The Scientific Centre of Monaco (CSM) was founded in 1960 at the request of Prince Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. Dedicated to scientific research, the CSM is structured into three departments
- A department of marine biology, the “historical” department created in the early 1990s. This research department is specialised in the study of the functioning of tropical and Mediterranean coral coastal ecosystems in relation to global climate change. The research involves techniques ranging from genomics to environmental economics, including ecology, biochemistry, physiology, cell biology or microscopy. Research at the CSM aims to determine, in normal conditions or during environmental stresses, the biological mechanisms underlying coral biomineralization and symbiosis, two key processes supporting tropical and Mediterranean coral ecosystems.
- A department of polar biology: created within the framework of an European Associated Laboratory with the CNRS and the University of Strasbourg, this department provides the scientific basis for the use of penguins as an indicator of changes in polar ecosystems.
- A department of medical biology: linking basic research with clinical applications, this department combines:
- Four translational research teams (including an international associated laboratory), bringing the results of basic research into clinical services. These teams are developing work in the field of research of anti-cancer compounds, gene therapies for neuromuscular diseases and the study of the gut microbiome in relation with the immune system,
- A funding agency for the development of clinical research in the Principality,
- An observatory of the use of cord blood in the treatment of sickle-cell anemia.
The juxtaposition of these different teams within the same institute makes possible the establishment of promising and original interface programs, using for example coral to better elucidate the mechanisms of aging or tolerance to UV radiation. The CSM has a wide international attractiveness.
For more details : www.centrescientifique.mc
