Labex GRAL - Grenoble Alliance for Integrated Structural & Cell Biology

GRAL (Grenoble Alliance for Integrated Structural Cell Biology) was selected for funding as a Laboratoire d’excellence (LabEx) through the “Investissements d’avenir” programme of the French government in 2011. GRAL’s funding has been extented for 10 years until 2028 through the Chemistry, Biology and Health Graduate School of Université Grenoble Alpes.

The CBH Graduate School aims to provide students with a high quality of training, life on-campus, and international experience with interdisciplinary aspects and preparation for their future professional lives through extensive hands-on research experience. The graduate school relies on University Grenoble Alpes’ (UGA) CBH research department, with research organised in 4 axes: chemistry, biology, health-related biology, and health-related technology. Research in biology of the CBH Graduate School is represented by the GRAL research programme.

GRAL is at the interface between structural and cellular biology, and is multidisciplinary by nature. Its scientists, research staff, and students conduct forefront and innovative research in structural biology, cellular biology, integrative biology, plant biology, nanobiology, pathogenic-host interactions, cancer biology, molecular chemistry…

GRAL’s main priority is to decipher and integrate knowledge on the structure and dynamics of biological molecules and their function in the cellular context, in space and time. This approach will allow to better understand the regulation of biological functions, and will open the way to major advances in health, environment, and biotechnologies.

GRAL has 4 main objectives:

1. Support outstanding research projects in the field of integrated structural biology

2. Support outstanding training and education activites in integrated structural biology thanks to a unique and stimulating environment

3. Encourage and favour partnership and technology transfer

4. Create a scientific community, gathered under a common and strong GRAL identity