Section: Partnerships and Cooperations

National Initiatives

National programmes

• ANR-Purple Sun: The objective of this project (ANR-13-BIME-004) is to study and optimize a new concept consisting in coupling the production of microalgae with photovoltaic panels. The main idea is to derive the excess of light energy to PV electricity production, in order to reduce the phenomena of photoinhibition and overwarming both reducing microalgal productivity.

• ANR-Facteur 4: The objective of this project to produce non OGM strain of microalgae with enhanced performance. BIOCORE is involved in the directed selection of microalgae with interesting properties from an industrial point of view. The theory of competition is used to give a competitive advantage to some species. This competitive advantage can be provided by an online closed loop controller.

• ANR-Phycover: The overall objective of the PHYCOVER project is to identify a modular wastewater treatment process for the production of biogas. The method combines three modules. First, a high-rate algal pond is dedicated to the treatment of municipal wastewater. Then, an anaerobic digester capable of co- digesting biomass products (and others organic matter resources ) to significantly reduce biological and chemical contaminants while producing a sustainable energy as biogas is analysed. A final module transforms the residual carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus into high-value microalgae dedicated to aquaculture and green chemistry.

• ANR-FunFit: The objective of this project (2013-2017) is to develop a trait-based approach linking individual fitness of fungal plant pathogens to ecological strategies. The idea is to derive eco-epidemiological strategies from fitness optimization in colonized environments and during colonization, as well as understanding the coexistence of sibling species. This project is co-coordinated by F. Grognard.

• ANR-TripTic: The objective of this project (2014-2018) is to document the biological diversity in the genus of the minute wasps Trichogramma, and to study the behavioral and populational traits relevant to their use in biological control programs.

• ANR-GESTER: “Management of crop resistances to diseases in agricultural landscapes as a response to new constraints on pesticide use”, ANR Agrobiosphère, 2011–2016. This project aims at producing allocation scenarios of resistant varieties at the scale of cultivated landscapes, that will allow to limit disease development while ensuring sustainable efficiency of genetic resistances. BIOCORE participates in this project via MaIAGE, INRA Jouy-en-Josas.

• ANR-MIHMES: “Multi-scale modelling, from animal Intra-Host to Metapopulation, of mechanisms of pathogen spread to Evaluate control Strategies”, ANR – Investissement d'avenir, action Bioinformatique (ANR-10-BINF-07) & Fond Européen de Développement Régional des Pays-de-la-Loire (FEDER), 2012–2017. This project aims at producing scientific knowledge and methods for the management of endemic infectious animal diseases and veterinary public health risks. BIOCORE participates in this project via MaIAGE, INRA Jouy-en-Josas.

• RESET: The objective of this project is to control the growth of E. coli cells in a precise way, by arresting and restarting the gene expression machinery of the bacteria in an efficient manner directed at improving product yield and productivity. RESET is an “Investissements d'Avenir” project in Bioinformatics (managed by ANR) and it is coordinated by H. de Jong (Ibis, Inria)

• SIGNALIFE: Biocore is part of this Labex (scientific cluster of excellence) whose objective is to build a network for innovation on Signal Transduction Pathways in life Sciences, and is hosted by the Université Nice Sophia Antipolis.

• OPTIBIO: This project is devoted to the analysis of optimal control problems related to bioprocesses. The project is funded by Programme Gaspard Monge pour L’Optimisation et la Recherche Opérationnelle and coordinated by T. Bayen (U. Montpellier 2).

• UMT FIORIMED: FioriMed is a Mixed Technology Unit created in January 2015 to strengthen the production and dissemination of innovation to the benefit of ornamental horticulture. Horticultural greenhouses are seen as a "laboratory" for the actual implementation of agroecology concepts with the possibility of generic outcomes being transfered to other production systems. The main partners of UMT FioriMed are ASTREDHOR (National Institute of Horticulture) and the ISA Joint Research Unit of INRA-CNRS-Univ. Nice.

Inria funding

• Inria Project Lab-Algae in silico: The Algae in silico Inria Project Lab, funded by Inria and coordinated by O. Bernard, focuses on the expertise and knowledge of biologists, applied mathematician and computer scientists to propose an innovative numerical model of microalgal culturing devices. The latest developments in metabolic modelling, hydrodynamic modelling and process control are joined to propose a new generation of advanced simulators in a realistic outdoor environment. The project gathers 5 Inria project teams and 3 external teams.

INRA funding

• Take Control: This project, “Deployment strategies of plant quantitative resistance to take control of plant pathogen evolution,” is funded by the PRESUME call of the SMAcH INRA metaprogram (Sustainable Management of Crop Health). BIOCORE is a partner together with INRA PACA (Sophia Antipolis and Avignon) and INRA Toulouse (2013-2016). This project provides the major part of the funding for the experiments held for Elsa Rousseau's thesis.

• K-Masstec: “Knowledge-driven design of management strategies for stem canker specific resistance genes”, INRA Metaprogramme SMaCH, PRESUME action, 2013–2016. The project aims at developing efficient strategies for the deployment of genetic resistance in the field, based on knowledge issued from the understanding of the molecular interaction between distinct avirulence genes, and mainly the discovery of non-conventional gene-for-gene interactions.

Networks

• GDR Invasions Biologiques: The objectives of this GDR are to encourage multidisciplinary research approaches on invasion biology. It has five different thematic axes: 1) invasion biology scenarios, 2) biological invasions and ecosystem functioning, 3) environmental impact of invasive species, 4) modeling biological invasions, 5) socio-economics of invasion biology. L. Mailleret is a member of the scientific comittee of the GDR .

• ModStatSAP: The objective of this INRA network is to federate researchers in applied mathematics and statistics and to promote mathematical and statistical modelling studies in crop and animal health. S. Touzeau is a member of the scientific committee.

• Seminar: BIOCORE organizes a regular seminar “Modeling and control of ecosystems” at the station zoologique of Villefranche-sur-Mer, at INRA-ISA or at Inria.