Savandara Besse

Savandara Besse

Savandara Besse

Visiting Master's Student
savandara.besse@u-bordeaux.fr


Website
Postdoctoral Researcher
Research Interests:

As a computer scientist, my aim is to assist biologists and advance scientific research by interpreting my colleagues’ goals. Ultimately, I aim to provide them with the bioinformatics resources that will successfully lead to the answer of some biological inquiries. I had always wanted to be a computer scientist since the beginning of my academic trajectory. First, I completed a Bachelor’s degree of Science focused on Molecular and Cellular Biology and Physiology of Plants and Animals at the University of Bordeaux (France). Subsequently, I began a Master’s in Bioinformatics focused on Computational Biology at the same university.

I joined the Extavour Lab as a bioinformatics intern during my Master’s degree. I worked with Leo Blondel on sequence analysis of the oskar gene, and also on Parhyale hawaiensis development.

Alongside my academic pursuits, I was also involved with many student associations. I participated twice in the iGEM international contest on synthetic biology with my team iGEM Bordeaux, where we won a gold medal in 2015 and a bronze medal in 2016.

I am also the former president of the Association for Bordeaux Bioinformatics’ Master (ABBM) which was created in 2016. The goal in ABBM is to promote our Master’s degree and to build a strong working network for our students and alumni.

After my internship in the Extavour lab and completion of my Master’s, I went on to do my PhD at the University of Montreal, applying bioinformatics approaches to the study of the animal proteome. I am currently a postdoc in the group of Michael Rera, using network-based and statistical genetics strategies to understand aging.

For more information about me, you can see my LinkedIn account where you will find my resume, and you can also see some of my work on Github.

Publications while at Extavour Lab:

Evolution of a cytoplasmic determinant: evidence for the biochemical basis of functional evolution of the novel germ line regulator Oskar. Blondel, L., Besse, S. Rivard, E., Ylla, G. and Extavour, C.G. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 39(12):5491-5513 (2021). [PubMed]