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HSS Chateaubriand Fellowship: 2017 Fellows Named
August 2, 2017, by Administrateur Chateaubriand

The Cultural Services of the Embassy of France are pleased to announce the laureates of the 2017-2018 HSS Chateaubriand Fellowship. This year’s 19 laureates will spend 2 to 8 months in France performing research with their French partners. Last name First name US University French Host (...)

William C. Beckerson
August 14

William C. Beckerson is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Louisville, and he was a Chateaubriand fellow in 2016 at the Université of Paris-sud for 3 months.

In which field did you carry out your research for your PhD and what was your specific area of study?
Biology: Program on Disease Evolution

What is your current occupation?
Graduate Candidate

Please give a brief description of the work you completed in France:
Together with the Giraud lab at the Université Paris-Sud, we worked on a collaborative study involving the bioinformatic comparison of three species of Microbotryum in order to annotate and compare secretomes of different species. While in Orsay, I also learned infection techniques for Silene latifolia with Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae to be able to perform future studies at my home institution, the University of Louisville. Furthermore, I taught the Giraud lab how to perform transformation of Microbotyrum species utilizing Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, a protocol developed at the University of Louisville.

How was your experience as a researcher in France?
Performing research in France with the members of the Giraud lab was a tremendous experience, both for my professional and personal life. Exploring the cultural differences and ways of thinking greatly broadened my worldview, and collaboration with other institutions has facilitated the flow of ideas between our research groups.

Comments on your experience as a researcher in France and conditions in your host lab:
Collaboration between our lab at the University of Louisville and the Giraud lab at the Université Paris-Sud has been complementary, facilitating the flow of ideas and research opportunities. Our experience with molecular genetics and their expertise in bioinformatics blend wonderfully to approach research questions from a broader view, and allows each of our groups to work together to solve problems from different but complimentary perspectives.

Did or will your research in France lead to any co-publications?
Yes, our work during my time in France, along with follow up experiments performed after returning to my home institution, have led to a colaborative research paper that has just been sumbitted for review.

If yes, please describe (name of journal, date of publication):
mBio – under review

Did you or one of your supervisors present your work at a seminar? Do you plan on doing so?
I plan to present our findings this at the Genetic Society of America Fungal Genetics Conference

If yes, please describe (name of seminar, date, type of presentation):
Asilomar – Fungal Genetics Conference, March 11th-17th, Poster and Oral presentation

In your opinion, did the Chateaubriand Program contribute to closer ties between your US and French labs (why or why not)?
Absolutely. My time in France under the Chateaubriand Program has strengthened collaboration between our two groups, even with individuals who have joined our program since my return.

Did you improve your French while in France?
Un peu.

Do you plan on returning to France in the future?
If yes, please describe your plans:
Our groups have a third collaborator at the Universität Bochum in Germany, with whom I will be conducting research with for 3 months in the Summer of 2019. During this time, we plan to all meet at a conference hosted in Bochum to plan for future collaborative opportunities. I also plan to visit the lab in Orsay, France during my time abroad.

Did you participate in any extracurricular activities or travel while in France?
Of course! The Louvre, Arc De Triomphe, Effiel Tower, 2016 UEFA Euro Championship, wine, gothic architecture, nature walks, more wine, the catacombs of Paris, Musée de l'Armée – Dôme des Invalides, the beaches of Normandy, the many vineyards. So much to do in just three months!
Cheryle Nicole Beuning
August 7

Cheryle Nicole Beuning is a PhD candidate at Colorado State University, and she was a Chateaubriand fellow in 2015-2016 at the Laboratoire de Coordination de Chimie, CNRS in Toulouse, France for 6 months.

In which field did you carry out your research for your PhD and what was your specific area of study?
My Ph.D. work is in analytical chemistry. My research is bio-inorganic and analytical focused using analytical spectroscopic techniques to study divalent interpeptidic metal ion transfer in various biological systems.

What is your current occupation?
I am still a graduate student, completing my Ph.D. this summer. I have not secured a position yet, but I did enter a national fellowship competition from the NRC Research Apprenticeship Program and have passed the first round of peer review of my proposed work. If I am successful I would get to work at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology.

Please give a brief description of the work you completed in France:
The project I worked on with our collaborators in France included interpeptidic Cu(II) metal ion transfer kinetics between biological peptides of interest in blood, GHK and DAHK (N-terminus sequence of human serum albumin). Specifically we used tryptophan (W) quenching by a bound Cu(II) to the peptide as a signal for exchange. Upon creation of a Cu(II)-GHW complex the fluorescence of tryptophan is quenched, and when GHK or DAHK are added some Cu(II) is exchanged and the fluorescence is recovered, thus kinetic constants can be determined. We have continued this collaboration and I am working with the amyloid peptide; this peptide is most associated with the plaques of Alzheimer's disease, and transfer of Cu(II) from an amyloid peptide to GHW or DAHW.

How was your experience as a researcher in France?
I had an excellent experience working in France. My host lab was very welcoming, and I enjoyed the French culture immensely. I was excited and learned a lot from the post-docs, the Ph.D. students, and of course my mentors in the Hureau lab. The lab always ate lunch together and had coffee or tea afterwards and took time to talk and relax before getting back to work. I really enjoyed the work-life balance that the French people take to heart. I had everything I needed to make our project work and had the support of everyone in the lab. It was an experience I will never forget.

Comments on your experience as a researcher in France and conditions in your host lab:
The host lab was very clean, had ample instrumentation and materials for my research needs, and working in the lab was very pleasant, the security on the campus made me feel very safe. Other groups were nice to me and were genuinely excited that a US researcher wanted to study in their country. When I had a housing issue with the University of Toulouse and had to find off-campus housing, my mentor Dr. Christelle Hureau was happy to guarantee for me to rent an apartment. You can imagine living in a new country and in your first month having to go shop for a place to live was very stressful. But everything worked out and Christelle and everyone in her group was very supportive.

Did or will your research in France lead to any co-publications?
Our publication of the collaborative work resulted in a communications article in the ACS journal Inorganic Chemistry. I am actively working on measurement of Cu(II) exchange from an amyloid-beta complex to GHW and DAHW using the method development in collaboration with Christelle. This should result in a second publication.

Beuning, C. N.; Mestre-Voegtlé, B.; Faller, P.; Hureau, C.; Crans, D. C., Measurement of Interpeptidic Cu(II) Exchange Rate Constants by Static Fluorescence Quenching of Tryptophan. Inorganic Chemistry 2018, 57 (9), 4791-4794.

Did you or one of your supervisors present your work at a seminar? Do you plan on doing so?
We have presented this work in both poster sessions and an oral talk at national ACS meetings and at Colorado State University functions/seminars. I am unsure if Christelle has presented this work at a meeting. Debbie has presented this work at an ACS meeting as a poster when I was unavailable to go. The underlined name is the presenter.

**Just recently – this week – my undergraduate mentee presented our initial findings on the Cu(II)-amyloid-beta complex to GHW in a poster session at the Orlando ACS meeting. I do not have details on this conference yet though.

1) 253rd National ACS Meeting in San Francisco, CA April 2-6, 2017, Inorganic Division Oral Presentations - Bioinorganic chemistry: “Cu(II) coordination differences in the amyloid-beta protein binding models GHK and DAHK result in varied conditional interpeptidic metal exchange rate constants”, Cheryle Beuning, Beatrice Mestre, Christelle Hureau, and Debbie Crans.

2) 4th year research seminar at Colorado State University, April 19, 2017.

3) CSU Graduate Student Showcase, November 2016 “Interpeptidic Cu(II) exchange kinetics of amyloid-beta binding models measured by fluorescence” Cheryle Beuning, Beatrice Mestre, Christelle Hureau, and Debbie Crans.

4) 252nd National ACS Meeting in Philadelphia, PA 2016, Inorganic Poster Session and Sci-Mix: Bioinorganic Chemistry, poster number 396 entitled “Interpeptidic Cu(II) exchange in GHK, GHW, DAHK, and DAHW peptides: Exploring how metal coordination differences affect metal exchange rates between two peptides of similar binding affinity.” Cheryle Beuning, Beatrice Mestre, Christelle Hureau, and Debbie Crans.

5) Meyers Symposium, CSU 2016, poster session, “Inter-peptidic Cu(II) exchange in GHK, GHW, DAHK, and DAHW peptides: Exploring how metal coordination differences affect metal exchange rates between two peptides of similar binding affinity.” Cheryle Beuning, Beatrice Mestre, Christelle Hureau, and Debbie Crans.

In your opinion, did the Chateaubriand Program contribute to closer ties between your US and French labs (why or why not)?
Yes of course, we are still actively collaborating with Christelle. We may even have another student applying to the program to work with our other collaborator Dr. Peter Faller in Strasbourg. This program has made a very positive impact on both our labs.

Did you improve your French while in France?
To be honest, I did not need to speak French to work at the LCC. Most of the researchers could speak English fluently or very well. I did learn quite a bit of basic French, enough to get by at the stores, or on the bus/public transportation, but not enough to converse. I was able to figure out what most foods were, order food at restaurants, get around town on the metro, etc. The other students in the lab did teach me a few things to help me in day to day activities. Honestly, I got good at saying, “Je ne parle pas très bien le français, pouvez-vous parler anglais???” Most people were very accommodating.

Do you plan on returning to France in the future?
I would love to. I do not know if that would be as a scientist or just to visit. I would love to go back for a vacation for sure or a scientific conference! I loved the food, wine, walking in the streets of Toulouse, visiting places like Bordeaux, Perpignan, Carcassonne, and of course, Paris! Generally, I found the French people to be very nice, welcoming, and helpful! I was very happy living there. I do not know if I would move permanently but it is an option, given the right circumstances.

Did you participate in any extracurricular activities or travel while in France?
The lab group often had outings like to go to a pub for a drink, go out to dinner, a trip to a French city, a museum, or just enjoying a stroll around Toulouse. I went to Bordeaux with two other group members for a weekend, we enjoyed the architecture and grand churches. There I had my first Confit Canard and I fell in love with the dish! As stated above, I did get to visit some amazing places. I wish I had been able to visit Perpignan in the summer, so I could have swum in the sea, instead of in January, but the seafood was delicious! Seeing the Pyrénées mountains in the south on clear day in Toulouse reminded me of home and the Rocky Mountains here in Colorado. I think the neatest experience I had was Raclette at one of our lab-mate's homes! I loved it so much that the group purchased a Raclette set for me as a going away present. I have used it many times, introducing my friends and family to a little piece of France, even finding real French Raclette cheese here in the US at a specialty cheese shop.
Samuel Buxton
July 31

Samuel Buxton earned his PhD from Iowa State University, and he was a Chateaubriand fellow in 2010 at INRA, Nouzilly and François Rabelais Université de Tours for 6 months.

In which field did you carry out your research for your PhD and what was your specific area of study?
Field: Toxicology
Area of study: Ion channels as antihelminth drug targets

What is your current occupation?
Human Health Toxicologist

Please give a brief description of the work you completed in France:
I cloned the subunits for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of a swine parasite, reconstituted and characterized its pharmacology in frog oocytes.

How was your experience as a researcher in France?
I immediately got immersed in the research and cultural (language, food, sites) experience. It was an easy transition for me, although my grasp of the French language was very basic. I exceeded the target for my research plans in France.

Comments on your experience as a researcher in France and conditions in your host lab:
I commuted between INRA, where I performed all the molecular work and François Rabelais Université de Tours, where I performed all the electrophysiological work. This afforded me the opportunity to learn a lot from the University system and a National Research Institute. Both host laboratories went above-and-beyond to make my research successful and provided what I needed to that end.

Did or will your research in France lead to any co-publications?
Two (2) research and one (1) review publications
If yes, please describe (name of journal, date of publication):
Buxton, S.K., Charvet, C.L., Neveu, C., Cabaret, J., Cortet, J., Peineau, M. Abongwa, E. Courtot, N., Robertson, A.P., Martin, R.J. (2014). Investigation of acetylcholine receptor diversity in a nematode parasite leads to characterization of a tribendimidine- and derquantel-sensitive nAChRs. PLoS Pathog, 10(1): e1003870. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003870. PMCID: PMC3907359

S K Buxton, C Neveu, C L Charvet, A P Robertson, R J Martin (2011). On the mode of action of
emodepside: Effects on membrane potential and voltage-activated currents in Ascaris suum. British Journal of Pharmacology, 164: 453-470. DOI:1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01428.x. PMCID: PMC3188918

R. J. Martin, S. K. Buxton, C. Neveu, C. L. Charvet, A. P. Robertson (2011). Emodepside and SLO-1
potassium channels: A review. Experimental Parasitology, 132(1):40-6.

Did you or one of your supervisors present your work at a seminar? Do you plan on doing so?
Yes, I presented the work at several conferences
If yes, please describe (name of seminar, date, type of presentation):

2013 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: expression in oocytes demonstrates functional diversity in parasitic nematodes. Buxton, SK, Robertson, AP, Martin, RJ. Central States Society of Toxicology (CSSOT) Annual Conference, Ames, IA USA. Oral Presentation.

2012 Diversity of acetylcholine receptors: expression of levamisole receptors in Xenopus oocytes reveal pharmacological subtypes. Buxton, SK, Charvet, CL, Neveu, C, Robertson, AP, Martin, RJ. University of Iowa Health Sciences Research Week, Iowa City, IA, USA. Poster Presentation.

2011 Ascaris suum SLO-1: Is it a target for the anthelmintic emodepside. Samuel Buxton, C. L. Charvet, C. Neveu, Robertson, A.P. & Martin, R.J. 23 rd World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Medicine (WAAVP), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Oral Presentation. Paper # 368.

2011 O. dentatum: Functional and Molecular Biology of Levamisole Resistance. Buxton S. K., Peineau N., Cabaret J.,Cortet J., Neveu C., Robertson AP., Martin RJ., Charvet C. Consortium on Anthelmintic Resistance (CARS) and SNPs, 23 rd WAAVP, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Oral Presentation.

2011 Ascaris suum SLO-1 channel, a target for the anthelmintic emodepside. Buxton, S.K., Neveu, C., Charvet, C.L, Robertson, A.P & Martin, R.J. Journées d'Animation Scientifique du Département de Santé Animale, Fréjus Cedex, France. Oral Presentation S2-1.

In your opinion, did the Chateaubriand Program contribute to closer ties between your US and French labs (why or why not)?

Yes, it did. Prior to the program, we had not collaborated on a research project with the INRA team. But during and subsequent to the Chateaubriand fellowship, we have worked on various projects together and it resulted in new research directions and capabilities for both the US and French labs.

Did you improve your French while in France?
Yes, but unfortunately, being back in the US does not help much to practice what I learned. I find I'm losing the ability to speak French well with time.

Do you plan on returning to France in the future?
Yes, and sooner than later.
If yes, please describe your plans:
My daughters want to go to the Loire valley region and walk through my experiences with Chateau's, food, shopping, and general friendliness of the people. We are planning a family trip for late 2019 or early 2020.

Did you participate in any extracurricular activities or travel while in France?
Yes, I visited a lot of Chateaux (Amboise, Villandry, Chenonceau, etc), restaurants, wine and cheese tasting events, toured Paris, took French classes, watched live soccer games.

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