Frederic Friscourt

Frederic Friscourt is an Associate Professor in Chemical Biology at the University of Bordeaux, France, with co-affiliations at the European Institute of Chemistry and Biology (IECB) and the Institute of Molecular Sciences (ISM, CNRS UMR 5255). He leads the Friscourt Lab within the "Molecular Photonics, Chemical Biology and Imaging" (PMCI) division at ISM.

His educational background includes:

• M.Sc. in Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Diploma (2004), University of Clermont-Ferrand
• PhD in Chemistry, University of Glasgow (supervised by Prof. Pavel Kočovský)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship (2009-2014), Complex Carbohydrate Research Center (GA, USA) under Prof. Geert-Jan Boons

Friscourt's research focuses on unravelling functional roles of mammalian complex glycans through innovative chemical tool development. His lab integrates organic chemistry, enzymatic synthesis, biochemical assays, and cell imaging to advance glycomics technologies, with emphasis on bioorthogonal chemistry for selective glycan labeling in living systems. Key methodologies include strain-promoted cycloadditions and sydnone-based probes enabling real-time visualization of dynamic glycan functions.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2018-2023) reveals a dominant trend in developing bioorthogonal reaction platforms (particularly sydnone-cyclooctyne systems) for glycan imaging, spanning fundamental organic chemistry to biological applications in DNA labeling, sialome tagging, and neural injury studies. This work bridges chemical innovation with critical biological questions in reproductive biology, neurobiology, and host-pathogen interactions.

Notable awards include:

• CNRS ATIP-Avenir Award for outstanding young principal investigator (2017)
• IdEx Bordeaux Junior Chair of Excellence in Chemical Biology Award (2014)
• ACS Outstanding Postdoctoral Research Chemist Award (2012)

Friscourt actively mentors a growing research group, evidenced by onboarding of new members (Aïnhoa Lafourcade, Lucile Jeanneret, Audrey Baeyens, Ludovic Hirsoux in 2024-2025), and has secured competitive funding from multiple agencies. His leadership extends to organizing major scientific events including the 58th International Conference on Medicinal Chemistry (RICT 2024) and the 4th Scientific Days of the GDR ChemBio at IECB.

The Friscourt Lab operates at the chemical biology frontier within ISM's PMCI division, maintaining strong collaborations and contributing to Bordeaux's prominence in glycan research through its unique integration of synthetic chemistry and live-cell imaging technologies.