Detailed objectives

The MIADIM project is divided into 4 steps :

Step 1 - Deep Chemical Profiling and Spatial Mapping of Monoterpene Indole Alkaloid Dimers

A comprehensive chemical inventory of MIA dimers present in crepe jasmine and periwinkle is established using state-of-the-art metabolomics approaches. Novel analytical strategies are developed to improve the confidence of molecular annotation and to map the distribution of key compounds across plant tissues, laying the groundwork for downstream investigations.

Step 2 - Genome-Wide Discovery and Prioritization of Candidate Genes Involved in MIA Dimerization

Integrating large-scale genomic and transcriptomic datasets, this work narrows down a list of promising candidate genes potentially involved in MIA dimerization. Advanced computational methods are applied to prioritize the most relevant targets, while complementary experimental strategies provide additional biological context.

Step 3 - Functional Validation of Biosynthetic Enzymes Driving MIA Dimer Formation

Selected candidate genes are experimentally tested to assess their role in the biosynthesis of MIA dimers. A combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches is used to characterize enzymatic activities and progressively reconstruct the biosynthetic pathway leading to the compounds of interest.

Step 4 -  Metabolic Engineering of Yeast Cell Factories for the Sustainable Bioproduction of Anticancer MIA Dimers

Leveraging validated biosynthetic knowledge, microbial strains are engineered to produce targeted MIA dimers in a controlled setting. This work explores scalable bioproduction strategies as a sustainable alternative to plant-based extraction, with potential applications in the pharmaceutical industry .