This article is excerpted from Omalius magazine #40 (March 2026)

Launched in November 2024, the Interreg France-Wallonia-Flanders cross-border project ORION aims to develop assessment tools based on predictive modeling to better understand and manage water quality in the context of global climate change. Through a comprehensive approach, it will enable the assessment, monitoring, and even prediction of the water quality of the Meuse River and the health of its ecosystems.

The ORION consortium, led by the University of Reims Champagne-Ardennes (URCA), brings together six operators and nine partners, including universities, research laboratories, and water management agencies in France, Wallonia, and Flanders. They work within the framework of a multidisciplinary collaboration involving biology, microbiology, parasitology, ecology, ecotoxicology, chemistry, and modeling.

At UNamur, one of the consortium’s six partners, the expertise being leveraged is that of Professor Eli Thoré, a member of the Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE) within the Department of Biology and a researcher at the Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment (ILEE). Eli Thoré and his colleagues contribute in particular to the assessment of ecotoxicological risks and environmental diagnostics under real-world conditions, including in degraded environments.

This phase, which involves exposing the animals to their natural environment, makes it possible to assess the concentrations of bioaccumulated pollutants and their impact on the animals’ health. Combined with concentration measurements taken directly from the water, these innovative tools enable a reliable assessment of water quality in the Meuse River basin. 

The process begins with an assessment of potential sites using pressure maps (Meuse, Sambre, Chiers) established during the previous phase of the project. This is followed by on-site validation, which takes into account parameters such as depth, current, temperature, pH, oxygenation, and sunlight exposure. 

Throughout the process, researchers pay particular attention to ensuring the well-being of the caged animals. To reduce their stress during the three-week experiment, researchers check the stability of the riverbed and the ability to securely anchor the cages to prevent any movement. Logistical and safety criteria are also taken into account, such as site accessibility, the tranquility of the location to minimize the risk of damage, and compatibility with other sentinel species, ideally located nearby. The objective of the field survey is therefore to confirm that the sites proposed by the maps are truly suitable, safe, and respectful of animal welfare.

Once the animals have been caged and placed in their natural environment, the research moves into a diagnostic and integrative phase. The animals are collected and analyzed to determine which contaminants they have bioaccumulated and how this exposure has affected their physiological condition and health. By linking measured contaminant concentrations to biological responses, the study allows for an assessment of the actual ecotoxicological pressure exerted by the aquatic environment, rather than relying solely on chemical measurements of the water itself.

In 2017, Professor (now Emeritus) Patrick Kestemont was part of the DIADeM consortium, another cross-border project that had set itself two major objectives: 

1. To measure the effect of a cocktail of pharmaceuticals on the populations of ecosystems in the Meuse River and its tributaries 
2. To develop methodological tools for watercourse managers to improve water quality assessment.

The project was a success, as evidenced by its results: 

• Six methodological guides and a multi-species caging approach.
• A dozen scientific articles and a public exhibition featuring more than 20 panels: “The Health of Our Rivers: In Danger?”
• Strengthened collaboration between URCA, the University of Namur, the University of Liège, and various stakeholders in the water sector in France and Wallonia.

By bringing together various stakeholders and developing innovative tools, the ORION project helps protect water quality and ensure a healthy environment for everyone: local governments, public authorities, higher education and research institutions, and the general public. 

For the MSCA Doctoral Networks 2025 call, 1,616 proposals were submitted and 141 were selected, representing a success rate of 9.6%. In this highly competitive environment, the selection of three projects involving UNamur sends a strong signal: it confirms the scientific excellence of Namur’s teams and their ability to build high-level international partnerships in support of doctoral training and innovation. Six doctoral dissertations will be eligible for funding.

In many neurological diseases, both inflammation of the nervous system and imbalances in the gut microbiota are observed. GlycoAxis aims to go beyond simple correlations by identifying the molecular “messengers” that link the gut, the immune system, and the brain. The project focuses on complex sugars found on the surface of certain bacteria (glycans), which are suspected of playing a key role in immune activation and neuroinflammation. The goal: to better understand these mechanisms and pave the way for new diagnostic tools, imaging techniques, or biomarkers for brain health.

In the face of climate change, pollution, and habitat fragmentation, some ecosystems weather the shocks… while others collapse. ReDiLeep focuses on a key driver of this resilience: response diversity—that is, the fact that different species (or ecological functions) do not all react in the same way to a disturbance. The project aims to better measure and model this mechanism in order to link research more directly to the needs of conservation, restoration, and public policy regarding biodiversity.

Our digital communications rely on light: optical fibers, sensors, and photonic circuits capable of processing information. But with the explosion of data, the rise of AI, and the advent of ever-faster networks, it is becoming crucial to control light dynamically—much faster than is possible with current components, which are often “static.” SPARK is exploring a new approach: combining spatiotemporal metamaterials (nanoscale structures designed to shape light) with light that is itself “structured” in space and time. The result: reconfigurable photonic technologies for computing, imaging, and ultra-fast communications.

With a beekeeping tradition dating back several centuries, Wallonia boasts a unique network of beekeepers, educational apiaries, and local chapters that preserve a true living heritage. It is largely thanks to this strong connection between the product and its terroir that Walloon honey has joined the prestigious list of Walloon products bearing the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) label. 

“Starting in the early 20th century, the sector became more professional and dynamic, largely thanks to improvements in apiary management and honey quality,” explains Natacha Aucuit, a food history researcher who contributed to this recognition of Walloon honey.

This method, now widely used in Wallonia, produces a spreadable, creamy, uniform honey that retains its natural properties.

“What struck me as I traced the history of this product was its deeply human aspect: knowledge is passed down within beekeeping communities, from master beekeepers to apprentices, embodying the strength of a regional tradition,” notes Natacha Aucuit.

This white sausage has deep roots in the city of Liège, but it is produced throughout the province. It is at the heart of Liège’s folk traditions: “This product is usually eaten cold, sliced. It is sometimes included in the drèssêye, a typical Liège assortment of cold cuts,” explains Natacha Aucuit. 

In addition to Walloon Honey PGI and Liège White Sausage PGI, other Walloon products are the focus of the Agrilabel unit, which is responsible for the recognition process. Currently, two applications are in progress: 

• The revision of the specifications for Ardennes Ham PGI
• The Wépion Strawberry

• Florenville IGP Sausage
• Ardennes Sausage IGP
• Ardenne Collier IGP
• Ardennes Pipe IGP
• Chimay Escavèche PGI
• Gaume Sausage PGI

Founded in 2011 at the initiative of the Wallonia Public Service and supported by the Office of the Walloon Minister of Agriculture, AgriLabel assists producers in obtaining European quality labels (PDO, PGI, and TSG) or regional labels (Label Qualité Plus). This work is based on a partnership between the University of Liège – Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech and UNamur.

In this context, the University of Liège-Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech focuses primarily on product characterization and producers’ expertise, as well as the delineation of the geographical production area. For its part, UNamur is responsible for demonstrating the socio-historical link between the product and its terroir, the designation’s historical recognition, and its reputation—essential elements for the recognition of a designation as a PDO or PGI.

Natacha Aucuit, a researcher specializing in food history at UNamur and a member of ILEE and Transitions, makes a key contribution to the AgriLabel unit under the supervision of Professor Isabelle Parmentier. Since 2013, she has been working on drafting applications for the registration of designations or modifications for products such as the Wépion Strawberry or the Ardennes Ham PGI. Her role consists primarily of establishing a documented historical link between the product and its terroir, based on rigorous research and a scientific approach.

Brendan Reid comes from New Jersey, USA.  He was appointed Professor of Biology at the University of Namur in September 2025 and became a member of the Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE).  His research focusses on changes in aquatic and semi aquatic organisms and communities. He is particularly interested in fish and herps.  To carry out his research, he uses (meta)genomics and field research, as well as demographic and genomic data.  The goal? The preservation and management of diversity.

Brendan Reid's research combines cutting-edge genomic sequencing in space and time with habitat and demographic data, and computational methods.  The aim is to understand the evolutionary responses of species and communities to environmental change over time and to propose conservation solutions to ensure their sustainability. He is particularly interested in using genetics and museum collections to understand the basis of species responses to new stresses and to preserve biodiversity in the current era of global climate change.

In a mid-January seminar, Brendan Reid presented his research to his new colleagues: the members of the ILEE Institute and members of the Department of Biology, URBE.

How can genetics teach us about biological diversity? 

He carried out a postdoc research project about the genetic barcoding and identification of marine and freshwater turtles.  Another research project enabled him to analyse environmental DNA to assess different communities in highly human-impacted environments: reef monitoring, rivers in urban environments.

Photo: A Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) from one of the populations studied in Wisconsin © Brendan Reid 

How does loss of genetic diversity and inbreeding affect small populations?

He investigated this question in 2 postdoc research projects: one about the genetics of freshwater fish and another one about the inbreeding and fitness in endangered rattlesnakes.

How do populations respond to increasing human impact over time?

His PhD was about turtles and roads.  There is still ongoing work on turtles thanks to a USFWS grant.  He is currently leading a large-scale project to create a genomic database for the endangered Blanding's turtle, which will be used in USA conservation planning and forensics.

Postdoc research was carried out on historical genomics of fish to investigate how genetical diversity has changed over time. The “fisheries-induced evolution in cod project” used historic and contemporary samples from Norway and from Newfoundland, Canada. 

Photo: Brendan Reid in the Lofoten Islands, Norway, with drying racks used in Norwegian cod fishing—one of the studies in which researchers used samples from 1907 paired with samples from the 2010s to understand how cod have adapted to overfishing. © Patrice Escandon

The article “Detecting parallel polygenic adaptation to novel evolutionary pressure in wild populations: a case study in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)” is available in open access.

For historical samples, this was made possible in particular through the ARC Albatros recollection project (in the Philippines) refers to the USS Albatros expedition in 1908-1909, which brought back a huge collection of specimens conserved in ethanol (high powered rum 😊), not formalin.  More than 10.000 specimens were paired with contemporary sampling taken from 60 sites between 2017 and 2022. 

The ongoing PIRE project in the Philippines investigates changes in tropical (not temperate) regions, though a main goal is to determine whether the trends are similar across different climatic zones.  It links museum specimens collected in the early 1900s to contemporary populations to understand how habitat changes have influenced the neutral and adaptive genetic diversity of fish.

All of this research has led to the general conclusion that insect, bird, mammal, and fish populations have declined and lost between 6% and 16% of their diversity to date. Genomics confirms a recent collapse in populations, probably linked to habitat change caused by human activity. There has also been a 4% loss of diversity in areas with high human density, and stronger selection in areas of greater development. Finally, tropical fish are losing their genetic diversity overall.

Brendan would also like to look into historical genomics (mainly in insects) to identify signs of change and adaptation in communities based on data collected from specimens.

And work on the renaturation of Europe in general, mainly rivers and canals.

Brendan would like to determine species conservation needs and issues by analyzing breeding programs in zoos. He also wants to continue genetic analysis of populations and collect data in the field in order to maintain consistency between theory and practice and, above all, to accurately target the species most in need of protection. 

Given his wealth of research, cutting-edge expertise, and motivation, it is no surprise that Brendan Reid was chosen to join the URBE team in the Department of Biology.

Welcome, Brendan!