It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of our colleague Jean-Luc Ferat on January 3, at the age of 59, after a 10-year battle with cancer. During these years, Jean-Luc showed extraordinary courage in continuing his teaching and research work.
Jean-Luc Ferat was recruited in 1997 by the Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, and was appointed Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the UFR Sciences du Vivant of the Université Paris Cité in September 2022. Throughout his career, he pursued both his research and teaching activities with passion and determination.
From the outset, Jean-Luc’s research in bacterial biology and molecular genetics included a phylogeny and bioinformatics component, which he had never abandoned, and which has made his work so original. Thus, during his thesis at the Centre de Génétique Moléculaire (CGM) in Gif sur Yvette under the supervision of François Michel, he discovered the existence of group II introns in bacteria, suggesting an ancestral origin of these introns, the catalytic part of which would have given rise to the eukaryotic pre-messenger RNA splicing machinery. He then worked with Nancy Kleckner at Harvard University on the coordination between replication initiation and the cell cycle in Escherichia coli.
Back in France at the CGM in 2001, Jean-Luc developed an original approach to phylogenomic gene screening based on the comparison of protein domains. This enabled him to propose the existence of a link between the DNA methylation machinery present in certain bacteria and genes involved in DNA maintenance, a link that Jean-Luc and others subsequently confirmed. Using a similar approach, combining bioinformatics, bacterial genetics and molecular biology, Jean-Luc identified the DciA protein as the ancestral and predominant protein involved in replicative helicase loading on the bacterial chromosome. Working with François-Xavier Barre’s team at the Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (I2BC), he also demonstrated DciA’s decisive role in establishing bi-directional initiation of replication. In its absence, there is a loss of synchrony between the two forks, leading to genomic instability. Jean-Luc’s results underscore the importance of bidirectional initiation of replication in all 3 domains of life. This is the work he was developing since joining Marie-Noëlle Prioleau’s team at the Institut Jacques Monod (IJM).
Jean-Luc carried out his teaching activities with the same exacting standards as his research. At the Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Jean-Luc taught at all academic levels. He was in charge of first-year undergraduate students in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for around ten years. He initiated or was involved in a large number of courses from L1 to M2. In particular, he was a driving force behind the creation of courses combining molecular biology, genomics, genetics, bioinformatics and phylogeny.
Thanks to this multi-disciplinary expertise, he was a key player in the creation of the master’s program, entitled “Bioinformatics and Genomics”. Following the merger of master’s programs between the 3 sites of Université Evry-Val-d’Essonne, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and Faculté des Sciences d’Orsay under the banner of Université Paris-Saclay, he was also behind the creation in 2015 of an original master’s program entitled “Biodiversity, Genomics and the Environment”, convincing members of AgroParisTech and INRAE to participate as well. He was in charge of this master’s program until 2022, when he was recruited by Université Paris Cité. Following his new appointment as University Professor, Jean-Luc immediately became involved in the teaching teams, sharing his experience and scientific vision and contributing to the development of several courses. He was also a driving force behind the overhaul of the L3 molecular biology courses and changes to the BMC master’s program, making significant improvements to the curriculum.
Jean-Luc was passionate about his work and eager to share his scientific enthusiasm. He was concerned about the future of his students, supervising them with a rigor that pushed them to give their best. His extensive scientific knowledge led to discussions that were often impassioned and fascinating.
We will also remember him for his general knowledge, his concern for the common good and his freedom of thought.
Finally, for almost 10 years, Jean-Luc faced his illness with great lucidity, strength of character and an admirable courage. He spent his last moments caring for his daughter, his family, his students and his colleagues.
Our thoughts are with his daughter and her family, to whom we offer our deepest sympathy and condolences.