معرفی
Erwan Poupon is a Professor at Paris-Saclay University's Faculty of Pharmacy, co-directing the Chemistry of Natural Substances team within the BioCIS laboratory (Biomolecules: Design, Isolation, Synthesis), a joint unit of Paris-Saclay University, Cergy Paris University, and CNRS. His research bridges chemistry, biology, and evolutionary science to explore natural substances for pharmaceutical applications, with particular focus on molecular complexity and biosynthetic mechanisms.
His academic background includes:
- Pharmacy studies at University of Rennes (1989)
- DEA (Master 2 equivalent) at University Paris Descartes (now University Paris Cité) (1996)
- PhD from University Paris Descartes (2000)
Poupon specializes in biomimetic chemistry, imitating natural biochemical processes to synthesize complex molecules from elementary building blocks. His research investigates biosynthetic pathways in plants and insects, including stenusin (a natural surfactant with antibacterial properties) and azasugar glycosidase inhibitors with diabetes/antiviral potential. He integrates modern 'omics' technologies (genomics, metabolomics, etc.) to discover bioactive compounds from plants, marine invertebrates, fungi, and microorganisms, challenging traditional enzyme specificity paradigms.
His scientific recognition includes:
- Minafin Prize from the French Academy of Sciences (2023) for sustainable chemistry innovation
- Membership in the National Academy of Pharmacy (since 2018)
As an educator since 2002, Poupon teaches natural medicines and chemical ecology in Paris-Saclay's pharmacy curriculum, emphasizing connections to health, biodiversity, and history. He actively contributes to the National Academy of Pharmacy through working groups and an online dictionary development. His leadership in the 40-member Chemistry of Natural Substances team drives European-scale research in natural product discovery using advanced instrumentation like HPLC-MS systems.
The BioCIS laboratory team under Poupon's co-direction (since 2020) pioneers evolutionary chemistry approaches, employing high-tech equipment to analyze molecular diversity across biological sources while modernizing traditional pharmaceutical chemistry through interdisciplinary 'omics' integration.
