CarMeN Laboratory INRAE UMR1397-INSERM U1060

What CarMeN Laboratory INRAE UMR1397-INSERM U1060 does

CarMeN Laboratory (INSERM U1060 / INRAE U1397 / Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1) is a public, non-profit biomedical research unit (Unité Mixte de Recherche) created in Lyon in January 2011 and jointly supervised by INSERM, INRAE, Université Lyon 1, and Hospices Civils de Lyon. It is dedicated to research on cardiovascular disease, metabolism, diabetes, and nutrition, organized into three research teams (DO-IT, MERISM, IRIS) plus a support team, operating across two sites: Lyon Sud Hospital (Pierre-Bénite) and Groupement Hospitalier Est (Bron).

The laboratory maintains six specialized technical platforms — Cytometry, Genomics, Histology, Ixplora (in vivo exploration), Microscopy, and the ISO 9001:2015-certified CarMeN Biobank — and an affiliated clinical research platform, CRNH Rhône-Alpes, which conducts human nutrition studies and recruits voluntary participants. Core technology comprises advanced confocal and live-cell imaging systems (Nikon A1R+, Leica, IonOptix), cryopreservation infrastructure (11 LN₂ tanks, 15 -80°C freezers), and a biological sample repository spanning human and animal specimens collected since founding.

CarMeN does not commercialize products. Funding flows from French public research institutions (INSERM, INRAE, Université Lyon 1, Hospices Civils de Lyon) and competitive national/European grants (ANR, ERA4Health). The CRNH platform generates in-kind research output (clinical nutrition studies with voluntary participants indemnified €150–€600 per study) rather than commercial revenue. Outputs are disseminated through peer-reviewed publications (Lancet, Gut, Kidney International, Nature Cell Biology, J. Extracell. Vesicles), conference presentations, and educational programs including the MuSkLE Summer School.

Name

CarMeN Laboratory INRAE UMR1397-INSERM U1060

Legal name

Laboratoire CarMeN - Cardiovasculaire, Métabolisme, Diabète et Nutrition

Website

https://carmen.univ-lyon1.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CarMeN Laboratory is a French public biomedical research unit (INSERM U1060 / INRAE U1397 / Université Lyon 1) dedicated to cardiovascular, metabolic, diabetes, and nutrition research, operating three teams and six technical platforms across two Lyon-area hospital sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Therapeutic-Area CROs (e.g., oncology/rare disease) (HLAGAAAL)

Keywords

• Biomedical research laboratory
• Cardio-metabolic research
• Clinical nutrition studies
• Cardiovascular disease research
• Diabetes metabolism research

Headquarters

HQ city

Pierre-Bénite

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: Funded through institutional affiliations with INSERM, INRAE, and Université Lyon 1. Receives grants from national research agencies and participates in European funding programs (ERA4Health). Revenue comes from public research financing rather than commercial operations.
2. Clinical Research Services: Conducts clinical nutrition studies through the Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Rhône-Alpes (CRNH-RA) platform. Studies are authorized by CPP ethics committees and ANSM, and may receive public research funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CarMeN is a French biomedical research laboratory conducting fundamental and translational research on cardiovascular diseases, metabolism, diabetes, and nutrition. It operates three research teams (DO-IT, MERISM, IRIS) and provides access to six specialized technical platforms (cytometry, genomics, histology, Ixplora, microscopy, and biobank). The affiliated CRNH Rhône-Alpes clinical research platform conducts human nutrition studies and recruits volunteers, while the laboratory maintains ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management.

Product overview

CarMeN Laboratory is a biomedical research institution (INSERM U1060/INRAE U1397/Université Lyon1) dedicated to research in cardiovascular disease, metabolism, diabetes, and nutrition. The laboratory operates three research teams (DO-IT focusing on food and intestinal therapeutics for obesity, MERISM focusing on mitochondria-ER interactions in metabolic diseases, and IRIS focusing on ischemia-reperfusion syndromes) and provides access to six technical platforms (Cytometry, Genomics, Histology, Ixplora, Microscopy, and Biobank). The affiliated CRNH Rhône-Alpes Clinical Research Platform conducts human nutrition studies and recruits volunteers for health nutrition research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cytometry Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 10th consecutive ISO 9001:2015 certification achieved in June 2023, demonstrating sustained quality management over 10+ years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IHU EverestminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Institute hosting the symposium on Hepatic Organoids & Ex Vivo 3D Models organized by Jennifer Rieusset at Lyon Sud. Collaborative platform for liver research using organoid and 3D model technologies.
• Federal University of Paraíba - BrazilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Franco-Brazilian research collaboration through CAPES-COFECUB project coordinated by Prof. Marciane Magnani, partnering with Prof. Hubert Vidal on probiotic and prebiotic research.
• Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) - BrazilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Franco-Brazilian cooperation through CAPES-COFECUB project on translational evaluation of probiotics and prebiotics. Hosting of Prof. Carol Gois Leandro for collaborative seminar on VITORIA project (obesity reduction in adolescents).
• Université Laval - CanadaminorOthers · 1 May 2024Hosted Prof. Benoît Arsenault for seminar on body weight and health research. Researcher at Institut de cardiologie et de pneumologie du Québec focusing on cardiometabolic risk markers and lifestyle modification interventions.
• INSERM U1060coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale - primary institutional affiliation providing research framework, funding, and personnel oversight. Laboratory created at Lyon in January 2011 under this partnership and renewed in 2016 and January 2021.
• INRAE U1397coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - institutional partner co-managing the laboratory. Part of the joint INSERM U1060/INRAE U1397 structure.
• Université Lyon 1 (Claude Bernard)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - academic partner providing university framework, student training, and research supervision for doctoral programs.
• Hospices Civils de LyoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Public hospital system hosting the laboratory at Lyon Sud Hospital and providing clinical research infrastructure and patient access for cardio-metabolic studies.
• Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Rhône-Alpes (CRNH-RA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical nutrition research platform integrated into the CarMeN laboratory structure, located at Lyon Sud Hospital. Conducts human nutrition studies with authorized clinical research protocols.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pasteur Institute: Major French non-profit biomedical research institution. Comparable to CarMeN's non-profit public research model, multi-platform structure, and translational publication record, though broader in scope.
• Karolinska Institutet: Leading European medical university conducting biomedical and clinical research including metabolic disease. Comparable to CarMeN in academic research mission, publication output, and clinical-trial execution capability, though operating at much larger scale.
• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique): France's largest public research organization. Comparable as a parent-equivalent public research framework operating under similar French institutional funding mechanisms and shared laboratory hosting arrangements.
• Institut Necker-Enfants Malades (INEM, INSERM U1151): French INSERM biomedical research unit. Comparable as a French academic biomedical research organization operating under similar institutional frameworks and grant structures, though its focus is broader and less cardio-metabolic-centric.

Direct peers

• MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit (University of Cambridge): UK-based academic unit focused on metabolic disease mechanisms, sharing CarMeN's cardio-metabolic research mandate and bench-to-clinic translation pathway.
• Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research: German research institute dedicated to metabolism, obesity, and diabetes research. Highly comparable to CarMeN given the overlapping cardio-metabolic disease focus and basic-to-translational research model, though operating at larger scale.
• Institut de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ): Canadian cardiovascular research center that hosted CarMeN's collaboration with Prof. Benoît Arsenault. Comparable given overlapping cardio-metabolic risk-marker research and lifestyle intervention clinical studies.
• INRAE Centre for Human Nutrition Research: Parent-affiliated INRAE unit focused on nutrition research. Closely comparable as a French nutrition research organization sharing CarMeN's INRAE U1397 institutional framework and human nutrition methodology.
• IHU Everest (Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire): French institute focused on liver and metabolic disease organoid/3D-model research. Direct peer given CarMeN's collaboration with IHU Everest on hepatic organoid research and overlapping MASLD/translational focus.

Emerging players

• Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences: Industry-led nutrition and metabolic health research arm operating with similar cardio-metabolic and nutrition themes. Comparable to CarMeN's translational nutrition research scope but backed by private-sector funding rather than public grants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laboratoirecarmen

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CarMeN Laboratory INRAE UMR1397-INSERM U1060