A joint research unit CNRS, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France. BIOC uses experiments and simulations to understand cellular machinery. From the outset, BIOC carried out groundbreaking research on translation machinery, which produces proteins using messenger RNA, by applying biochemical and biophysical techniques such as X-ray crystallography.  Two groups pursue this line of research, with cutting-edge tools such as high resolution cryo-electron microscopy. Another group uses modeling and simulation to understand and design biomolecules. Special attention is given to developing new methods.

A last group focuses on the role of and regulation of branched actin networks in cells. Several aspects of these networks are relevant to cancer biology.