ENS - Enseignement

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Anne Zalmanski — 2026-04-23T15:11:06Z

Applications 2026-2027

Anne Zalmanski — 2025-12-18T09:32:00Z

Graduate Program Excellence in Life Sciences scholarships

Anne Zalmanski — 2025-12-04T14:22:41Z

A scholarship program offering competitive stipends (up to 10,000 €/year) for students following the Interdisciplinary Master in Life Science (IMaLiS) has been established by the Graduate Program in Life Sciences to specifically support international students.

Eligibility criteria for applying to a Graduate Program Excellence in Life Sciences scholarship in the Master M1 year :

– Students holding an international foreign Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences or in another scientific discipline, but with a demonstrated background in Life Sciences, are eligible to apply to the scholarship program at the Master 1 level.

– Candidates must not have lived in France during the academic year of the selection (September 1st – August 31st) nor the previous year.

Please note : Students admitted at the M1 level may obtain a one-year scholarship that can be renewed for one additional year to cover the second year of IMaLiS. Recipients of the scholarship will be required to undertake their internship in laboratories affiliated with PSL.

Application procedure

Application for a scholarship is part of the application to the IMaLiS Master's program (only one application is required).
You will need to complete the PSL online application form for the Master IMaLiS track. For required documents and evaluations steps, please the see application procedure website. The online application form will enable you to indicate whether or not you wish to apply to the Graduate Program Excellence in Life Sciences scholarship program.

If you have been admitted to IMaLiS or placed on the waiting list, you will proceed to a remote oral examination on a biology-related topic, which will allow the panel to establish the list of the beneficiaries of the scholarships.
For the oral examination, students will be required to critically read a scientific article, that will be assigned to them beforehand.

On the basis of the interviews and exam results, a list of students accepted with funding and a ranked waiting list will be established.
Students on the main list will be enrolled in the Master and benefit from the scholarship.

Those on the waiting lists for both Master and scholarship will be enrolled in the Master, if students accepted to the Master withdraw, based on their ranking. If students who have obtained scholarships also withdraw, their scholarships will be offered to those on the waiting list, based on their ranking.

Timetable for the 2026/2027 academic year

2026-2027 Masters degree application

Anne Zalmanski — 2025-12-02T16:36:51Z

2026-2027 Applications are now closed

(submition January 15, 2026 – February 24, 2026)

To directly apply to the Master's program, all students (from France, the EU or outside of the EU) need to complete the PSL online application form for the Master IMaLiS track and upload the following documents :

• A curriculum vitae, including a description of your higher education, of completed coursework, that is relevant for your application, and of your research experience to date.
• An ID photo.
• A letter of motivation, personnally written, introducing yourself, describing your research interests and research experience during internships, outlining your professional career project and how the Master program will align with these plans, for instance by specifying the courses that you would like to follow, in particular if it concerns the specialized courses offered by the Institutes Curie and Pasteur.
• Scans of your Bachelor's degree (or equivalent), if you obtained them already, and of your undergraduate and postgraduate academic transcripts. Please supply any available official information regarding your relative ranking (e.g. top 5%) and the number of students in the class.
• Two or three letters of recommendation to be uploaded to the platform by professors or researchers who know you well.
• English and French language certificates are optional. A certification of English language proficiency (C1 level) is recommended if English is not your mother tongue. Examples of certifications : TOEFL iBT, CAE, TOEIC, IELTS or a Medium Of Instruction (MOI) certificate from your university.
• Should you ask for consideration at the M2 level, you need to provide a detailed explanation in your letter of motivation as to why you believe to be eligible for direct admission to the second year, based on your background in Life Sciences, the interdisciplinary nature of your education and your research experience.

Admission steps :

(1) All written applications will be evaluated twice by the Biology Department faculty.
(2) Candidates pre-selected on the basis of their written application will then be invited for a remote interview with a faculty panel. The discussion is designed for you to present yourself : including your general scientific background and motivation, your career objectives and your research experience so far. This interview will help the panel to decide whether you are accepted to the Master, placed on a waiting list or definitively refused. The level of admission will take into account both student wishes and faculty evaluations of the candidacy.
(3) If you have been admitted to IMaLiS or placed on the waiting list, and applied for a scholarship, you will proceed to a remote oral examination on a biology-related topic, which will allow the panel to establish the list of scholarships beneficiaries.

For information : Timetable for the 2026/2027 academic year
– Online applications : opening January 15, 2026
– Deadline for application : February 24, 2026
– Notification of first evaluation round results/invitation to interviews : 16 March 2026
– Interviews by videoconference : March 27 – April 3, 2026
– Oral examination by videoconference for scholarships : April 7 and 10, 2026
– Notification of principal and waiting lists : April 15, 2026

Entrée au niveau Master

Anne Zalmanski — 2025-12-02T16:01:41Z

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Medical and molecular genetics

Frédérique Godfroid — 2025-09-02T14:47:01Z

Master in Life Sciences, ENS
UNBIO1-087 | Medical and molecular genetics
Year and Semester : M2 | S1
Where : Biology department, ENS
Duration : 1 week
Dates : September 22-26, 2025

—2025-2026 programme to come—

Coordination

Olivier Collin, Biology department ENS

Credits

3 ECTS

Course objectives and description

Ce cours de génétique médicale a pour but de jeter les bases des mécanismes sous-jacents aux maladies génétiques les plus courantes.

l'exemple de la maladie génétique mono-factorielle la plus fréquente chez les caucasiens, la mucoviscidose, l'identification du seul gène en cause, le canal ionique CFTR, et des quelques 2000 allèles morbides, la course contre la montre depuis une trentaine d'années entre les travaux visant à comprendre la physiopathologie de cette maladie, grâce en particulier à la cryo-microscopie électronique, la modélisation en 3D de la structure de CFTR, et les différentes thérapies qui ont permis d'allonger de 20 ans l'espérance de vie des patients ;
les génétiques mono-factorielles de la surdité, mais avec différentes formes de surdité, et les difficultés pour identifier des familles informatives parce que les sourds se marient entre eux ;
la génétique poly-factorielle extrêmement complexe de l'autisme ;
la génétique poly-factorielle du sommeil, les aspects moléculaires des cycles circadiens et leurs régulations par les facteurs environnementaux ;
les génétiques poly-factorielles des différentes formes de diabète.

Pour chacun de ces syndromes, nous aborderons des questions techniques, mais aussi éthiques voire philosophiques sur les avancées récentes dans les traitements de ces maladies.

Appel à candidature

Anne Zalmanski — 2025-07-17T14:44:09Z

Chaire de Professeur Junior en Neurosciences de l'Université PSL

L'université PSL lance un appel à candidatures pour un poste de Chaire de Professeur·e Junior PSL en Sciences du Vivant intitulé « Neurosciences » dont l'activité se déroulera à l'Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Université Paris Sciences et Lettres.

Il s'agit d'un poste type « tenure-track » avec une charge d'enseignement réduite menant à un poste de professeur titulaire à l'issue d'une période de quatre ans à six ans maximum pour enseigner au Département de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure tout en développant un programme de recherche au sein de l'IBENS.

La prise de poste pourra avoir lieu à partir de mois du janvier 2026 ou à une date convenue mutuellement. La signature du contrat devant impérativement être conclue d'ici la fin du mois de décembre 2025.

Le poste est ouvert à tous les chercheurs et toutes les chercheuses souhaitant développer leur activité en neurosciences fondamentales ou appliquées. Le poste comprend un salaire et un fonds de démarrage de 200K€.

—Fiche de poste—

Lien pour candidater

Advanced Genetics

Anne Zalmanski — 2025-06-17T14:08:12Z

Master in Life Sciences, ENS – M1

2025-2026 - Semester 1

UNBIO1-122 - Advanced Genetics

6 ECTS

—2025-2026 program—

Year and Semester : M1 | S1
Duration : from September 19th 2025 to December 19th 2025
Hours : 2pm-5pm (Fridays)

1. Short Description of Course

This course explores the molecular mechanisms driving gene expression and genetic inheritance, with a focus on how genomic variation underlies the development of phenotypes.. Emphasis is placed on the interplay between genetic diversity and environmental factors in shaping expression patterns.
The curriculum delves into complex gene interactions, covering topics such as allelic series, epistasis, and metabolic dominance theory and it introduces the "genome-as-phenotype" concept, examining the roles of transposable elements, sex chromosome biology, and compensatory buffering mechanisms in shaping phenotypic outcomes.
Phenotypic variation is analyzed through quantitative frameworks to explain expressivity, penetrance, robustness, and canalization. The statistical genetics component emphasizes decomposition of phenotypic variance, heritability estimation, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to uncover complex trait architecture and pleiotropic effects. The course will integrate concepts from population genetics and polygenic risk prediction, highlighting the role of phenotypic plasticity and environmental interactions in the genotype-phenotype relationship at both individual and population scales.

Maximum class size : 20 students.
The class is taught in English.

Keywords

Biology, life sciences, genetics, mutation, allelic series, dominance, epistasis, plasticity, epigenetics, TE, sex chromosomes, ploidy, expressivity, penetrance, robustness, canalization, heritability, animal model, QTL mapping, GWAS, pleiotropy, linkage disequilibrium, population structure, polygenic prediction, Human genetics

2. Registration

– Students external to the ENS Biology Department can attend and validate the class if the primary instructor has been contacted beforehand and agreed (see contact information below).
– Following approval, students need to register online at least one week before the course starting date.

3. Location and Timeline

Location : Biology Department, 3rd floor - at ENS, 46 rue d'Ulm, Paris.
Building entry with access card only (visitors must use the intercom at the entrance). The floor and class rooms are accessible without a badge. The building, floor and class room are generally accessible to people with disabilities.

Homework will consist in preparation of journal club discussion, slide presentations, and background reading.

4. Instructors and Contact Information

Primary instructors :
Gersende LEPERE
Henrique TEOTONIO
Preferred method of contact : email

5. Course Communications

Course materials (class syllabus, lecture slides, research articles, R scripts, etc.) will be made available on the Moodle platform.
Course announcements will be made by email and/or posted on Moodle.

6. Course Prerequisites or Co-requisites

Course prerequisites : students are required to have taken Molecular biology and genetics (L3), Math (L3), Biostats (L3).
Important concepts and skills to master : Mendelian genetics, linear regression, genome organization, DNA polymorphisms, mutations, meiosis, ploidy.
Level in programming : basic level in R.

7. Course Format, Teaching Methods, Special Activities

Course format and teaching methods : Lectures given by the primary instructors will be complemented with invited research seminars by external faculty, and student-led analysis and discussion of research articles.
At least one of the sessions will be a hands-on computer tutorial. Students are strongly encouraged to bring their own laptop with R studio installed prior to class.

8. Expected Learning Outcomes

Details to come.

9. Detailed Schedule and Content

There will be 13, on Friday 14h-17h, (see the general calendar for the dates, detailed schedule to be provided in the first class at the beginning of the course 19th September) :

1 Introduction (Mendelian Genetics)
2 Inverse Genetics (Mutation, promoter, enhancer, suppressor)
3 Gene Interactions (Allelic series)
4 Gene Interactions (Metabolic theory dominance, epistasis)
5 Plasticity and epigenetics
6 Expressivity and Penetrance (TD)
7 Expressivity and Penetrance (TD)
8 Genome as a phenotype (TE, Sex Chromosomes, Compensation)
9 QTL mapping and GWAS
10 Pleiotropy and linkage disequilibrium (TD)
11 Phenotypic variance decomposition (heritability, genomic prediction, polygenic score)
12 Genetic relatedness and the Animal Model (TD)
13 Human genetics

10. Evaluation and Grading

Students will be evaluated based on a written exam and small-group presentation of a research topic at the semester's end.

Student-led presentation 40%
Final exam 60%
Total 100%

11. Required or Suggested Resources

Recommended reading list (available in the science library and from the instructors) :
– Alberts, B., Heald, R., Johnson, A., Morgan, D., Raff, M., Roberts, K., & Walter, P. (2024). Molecular Biology of the Cell. W. W. Norton & Company
– Gibson, G., & Muse, S.V. (2004). A Primer of Genome Science. Sinauer Associates
– Griffiths, A.J.F., Wessler, S.R., Carroll, S.B., & Doebley, J. (2015) An Introduction to Genetic Analysis.
– W. H. Freeman. Kearsey, M.J., & Pooni, H.S. (1996). The Genetical Analysis of Quantitative Traits. Chapman & Hall
– Lynch, M., & Walsh, B. (1998). Genetics and Analysis of Quantitative Traits. Sinauer Associates
– Weir, B.S. (1996). Genetic Data Analysis II : Methods for Discrete Population Genetic Data. Sinauer Associates.

ABC-S : Understanding Biology through Structure

Anne Zalmanski — 2025-05-20T15:41:04Z

PSL Master in Life Sciences - ENS – M2

2025-2026 - Semester 1

UNBIO1-121 (PG-ABCS-S1) | ABC-S - Advanced Biology Course : Understanding Biology through Structure

3 ECTS

Poster-ABC_S-2025

—Download Planning—

Year : 1 (M1) / 2 (M2) and PhD
Semester : 1 (S1)
Duration : 12 sessions of 2 hours
Hours : From September 10th to December 10th on Wednesdays, 5:15-7:15 p.m.
Where : ENS Biology Department (46 rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris)

Maximum class size : 24 students

Coordination
Anne Houdusse, Curie Institute
Antoine Taly, IBPC
Vincent Morin, IBENS
Bofei MA (Contact ENS for administration)

Credits : 3 ECTS

Keywords :
Molecules of life, Molecular interactions and structural cell biology, Physics and Chemistry of Life, Single molecule functional assays, Molecular dynamics and modelling, Allostery, Missense mutations and disease, Drug design, Alphafold and structure prediction by AI.

Course prerequisites :
The curriculum of the courses encompasses subjects such as fundamental biology. A description of the fundamental principles that allow acquiring function by the molecules of life will be given with principles in chemistry and physics as well as molecular biology. There is no specific prerequisite, as long as the student is sufficiently motivated to embrace broad subjects with interdisciplinary points of view.

Course objectives and description
Aims and themes :
Structural underpinnings are at the base of all molecular mechanisms that control the biological processes of life. The importance and power of combining exquisite molecular functional experiments and structural information has been continually demonstrated in the milestones that built knowledge in biology. The past two decades have seen a dramatic transformation take place in the field of structural biology. An integrative approach, the revolution in resolution of cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography, the AI transformation for structure prediction and continuous advances in the depiction of macromolecular assemblies of RNA, DNA, proteins and lipids brings to scientists a treasure trove of insights. The course will demonstrate how structural and molecular dynamics studies can inspire testing new models with functional experiments and how dysfunction or deregulation that cause human pathologies can be better understood via structural studies. At last, the importance of structural approaches to accelerate the findings and development of future drug candidates will be presented in light of the AI revolution.

The lectures will revolve around seminars given by brilliant researchers, experts in different approaches of molecular biology. They are pioneers in new emerging topics and approaches at the frontier of science and are particularly keen to build their research together with other complementary disciplines of biology, physics and chemistry.

Organisation :
For each session, selected landmark papers will be shared with all students in advance. Two students will I) briefly present these key papers as an introduction to the seminar given by an expert and ii) will act as moderator of the discussion taking place after the presentation.

Assessment :
Validation for M1/M2 (with grades) : assiduity (presence to at least 80% of the sessions), article presentation + animation of class debate. Maximum 10-12 students.
– Validation for ENS diploma / Doctoral school (without grades) : assiduity (presence to at least 80% of the sessions), article presentation + animation of class debate. Maximum 10-12 students.
– Possibility to attend the course without validation in the limit of room availability

Course material (hand-outs, online presentation available, …) :
Slides and online presentations will be made available (with agreement of the speaker of each session)

Application procedure
Please send your application for registration, along with a short motivation letter and your CV, before the deadline of June 30th, 2025 to bofei.ma chez bio.ens.psl.eu.

Initiation to python programming

Anne Zalmanski — 2024-09-27T10:29:22Z

Graduated Program in Life Science, Department of Biology, ENS-PSL
| Initiation to python programming (ENS/Biology)
Year and Semester : PhD and Postdocs | S1
Where : Department of Biology of ENS, room 321, 3rd floor, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris.
Duration : 6 weeks
Schedule : on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from November 13th to December 18th, 2025
Hours : 17:00-19:00
Maximum class size : 16

Coordination

Denis Thieffry, Department of Biology, ENS

Credits

3 ECTS

Keywords

Python | Programming | Linux

Course prerequisites

Knowledge of basic Linux commands and a whole lot of motivation !
If you have no Linux/Unix background, you can check the first sections of the following online course : https://www.tutorialspoint.com/unix/index.htm

Course objectives and description

Aims : The objective of the course is to initiate young life-science scientists to python programming from scratch, fostering self-learning practice.

Organisation : The course will include two classes per week, each about two-hours long, over a period of six weeks, in November-December 2025.
A large part of each class will be devoted to practical coding exercises.
Regular attendance to the classes should be completed by two to three hours of homework per week.

Assessment

• The participants will be regularly asked to explain their code during the classes.
• Coding exercises will be proposed over the duration of the course, to be finalised at home and submit for evaluation by the teaching team.

Course material

The course will be based on the textbook published by Whitington (2023), as well as on online resources from the python community.
Linux desktops will be provided for the classes, but participants can also bring their personal laptop, with a recent version of python 3 installed.

Course material

in relation with the module content
Whitington J (2023). Python from the very beginning. Cambridge : Coherent Press (2nd ed).
https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/
https://docs.python.org/3/