Marie Erard

Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale

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About

Marie Erard is a pioneer at the intersection of robotics and molecular biophysics, whose work has redefined how we computationally model large-scale molecular motions. Her primary research focuses on developing novel path-planning algorithms—borrowed from robotics—to simulate the conformational changes of proteins and other biomolecules. Erard’s most significant contribution is the introduction of **voxel maps** as a computational tool to encode and represent these complex molecular movements, a breakthrough detailed in her highly cited 2010 paper (15 citations). This method allows researchers to map the energy landscape of molecular transitions with unprecedented clarity, overcoming the limitations of traditional experimental and computational techniques. By treating molecular motion as a navigable space, Erard has opened new avenues for understanding life at the atomic level, enabling the analysis of processes that were previously computationally intractable. Her work stands as a testament to the power of interdisciplinary thinking, merging engineering and biology to solve fundamental problems in structural biology and drug design.