Michalis Averof (IGFL), ERC Advanced Grant

Through which odd process are certain species able to regenerate in spectacular ways? The topic fascinates Michalis Averof, CNRS research director at the Institute of Functional Genomics of Lyon (IGFL). His project is one of the 277 selected (30 in France) for a 2015 Advanced Grant by the European Research Council (ERC). Crabs, squids, salamanders and many other animals have the fabulous capacity to make a part of their body grow back after it has been severely injured or amputated. Imagine if humans could do the same! A dream pursued as much in Greek mythology as in modern medicine. Unfortunately, we have barely managed to understand this phenomenon in the most performing species: the cells in charge of this regeneration, their origin, their purpose or the coordination needed to rebuild a limb. It's also difficult to understand why some animals have substantial regeneration capacities, while others - like humans - have very little. Averof and his team have lifted the veil on some of these mysteries.
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