Fulbright programme also brings me professional recognition. It is highly reputed in the United States, which will help me find a job in the future. 

What do you hope to learn or discover?

This experience will give me specialised technical knowledge that can only be gained at the Julia Bailey-Serres laboratory. I will be trained in one of their areas of expertise: bioinformatics analysis of sequencing data. 

On a personal level, I take real pleasure in discovering other cultures. I had the chance to go to Cameroon for a humanitarian mission. I have also spent time in England, at the University of Warwick, learning the CRISPR-Cas9 method (now widely known as "genetic scissors" following the well-publicised 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry, awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna). This will be my first trip to the U.S. I intend to take full advantage of this immersion in American culture to learn all about their way of life, explore the varying landscapes and, of course, improve my English.