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ABOUT ME

     After getting my Bachelor of Sciences (option Integrative and Evolutive Biology) at the University François Rabelais (Tours, France), I integrated the master "Behavioural Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity" at the same university.

     During the second year of my master's degree, I had the idea to use the refine sense of smell of ants to detect human cancer. This idea was proposed to Prof. Patrizia d'Ettorre (LEEC, USPN, France), and I started an internship with her and Dr. Jean-Christophe Sandoz (EGCE, CNRS, France) as collaborator.

      Later, we proposed this idea as a PhD project, and I started my thesis on september 2017 with both Prof. Patrizia d'Ettorre and Dr. Jean-Christophe Sandoz as advisors.

On the 5th of March 2021, I defended my thesis publicly.

Currently, I am a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (Jena, Germany) with the Dr. Yuko Ulrich. I am studying the brood care behaviour of a very particular ant species, the clonal raider ant (Ooceraea biroi).

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Education

2017 - 2021

Ph.D • Olfactory detection of human cancer by ants 

Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée (LEEC), UR4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord (USPN), Villetaneuse, France

2015 - 2017

Master’s degree (magna cum laude)

Behavioural Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity  University François Rabelais, Tours, France

2012 - 2015

Bachelor of Sciences (cum laude)

Integrative and Evolutive Biology, University François Rabelais, Tours, France

Research Experience

2022 - Today

Postdoc - Brood Care in the Clonal Raider Ants (Ooceraea biroi)

Yuko Ulrich lab

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Lise Meitner Research Group Social Behaviour, Jena, Germany

2022

Postdoc - Utilisation of urine as biomarkers for the detection of tumour bearing individuals

Patrizia d'Ettorre lab

Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée (LEEC), UR4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord (USPN), Villetaneuse, France

2021

Postdoc - Utilisation of urine as biomarkers for the detection of tumour bearing individuals

Patrizia d'Ettorre lab

Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée (LEEC), UR4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord (USPN), Villetaneuse, France

2017 - 2021

Ph.D thesis - Olfactory detection of human cancer by ants

Advisors: Prof. Patrizia d’Ettorre & Dr. Jean-Christophe Sandoz

Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée (LEEC), UR4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord (USPN), Villetaneuse, France

2017

Master’s internship second year - Associative appetitive learning in an ant species (Formica fusca): memory and extinction

Advisor: Prof. Patrizia d’Ettorre with the collaboration of Dr. Jean-Christophe Sandoz

Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée (LEEC), UR4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord (USPN), Villetaneuse, France

2016

Master’s internship first year - Morphologic characterization of six populations of a thermophilic ant, Aphaenogaster iberica, regarding the altitude

Advisors: Ph.D Cristela Sanchez & Pr. Raphaël Boulay

CNRS - Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (IRBI), University François Rabelais, Tours, France.

Conferences attended

Invited talks at national conferences

Piqueret, B. Olfactory detection of human cancer by ants. Bio-medical engineer days. French association of the bio-medical engineer. Lille, France.

2022

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Invited talks at international conferences

Piqueret, B., Sandoz, J-.C., d’Ettorre, P. (2018) Appetitive associative memory is highly resistant in Formica fusca ants. International Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects IUSSI. Guaruja, Brazil.

2018

Talks | international conferences                        

Piqueret, B., Sandoz, J-.C., d’Ettorre, P. Ants learn fast and do not forget: olfactory associative learning and memory extinction in Formica fusca. Behaviour 2019. Chicago, USA.

Piqueret, B., Montaudon, É., Devienne, P., Leroy, C., Marangoni, E., Sandoz, J.-C., & d’Ettorre, P. Ants act as olfactory bio-detectors of tumours in patient-derived xenograft mice. International congress for the Union of the Study of Social Insects IUSSI. San Diego, USA.

Piqueret, B. Can you smell that? The importance of olfaction in ants: from human disease detection to brood signal. European congress for the Union of the Study of Social Insects IUSSI. Lausanne, Switzerland. Keynote speaker

2019

2022

2024

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Talks | national conferences

Piqueret, B., Mechta-Grigoriou, F., Bourachot, B., Sandoz, J-.C., d’Ettorre, P. Ants are able to detect the odour of cancer cells. Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects IUSSI – French Section. Avignon, France.

 

Piqueret, B., Sandoz, J-.C., d’Ettorre, P. Appetitive associative olfactory memory is highly resistant in Formica ants. Médiation chimique dans l’environnement – Ecologie Chimique (MediatEC), GDR 3658 - CNRS. Rennes, France.

 

Piqueret, B., Sandoz, J-.C., d’Ettorre, P. Associative and appetitive learning within a specie of ant (Formica fusca): memory and extinction. Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects IUSSI – French Section. Paris, France.

2019

2017

2018

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Poster presentations | national conferences

Piqueret, B., Sandoz, J-.C., d’Ettorre, P. Are Formica fusca the perfect student? Club de Neurobiologie des Invertébrés. Versaille, France.

      

2018

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Poster presentations at student conferences

Piqueret, B., Mechta-Grigoriou, F., Bourachot, B., Sandoz, J-.C., d’Ettorre, P. Ants are able to detect the odour of cancer cells. International Student Course in Behavioural Biology, organised by the Institut Francilien d’Ethologie (IFE). Villetaneuse, France.

 

Piqueret, B., Sandoz, J-.C., d’Ettorre, P. Olfactory detection of human cancer by ants. Annual PhD day, organised by the Doctoral School “Sciences, Technologies, Santé – Galilée”. Bobigny, France.

           

Piqueret, B., Sandoz, J-.C., d’Ettorre, P. Associative and appetitive learning within a specie of ant (Formica fusca): memory and extinction. International Student Course in Behavioural Biology, organised by the Institut Francilien d’Ethologie (IFE). Villetaneuse, France.

 

2019

2018

Seminars for the general public

Piqueret, B. L’animal, meilleur ami de l’Homme ? Savante Banlieue. Villetaneuse, France.

 

Piqueret, B. L’animal, meilleur ami de l’Homme ? La science se livre. Sceaux, France.

Piqueret, B. Détection olfactive du cancer humain par les fourmis / Olfactory detection of human cancer by ants. Annual PhD day, organised by the Doctoral School “Sciences, Technologies, Santé – Galilée”. Bobigny, France. Format: My thesis in 180s

 

Martinez, V., Verjat, A., Piqueret, B. “Parcours excellence” for the pupils of the college Jean Vilar. Villetaneuse, France.

 

Martinez, V., Verjat, A., Piqueret, B. “Science Ouverte à Paris 13” for the Open Science Association, Drancy, France.

 

Piqueret, B. Des rongeurs, des hommes… et des insectes ! Savante Banlieue. Villetaneuse, France.

2019

2018

2017

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