Cellular Biophysics
Group Leader
Our interdisciplinary team investigates the mechanisms of molecular delivery into cells and tissues using electric fields and nanoparticle-based systems. Our ultimate goal is to enhance drug targeting and delivery, and to improve cancer diagnostics. We employ models of increasing complexity, ranging from liposomes to cells, organoids, and mice. By utilizing various advanced imaging tools, we aim to visualize, understand, and optimize membrane and cell permeabilization processes at different scales.
Our team unites interdisciplinary expertise to advance non-viral delivery methods, paving the way to innovative strategies to combat cancer as well as bacterial infections and related complications.
Over the past 30 years, our group has developed a multidisciplinary approach combining cell biology and biophysics to elucidate the mechanisms of membrane perturbations induced by transmembrane potential modifications, specifically through the techniques of “electroporation” or “electropermeabilization.” Our research has paved the way for innovative approaches and established parameters for the safe and efficient delivery of therapeutic molecules into cells and tissues.
Our key achievements extend over various topics of research:
- Elucidation of Electrotransfer Mechanisms: Our studies have revealed the distinct processes involved in the transfer of therapeutic molecules (such as bleomycin and cisplatin), small oligonucleotides (siRNA and LNA), proteins, and plasmid DNA. These mechanisms have been investigated in vitro using 2D and 3D cellular models, and in vivo in murine models.
- Development of Electroporation Techniques: Our research has led to the creation of new types of electrical pulse generators and electrodes, suitable for both in vitro and in vivo studies. We have also adapted imaging systems, including dorsal window chambers and fluorescence microscopy/macroscopy, to visualize biological processes occurring during electroporation for cancer treatment and for the eradication of pathogens.
- Exploration of Non-Viral Drug Delivery Approaches: We are investigating alternative non-viral drug delivery methods, such as lectin carriers that specifically target cancer cells for tumor-targeted drug delivery and diagnostics, and inorganic nanoparticles that can exert local physical actions to destroy solid tumors, or bacteria and biofilms.
- Investigation of Biological Effects of Radiofrequencies, including those used in 5G telecommunication networks, to determine potential health effects that electromagnetic radiations could have on living systems.
We actively collaborate with several international networks, including the International Bioelectrics Consortium, the European Network for the Development of Electroporation-Based Technologies and Treatments, and the LIA-EBAM: International Associated Laboratory on Pulsed Electric Fields Applications in Biology and Medicine. We also collaborate with international researchers, clinicians and industrial partners who develop electroporation devices. We are currently involved in 3 European projects. In two of them, ETAIN and GOLIAT, we study the potential health effects of exposure electromagnetic fields, including 5G. In ZAPcancer, we study the effects of immunogenic cell death on the activation of the anti-tumor immune response, caused by electrochemotherapy.
Team members
Research Scientists
Maxime Berg (CNRS)
Muriel Golzio (CNRS)
Jelena Kolosnjaj-Tabi (CNRS)
Laurent Paquereau (University)
Marie-Pierre Rols (CNRS)
Research Engineers
Geraldine Alberola (CNRS)
Elisabeth Bellard (CNRS)
Laetitia Hellaudais (University)
Caroline Ladurantie (CNRS)
Franck Talmont (CNRS)
Ophélie Cordier
Postdoctoral Fellows
Coralie Cayron
Georgios Kougkolos
PhD Students
Nicolas Mattei
Emma Barrere
Our research projects
de Caro et al. (2025) New effective and less painful high frequency electrochemotherapy protocols: From optimization on 3D models to pilot study on veterinary patients. J Control Release
Kralj et al. (2025) Dynamically assembling magnetic nanochains as new generation of swarm-type magneto-mechanical nanorobots affecting biofilm integrity. Adv Healthc Mater
Kolosnjaj-Tabi et al. (2021) High Power Electromagnetic Waves Exposure of Healthy and Tumor Bearing Mice: Assessment of Effects on Mice Growth, Behavior, Tumor Growth, and Vessel Permeabilization. Int J Mol Sci
Coustets et al. (2020) Development of a near infrared protein nanoprobe targeting Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen for intraoperative detection of submillimeter nodules in an ovarian peritoneal carcinomatosis mouse model. Biomaterials
Kolosnjaj-Tabi et al. (2019) Electric field-responsive nanoparticles and electric fields: physical, chemical, biological mechanisms and therapeutic prospects. Adv Drug Deliv Rev
Pasquet et al. (2019) Pre-clinical investigation of the synergy effect of interleukin-12 gene-electro-transfer during partially irreversible electropermeabilization against melanoma. J Immunother Cancer
Biological systems of increasing complexities to unravel the mechanisms of drug delivery and improve cancer treatment and diagnosis. We use pulsed electric fields, macromolecules and nanoparticle-based systems. © Cellular biophysics group
Collaborations
In Toulouse
- GTP Technology (Dr E. Devic)
- IUCT (Dr G. Ferron)
- LAAS (Drs Dague, Dubuc, Grenier)
- LCC (Pr I. Malfant, Dr L. Valade, Dr AM Caminade)
- IMRCP (Dr P Vicendo)
- Laplace (Pr N Merbahi, Dr Z Valdez)
- LEROYBiotech (J-B Leroy, L. Royant)
- Infinity (Dr S. Guerder)
- CIRIMAT (Dr E. Flahaut)
In France
- XLIM Limoges (Dr P. Levêque)
- Institut Curie, Paris (Dr C. Lamaze)
- Inria, Bordeaux (Dr C. Poignard)
- CHU Bondy, Paris (Pr O. Seror)
- CHU Poitiers (Pr J-P Tasu)
- CHU Brest (Pr T Montier)
- CNRS Montpellier (Dr M Morille)
- IMS Bordeaux (Dr Y Percherancier and Pr I Lagroye)
Worldwide
- Herlev Hospital, Denmark (Pr J. Gehl and Dr S. Krog-Fransden)
- Medical University of Worklaw, Poland (Dr J. Kulbacka)
- University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy (Pr E Signori)
- University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (Pr D. Miklavcic, Pr M. Cemazar)
- Ruđer Bošković Institute Zagreb, Croatia (Pr N. Nadica Ivosevic DeNardis)
- Comenius University, Slovakia (Pr Zdenko Machala)
- Slavko Kralj (Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia)
Funding
Industry
- Urosphere company
- GTP Technology company
- ITHPP company
- LEROYBiotech
Public grants
- European Union (FP7 & H2020)
- Institut National du Cancer (INCA)
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Fondation ARC
- Direction Générale des Armées (DGA)
- Direction Générale des Entreprise (DGE)
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM)
- Région Occitanie (COMUE)
- SATT-ToulouseTechTransfert
- Canceropole GSO
- Région Midi-Pyrénées
- Fondation J. Paufigue (SILAB)
- Cifre fellowships
Prizes
- 2024 Calvel Anne Best oral presentation, 23rd National Microwave Days conference
- 2022 Alexia de Caro Best oral presentation, 4th world congress ISEBTT on electroporation, Copenhagen (Denmark)
- 2022 Anne Calvel Poster award, 4th world congress ISEBTT on electroporation, Copenhagen (Denmark)
- 2022 Marie-Pierre Rols, Franck Reidy Award for outstanding contribution in Biolectrics
- 2019 Jelena Kolosnaj-Tabi Fonroga Foundation Prize
- 2018 Jelena Kolosnaj-Tabi Best video young researchers award, SFNano Annual meeting (Montpellier)
- 2017 Mathilde Coustets Public prize for my thesis in 180 seconds from the French Society of Oncologic Surgery
Press Releases
- 2025 Des essaims de nanorobots magnétiques pour déstructurer les biofilms bactériens | CNRS Biologie (https://www.insb.cnrs.fr/fr/cnrsinfo/des-essaims-de-nanorobots-magnetiques-pour-destructurer-les-biofilms-bacteriens)
- 2024 “Science Story”, la BD des actualités scientifiques de Toulouse
- 2023 Un patch survolté | Exploreur
- Event “80 years of CNRS” Public meeting: Electroporation and its applications, Toulouse, September 2019 (hhttps://www.cnrs.fr/occitanie-ouest/actualites/article/evenement-rencontre-publique-l-electroporation-et-ses-applications-3-septembre
- Articles published on the occasion of the congress on electroporation and published in the written press, the radio (interview France Bleue Occitanie), and television (France 3 report during the news), more than 10 interviews and 15 articles published in total including:
Recent Publications
2025
de Caro, A., Leroy,JB., Royant, L., Sayag, D., Marano, I., Lallemand, E., Toussaint, M., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Rols, MP., Golzio, M. (2025). New effective and less painful high frequency electrochemotherapy protocols: From optimization on 3D models to pilot study on veterinary patients. J Control Release 381:113592
Kralj, S., Da Silva, C., Nemec, S., Caf, M., Fourquaux, I., Rols, MP., Golzio, M., Mertelj, A., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J. (2025). Dynamically Assembling Magnetic Nanochains as New Generation of Swarm-Type Magneto-Mechanical Nanorobots Affecting Biofilm Integrity. J.Adv Healthc Mater 14:e2403736.
2024
Kougkolos, G., Laudebat, L., Dinculescu, S., Simon, J., Golzio, M., Valdez-Nava, Z., and Flahaut, E. (2024). Skin electroporation for transdermal drug delivery: Electrical measurements, numerical model and molecule delivery. J Control Release 367, 235-247.
Golzio, M., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., and Rols, M.-P. (2024). Potential of electric field in liquid foods processing Comment on” Advances in pulsed electric stimuli as a physical method for treating liquid foods” by F. Zare, N. Ghasemi, N. Bansal & H. Hosano. Physics of Life Reviews 48, 109-110.
Da Silva, C., Lamarche, C., Pichereaux, C., Mouton-Barbosa, E., Demol, G., Boisne, S., Dague, E., Burlet-Schiltz, O., Pillet, F., and Rols, M.-P. (2024). Bacterial eradication by a low-energy pulsed electron beam generator. Bioelectrochemistry 156, 108593.
Chen, H., Machado, A., An, D., Becharef, S., Autret, G., Ayollo, D., Razafindrakoto, S., Nizard, P., Carn, F., Luo, Y, et al. (2024). In Vivo Monitoring and Magnetically‐Enhanced Delivery of CAR T‐Cells to Solid Tumor. Advanced Functional Materials, 2414368.
Calvel, A., Peytral-Rieu, O., Rols, M.-P., Dubuc, D., and Grenier, K. (2024). Extension to In Situ Single-Cell Electroporation of a Microwave Biosensor. IEEE Microwave and Wireless Technology Letters, 34; 849 – 852.
Calvel, A., de Caro, A., Peytral-Rieu, O., Gironde, C., Furger, C., Dubuc, D., Grenier, K., and Rols, M.-P. (2024). Analysis of In Vitro Cell Viability Approaches to Provide Early Efficacy Prediction of Electrochemotherapy Treatments. IEEE Journal of Electromagnetics, RF and Microwaves in Medicine and Biology 8, 229 – 237.
Bellard, E., and Golzio, M. (2024). Cancer Imaging by Intravital Microscopy: The Dorsal Window Chamber Model. Methods Mol Biol 2773, 125-135.
Albérola, G., Bellard, E., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Guard, J., Golzio, M., and Rols, MP. (2024). Fibroblasts transfection by electroporation in 3D reconstructed human dermal tissue. Bioelectrochemistry 157, 108670.
2023
Sieni, E., Nemec, S., Lamberti, P., Romeo, S., Sgarbossa, P., Forzan, M., Golzio, M., Rols, M., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., and Kralj, S. (2023). Electric field distribution in cell aggregates in presence of nanostructures under electroporation pulses. (IEEE), pp. 174-179.
Orlacchio, R., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Mattei, N., Leveque, P., Rols, MP., Arnaud-Cormos, D., and Golzio, M. (2023). Effects of Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field (nsPEF) on a Multicellular Spheroid Tumor Model: Influence of Pulse Duration, Pulse Repetition Rate, Absorbed Energy, and Temperature. Int J Mol Sci 24.
Kougkolos, G., Golzio, M., Laudebat, L., Valdez-Nava, Z., and Flahaut, E. (2023). Hydrogels with electrically conductive nanomaterials for biomedical applications. J Mater Chem B 11, 2036-2062.
de Caro, A., Talmont, F., Rols, MP., Golzio, M., and Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J. (2023). Therapeutic perspectives of high pulse repetition rate electroporation. Bioelectrochemistry, 108629.
de Caro, A., Bellard, E., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Golzio, M., and Rols, M.P. (2023). Gene Electrotransfer Efficiency in 2D and 3D Cancer Cell Models Using Different Electroporation Protocols: A Comparative Study. Pharmaceutics 15.
2022
Tasu, JP., Tougeron, D., and Rols, MP. (2022). Irreversible electroporation and electrochemotherapy in oncology: State of the art. Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging 103, 499-509.
Tamra, A., Zedek, A., Rols, MP., Dubuc, D., and Grenier, K. (2022). Single cell microwave biosensor for monitoring cellular response to electrochemotherapy. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering 69, 3407-3414.
Simon, L., Bellard, E., Jouanmiqueou, B., Lapinte, V., Marcotte, N., Devoisselle, J., Lamaze, C., Rols, M., Golzio, M., and Begu, S. (2022). Interactions of amphiphilic polyoxazolines formulated or not in lipid nanocapsules with biological systems: Evaluation from membrane models up to in vivo mice epidermis. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics 180, 308-318.
Marches, A., Clement, E., Albérola, G., Rols, M.-P., Cousty, S., Simon, M., and Merbahi, N. (2022). Cold atmospheric plasma jet treatment improves human keratinocyte migration and wound closure capacity without causing cellular oxidative stress. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23, 10650.
Collin, A., Bruhier, H., Kolosnjaj, J., Golzio, M., Rols, M.-P., and Poignard, C. (2022). Spatial mechanistic modeling for prediction of 3D multicellular spheroids behavior upon exposure to high intensity pulsed electric fields. AIMS bioengineering 9, 102-122.
Colin, E., Plyer, A., Golzio, M., Meyer, N., Favre, G., and Orlik, X. (2022). Imaging of the skin microvascularization using spatially depolarized dynamic speckle. J Biomed Opt 27.
2021
Simon, J., Jouanmiqueou, B., Rols, M.-P., Flahaut, E., and Golzio, M. (2021). Transdermal delivery of macromolecules using two-in-one nanocomposite device for skin electroporation. Pharmaceutics 13, 1805.
Pelofy, S., Bousquet, H., Gibot, L., Rols, M.-P., and Golzio, M. (2021). Transfer of small interfering RNA by electropermeabilization in tumor spheroids. Bioelectrochemistry 141, 107848.
Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Golzio, M., Bellard, E., Catrain, A., Chretiennot, T., Saurin, Q., Tarayre, J., Vezinet, R., and Rols, M.-P. (2021). High power electromagnetic waves exposure of healthy and tumor bearing mice: assessment of effects on mice growth, behavior, tumor growth, and vessel permeabilization. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, 8516.
Carr, L., Golzio, M., Orlacchio, R., Alberola, G., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Leveque, P., Arnaud-Cormos, D., and Rols, M.P. (2021). A nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) can affect membrane permeabilization and cellular viability in a 3D spheroids tumor model. Bioelectrochemistry 141, 107839.
2020
Van de Walle, A., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Lalatonne, Y., and Wilhelm, C. (2020). Ever-Evolving Identity of Magnetic Nanoparticles within Human Cells: The Interplay of Endosomal Confinement, Degradation, Storage, and Neocrystallization. Acc Chem Res 53, 2212-2224.
Rols, M.-P., Golzio, M., and Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J. (2020). Electric field based therapies in cancer treatment. Cancers 12, 3420.
Paganin-Gioanni, A., Rols, M.P., Teissie, J., and Golzio, M. (2020). Cyclin B1 knockdown mediated by clinically approved pulsed electric fields siRNA delivery induces tumor regression in murine melanoma. Int J Pharm 573, 118732.
Nemec, S., Kralj, S., Wilhelm, C., Abou-Hassan, A., Rols, M.-P., and Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J. (2020). Comparison of iron oxide nanoparticles in photothermia and magnetic hyperthermia: Effects of clustering and silica encapsulation on nanoparticles’ heating yield. Applied Sciences 10, 7322.
Le Naour, A., Prat, M., Thibault, B., Mevel, R., Lemaitre, L., Leray, H., Joubert, M.V., Coulson, K., Golzio, M., Lefevre, L., et al. (2020). Tumor cells educate mesenchymal stromal cells to release chemoprotective and immunomodulatory factors. J Mol Cell Biol 12, 202-215.
Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Alberola, G., Augé, S., Tamra, A., Dubuc, D., Grenier, K., and Rols, M.-P. (2020). Evaluation of Cell Membrane Effects After 3D Multicellular Spheroids RF Exposure. (IEEE),. 1-3.
Griseti, E., Merbahi, N., and Golzio, M. (2020). Anti-Cancer Potential of Two Plasma-Activated Liquids: Implication of Long-Lived Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species. Cancers (Basel) 12.
Gouarderes, S., Doumard, L., Vicendo, P., Mingotaud, A.-F., Rols, M.-P., and Gibot, L. (2020). Electroporation does not affect human dermal fibroblast proliferation and migration properties directly but indirectly via the secretome. Bioelectrochemistry 134, 107531.
Gibot, L., Montigny, A., Baaziz, H., Fourquaux, I., Audebert, M., and Rols, M.-P. (2020). Calcium delivery by electroporation induces in vitro cell death through mitochondrial dysfunction without DNA damages. Cancers 12, 425.
Coustets, M., Ladurantie, C., Bellard, E., Prat, M., Rols, M.-P., Ecochard, V., Ferron, G., Chabot, S., Golzio, M., and Paquereau, L. (2020). Development of a near infrared protein nanoprobe targeting Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen for intraoperative detection of submillimeter nodules in an ovarian peritoneal carcinomatosis mouse model. Biomaterials 241, 119908.
Chen, H., Albérola, G., de Caro, D., Faulmann, C., Golzio, M., Valade, L., and Rols, M.-P. (2020). An in vitro study of the cytotoxicity of TTF· TCNQ nanoparticles to mammalian cells. Materials Advances 1, 1963-1970.
Balfourier, A., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Luciani, N., Carn, F., and Gazeau, F. (2020). Gold-based therapy: From past to present. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 117, 22639-22648.
2019
Tamra, A., Rols, M.-P., Dubuc, D., and Grenier, K. (2019). Impact of a chemical stimulus on two different cell lines through microwave dielectric spectroscopy at the single cell level. (IEEE), pp. 1-4.
Tamra, A., Dubuc, D., Rols, M.-P., and Grenier, K. (2019). Evaluation of a microwave biosensor for on-chip electroporation and efficient molecular delivery into mammalian cells. IEEE Journal of Electromagnetics, RF and Microwaves in Medicine and Biology 3, 224-231.
Pillet, F., Dague, E., Ilić, J.P., Ružić, I., Rols, M.-P., and Denardis, N.I. (2019). Changes in nanomechanical properties and adhesion dynamics of algal cells during their growth. Bioelectrochemistry 127, 154-162.
Phonesouk, E., Lechevallier, S., Ferrand, A., Rols, M.-P., Bezombes, C., Verelst, M., and Golzio, M. (2019). Increasing uptake of silica nanoparticles with electroporation: from cellular characterization to potential applications. Materials 12, 179.
Pasquet, L., Chabot, S., Bellard, E., Rols, M.-P., Teissie, J., and Golzio, M. (2019). Noninvasive gene electrotransfer in skin. Human gene therapy methods 30, 17-22.
Pasquet, L., Bellard, E., Chabot, S., Markelc, B., Rols, M.P., Teissie, J., and Golzio, M. (2019). Pre-clinical investigation of the synergy effect of interleukin-12 gene-electro-transfer during partially irreversible electropermeabilization against melanoma. J Immunother Cancer 7, 161.
Oudin, A., Chauvin, J., Gibot, L., Rols, M.-P., Balor, S., Goudounèche, D., Payre, B., Lonetti, B., Vicendo, P., and Mingotaud, A.-F. (2019). Amphiphilic polymers based on polyoxazoline as relevant nanovectors for photodynamic therapy. Journal of Materials Chemistry B 7, 4973-4982.
Ladurantie, C., Coustets, M., Czaplicki, G., Demange, P., Mazères, S., Dauvillier, S., Teissié, J., Rols, M.-P., Milon, A., and Ecochard, V. (2019). A protein nanocontainer targeting epithelial cancers: rational engineering, biochemical characterization, drug loading and cell delivery. Nanoscale 11, 3248-3260.
Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Kralj, S., Griseti, E., Nemec, S., Wilhelm, C., Plan Sangnier, A., Bellard, E., Fourquaux, I., Golzio, M., and Rols, M.P. (2019). Magnetic Silica-Coated Iron Oxide Nanochains as Photothermal Agents, Disrupting the Extracellular Matrix, and Eradicating Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 11.
Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Gibot, L., Fourquaux, I., Golzio, M., and Rols, M.P. (2019). Electric field-responsive nanoparticles and electric fields: physical, chemical, biological mechanisms and therapeutic prospects. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 138, 56-67.
Griseti, E., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Gibot, L., Fourquaux, I., Rols, M.P., Yousfi, M., Merbahi, N., and Golzio, M. (2019). Pulsed Electric Field Treatment Enhances the Cytotoxicity of Plasma-Activated Liquids in a Three-Dimensional Human Colorectal Cancer Cell Model. Sci Rep 9, 7583.
Gibot, L., Kolosnjaj-Tabi, J., Bellard, E., Chretiennot, T., Saurin, Q., Catrain, A., Golzio, M., Vezinet, R., and Rols, M.P. (2019). Evaluations of Acute and Sub-Acute Biological Effects of Narrowband and Moderate-Band High Power Electromagnetic Waves on Cellular Spheroids. Sci Rep 9, 15324.
Fruchon, S., Bellard, E., Beton, N., Goursat, C., Oukhrib, A., Caminade, A.M., Blanzat, M., Turrin, C.O., Golzio, M., and Poupot, R. (2019). Biodistribution and Biosafety of a Poly (Phosphorhydrazone) Dendrimer, an Anti-Inflammatory Drug-Candidate. Biomolecules 9.
Chauvin, J., Gibot, L., Griseti, E., Golzio, M., Rols, M.-P., Merbahi, N., and Vicendo, P. (2019). Elucidation of in vitro cellular steps induced by antitumor treatment with plasma-activated medium. Scientific reports 9, 4866.
Chabot, S., Bellard, E., Reynes, J.P., Tiraby, G., Teissie, J., and Golzio, M. (2019). Electrotransfer of CpG free plasmids enhances gene expression in skin. Bioelectrochemistry 130, 107343.
Bocé, M., Tassé, M., Mallet-Ladeira, S., Pillet, F., Da Silva, C., Vicendo, P., Lacroix, P.G., Malfant, I., and Rols, M.-P. (2019). Effect of trans (NO, OH)-[RuFT (Cl)(OH) NO](PF6) ruthenium nitrosyl complex on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis. Scientific Reports 9, 4867.
Patents
- Patent EP n°24175611.3 “Composition for the targeted imaging of carcinoma” (LP)
- Patents application EP n°23307039.0 (23/11/2023) “A magnetic anisotropic material for disruption and/or sensitization of bacterial biofilm” (JKT, MPR, MG)