AI for Nuclear Gene Regulation in Plants – ULTIM Project

In public collaboration with a CEA research team specialized in plant and cellular biology

The ULTIM project, supported by the French National Research Agency (ANR), aims to advance understanding of the mechanisms regulating gene expression within the plant cell nucleus.

It focuses on how nuclear organization and spatial compartmentalization influence transcriptional activity and gene responsiveness to environmental stimuli.

Studying Nuclear Architecture and Transcription

At the core of the project is the study of the three-dimensional structure of the nucleus and its relationship with transcriptional function:

• How specific genes are activated within distinct nuclear regions

• How these dynamics evolve over time or under environmental stress

AI-Powered Image Analysis

Within this collaborative framework, BionomeeX develops AI-based image analysis tools to:

• Automatically detect and track nuclei

• Identify active transcription sites within the nucleus

Using deep learning and biological image segmentation, these methods enable:

• Quantitative mapping of nuclear topology

• Visualization of the spatial distribution of gene expression

Insights into Plant Molecular Biology

This work provides new insights into plant molecular biology and epigenetic regulation, offering an integrated view of how nuclear architecture and gene activity interact to shape cellular responses.

It demonstrates how artificial intelligence can serve as a powerful scientific tool to decipher the complex regulatory mechanisms that underlie living systems.