Shaping tomorrow's world: health

At X, physics, mathematics and optics researchers are helping to revolutionize the healthcare sector. At the Leprince-Ringuet laboratory, researchers in particle physics are working on sensors capable of targeting a tumor so that the dose of radiation administered can be controlled and the surrounding tissues preserved. In the Applied Optics Laboratory, researchers are working on electron beam therapy for cancer, a solution that is more effective than existing X-ray machines, for a similar investment outlay. The team is also interested in cancer diagnosis by medical imaging using laser-plasma accelerators that generate an X-ray beam. This technique produces images with an unprecedented resolution, considerably reducing the dose of X-rays the patient is subjected to. The Hydrodynamics Laboratory is working with the Institut Curie on antibody-based therapies for cancer. The researchers at the Applied Mathematics Center are developing algorithms that are implemented in software used to develop new drugs. Finally, a team at the Optics and Biosciences Laboratory has discovered an enzyme, ThyX, which is essential to the synthesis of the genetic material of numerous bacteria that infect humans. Their work is opening up new avenues for fighting bacterial resistance to antibiotics. In 2018, X launched a biomedical innovation programme, in partnership with the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, to develop joint projects between researchers and doctors on a variety of inter-disciplinary themes covering the fields of physics, biology, mathematics, computer science and medicine. These collaborative projects are intended to develop innovative solutions and improve future health.