Dr. Natacha Gaillard

Scientist
Forschungsstrasse 111
5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland
Biography
Natacha Gaillard completed her PhD at the University of Strasbourg in Structural Biology under the supervision of Prof. Jean Cavarelli (IGBMC, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg, France). In 2007 she joined the PSI (Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland) on the Molecular Biology High Throughput Platform as a post-doc working on kinetochore proteins. In 2011 she became Scientist in the group of Prof. Michel Steinmetz.
In 2017, with her colleague Ashwani Sharma, they initiated a new topic on infectious diseases.
Research Interests
Natacha chose the microtubule cytoskeleton as field of research. She has applied her technical skills to collaborate with several teams internally to develop several technologies for which the PSI is at the forefront of research (ex. sulfur-SAD phasing - SwissFEL for Biological samples - sample solid support for X-ray technologies) and her scientific approaches on various topics like centrosome biology, kinesin regulation and anti-cancer microtubule targeting agents.
Initiated in 2017 with the support of Novartis, Natacha Gaillard in collaboration with her colleague Ashwani Sharma, have started a new topic on infectious diseases aiming at understanding the parasite-host interaction tackling two main lines of research: study and understand the Biology of Apicomplexan parasites and identify new putative targets for drug development.
Grants - Awards and Mentoring
2022
Expert for the Swiss Youth Research Foundation
Biology and Medicine Section.
2019
Grant SNSF Spark (Rapid Funding of unconventional Ideas)
Host cytoskeleton manipulation by Apicomplexan parasites: structural and functional investigation of the RON Complex.
Mentor for the ETH Program Fix the Leaky Pipeline
Career building program for women in Science
2017
Grant Novartis FreeNovation (funding program for unconventional and creative projects)
Towards the structure based design of broad spectrum anti-apicomplexan drugs.
Publications
Natacha Gaillard since 2022 - Previously Natacha Olieric
-
Prota AE, Lucena-Agell D, Ma Y, Estevez-Gallego J, Li S, Bargsten K, et al.
Structural insight into the stabilization of microtubules by taxanes
eLife. 2023; 12: e84791 (35 pp.). https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.84791
DORA PSI -
Wranik M, Weinert T, Slavov C, Masini T, Furrer A, Gaillard N, et al.
Watching the release of a photopharmacological drug from tubulin using time-resolved serial crystallography
Nature Communications. 2023; 14(1): 903 (12 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36481-5
DORA PSI -
Guyomar C, Bousquet C, Ku S, Heumann JM, Guilloux G, Gaillard N, et al.
Changes in seam number and location induce holes within microtubules assembled from porcine brain tubulin and in Xenopus egg cytoplasmic extracts
eLife. 2022; 11: e83021 (26 pp.). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.83021
DORA PSI -
Mühlethaler T, Olieric N, Ehrhard VA, Wranik M, Standfuss J, Sharma A, et al.
Crystallization systems for the high-resolution structural analysis of tubulin-ligand complexes
In: Inaba H, ed. Microtubules. Methods and protocols. Methods in molecular biology. New York: Humana Press; 2022:349-374. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1983-4_23
DORA PSI -
Gaillard N, Sharma A, Abbaali I, Liu T, Shilliday F, Cook AD, et al.
Inhibiting parasite proliferation using a rationally designed anti-tubulin agent
EMBO Molecular Medicine. 2021; 13(11): e13818 (12 pp.). https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.202013818
DORA PSI -
Olieric V, Weinert T, Finke AD, Anders C, Li D, Olieric N, et al.
Data-collection strategy for challenging native SAD phasing
Acta Crystallographica Section D: Structural Biology. 2016; 72(3): 421-429. https://doi.org/10.1107/S2059798315024110
DORA PSI -
Olieric N, Kuchen M, Wagen S, Sauter M, Crone S, Edmondson S, et al.
Automated seamless DNA co-transformation cloning with direct expression vectors applying positive or negative insert selection
BMC Biotechnology. 2010; 10: 56 (10 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6750-10-56
DORA PSI -
Bieniossek C, Nie Y, Frey D, Olieric N, Schaffitzel C, Collinson I, et al.
Automated unrestricted multigene recombineering for multiprotein complex production
Nature Methods. 2009; 6(6): 447-450. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.1326
DORA PSI
-
Mühlethaler T, Olieric N, Ehrhard VA, Wranik M, Standfuss J, Sharma A, et al.
Crystallization systems for the high-resolution structural analysis of tubulin-ligand complexes
In: Inaba H, ed. Microtubules. Methods and protocols. Methods in molecular biology. New York: Humana Press; 2022:349-374. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1983-4_23
DORA PSI -
Gao L, Meiring JCM, Kraus Y, Wranik M, Weinert T, Pritzl SD, et al.
A robust, GFP-orthogonal photoswitchable inhibitor scaffold extends optical control over the microtubule cytoskeleton
Cell Chemical Biology. 2021; 28(2): 228-241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.11.007
DORA PSI -
Martiel I, Beale JH, Karpik A, Huang C-Y, Vera L, Olieric N, et al.
Versatile microporous polymer-based supports for serial macromolecular crystallography
Acta Crystallographica Section D: Structural Biology. 2021; 77(9): 1153-1167. https://doi.org/10.1107/S2059798321007324
DORA PSI -
Sharma A, Olieric N, Steinmetz MO
Centriole length control
Current Opinion in Structural Biology. 2021; 66: 89-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbi.2020.10.011
DORA PSI -
Atherton J, Hummel JJA, Olieric N, Locke J, Peña A, Rosenfeld SS, et al.
The mechanism of kinesin inhibition by kinesin binding protein
eLife. 2020; 9: e61481 (30 pp.). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.61481
DORA PSI -
Nass K, Cheng R, Vera L, Mozzanica A, Redford S, Ozerov D, et al.
Advances in long-wavelength native phasing at X-ray free-electron lasers
IUCrJ. 2020; 7: 965-975. https://doi.org/10.1107/S2052252520011379
DORA PSI -
Rodríguez-García R, Volkov VA, Chen C-Y, Katrukha EA, Olieric N, Aher A, et al.
Mechanisms of motor-independent membrane remodeling driven by dynamic microtubules
Current Biology. 2020; 30(6): 972-987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.01.036
DORA PSI -
Steib E, Laporte MH, Gambarotto D, Olieric N, Zheng C, Borgers S, et al.
WDR90 is a centriolar microtubule wall protein important for centriole architecture integrity
eLife. 2020; 9: e57205 (28 pp.). https://doi.org/10.7554/ELIFE.57205
DORA PSI -
Basu S, Olieric V, Leonarski F, Matsugaki N, Kawano Y, Takashi T, et al.
Long-wavelength native-SAD phasing: opportunities and challenges
IUCrJ. 2019; 6(3): 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1107/S2052252519002756
DORA PSI -
Brindisi M, Ulivieri C, Alfano G, Gemma S, de Asís Balaguer F, Khan T, et al.
Structure-activity relationships, biological evaluation and structural studies of novel pyrrolonaphthoxazepines as antitumor agents
European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2019; 162: 290-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.11.004
DORA PSI -
Kashyap AS, Fernandez-Rodriguez L, Zhao Y, Monaco G, Trefny MP, Yoshida N, et al.
GEF-H1 signaling upon microtubule destabilization is required for dendritic cell activation and specific anti-tumor responses
Cell Reports. 2019; 28(13): 3367-3380.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.057
DORA PSI -
La Sala G, Olieric N, Sharma A, Viti F, de Asis Balaguer Perez F, Huang L, et al.
Structure, thermodynamics, and kinetics of plinabulin binding to two tubulin isotypes
Chem. 2019; 5(11): 2969-2986. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2019.08.022
DORA PSI -
Wang N, Bosc C, Ryul Choi S, Boulan B, Peris L, Olieric N, et al.
Structural basis of tubulin detyrosination by the vasohibin–SVBP enzyme complex
Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. 2019; 26(7): 571-582. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-019-0241-y
DORA PSI -
Aher A, Kok M, Sharma A, Rai A, Olieric N, Rodriguez-Garcia R, et al.
CLASP suppresses microtubule catastrophes through a single TOG domain
Developmental Cell. 2018; 46(1): 40-58.e8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2018.05.032
DORA PSI -
Lampert F, Stafa D, Goga A, Soste MV, Gilberto S, Olieric N, et al.
The multi-subunit GID/CTLH e3 ubiquitin ligase promotes cell proliferation and targets the transcription factor Hbp1 for degradation
eLife. 2018; 7: e35528 (23 pp.). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.35528
DORA PSI -
Sharma A, Gerard SF, Olieric N, Steinmetz MO
Cep120 promotes microtubule formation through a unique tubulin binding C2 domain
Journal of Structural Biology. 2018; 203(1): 62-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsb.2018.01.009
DORA PSI -
Smedley CJ, Stanley PA, Qazzaz ME, Prota AE, Olieric N, Collins H, et al.
Sustainable syntheses of (-)-jerantinines A & E and structural characterisation of the jerantinine-tubulin complex at the colchicine binding site
Scientific Reports. 2018; 8(1): 10617 (7 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28880-2
DORA PSI -
Aeschimann W, Staats S, Kammer S, Olieric N, Jeckelmann J-M, Fotiadis D, et al.
Self-assembled α-tocopherol transfer protein nanoparticles promote vitamin E delivery across an endothelial barrier
Scientific Reports. 2017; 7: 4970 (13 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-05148-9
DORA PSI -
Hamel V, Steib E, Hamelin R, Armand F, Borgers S, Flückiger I, et al.
Identification of Chlamydomonas central core centriolar proteins reveals a role for human WDR90 in ciliogenesis
Current Biology. 2017; 27(16): 2486-2498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.07.011
DORA PSI -
Sharma A, Sáez-Calvo G, Olieric N, de Asís Balaguer F, Barasoain I, Lamberth C, et al.
Quinolin-6-yloxyacetamides are microtubule destabilizing agents that bind to the colchicine site of tubulin
International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2017; 18(7): 1336 (11 pp.). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18071336
DORA PSI -
Sáez-Calvo G, Sharma A, de Asís Balaguer F, Barasoain I, Rodríguez-Salarichs J, Olieric N, et al.
Triazolopyrimidines are microtubule-stabilizing agents that bind the vinca inhibitor site of tubulin
Cell Chemical Biology. 2017; 24(6): 737-750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.05.016
DORA PSI -
Weinert T, Olieric N, Cheng R, Brünle S, James D, Ozerov D, et al.
Serial millisecond crystallography for routine room-temperature structure determination at synchrotrons
Nature Communications. 2017; 8(1): 542 (11 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00630-4
DORA PSI -
Bianchi S, van Riel WE, Kraatz SHW, Olieric N, Frey D, Katrukha EA, et al.
Structural basis for misregulation of kinesin KIF21A autoinhibition by CFEOM1 disease mutations
Scientific Reports. 2016; 6: 30668 (16 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep30668
DORA PSI -
Kevenaar JT, Bianchi S, van Spronsen M, Olieric N, Lipka J, Frias CP, et al.
Kinesin-binding protein controls microtubule dynamics and cargo trafficking by regulating kinesin motor activity
Current Biology. 2016; 26(7): 849-861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.01.048
DORA PSI -
Kraatz S, Guichard P, Obbineni JM, Olieric N, Hatzopoulos GN, Hilbert M, et al.
The human centriolar protein CEP135 contains a two-stranded coiled-coil domain critical for microtubule binding
Structure. 2016; 24(8): 1358-1371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.str.2016.06.011
DORA PSI -
Olieric V, Weinert T, Finke AD, Anders C, Li D, Olieric N, et al.
Data-collection strategy for challenging native SAD phasing
Acta Crystallographica Section D: Structural Biology. 2016; 72(3): 421-429. https://doi.org/10.1107/S2059798315024110
DORA PSI -
Wieczorek M, Tcherkezian J, Bernier C, Prota AE, Chaaban S, Rolland Y, et al.
The synthetic diazonamide DZ-2384 has distinct effects on microtubule curvature and dynamics without neurotoxicity
Science Translational Medicine. 2016; 8(365): 365ra159 (14 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aag1093
DORA PSI -
Guichard P, Hachet V, Majubu N, Neves A, Demurtas D, Olieric N, et al.
Native architecture of the centriole proximal region reveals features underlying its 9-fold radial symmetry
Current Biology. 2013; 23(17): 1620-1628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.06.061
DORA PSI -
Kitagawa D, Vakonakis I, Olieric N, Hilbert M, Keller D, Olieric V, et al.
Structural basis of the 9-fold symmetry of centrioles
Cell. 2011; 144(3): 364 (12 pp.)-375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2011.01.008
DORA PSI -
Olieric N, Kuchen M, Wagen S, Sauter M, Crone S, Edmondson S, et al.
Automated seamless DNA co-transformation cloning with direct expression vectors applying positive or negative insert selection
BMC Biotechnology. 2010; 10: 56 (10 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6750-10-56
DORA PSI -
Bieniossek C, Nie Y, Frey D, Olieric N, Schaffitzel C, Collinson I, et al.
Automated unrestricted multigene recombineering for multiprotein complex production
Nature Methods. 2009; 6(6): 447-450. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.1326
DORA PSI