Research - New entrants - 2026

Microbial bioprocess scale-up for the production of molecular energy vectors is currently facing major challenges to reach competitive productivity levels, resulting in poor cost and sustainability performances despite encouraging results at laboratory scale. Microalgae bioprocesses for instance is limited at larger scale by light availability and gaseous substrates delivery. In parallel, the chemical industry, likewise aiming to increase performance and sustainability, has embarked in a green revolution leading to the process intensification conceptual framework. An important achievement from process intensification research has been the development of continuous microreactors enabling major performance improvements in terms of gas transfer, heat transfer, and mixing performance. In addition, the modularity of microreactors provides an opportunity for rapid scale-up from prototypes in stark contrast to the scale-up of classical discontinuous batch reactors.

We propose for this project to build on results from process intensification research, and take advantage of the skillset of the project coordinator in microalgae processes, to develop a microphotobioreactor for the intensified cultivation of microalgae. The microphotobioreactor will be designed and tested for the optimisation of gas transfer and light distribution with the help of the research team PROMETHEE in M2P2 specialised in process intensification at microscale. Having validated the microreactor design, initial cultivation tests will be performed with a strain of Chlorella vulgaris for which lipid productivity was previously characterized and modelled in a previous study by the project coordinator. This work will provide a first verification of the microreactor intensification potential. Finally, our set-up will be tested for microalgal phototrophic dihydrogen production by maintaining anoxic conditions under light illumination which we hypothesise will be permitted by the intensified gas stripping performance of the newly designed microreactor.

The proposed project will be a stepping stone for the M2P2 laboratory in the development of 1) microalgal cultivation skillset and 2) opening a new research line on bioprocess intensification which we aim to extend to other metabolisms in the future.

Understanding how plants resist environmental stresses such as drought and high temperatures is essential as these factors severely limit global plant growth and biomass production. Plants adapt to changing environments through finely tuned cellular responses, with guard cells playing a central role. These cells regulate the opening and closing of stomata (pores on leaf surfaces), controlling the exchange of CO₂ and water vapor, and thus directly influencing photosynthesis, water use efficiency, and biomass production.

Guard cells integrate multiple signals (humidity, temperature, CO₂ levels) and adjust stomatal movements by regulating ion fluxes across their membranes. Mechanosensitive ion channels that respond to mechanical forces are known to act as sensors in many organisms, rapidly converting physical stress into ionic signals. In plants, four families of mechanosensitive channels (MSL, MCA, PIEZO, OSCA) have been identified, but their specific roles in guard cell function remain largely unexplored.

This project aims to identify which channels are active in guard cells and characterize their function using gene expression analysis, mutant studies, and advanced electrophysiological techniques. By linking channel activity to stomatal behavior, the research seeks to uncover new molecular targets for improving crop resilience under stress.

This project aims to advance the understanding of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their molecular interactions with cells. AMPs are key components of innate immunity and display broad biological activities, including antimicrobial and anticancer effects, making them promising candidates for innovative therapeutic strategies. The research focuses on temporins, a family of peptides originally identified in frog skin, whose precise molecular targets remain largely unknown. By combining chemical biology approaches with advanced analytical methods, the project seeks to identify and validate the cellular interaction partners of selected temporin peptides in microorganisms and cancer cells. This work strengthens knowledge at the interface of chemistry and biology and supports the development of next-generation bioactive molecules with potential biomedical applications.

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are essential prosthetic groups involved in a myriad of cellular processes, including respiration, DNA repair, and immune defense. The biogenesis of Fe-S clusters is tightly regulated, with, in the model organism Escherichia coli, two Fe-S biogenesis machineries - ISC and SUF - operating under different conditions. While ISC ensures Fe-S cluster maturation under standard growth conditions, the less efficient SUF machinery intervenes during stress conditions like reactive oxygen species or iron limitation. This switch has significant physiological consequences, such as increased tolerance to certain antibiotics.

Recent studies have highlighted the critical role of small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) in bacterial responses to stress, for example, in the activation of the SUF machinery under oxidative stress and iron starvation. Strikingly, recently published interactome datasets support a much larger post-transcriptional regulatory network centered around the ISC and SUF machineries.

This project aims to uncover a potential broader role for sRNAs in regulating Fe-S cluster biogenesis across diverse environmental conditions, beyond the well-established triggers like oxidative stress or iron limitation. Through bioinformatic analyses and experimental validation, the first objective is to identify novel interactions between sRNAs and mRNAs involved in Fe-S cluster biogenesis. By focusing on a selection of the most relevant regulatory interactions, mechanisms of action will be further investigated both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, the physiological impact of these regulations on bacterial adaptation to various stress conditions will be explored.

By unveiling this intricate regulatory network, this project will advance our understanding of Fe-S cluster biogenesis and shed light on the remarkable adaptability of bacteria to diverse environmental challenges.