(Director: Claude Lelouch. "It is just the way it is. One ...)
Director: Claude Lelouch. "It is just the way it is. One might always be connected over time. We remain together as lovers or friends, as we were in an initial past life"
First International Oral Conference (CIFCA Fellow): La phéromone du mâle facilite l'acceptation du mâle par la femelle chez la pyrale du maïs, Ostrinia nubilalis (Lep. , pyralidae)
1er Congrès international francophone sur le comportement animal. CIFCA 96 - Uni. Laval, Quebec (Canada)
(Emphasizing the idea of male pheromone from hairpencil br...)
Emphasizing the idea of male pheromone from hairpencil brush structures in the European Corn Borer following Jeremy McNeil, this finding is considered by many but me as being one of the most important work of my career. "Chez la pyrale du maïs, le mâle, une fois arrivé au contact de la femelle, libèrerait une substance aphrodisiaque. Dans des expériences de choix, un mâle est rejeté par une femelle dont les antennes ont été sectionnées et s'accouple alors avec une femelle témoin. Pourtant, les femelles sans antennes produisent la phéromone sexuelle et sont donc attractives. Le mâle émet donc une phéromone sexuelle nécessaire à l'acceptation du mâle par la femelle. Des extraits hexaniques de pinceaux androconiaux déclenchent une réponse électro-antennographique lorsqu'ils sont testés sur l'antenne de la femelle". That is probably my first discovery analyzing in details most fascinating insect behaviors including the majestic loops of ECB male flight, a gift to all generations of students and scientists.
1996
Grand Public Conference
"FRENCH KISS"
(French kiss and pheromones, The olfactory secret behind a...)
French kiss and pheromones, The olfactory secret behind a kiss: “Is kissing behavior associated to the recognition of specific pheromones?” Human cultural habits, cultural traits of France, illustrations from insect and animal behaviors, odours and flavours in degustation: recognition of different perfumes - evaluation of differences between boys and girls, men and women, yé and lăo; France and China
http://www.euchinastf.eu/?q=node/150
Theatre play
I pettegolezzi delle donne (Carlo Goldoni)
(Tripiti Theatre - Prix des Rencontres Amateurs de Tarasco...)
Tripiti Theatre - Prix des Rencontres Amateurs de Tarascon (1992) Directors: Philippe Maurice & Jean-Michel Bayard
Jean-François is a research scientist in neurobiology, chemical ecology, and microbiology. One of the first, if not the very first, enrolled for developing Science in China (outstanding scientist from abroad and taishan scholar) in the field of insect biology and medical microbiology after leading research in France, USA, Canada, Japan, Germany and Sweden. He pioneered chemosensory proteins of insects and their role in insecticide resistance.
Background
Ethnicity:
Father is Frankish, while Mother is Corsican and Spanish heritage.
Jean-François was born on 11 November 1969, at 1: pm in Marseille, Capital of Provence, France. The root of my name comes from Pisces and certainly refers to a little bridge in the South where “fishing was prolific”. My parents were teachers, but my grandparents and ancestors were fishmongers or carpenters.
Education
I was considered to be one of the brightest pupils in all classes in all disciplines, showed great interest for History (Napoleonic period) and my early essays at age 13 showed great potential as a writer ("dedicated to Florette"), quoting here my French teacher. "Elle aimait tellement se rouler dans l'herbe que ses poils sentaient toujours bon le thym et le romarin"......"Dans sa bataille avec mon père, je n'ai jamais voulu prendre parti, mais je n'ai jamais compris pourquoi mon père voulait planter ses fraises là où mon chien voulait planter ses os". In the last summer of my high school years, I obtained "Baccalaureat" specializing in Mathematics and Biology (Mention) despite a severe rugby injury.
I acquired fascination for the animal brain machinery during these years in St Jérôme. How does it work to regulate so many complex behaviors and sensory abilities? I chose to study insects for this quest. I paid much attention to them and academic life but always dreamed of being an actor. I featured in movies and theatre plays in free time.
French scientist Jean-François Picimbon is among the first, if not the very first, oversea talent recruited by China after leading research in France, USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Sweden. He is one of the key players in the field of insect olfaction and pheromones. He significantly influenced the further development of insect science by the discovery of moth and locust chemosensory proteins. He also developed medicine in bacterial research.
After France, USA, Canada, Japan, and Germany, I was appointed "Forskarassistent" (20% teaching 80% research) at the section of Chemical Ecology and Ecotoxicology of the Ecology Department in Lund University (Sweden). I built a laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Insect Olfaction (DNA lab) associated with the Pheromone Group. In May 2002, I was awarded “collaborateur scientifique” (invited lecturer) at Gembloux University (Faculty of Agricultural Sciences) in Belgium and invited to take part in the teaching activities of the Zoology Department. This included DAA Paris Grignon-Gembloux-Lund. In June 2003, I was awarded the supervisor associated with the National Research School of Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics of Göteborg University (Forskarskolan i Genomik och Bioinformatik, Naturvetenskapliga fakulteten, GUFG). I was also ERASMUS exchange organizer and lecturer for LU and the Universities of Gembloux (Belgium), Vilnius (Lithuania) and Brno (Czech Republic). After Sweden, I moved to China as an expert in the field of pheromones and outstanding scientist from abroad, now Distinguished Professor at School of Bioengineering and Director of Agricultural Microbiology Institute in QLUT (Jinan, Shandong).
Biochemistry and Evolution of OSD and OBP proteins
Synthesis of odorant reception–suppressing agents: odorant binding proteins (OBPs) and Chemosensory Proteins (CSPs) as molecular targets for pest management.
(Director: Claude Lelouch. "It is just the way it is. One ...)
1992
First International Oral Conference (CIFCA Fellow): La phéromone du mâle facilite l'acceptation du mâle par la femelle chez la pyrale du maïs, Ostrinia nubilalis (Lep. , pyralidae)
1er Congrès international francophone sur le comportement animal. CIFCA 96 - Uni. Laval, Quebec (Canada)
(Emphasizing the idea of male pheromone from hairpencil br...)
(French kiss and pheromones, The olfactory secret behind a...)
Theatre play
I pettegolezzi delle donne (Carlo Goldoni)
(Tripiti Theatre - Prix des Rencontres Amateurs de Tarasco...)
1992
The Cherry Orchard
(Directors: Jacques Chauvin & Dany Castaing.)
1994
The return to the desert (Bernard-Marie Koltès)
(Director: Guillaume Cornet)
1995
A Midsummer Night's Dream (William Shakespeare)
(Director: Jacques Chauvin)
1993
Religion
I am non-practicing catholic. Baptized after birth, science and personal life led me to a more Cartesian approach. I named after Darwin to propose a theory in order to explain what happened before, i.e. before the tree of life and the emergence of all different organisms.
In my view of the beginning of life, RNA built in space but mutated on Earth, providing a chance for life to start (RNA mutations in the moth pheromone gland; RNA & DISEASE 2014, 1:e240.doi:10.14800/rd.240). Following the discovery of a pleiad of RNA mutations in the chemosensory protein family of insects, I proposed a new theory to explain not only the appearance of life and organismal evolution (RNA Mutations: Source of Life. Gene Technology 4: 112) but also the development of pheromone gland and totipotent stem cells via both RNA and protein editing (Picimbon, Australasian Medical Journal, 2017; "A new view of genetic mutations"; Picimbon, "Olfactory Concepts of Insect Control" (Ed. J.F. Picimbon), Evolution of protein physical structures in insect chemosensory systems, Springer Nature, Switzerland, 2019).
Politics
I am France's representative to Shandong, general secretary at l’Union des Français de l’Étranger and assistant to Mr. Francis Nizet (Assemblée des Français de l’Étranger – Northern Asia) and Mr. Thierry Mariani (11th circonscription de la France à l’Étranger). Expert Group "Research" (11th Circonscription, assistant to Mrs Anne Genetet). My political views are obviously seen in these functions (individual bien-être through the bien-être of the community). I support giving the right of voice to the values of France: liberty, equality, fraternity, protection of the family and internationalization for common sustainable development, green ecology and environment protection.
Views
Scientists exchange with each other as editors, associate editors and editorial board members of scientific journals, reviewers for many international journals and authors of hundred scientific publications, book chapters and conferences at the top-high international level. They are members of dozen local, national and international societies as well as many diverse governmental institutions from research to academic exchange. They supervise students, exchange students, masters, PhDs, postdocs and staffs. They teach undergraduates and take part in the education of many various generations across the globe. They are part of selection committees for academic institutions, scientific societies and the cooperation and cultural action of a country in another. Scientists surely have an important role to play in the international exchanges far above all academic matters. They should be respected as such and they should be treated with all the respect in the world, because they probably are those who most accurately describe it, from knowledge of cultures to vision of biotechnological futures. We scientists are devoted to travel. We confront situations in the territory and abroad, compare, analyze, eventually think and make suggestions. We certainly speak multiple academic and cultural languages without any barriers for international cooperation. We are therefore endorsed to sustain even more cooperation in order to support international community. This expresses the strong capacity of scientists to be part of political life and help regulate the fate of the world.
Quotations:
"The world appears so big when you are so small"
Membership
Physiologie de l'insecte
,
France
1993
Canadian and Quebec Entomological Societies
,
Canada
1996
Molecular Entomology Society, Entomological Society, Society of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry
,
Japan
1997
German Neurosciences Society, Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung
,
Germany
1998
Swedish Institute, Crafoordska Stiftelsen, Vetenskapsrådet
,
Sweden
2001 - 2005
Association Franco-Suédoise pour la Recherche (AFSR)
,
France & Sweden
2001
Network French Sci., Network French Alliance, French Embassy in Beijing, CCIFC, Cercle Francophone de Qingdao, Cercle Francophone de Yantai, UFE
,
France & China
2011
Life Sciences
,
China & US
2011
Bio-Asia, EURAXESS, European Research Area China, China-Poland
,
China & E.U.
2011
Society of Genetics, Henan-Hubei-Shandong Society of Microbiology
,
China
2013
Agric. Pests, Animal Behav., Animal Physiol., AvH, ECE, ECRO, ESCE, ESE, ESITO, ICE, Intern. Insect Research., ISCE, ISCPB, ISE, ISIN, ISOT, JHIS, Société Internationale Francophone d’Entomologie
,
world
1995
International Workshop on Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Lepidoptera
,
Greece
August 19, 2018
International Congress of Genetics
,
China
April 24, 2017
World DNA Day
,
China
April 24, 2018
World Gene Convention
,
China
November 13, 2018
Tsinghua University
,
China
2018
Nanyang Normal University
,
China
2018
Personality
My early personality cannot be understood through my works and achievements. I went to theater because I was extremely shy with few friendship, love or communication skills. I certainly built a new personality from art and theatre plays. Oral exercises of science, teaching and public commitment would not have tolerated the wildness of my temper. I became cosmopolitan and learnt six languages and even more cultures to satisfy my dream of existence at the international level. Somehow I reached it, wondering every day how I could pay my dream forward to future generations.
Quotes from others about the person
Jean-François Picimbon (Chapter 18) has expanded our understanding and appreciation of the CSP/SAP family of proteins. Insect Pheromone Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: The Biosynthesis and Detection of Pheromones and Plant Volatiles. Gary J. Blomquist, Richard G. Vogt
Academic Press, Oct 8, 2003 -
Interests
Cinema, playing drums, History of tribes, biographies
Philosophers & Thinkers
Desiderius Erasmus, Socrates, Charles R. Darwin & Jeremy N. Mc Neil
Politicians
Martin Luther King Jr. , Nelson Mandela, Gandhi
Writers
Salverius-Lambil & Cauvin
Goscinny & Uderzo, Morris, Hergé
Artists
John Wayne, Kevin Costner
Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Portman
Sport & Clubs
Soccer & Olympique de Marseille
Rugby & XV de France
Cyclism & Tour de France
Athletes
Michel Platini, Serge Blanco & Bernard Hinault
Music & Bands
Rock-n-roll, Kim Wilde, Pat Benatar, Green Day, LinkinPark, Midnight Oil, Scorpions
Connections
Unmarried, one elder sister (Veronique Picimbon, Spouse: Vincent Leclert; two sons, Thibault (2002) & Maxime (2004))
Father:
Jean-Marie Picimbon
Mother:
Monique Picimbon
best friend:
Paolo Pelosi
References
Olfactory Concepts of Insect Control-Alternative to Insecticides
JF Picimbon (Editor) Springer Nature Switzerland "Evolution of physical protein structures in insect chemosensory systems" (Picimbon, Nature, 2019) "Pheromone, natural odor and odorant receptor suppressing agent (ORSA) for insect control" (Liu, Arnaud, Offmann, Picimbon, Nature, 2019)
“High Level Oversea Scientist" and "Taishan Scholar Oversea Scientist” (China)
Distinguished Professor (Bioengineering)
Associate Editor of Gene, Agri-Gene, International Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry & Molecular Biology, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, SOJ Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Journal of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, International Journal of Proteomics & Genomics
Editor-in-chief of Gene & Translational Bioinformatics, Editor-in-chief of International Journal of Genetic Science
Guest Editor at Agri-Gene (Modern strategies of insect pest control: ecology and sensory aspects)
Guest Editor at Frontiers in Physiology (Hormesis, olfaction, pheromones and insecticides)
Awards
NAITO,
Japan
In 2001 I won “One of the top ten most talend international young scientists” for "Chemosensory Proteins" (14th NAITO Conference, “Bioactive Natural Products and their Mode of Action, Kanagawa, Japan)
In 2001 I won “One of the top ten most talend international young scientists” for "Chemosensory Proteins" (14th NAITO Conference, “Bioactive Natural Products and their Mode of Action, Kanagawa, Japan)
2017 Publons Peer Review Award,
USA
We ran the Publons Peer Review Awards in September to celebrate the world’s top peer reviewers. One of our categories recognised the top 1% of reviewers in each of the 26 ‘All Science Journal Classification’ (ASJC) research fields. Unfortunately, this category did not include some pre-publication peer reviews that you added to Publons because they were performed for journals with no distinct ASJC field.
These reviews and your efforts are just as valuable and important in defending the quality of science and research. That’s why we've decided to honour your exceptional number of reviews with a 2017 Publons Peer Review Award!
We ran the Publons Peer Review Awards in September to celebrate the world’s top peer reviewers. One of our categories recognised the top 1% of reviewers in each of the 26 ‘All Science Journal Classification’ (ASJC) research fields. Unfortunately, this category did not include some pre-publication peer reviews that you added to Publons because they were performed for journals with no distinct ASJC field.
These reviews and your efforts are just as valuable and important in defending the quality of science and research. That’s why we've decided to honour your exceptional number of reviews with a 2017 Publons Peer Review Award!