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The research activities of the Department of Geography, carried out in both the North and South, contribute to the transition towards sustainable and resilient spaces in order to improve the well-being of populations in terms of health, food, natural resources, security, social relations and freedom of choice.

In late November, the Mont-Saint-Guibert-based company Cellistic® donated equipment it no longer used to UNamur. By enabling the university to give this equipment a second life, Cellistic is making an important gesture in support of the development of university research.

Initiated in 1969 by Pullmann and Del Re, the congress is an annual meeting to promote collaboration and friendship between Latin-speaking theoretical chemists. In its early years, European researchers were the main contributors. Subsequently, the Latin American community has made a major contribution, with the emergence of teams whose international reputation now extends far beyond our own community.We are delighted to be holding this meeting at the University of Namur, 55 years after the first CHITEL was organised in Paris, France. We are sure that this 2024 edition will once again be an opportunity to take advantage of the good humour and dynamism of Latin to encourage, develop and strengthen scientific exchanges.We look forward to welcoming you at the University of Namur,The CHITEL 2024 Local Organising Committee. Website

EMBO Courses and Workshops are selected for their excellent scientific quality and timelines, provision of good networking activities for all participants and speaker gender diversity (at least 40% of speakers must be from the underrepresented gender). Organisers are encouraged to implement measures to make the meeting environmentally more sustainable.Upon registration - More info and registration on the EMBO website.

On Thursday May 30, for our last Chill&Sciences of the season, Candy Sonvaux and Alexis Coyette, mathematics researchers, invite you to discover the mathematics where the movements of the planets and the spread of viruses intertwine until they impact our society.Chill&Science: enriching encountersWith nearly 20 years' experience of scientific cafés, the Confluent des Savoirs has set up a new concept of scientific encounters. The Chill&Sciences are a unique opportunity for the public to come and discuss and ask questions of experts on research topics related to current affairs and citizen issues.Come and enjoy the unique, relaxed atmosphere of Quai22. Researchers and experts from the seven faculties of the University of Namur will present their research and discuss with you over a drink (or two, but never without exaggeration).In practiceThe meetings are open to everyone aged 16 and over. Evenings are limited to around 20 people to ensure a relaxed atmosphere and to facilitate discussions. Meetings take place if a minimum of 10 people are registered. Except in exceptional circumstances, meetings take place every 2 months at the University of Namur's cultural space, Quai22, located at n°22 Rue du Séminaire.Tarif Participation in a Chill&Sciences costs 5€. A discounted annual pass is available. Please note: preferential rate for students (discount code: PromoCDS).The booking fee includes a drink* (soft or beer), a snack (chips and cookies) and management fees linked to the organization Unless cancelled by us, bookings are non-refundable. (*additional drinks will be available upon electronic payment.)

Title of the dissertation: Ion implantation in Low-E coatings Low-emissivity (Low-E) coating technology revolutionizes glass applications for windows, offering high optical transparency while reducing heat transfer. They consist of a silver-based thin film deposited on a glass panel by physical vapor deposition. However, these coatings are fragile and must be placed inside a double-glazing cavity where an inert gas resides. Otherwise, they can be easily degraded by bad atmospheric conditions.The thesis approach is to combine low-E technology with a post-treatment of ion implantation. The research question driving this thesis is: how does ion implantation enhance the durability of low-E coatings containing silver?The experiments conducted during the thesis show that implantation indeed increases the coating resistance while having a small impact on its color. However, the treatment degrades the thermal insulation properties. Hence, a series of hypotheses are formulated based on the literature to explain and control this behavior.A deeper investigation shows that implantation impacts the silver nanostructure. First by dewetting the film which allows reorganization into larger crystallites, second by forcing silver mixing at its interface through ballistic ejections. These two phenomena increase the toughness of the silver interface by interlocking effects. However, dewetting has also been linked to thermal insulation properties degradation. Nonetheless, it was shown that using light gas implantation limits the destructive effect (dewetting) while still inducing good durability (due to interface mixing).. Jury Prof. Julien COLAUX (UNamur), presidentProf. Stéphane LUCAS (UNamur), promoter and secretaryDr Amory JACQUES (Service Public de Wallonie)Dr Philippe ROQUINY (AGC Glass Europe)Prof. Rony SNYDERS (University of Mons)

Characterization of trehalase from Acyrthosiphon pisum for the design of new insecticides SummaryAphids are major pests in agriculture, causing direct damage to plants and acting as vectors for phytopathogenic viruses. Conventional insecticides are widely used to control them, but their toxicity and efficacy pose problems in terms of the environment, human health and the emergence of resistance to these compounds. New alternatives are therefore needed, such as biological control using predators or parasitoids. However, these methods are not always economically viable on a large scale. As part of this thesis, another approach is being explored which involves developing new insecticides targeting the biochemical functions of aphids.The project aims to discover new inhibitors of trehalase, an enzyme essential for insect energy metabolism. Inhibition of this enzyme could disrupt vital insect functions without affecting mammals. This research involved several stages: the purification and complete characterization of trehalase from Acyrthosiphon pisum (the model for this study), the in vivo, in vitro and in silico analysis of commercial inhibitors on this enzyme, before moving on to the search for new inhibitors. Two points of integrated insect management were explored, biological and chemical control.The biological side saw the study of a strain of Streptomyces naturally producing trehalase-inhibiting metabolites, notably validamycin A, a molecule recognized in the literature as one of the best inhibitors, but not applicable as an insecticide. Other molecules appear to have interesting features, but we have not been able to isolate and characterize them.The chemical side has enabled us to create a pharmacophore hypothesis based on experimental results on molecules obtained by virtual screening. Although these molecules are not usable as insecticides as they stand, this hypothesis provides a better understanding of trehalase inhibitors in general and can be used to refine future analyses. JuryProf. Jean-Yves MATROULE (UNamur), presidentDr Catherine MICHAUX (UNamur), promoter and secretaryProf. Frédéric FRANCIS (ULiège), co-promoterProf. André MATAGNE (ULiège)Dr Rudy CAPARROS (ULiège)Dr Morgan HANS (Biocidal)

Thesis subject Use of BioID within mitochondria: examples with the study of human mitochondrial co-translational import process and with the identification of MPV17 function Summary This thesis was divided into two different parts dedicated to the study of a mitochondrial process and of a mitochondrial protein using a proximity labelling assay called BioID. The first project was dedicated to the study of a poorly characterized process, the mitochondrial co-translational import. In this process, translation is coupled to the translocation of the mitochondrial proteins, alleviating the energy cost typically associated with the post-translational import relying on chaperone systems. However, the mechanisms are still unclear with only few actors identified but none that have been described in mammals yet. We thus profiled endogenously the TOM20 proxisome using BioID. Despite the enrichment of RNA binding proteins in the TOM20 proxisome, we could not demonstrate a role for a selected candidate, LARP4, in the mitochondrial co-translational import process. Nonetheless, additional uses of this BioID cell line were highlighted such as the monitoring of protein entry inside mitochondria and a potential application in the prediction of mitochondrial protein half-life.The second project was dedicated to the study of MPV17, a protein of the inner mitochondrial membrane whose gene is associated with mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. However, the exact molecular function of the protein is still unclear. The approach used in this project was to identify the interacting partners of MPV17, using BioID, to get additional clues about the protein function. In this project we demonstrated an interaction of MPV17 with the MICOS complex but the KO of MPV17 didn't impact mitochondria ultrastructure. However, the depletion of MPV17 protein led to increased mitochondria-derived vesicle formation. Therefore, we investigated a potential degradation of the mtDNA as the cause of the mtDNA depletion observed in MPV17 KO cells but, despite a higher mitophagy level in KO cells, the blockade of the lysosomal activity didn't prevent the depletion. Additional in silico analyses suggested a channel activity of MPV17 further supported by its direct interaction with the Cyclophilin D, a protein of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Interestingly, MPV17 KO cells also display higher level of mitochondrial calcium which would be related to the degradation of the mtDNA since the blockade of mitochondrial calcium entry prevents the depletion. We thus propose a role of MPV17 as a potential new member of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore whereas in the absence of the protein, the build-up of calcium inside the mitochondria would lead to the observed mtDNA degradation. Jury Prof. Benoît MUYLKENS (UNamur), ChairmanProf. Patsy RENARD (UNamur), Promoter and SecretaryProf. Thierry ARNOULD (UNamur), Co-PromoterProf. Dr. David PLA-MARTIN (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany)Dr. Timothy WAI (Institut Pasteur Paris, France)Prof. David PLA-MARTIN (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany)Dr. Timothy WAI (Institut Pasteur de Paris, France)Prof. Guy LENAERS (Université d'Angers, France)Prof. Sven EYCKERMAN (Universiteit Gent)

In the sciences, the international dimension is essential! It's possible to explore beyond the borders of the Université de Namur to do an internship or take a course, or to work in a laboratory at another university in the country. The institution has established cooperation agreements with other universities and initiated numerous international research projects that encourage exchanges and researcher mobility.

The Faculty of Science has more than 400 members who are involved, each year, in the scientific academic career of 1500 students.

Chemistry is par excellence the science of transforming matter, and as such lies at the crossroads between the physical sciences and mathematics on the one hand, and the life sciences, earth sciences and materials sciences on the other. State-of-the-art laboratories, led by world-renowned researchers, are dedicated to a wide range of fields, from organic chemistry to materials chemistry, analytical chemistry and theoretical chemistry.

From scientific dissemination and popularization to geological expertise, the services offered by the Department of Geology to its public and private partners are manifold.