ILEE brings together expertise in fundamental and applied sciences, guaranteeing a significant contribution to a better understanding of the evolution of life and current and future environmental challenges, as well as the search for sustainable solutions, from ecological, technological, socio-economic and historical/cultural perspectives. In this context, ILEE studies the evolution of human populations, organisms, agro and ecosystems and is involved in the search for sustainable solutions, with ecological perspectives.
L'institut ILEE est membre d'Alternet, le réseau européen de recherche sur les écosystèmes.
Notre institut se consacre à l'avancement de la recherche fondamentale et appliquée en vue d'une meilleure compréhension des processus sous-jacents qui régulent la vie sur terre, à la caractérisation des pressions anthropogéniques sur l'environnement et vice versa, et à la recherche d'alternatives durables pour gérer les ressources naturelles, réduire la pollution, conserver et restaurer la biodiversité.
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Our researchers in the World's Top 2% Scientists list
Our researchers in the World's Top 2% Scientists list
Stanford University has published a prestigious ranking that highlights the most influential researchers in a wide range of scientific fields. The list, based on bibliographic criteria, aims to provide a standardized means of identifying the world's scientific leaders. It is one criterion among others for assessing the quality of scientific research. Twelve researchers from the University of Namur are among them!
This list, created by Stanford University and published in August 2024 is compiled in collaboration with Elsevier's ICST lab from Scopus data, aims to provide a standardized means of identifying the world's best scientists and recognizing those scientists who have had a significant impact on their respective fields.
While this list has been adopted by many institutions as a reliable measure of research impact, it is not the only way to evaluate research. Based strictly on bibliometric data, it is also subject to criticism.
Since September 2023, the University of Namur has been strengthening its commitment to the implementation of research assessment reform with the signing of the "Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) "agreement.
This agreement commits the institution to a series of principles, including taking into account career diversity and emphasizing qualitative research criteria rather than relying solely on bibliometric (and therefore quantitative) data.
Namur University researchers honored
- Charlotte Beaudart - Faculty of Medicine, Narilis Institute
- Benoît Champagne - Faculty of Science, NISM Institute
- Alain Decrop - EMCP Faculty, NaDi-CRIDS Institute
- Olivier Deparis - Science Faculty, NISM Institute and PaTHs Institute
- Jonathan Douxfils - Faculty of Medicine, Narilis Institute
- Patrick Kestemont - Faculty of Science, ILEE Institute
- Alexandre Mayer - Faculty of Science, NISM Institute and Institut naXys
- Carine Michiels - Faculty of Science, Institut Narilis
- Antoinette Rouvroy - Faculty of Law, ESPHIN Institutes and NaDi-CRIDS Institute
- Frédéric Silvestre - Faculty of Science, ILEE Institute
- Bao-Lian Su - Faculty of Science, NISM Institute
- Johan Wouters - Faculty of Science, NISM Institute
The list is updated every year, with data on the whole career and impacts on a single year, for the sake of transparency and relevance.
The measurement criteria used
A variety of bibliometric measures are taken into account to ensure a fair and balanced representation of researchers' work.
- The C-score: this composite score is based on various bibliometric factors, including the total number of citations.
- The h-index: this impact indicator takes into account the number of a researcher's publications as well as the number of their citations.
- The percentiles of fields and subfields : scientists are classified into 22 major fields and 176 subfields. Only those who rank in the top 2% of their subfield are taken into account.
- Career-wide or single-year impact: rankings are available for both career-wide impact and single-year performance, providing a better understanding of long-term contribution and recent achievements.
Research excellence
Figuring among this top 2% of scientists is therefore a prestigious recognition of an individual's contribution to science and demonstrates the excellence of their research, enhancing their reputation in academia and industry.
The ranking offers visibility across all disciplines, drawing attention to work that might otherwise remain in a niche or be under-appreciated. It also serves as a benchmark for institutions and governments to assess the influence of their research programs.
Many institutions use the ranking to measure the success of their faculty, or other entity, which can also enhance credibility within the academic community.
This list encourages scientists to focus on producing high-quality, impactful research rather than chasing quantity.
By compiling data from all scientific fields and offering a fair, metrics-based approach, this ranking not only celebrates individual achievements, but also highlights the importance of impactful research in advancing knowledge. However, it must be qualified, as it only takes into account quantitative data, which are not necessarily representative of the full diversity of research.
According to another database, that of UNESCO, the number of researchers in the world is increasing by 300,000 per year, reaching 9 million today. The Top 2% comprises 200,000 names, including twelve researchers from the University of Namur.
Congratulations to them for their excellent research and for this prestigious worldwide recognition!
Mapping life
Mapping life
In 2021, the European Union has embarked on a titanic project to safeguard the genomes of all eukaryotic species in Europe. In other words, all living organisms, with the exception of bacteria and archaea (micro-organisms). Called ERGA, for European Reference Genome Atlas, and in which UNamur is participating thanks to Professor Alice Dennis, this project hopes to help safeguard biodiversity, at a time when a fifth of European species are in danger of extinction.
.This article is taken from the "Eureka" section of the June 2024 issue of Omalius magazine.
In each of our cells, compacted in the heart of the nucleus, are the chromosomes, the seat of our DNA. DNA is made up of a long chain of molecules, each named A, T, C or G. In all, our genome comprises 3.4 billion of these "letters". By way of comparison, Victor Hugo's river novel Les Misérables has "only" 2.66 million characters, or 1,000 times fewer. And don't be fooled into thinking that our genetic code is the largest in the living world - far from it! The genetic code of corn has 5 billion letters, and that of the Paris japonica flower is 50 times larger than that of a human being.
Unfortunately, few genomes have been fully sequenced, with the exception of the human genome and a few species. And that's because of the difficulty involved. "We've long known how to extract short DNA sequences, corresponding, for example, to a gene", explains Professor Alice Dennis, a researcher at UNamur's Environmental and Evolutionary Biology Research Unit.
"And recently, with the evolution of techniques, we can also obtain long sequences, but only a few state-of-the-art laboratories in the world are capable of sequencing a genome in its entirety. Most researchers therefore end up with incomplete genetic codes, fragmented into thousands of pieces. By attempting to preserve the DNA of all European eukaryotes, ERGA will help to considerably improve genome sequencing standards throughout Europe, in order to obtain reference genomes, i.e. of the highest quality."
Genomes, your papers!
A Herculean task, given that Europe is home to almost 200,000 species, a fifth of which are threatened with extinction due to global warming and the collapse of biodiversity, among other factors. "It's important to understand that there are many steps involved in obtaining a single genome", adds Alice Dennis. "For each species, you need to obtain quality biological samples, which can be difficult when it's a rare or endangered species. Then comes the genome sequencing and assembly stage, which involves arranging all the DNA fragments obtained. And then we can move on to annotation, before proceeding to analysis."
Annotation, a crucial and "soften neglected" step, is carried out by a committee under the responsibility of the UNamur biologist. "My job is to determine which part of the DNA corresponds to what: such and such a sequence corresponds to a gene, such and such is a regulatory sequence, etc.", Alice Dennis details. "Unfortunately, it's a job that few people know how to do, partly due to the fact that there are few good tools to check the quality of your work."
According to the researcher, the creation of reference genomes will provide invaluable help in preserving biodiversity in Europe. "A single genome provides a great deal of information", she believes. "In most organisms, each chromosome is duplicated. By comparing them, you can already get an idea of an individual's genetic diversity. If this is low, it means that the population is showing signs of inbreeding."
The reference genomes therefore function as Rosetta stones for future studies. "It's much easier and much cheaper to compare a few DNA sequences from many individuals to an original, than to create the latter,"judges Alice Dennis. "This makes it possible to track populations, to identify those that are most at risk. We can also study genes that are subject to strong evolutionary pressures, and likely to mutate over the years."
Group work
Beyond Alice Dennis, over 1,000 researchers across Europe are involved in the ERGA project. And the latter is, in fact, the European part of an even larger project, the Earth Biogenome Project, which aims to sequence the entire living world over a 10-year period. ERGA also includes prestigious members such as the Darwin Tree of Life, in the UK, or the ATLASEA project in France, which aims to sequence the DNA of marine life.
But for Alice Dennis, the ERGA initiative goes much further than these major partners: "ERGA places particular emphasis on creating a decentralized network, and a science that aims to be inclusive. These large partners may have the means to sequence any genome, but this would be to the detriment of less well-endowed countries. There are many biodiversity hotspots in Europe to which these large laboratories do not have access. Relying on local expertise, and allowing everyone to participate and develop their skills will ensure that as many species as possible are present in this Atlas. This is also why all the data produced will be available as open access."
After an initial declaration of intent, the researchers behind ERGA set up a pilot project, which closed in 2023, and which removed a number of difficulties. "We tried to coordinate our action even before we received any funding", recalls Alice Dennis. "Each country came with one or two organisms whose DNA they wanted to sequence, and it was all done through a sharing of the resources each had available, and donations from certain companies. This enabled us to identify a number of problems, such as the difficulty of getting samples to travel in good conditions, in order to preserve the genetic material."
All in all, this testing phase has already established 1,213 reference genomes. And the pace is accelerating, thanks in particular to funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe program. The second phase of the project, which starts this year and will run for 5 years, aims to sequence 150,000 genomes, with priority given to the most endangered species.
ERGA is supported by Horizon Europe as part of the Biodiversity, Circular Economy and Environment program (REA.B.3, BGE 101059492).
This article is taken from the "Eureka" section of Omalius magazine #33 (June 2024).
The long-term effects of pollution in our rivers, oceans and lakes
The long-term effects of pollution in our rivers, oceans and lakes
From 11 to 13 May 2022, a hundred or so scientists and actors from the economic and cultural world gathered at UNamur to discuss the issue of water pollution. The aim? To share and enrich knowledge, but also to alert and inform about its long-term effects on fauna, flora and human beings. Scientific sessions, workshops and a conference for the public were on the programme for these three days.
Des oiseaux mazoutés suite à une marée noire. Le relargage continu et généralisé de milliers de substances chimiques différentes dans nos océans, rivières ou lacs. Autant des évènements qui, chaque jour, menacent et impactent les écosystèmes, et la santé humaine. Aujourd’hui, cette pollution chimique est devenue un paramètre majeur du changement global, au même titre que le réchauffement climatique et la perte de la biodiversité. Cette problématique était au cœur du 17ème colloque annuel EcoBIM qui s'est déroulé à l’UNamur du 11 au 13 mai.
Durant ces trois jours, plusieurs sessions scientifiques étaient organisées pour permettre aux participants d’échanger leurs connaissances et expertises sur diverses thématiques liées à l’écotoxicologie aquatique. Cette dernière étudie le devenir des polluants, le plus souvent d’origine anthropique, dans les écosystèmes aquatiques ainsi que leurs effets sur la faune, la flore et l’être humain.
L’objectif de ce colloque était aussi de tirer la sonnette d’alarme face à cette problématique et de sensibiliser le grand public à ces enjeux fondamentaux. Une conférence grand public, gratuite ouverte à toutes et tous était proposée le vendredi 13 mai à 19h30. Son but ? Faire le point avec plusieurs scientifiques sur les risques à long terme de la pollution aquatique.
Lors de cette soirée, le sort des mammifères marins (phoques, dauphins, baleines) sera plus particulièrement abordé par une experte dans ce domaine : Krishna Das, océanographe (FNRS, ULiège). La conférence s’intéressera ensuite à l’impact de la présence de millions de micro-plastiques dans les milieux aquatiques, avec un exposé de Mohamed Banni professeur de Toxicologie moléculaire à l’Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Monastir (Tunisie). La soirée se clôturera par un débat, en présence d’un panel de scientifiques sur les enjeux à venir des pollutions aquatiques. A noter que cette conférence, sera précédée d’un atelier dédié à la vulgarisation scientifique et à la diffusion des sciences qui s’adresse à un public varié (étudiant, enseignants, journalistes, chercheurs, etc.).
Pour en savoir plus sur EcoBIM
Le réseau international EcoBIM rassemble des équipes de recherche du monde francophone dans des actions de collaborations bilatérales dans le domaine de l’écotoxicologie des milieux aquatiques sur un axe transatlantique. Il compte aussi parmi ses adhérents des acteurs du monde économique et culturel : exploitants de ressources aquacoles, parcs, aquariums, etc. A l’UNamur, c’est plus particulièrement au sein de l’institut ILEE que des recherches sont menées dans ce domaine.
Des participants provenant de pays comme la France, le Canada, la Tunisie, le Maroc, la Suisse, la Roumanie, le Niger, la Turquie, le Bénin, le Congo et bien sûr la Belgique ont assisté à ce colloque à l’UNamur .
Fluorescence: shedding light on transparent wings of insects
Fluorescence: shedding light on transparent wings of insects
In a new study published in February 2023 in the Journal of Luminescence, an international group of scientists led by Sébastien Mouchet from UNamur, reported the previously unknown fluorescence properties of transparent insect wings. This research highlights the valuable information that can be obtained from advanced optical characterisation techniques.
Dans le monde naturel, de nombreuses espèces animales présentent de la fluorescence, c’est-à-dire qu’ils émettent de la lumière visible sous un éclairage ultraviolet. De façon générale, les propriétés physiques, chimiques ou biologiques de fluorescence de ces espèces sont très mal comprises. Par exemple, la fluorescence des ailes transparentes des plus de 3000 espèces de cigales n’avait jamais été rapportée dans la littérature scientifique jusqu’à cette année.
Dans une nouvelle étude publiée en février 2023 dans le Journal of Luminescence, une équipe internationale de recherche menée par Sébastien Mouchet, chercheur au Département de physique et membre des Instituts NISM (Institut namurois de la Matière Structurée) et ILEE (Institute of Life, Earth and Environment) de l’UNamur, a mis en évidence les propriétés inconnues de fluorescence d’ailes transparentes de certains insectes, dont les cigales que l’on retrouve dans le sud de la France, et du sphinx gazé, un lépidoptère qui vit, entre autres, en Belgique.
Cette étude indique que l’émission de lumière par fluorescence serait plus commune dans les ailes transparentes d’insectes que ce que l’on admettait auparavant. Tout porte à croire que l’origine de cette fluorescence est la présence de résiline au sein des ailes. Cette protéine est connue pour contribuer à la flexibilité des ailes.
Contrairement à ce que l’on pensait, l’émission par fluorescence observée chez ces insectes pourrait être une conséquence fortuite de la présence de résiline dans les ailes à des fins mécaniques et ne pas jouer de rôle particulier dans la communication visuelle de l’insecte, qu’il s’agisse de parade nuptiale ou de défense territoriale.
L’étude fondamentale de la fluorescence d’organismes vivants n’est pas uniquement cruciale du point de vue zoologique. La mise en évidence de la protéine fluorescente verte (connue comme GFP, de l’anglais Green Fluorescent Protein) au sein des tissus d’une espèce de méduse a révolutionné technologiquement le monde de la génétique et de la microscopie à fluorescence. Cette découverte a d’ailleurs été couronnée par le prix Nobel de Chimie en 2008.
L’expertise de la plateforme technologique LOS
A l’UNamur, c’est grâce aux équipements de la plateforme technologique LOS (Laser, Optique et Spectroscopies) que ces études ont été réalisées.
La plateforme offre une expertise unique dans la caractérisation des propriétés optique et électroniques de la matière au moyen de mesures optiques linéaires et non-linéaires, réalisées notamment par des lasers dans un cadre de recherches fondamentales ou appliquées. La plateforme permet l'analyse de systèmes structurés à l’échelle nanométrique à une, deux ou trois dimensions, de films moléculaires aux interfaces ou de traces de gaz. En plus des compétences expérimentales, la plateforme développe des modèles analytiques et numériques permettant d’interpréter les réponses spectroscopiques mesurées.
L’équipe de chercheurs et chercheuses
- Sébastien Mouchet, Louis Dellieu et Olivier Deparis (Université de Namur, Belgique)
- Charlotte Verstraete, Dimitrije Mara et Thierry Verbiest (KU Leuven, Belgique)
- Bojana Bokic et Branko Kolaric (Université de Belgrade, Serbie)
- Albert Orr (Griffith University, Australie)
- Rik Van Deun (Université de Gand, Belgique)
- Pete Vukusic (University of Exeter, Royaume Uni)
Fluorescence : applications
Cette propriété est souvent utilisée dans notre vie quotidienne. Quelques exemples :
- Les vêtements à haute visibilité ou dans un simple but esthétique ;
- Les marqueurs surligneurs ;
- Des peintures « anticollision » dont on peint, par exemple, certaines parties des avions ;
La fluorescence est également utilisée dans le cas de la lumière dite « noire », à savoir celle émanant d’une source lumineuse composée essentiellement de proches ultra-violets, qui fait ressortir les blancs et les objets fluorescents afin de créer une ambiance spéciale, de vérifier qu’un billet de banque n’est pas contrefait ou de déceler certaines substances invisibles à l’œil nu.
En recherche de fuites, la fluorescence est très employée en mélangeant à l'eau des traceurs fluorescent. Cela permet de déceler tout type d'infiltration ou de passage d'eau. La spin-off TRAQUA de l’UNamur, experte en monitoring hydrologique et hydrogéologique, qui a développé le fluorimètre/turbidimètre STREAM®, en est un bel exemple.
S'inspirer de la nature pour innover
Sébastien Mouchet et Oliver Deparis sont les auteurs d'un ouvrage intitulé Natural Photonics and Bioinspiration. Publié en novembre 2021, c'est un livre sur le thème de l’optique physique et de la biologie environnementale. Sur les traces des recherches du Prof Jean-Pol Vigneron, ce livre, avant-gardiste selon l’éditeur, ouvre la porte aux applications bio-inspirées dans le monde de l’optique, de l’énergie et de l’environnement.
Our researchers in the World's Top 2% Scientists list
Our researchers in the World's Top 2% Scientists list
Stanford University has published a prestigious ranking that highlights the most influential researchers in a wide range of scientific fields. The list, based on bibliographic criteria, aims to provide a standardized means of identifying the world's scientific leaders. It is one criterion among others for assessing the quality of scientific research. Twelve researchers from the University of Namur are among them!
This list, created by Stanford University and published in August 2024 is compiled in collaboration with Elsevier's ICST lab from Scopus data, aims to provide a standardized means of identifying the world's best scientists and recognizing those scientists who have had a significant impact on their respective fields.
While this list has been adopted by many institutions as a reliable measure of research impact, it is not the only way to evaluate research. Based strictly on bibliometric data, it is also subject to criticism.
Since September 2023, the University of Namur has been strengthening its commitment to the implementation of research assessment reform with the signing of the "Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) "agreement.
This agreement commits the institution to a series of principles, including taking into account career diversity and emphasizing qualitative research criteria rather than relying solely on bibliometric (and therefore quantitative) data.
Namur University researchers honored
- Charlotte Beaudart - Faculty of Medicine, Narilis Institute
- Benoît Champagne - Faculty of Science, NISM Institute
- Alain Decrop - EMCP Faculty, NaDi-CRIDS Institute
- Olivier Deparis - Science Faculty, NISM Institute and PaTHs Institute
- Jonathan Douxfils - Faculty of Medicine, Narilis Institute
- Patrick Kestemont - Faculty of Science, ILEE Institute
- Alexandre Mayer - Faculty of Science, NISM Institute and Institut naXys
- Carine Michiels - Faculty of Science, Institut Narilis
- Antoinette Rouvroy - Faculty of Law, ESPHIN Institutes and NaDi-CRIDS Institute
- Frédéric Silvestre - Faculty of Science, ILEE Institute
- Bao-Lian Su - Faculty of Science, NISM Institute
- Johan Wouters - Faculty of Science, NISM Institute
The list is updated every year, with data on the whole career and impacts on a single year, for the sake of transparency and relevance.
The measurement criteria used
A variety of bibliometric measures are taken into account to ensure a fair and balanced representation of researchers' work.
- The C-score: this composite score is based on various bibliometric factors, including the total number of citations.
- The h-index: this impact indicator takes into account the number of a researcher's publications as well as the number of their citations.
- The percentiles of fields and subfields : scientists are classified into 22 major fields and 176 subfields. Only those who rank in the top 2% of their subfield are taken into account.
- Career-wide or single-year impact: rankings are available for both career-wide impact and single-year performance, providing a better understanding of long-term contribution and recent achievements.
Research excellence
Figuring among this top 2% of scientists is therefore a prestigious recognition of an individual's contribution to science and demonstrates the excellence of their research, enhancing their reputation in academia and industry.
The ranking offers visibility across all disciplines, drawing attention to work that might otherwise remain in a niche or be under-appreciated. It also serves as a benchmark for institutions and governments to assess the influence of their research programs.
Many institutions use the ranking to measure the success of their faculty, or other entity, which can also enhance credibility within the academic community.
This list encourages scientists to focus on producing high-quality, impactful research rather than chasing quantity.
By compiling data from all scientific fields and offering a fair, metrics-based approach, this ranking not only celebrates individual achievements, but also highlights the importance of impactful research in advancing knowledge. However, it must be qualified, as it only takes into account quantitative data, which are not necessarily representative of the full diversity of research.
According to another database, that of UNESCO, the number of researchers in the world is increasing by 300,000 per year, reaching 9 million today. The Top 2% comprises 200,000 names, including twelve researchers from the University of Namur.
Congratulations to them for their excellent research and for this prestigious worldwide recognition!
Mapping life
Mapping life
In 2021, the European Union has embarked on a titanic project to safeguard the genomes of all eukaryotic species in Europe. In other words, all living organisms, with the exception of bacteria and archaea (micro-organisms). Called ERGA, for European Reference Genome Atlas, and in which UNamur is participating thanks to Professor Alice Dennis, this project hopes to help safeguard biodiversity, at a time when a fifth of European species are in danger of extinction.
.This article is taken from the "Eureka" section of the June 2024 issue of Omalius magazine.
In each of our cells, compacted in the heart of the nucleus, are the chromosomes, the seat of our DNA. DNA is made up of a long chain of molecules, each named A, T, C or G. In all, our genome comprises 3.4 billion of these "letters". By way of comparison, Victor Hugo's river novel Les Misérables has "only" 2.66 million characters, or 1,000 times fewer. And don't be fooled into thinking that our genetic code is the largest in the living world - far from it! The genetic code of corn has 5 billion letters, and that of the Paris japonica flower is 50 times larger than that of a human being.
Unfortunately, few genomes have been fully sequenced, with the exception of the human genome and a few species. And that's because of the difficulty involved. "We've long known how to extract short DNA sequences, corresponding, for example, to a gene", explains Professor Alice Dennis, a researcher at UNamur's Environmental and Evolutionary Biology Research Unit.
"And recently, with the evolution of techniques, we can also obtain long sequences, but only a few state-of-the-art laboratories in the world are capable of sequencing a genome in its entirety. Most researchers therefore end up with incomplete genetic codes, fragmented into thousands of pieces. By attempting to preserve the DNA of all European eukaryotes, ERGA will help to considerably improve genome sequencing standards throughout Europe, in order to obtain reference genomes, i.e. of the highest quality."
Genomes, your papers!
A Herculean task, given that Europe is home to almost 200,000 species, a fifth of which are threatened with extinction due to global warming and the collapse of biodiversity, among other factors. "It's important to understand that there are many steps involved in obtaining a single genome", adds Alice Dennis. "For each species, you need to obtain quality biological samples, which can be difficult when it's a rare or endangered species. Then comes the genome sequencing and assembly stage, which involves arranging all the DNA fragments obtained. And then we can move on to annotation, before proceeding to analysis."
Annotation, a crucial and "soften neglected" step, is carried out by a committee under the responsibility of the UNamur biologist. "My job is to determine which part of the DNA corresponds to what: such and such a sequence corresponds to a gene, such and such is a regulatory sequence, etc.", Alice Dennis details. "Unfortunately, it's a job that few people know how to do, partly due to the fact that there are few good tools to check the quality of your work."
According to the researcher, the creation of reference genomes will provide invaluable help in preserving biodiversity in Europe. "A single genome provides a great deal of information", she believes. "In most organisms, each chromosome is duplicated. By comparing them, you can already get an idea of an individual's genetic diversity. If this is low, it means that the population is showing signs of inbreeding."
The reference genomes therefore function as Rosetta stones for future studies. "It's much easier and much cheaper to compare a few DNA sequences from many individuals to an original, than to create the latter,"judges Alice Dennis. "This makes it possible to track populations, to identify those that are most at risk. We can also study genes that are subject to strong evolutionary pressures, and likely to mutate over the years."
Group work
Beyond Alice Dennis, over 1,000 researchers across Europe are involved in the ERGA project. And the latter is, in fact, the European part of an even larger project, the Earth Biogenome Project, which aims to sequence the entire living world over a 10-year period. ERGA also includes prestigious members such as the Darwin Tree of Life, in the UK, or the ATLASEA project in France, which aims to sequence the DNA of marine life.
But for Alice Dennis, the ERGA initiative goes much further than these major partners: "ERGA places particular emphasis on creating a decentralized network, and a science that aims to be inclusive. These large partners may have the means to sequence any genome, but this would be to the detriment of less well-endowed countries. There are many biodiversity hotspots in Europe to which these large laboratories do not have access. Relying on local expertise, and allowing everyone to participate and develop their skills will ensure that as many species as possible are present in this Atlas. This is also why all the data produced will be available as open access."
After an initial declaration of intent, the researchers behind ERGA set up a pilot project, which closed in 2023, and which removed a number of difficulties. "We tried to coordinate our action even before we received any funding", recalls Alice Dennis. "Each country came with one or two organisms whose DNA they wanted to sequence, and it was all done through a sharing of the resources each had available, and donations from certain companies. This enabled us to identify a number of problems, such as the difficulty of getting samples to travel in good conditions, in order to preserve the genetic material."
All in all, this testing phase has already established 1,213 reference genomes. And the pace is accelerating, thanks in particular to funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe program. The second phase of the project, which starts this year and will run for 5 years, aims to sequence 150,000 genomes, with priority given to the most endangered species.
ERGA is supported by Horizon Europe as part of the Biodiversity, Circular Economy and Environment program (REA.B.3, BGE 101059492).
This article is taken from the "Eureka" section of Omalius magazine #33 (June 2024).
The long-term effects of pollution in our rivers, oceans and lakes
The long-term effects of pollution in our rivers, oceans and lakes
From 11 to 13 May 2022, a hundred or so scientists and actors from the economic and cultural world gathered at UNamur to discuss the issue of water pollution. The aim? To share and enrich knowledge, but also to alert and inform about its long-term effects on fauna, flora and human beings. Scientific sessions, workshops and a conference for the public were on the programme for these three days.
Des oiseaux mazoutés suite à une marée noire. Le relargage continu et généralisé de milliers de substances chimiques différentes dans nos océans, rivières ou lacs. Autant des évènements qui, chaque jour, menacent et impactent les écosystèmes, et la santé humaine. Aujourd’hui, cette pollution chimique est devenue un paramètre majeur du changement global, au même titre que le réchauffement climatique et la perte de la biodiversité. Cette problématique était au cœur du 17ème colloque annuel EcoBIM qui s'est déroulé à l’UNamur du 11 au 13 mai.
Durant ces trois jours, plusieurs sessions scientifiques étaient organisées pour permettre aux participants d’échanger leurs connaissances et expertises sur diverses thématiques liées à l’écotoxicologie aquatique. Cette dernière étudie le devenir des polluants, le plus souvent d’origine anthropique, dans les écosystèmes aquatiques ainsi que leurs effets sur la faune, la flore et l’être humain.
L’objectif de ce colloque était aussi de tirer la sonnette d’alarme face à cette problématique et de sensibiliser le grand public à ces enjeux fondamentaux. Une conférence grand public, gratuite ouverte à toutes et tous était proposée le vendredi 13 mai à 19h30. Son but ? Faire le point avec plusieurs scientifiques sur les risques à long terme de la pollution aquatique.
Lors de cette soirée, le sort des mammifères marins (phoques, dauphins, baleines) sera plus particulièrement abordé par une experte dans ce domaine : Krishna Das, océanographe (FNRS, ULiège). La conférence s’intéressera ensuite à l’impact de la présence de millions de micro-plastiques dans les milieux aquatiques, avec un exposé de Mohamed Banni professeur de Toxicologie moléculaire à l’Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Monastir (Tunisie). La soirée se clôturera par un débat, en présence d’un panel de scientifiques sur les enjeux à venir des pollutions aquatiques. A noter que cette conférence, sera précédée d’un atelier dédié à la vulgarisation scientifique et à la diffusion des sciences qui s’adresse à un public varié (étudiant, enseignants, journalistes, chercheurs, etc.).
Pour en savoir plus sur EcoBIM
Le réseau international EcoBIM rassemble des équipes de recherche du monde francophone dans des actions de collaborations bilatérales dans le domaine de l’écotoxicologie des milieux aquatiques sur un axe transatlantique. Il compte aussi parmi ses adhérents des acteurs du monde économique et culturel : exploitants de ressources aquacoles, parcs, aquariums, etc. A l’UNamur, c’est plus particulièrement au sein de l’institut ILEE que des recherches sont menées dans ce domaine.
Des participants provenant de pays comme la France, le Canada, la Tunisie, le Maroc, la Suisse, la Roumanie, le Niger, la Turquie, le Bénin, le Congo et bien sûr la Belgique ont assisté à ce colloque à l’UNamur .
Fluorescence: shedding light on transparent wings of insects
Fluorescence: shedding light on transparent wings of insects
In a new study published in February 2023 in the Journal of Luminescence, an international group of scientists led by Sébastien Mouchet from UNamur, reported the previously unknown fluorescence properties of transparent insect wings. This research highlights the valuable information that can be obtained from advanced optical characterisation techniques.
Dans le monde naturel, de nombreuses espèces animales présentent de la fluorescence, c’est-à-dire qu’ils émettent de la lumière visible sous un éclairage ultraviolet. De façon générale, les propriétés physiques, chimiques ou biologiques de fluorescence de ces espèces sont très mal comprises. Par exemple, la fluorescence des ailes transparentes des plus de 3000 espèces de cigales n’avait jamais été rapportée dans la littérature scientifique jusqu’à cette année.
Dans une nouvelle étude publiée en février 2023 dans le Journal of Luminescence, une équipe internationale de recherche menée par Sébastien Mouchet, chercheur au Département de physique et membre des Instituts NISM (Institut namurois de la Matière Structurée) et ILEE (Institute of Life, Earth and Environment) de l’UNamur, a mis en évidence les propriétés inconnues de fluorescence d’ailes transparentes de certains insectes, dont les cigales que l’on retrouve dans le sud de la France, et du sphinx gazé, un lépidoptère qui vit, entre autres, en Belgique.
Cette étude indique que l’émission de lumière par fluorescence serait plus commune dans les ailes transparentes d’insectes que ce que l’on admettait auparavant. Tout porte à croire que l’origine de cette fluorescence est la présence de résiline au sein des ailes. Cette protéine est connue pour contribuer à la flexibilité des ailes.
Contrairement à ce que l’on pensait, l’émission par fluorescence observée chez ces insectes pourrait être une conséquence fortuite de la présence de résiline dans les ailes à des fins mécaniques et ne pas jouer de rôle particulier dans la communication visuelle de l’insecte, qu’il s’agisse de parade nuptiale ou de défense territoriale.
L’étude fondamentale de la fluorescence d’organismes vivants n’est pas uniquement cruciale du point de vue zoologique. La mise en évidence de la protéine fluorescente verte (connue comme GFP, de l’anglais Green Fluorescent Protein) au sein des tissus d’une espèce de méduse a révolutionné technologiquement le monde de la génétique et de la microscopie à fluorescence. Cette découverte a d’ailleurs été couronnée par le prix Nobel de Chimie en 2008.
L’expertise de la plateforme technologique LOS
A l’UNamur, c’est grâce aux équipements de la plateforme technologique LOS (Laser, Optique et Spectroscopies) que ces études ont été réalisées.
La plateforme offre une expertise unique dans la caractérisation des propriétés optique et électroniques de la matière au moyen de mesures optiques linéaires et non-linéaires, réalisées notamment par des lasers dans un cadre de recherches fondamentales ou appliquées. La plateforme permet l'analyse de systèmes structurés à l’échelle nanométrique à une, deux ou trois dimensions, de films moléculaires aux interfaces ou de traces de gaz. En plus des compétences expérimentales, la plateforme développe des modèles analytiques et numériques permettant d’interpréter les réponses spectroscopiques mesurées.
L’équipe de chercheurs et chercheuses
- Sébastien Mouchet, Louis Dellieu et Olivier Deparis (Université de Namur, Belgique)
- Charlotte Verstraete, Dimitrije Mara et Thierry Verbiest (KU Leuven, Belgique)
- Bojana Bokic et Branko Kolaric (Université de Belgrade, Serbie)
- Albert Orr (Griffith University, Australie)
- Rik Van Deun (Université de Gand, Belgique)
- Pete Vukusic (University of Exeter, Royaume Uni)
Fluorescence : applications
Cette propriété est souvent utilisée dans notre vie quotidienne. Quelques exemples :
- Les vêtements à haute visibilité ou dans un simple but esthétique ;
- Les marqueurs surligneurs ;
- Des peintures « anticollision » dont on peint, par exemple, certaines parties des avions ;
La fluorescence est également utilisée dans le cas de la lumière dite « noire », à savoir celle émanant d’une source lumineuse composée essentiellement de proches ultra-violets, qui fait ressortir les blancs et les objets fluorescents afin de créer une ambiance spéciale, de vérifier qu’un billet de banque n’est pas contrefait ou de déceler certaines substances invisibles à l’œil nu.
En recherche de fuites, la fluorescence est très employée en mélangeant à l'eau des traceurs fluorescent. Cela permet de déceler tout type d'infiltration ou de passage d'eau. La spin-off TRAQUA de l’UNamur, experte en monitoring hydrologique et hydrogéologique, qui a développé le fluorimètre/turbidimètre STREAM®, en est un bel exemple.
S'inspirer de la nature pour innover
Sébastien Mouchet et Oliver Deparis sont les auteurs d'un ouvrage intitulé Natural Photonics and Bioinspiration. Publié en novembre 2021, c'est un livre sur le thème de l’optique physique et de la biologie environnementale. Sur les traces des recherches du Prof Jean-Pol Vigneron, ce livre, avant-gardiste selon l’éditeur, ouvre la porte aux applications bio-inspirées dans le monde de l’optique, de l’énergie et de l’environnement.
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