Our research focuses on two main areas:

• Exploring new, unconventional endocytosis mechanisms. We are studying how cells internalize molecules and pathogens independently of clathrin, a protein involved in a well-characterized, conventional endocytosis mechanism. These novel processes could shed light on key stages of tumor progression or reveal how emerging viruses and bacteria invade our cells.
• Unraveling mechanotransduction at the nanoscale. We are analyzing how cells perceive and translate the physical “topography” of the extracellular matrix into biological signals via their plasma membrane. These mechanisms, which are still poorly understood, play a decisive role in the migration of cancer cells within a remodeled tumor environment—a process known as “contact-guided migration.” Our research could also help us understand how the cells in our bodies interact with implanted biomaterials, such as prosthetics.

A common thread links these two areas of research: BAR (Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs) domain proteins, which act as detectors and shapers of membrane curvature at the nanoscale. These proteins lie at the heart of the membrane dynamics we are exploring. 

By combining advanced approaches in cell biology, state-of-the-art optical microscopy, and interdisciplinary collaborations (chemistry, biophysics, bacteriology, virology, immunology, etc.), our goal is to better understand the principles of membrane remodeling, thereby paving the way for potential biomedical and biotechnological applications. To achieve this goal, our projects also rely on national and international collaborations (France, Switzerland, Austria, Finland, etc.), particularly through joint doctoral thesis programs.

• Unraveling the Molecular Mechanism of Endophilin-A3-Mediated Unconventional Endocytosis: The Role of BAR-Domain Proteins
• Identification of cellular regulators and pharmacological inhibitors of Endophilin-A3 to modulate its endocytic functions – Collaboration with Dr. Dimitri Moreau and Dr. Vincent Mercier (ACCESS Geneva, University of Geneva, Switzerland)
• Role of Endophilin-A3-mediated endocytosis and retrograde transport in immune synapse formation and the response of cytotoxic T cells (CD8+) – Collaboration with Prof. Pierre van der Bruggen (Institut de Duve, UCLouvain, Brussels)
• Role of Endophilin-A3-mediated endocytosis in regulating the adhesion and invasion of cancer cells in glioblastomas – Collaboration with Prof. Matteo Riva (CHU UCL Namur, Mont-Godinne)
• Role of Endophilin-A3-mediated endocytosis in the cellular entry of emerging viruses – Collaboration with Dr. Laura Picas (IRIM, Montpellier, France)
• Mechanotransduction of nanotopography by the Rho GTPase Cdc42 and BAR-domain proteins during cancer cell migration – Collaboration with Prof. Francesco Baschieri (MUI, Innsbruck, Austria)
• Unraveling the early mechanisms of Brucella abortus entry: the role of BAR-domain proteins in the invasion of host cells – Collaboration with Prof. Xavier Debolle (URBM, UNamur)

1. Xu, S., Rigaux, E., Hène, D., Renard, H. F., & Thines, L. 2025, “Bending the boundaries: the many facets of endophilin-A—from membrane dynamics to disease,” *Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences*, vol. 82, no. 1, 339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-025-05856-w 
2. Xu, S., Buridant, A., Hirsch, T., Shafaq-Zadah, M., Dransart, E., Ledoux, B., Johannes, L., van der Bruggen, P., Morsomme, P & Renard, H-F 2025, 'Clathrin-independent endocytosis and retrograde transport in cancer cells promote cytotoxic CD8 T cell activation', eLife, vol. 14:RP105821. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.105821.1 
3. Pham, TT, Colomer, JF, Veytia-Bucheli, JI, Ledoux, B, Renard, HF, Vandenabeele, CR, Houssiau, L, Francis, LA, Vincent, S & Sporken, R 2025, 'Field-effect transistor for biosensing applications using a graphene channel with amine-rich coatings', Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X, vol. 27, 100673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosx.2025.100673 
4. Ledoux, B., Zanin, N., Yang, J., Mercier, V, Coster, C, Dupont-Gillain, C, Alsteens, D, Morsomme, P & Renard, HF 2023, 'Plasma membrane nanodeformations promote actin polymerization through CIP4/CDC42 recruitment and regulate type II IFN signaling', Science Advances, vol. 9, no. 50, eade1660. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ade1660 
5. Rigaux, E, Chen, JW, George, F, Lemaire, J, Bertrand, C, Faugeras, L, Fattaccioli, A, Gilliaux, Q, D’Hondt, L, Michiels, C, Renard, HF & Zanin, N 2023, 'Budget-Friendly Generation, Biochemical Analyses, and Lentiviral Transduction of Patient-Derived Colon Organoids', Current Protocols, vol. 3, no. 12, e943. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpz1.943 
6. Verbeke, J., Fayt, Y., Martin, L., Yilmaz, O., Sedzicki, J., Reboul, A., Jadot, M., Renard, P., Dehio, C, Renard, HF, Letesson, J-J, De Bolle, X & Arnould, T 2023, 'Host cell egress of Brucella abortus requires BNIP3L-mediated mitophagy', The EMBO Journal, vol. 42, no. 14, e112817. https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2022112817 
7. Lemaigre, C, Ceuppens, A, Valades-Cruz, CA, Ledoux, B, Vanbeneden, B, Hassan, M, Zetterberg, FR, Nilsson, UJ, Johannes, L., Wunder, C., Renard, H.-F., & Morsomme, P. 2023, “N-BAR and F-BAR proteins—endophilin-A3 and PSTPIP1—control clathrin-independent endocytosis of L1CAM,” *Traffic*, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 190–212. https://doi.org/10.1111/tra.12883 
8. Tyckaert, F, Zanin, N, Morsomme, P & Renard, HF 2022, 'Rac1, the actin cytoskeleton, and microtubules are key players in clathrin-independent endophilin-A3-mediated endocytosis', Journal of Cell Science, vol. 135, no. 14, jcs259623. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.259623 
9. Renard, HF & Boucrot, E 2021, 'Unconventional endocytic mechanisms', Current Opinion in Cell Biology, vol. 71, pp. 120–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceb.2021.03.001 
10. Renard, HF, Tyckaert, F, Lo Giudice, C, Hirsch, T, Valades-Cruz, CA, Lemaigre, C, Shafaq-Zadah, M, Wunder, C, Wattiez, R, Johannes, L, van der Bruggen, P, Alsteens, D & Morsomme, P 2020, 'Endophilin-A3 and Galectin-8 control the clathrin-independent endocytosis of CD166', Nature Communications, vol. 11, no. 1, 1457, pp. 1457. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15303-y 
11. Forrester, A, Rathjen, SJ, Daniela Garcia-Castillo, M, Bachert, C, Couhert, A, Tepshi, L, Pichard, S, Martinez, J, Munier, M, Sierocki, R, Renard, HF, Augusto Valades-Cruz, C, Dingli, F, Loew, D, Lamaze, C, Cintrat, JC, Linstedt, AD, Gillet, D, Barbier, J & Johannes, L 2020, 'Functional dissection of the retrograde Shiga toxin trafficking inhibitor Retro-2', Nature Chemical Biology, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 327–336. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-020-0474-4 
12. Savocco, J., Nootens, S., Afokpa, W., Bausart, M., Chen, X, Villers, J, Renard, HF, Prévost, M, Wattiez, R & Morsomme, P 2019, “Yeast α-arrestin Art2 is the key regulator of ubiquitylation-dependent endocytosis of plasma membrane vitamin B1 transporters,” PLoS Biology, vol. 17, no. 10, e3000512, pp. e3000512. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000512 
13. Renard, HF, Johannes, L & Morsomme, P 2018, “Increasing Diversity of Biological Membrane Fission Mechanisms,” Trends in Cell Biology, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 274–286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2017.12.001 
14. Simunovic, M, Manneville, JB, Renard, HF, Evergren, E, Raghunathan, K, Bhatia, D, Kenworthy, AK, Voth, GA, Prost, J, McMahon, H.T., Johannes, L., Bassereau, P., & Callan-Jones, A. 2017, “Friction Mediates Scission of Tubular Membranes Scaffolded by BAR Proteins,” Cell, vol. 170, no. 1, pp. 172–184.e11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2017.05.047 
15. Simunovic, M, Evergren, E, Golushko, I, Prévost, C, Renard, HF, Johannes, L, McMahon, HT, Lorman, V, Voth, GA & Bassereau, P 2016, 'How curvature-generating proteins build scaffolds on membrane nanotubes', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 113, no. 40, pp. 11226–11231. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1606943113 
16. Renard, HF, Simunovic, M, Lemiere, J, Boucrot, E, Garcia-Castillo, MD, Arumugam, S, Chambon, V, Lamaze, C, Wunder, C, Kenworthy, AK, Schmidt, AA, McMahon, HT, Sykes, C, Bassereau, P & Johannes, L 2015, 'Endophilin-A2 functions in membrane scission in clathrin-independent endocytosis', *Nature*, vol. 517, no. 7535, pp. 493–496. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14064 
17. Garcia-Castillo, MD, Tran, T, Bobard, A, Renard, HF, Rathjen, SJ, Dransart, E, Stechmann, B, Lamaze, C, Lord, M, Cintrat, JC, Enninga, J, Tartour, E & Johannes, L 2015, 'Retrograde transport is not required for cytosolic translocation of the B-subunit of Shiga toxin', Journal of Cell Science, vol. 128, no. 13, pp. 2373–2387. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.169383 
18. Renard, HF, Garcia-Castillo, MD, Chambon, V, Lamaze, C & Johannes, L 2015, 'Shiga toxin stimulates clathrin-independent endocytosis of the VAMP2, VAMP3, and VAMP8 SNARE proteins', Journal of Cell Science, vol. 128, no. 15, pp. 2891–2902. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.171116 
19. Rydell, G.E., Renard, H.F., Garcia-Castillo, M.D., Dingli, F, Loew, D, Lamaze, C, Römer, W & Johannes, L 2014, 'Rab12 Localizes to Shiga Toxin-Induced Plasma Membrane Invaginations and Controls Toxin Transport', Traffic, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 772–787. https://doi.org/10.1111/tra.12173 
20. Renard, HF, Demaegd, D, Guerriat, B & Morsomme, P 2010, 'Efficient ER exit and vacuole targeting of yeast Sna2p require two tyrosine-based sorting motifs', Traffic, vol. 11, no. 7, pp. 931–946. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0854.2010.01070.x