Cell-ID: Cell Identities and Destinies

Cell-ID (Cell Identities and Destinies) is a national collaborative research consortium bringing together 30 laboratories across France to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing cell identity and cell fate. The consortium integrates expertise in developmental biology, cancer biology, genomics, imaging, computational biology, and artificial intelligence to understand how cell identities are established during normal neurodevelopment and how their deregulation contributes to pediatric brain cancers.

Cell-ID combines advanced experimental models—including organoids and embryonic tissues—with state-of-the-art imaging, single-cell and spatial omics, and computational approaches to characterize cellular trajectories in physiological and pathological contexts. Building on the principles of cellular interception medicine, the consortium aims to generate fundamental biological insights, develop innovative technologies and analytical tools, and create resources that will benefit the broader scientific community.

The consortium is structured around four complementary research programs: CELL CONTEXT, which develops technologies to study cell identity in space and time; CELL EXP, which establishes advanced experimental models of development and disease; DATA MED, which integrates multimodal data and predictive modeling to understand cell fate decisions; and CELL NEXT, which promotes training, leverages international networks and interdisciplinary collaboration, and supports innovative projects involving the entire Cell-ID community.