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Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station

Contact form

Contact form

Resource request

Using this form, you can make a pre-request, a declaration of intent to the SETE team to make resources available, thus allowing you to maximize your chances of obtaining access by allowing better organization upstream. A complete request must then be formulated.

Required fields are identified with an asterisk (*).

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breeding rooms

Breeding rooms

The SETE is an establishment approved for the use of animals for scientific purposes and benefits from technical, regulatory and capacity support for this type. The animal models studied are: fish, amphibians and reptiles.
On an area of approximately 300 m², the breeding rooms includes
  • 8 breeding rooms dedicated to fish, amphibian and reptile
  • 6 experimentation rooms
  • 4 climatic rooms
  • An insectarium + 2 rooms dedicated to insects

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Laboratories

Laboratories

  • The Technical Platforms of Laboratories (PTLs) encompass all laboratories and common equipment located at the Station for Theoretical and Experimental Ecology of Moulis (SETE).
  • The aim of these platforms is to host and support various scientific projects developed within SETE by providing facilities, equipment, and instruments for the design and implementation of experimental plans.
  • The PTLs consist of four main specialized laboratories designed for experimentation in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Ecology (including « sorting and weighing » units). Additionally, there are cross-functional services essential for their optimal functioning, such as laundry facilities and cryopreservation zones.

Molecular Biology

The molecular biology laboratory is essentially equiped for nucleic acid extraction, as well as its amplification, quantification, and characterization.
  • Osmotic and ultra-pure water
  • Tube and plate grinders
  • Thermomixers
  • Centrifugal and vacuum concentrators (Speedvac)
  • PCR and qPCR analyzers
  • Electrophoresis units of various sizes, horizontal ones for agarose
  • Transilluminator
  • Chemical Hood
  • Fume hood
  • Pipetting Robot equipped for DNA extractions
  • Bioanalyzer
  • Dropsense (Spectrometer specific for nucleic acid analyses - DNA, RNA, Proteins)
  • Centrifuges
  • Refrigerators and -20°C freezer

Conventional Laboratory:

  • Incubators and refrigerated chambers
  • Cytometer
  • Array of microscopes: Transmission, upright and inverted, phase contrast, and Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) with image analysis. Equipped with cameras and screens
  • Biological Safety Cabinets (BSC)
  • Spectrometers (UV-Visible/fluorescence/luminescence)
  • Centrifuges
  • Microwave oven
  • Refrigerators and freezers -20°C

L2 Laboratory:

  • Spectrometers (UV-Visible/fluorescence) inside an incubator
  • Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC)
  • Microscope: Transmission and phase contrast, macroscope equipped for epifluorescence with image analysis for each device
  • Centrifuges
  • Refrigerated chambers
  • Refrigerators and freezers -20°C

Microbiology

The microbiology laboratory consists of two main facilities: a conventional laboratory and a L2 (Level 2) laboratory, the latter being specifically used for studies involving the Tétrahymena sp. model. These laboratories are equipped for cell culture and phenotyping, including microscopic observation and growth kinetics analysis.

Biochemistry

The biochemistry laboratory is composed of several workbenches and non-specific equipment, allowing work in a controlled environment with safety measures in place.
  • Microplate Washer
  • Ultrasonic Bath
  • Fume Hood
  • pH Meter
  • Precision Balances (10-2, 10-3)
  • Refrigerators and Freezers -20°C
  • Balances (10-2, 10-3, 10-5),
  • Fume Hood
  • Drying Ovens
  • Microscopes and Stereozoom
  • Refrigerators and Freezers -20°C

Ecology

The ecology laboratory is designed to facilitate the initial processing of samples coming from the field. It is equipped with tools for sorting, weighing, and observing samples.

liste détaillée des équipements
The technical staff of the PTLs ensures the maintenance and upkeep of these equipments as well as coordinating the access to the diferent labs for users.

The technical staff of the PTLs consists of

The scientific strategy of the service is overseen by two scientific coordinators

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Caves

Caves

Two natural caves are dedicated to research on the cavernicultural wildlife, in particular on the Proteus anguinus, which is being studied and bred there since the beginning of the 1950s.

This cave amphibian, whose skin is totally depigmented, measures between 15 and 25 centimetres. It is blind, but can feel the vibrations of water, and can live up to 100 years old.

The Proteus, which lives mainly in the waters of the karst caves of the Dinaric Alps crossing Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, is the only strictly cavernous vertebrate in Europe and is therefore a protected species. The caves where the underground laboratory of Moulis is installed, constitutes one of the rare experimental installations in the world dedicated to this research.

Indeed, aquariums and cement ponds fed by the waters of the underground river are installed. More than thirty Proteus are being studied on (years of birth and death, maturity, sexual maturity, reproduction rate, number of eggs) to understand the biological mechanisms of adaptation of these species to their environment, unchanged for millions of years.

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Grottes -en-broken

Caves

Two natural caves are dedicated to research on the cavernicultural wildlife, in particular on the Proteus anguinus, which is being studied and bred there since the beginning of the 1950s.

This cave amphibian, whose skin is totally depigmented, measures between 15 and 25 centimetres. It is blind, but can feel the vibrations of water, and can live up to 100 years old.

The Proteus, which lives mainly in the waters of the karst caves of the Dinaric Alps crossing Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, is the only strictly cavernous vertebrate in Europe and is therefore a protected species. 

The caves where the underground laboratory of Moulis is installed, constitutes one of the rare experimental installations in the world dedicated to this research.

Indeed, aquariums and cement ponds fed by the waters of the underground river are installed. More than thirty Proteus are being studied on (years of birth and death, maturity, sexual maturity, reproduction rate, number of eggs) to understand the biological mechanisms of adaptation of these species to their environment, unchanged for millions of years.

Continue reading