The year 2025 marks the launch of twelve new projects funded by Carnot 3BCAR. We invite you to discover them here!
These innovative projects will enable the development of products, processes, and technologies with application-oriented objectives that can be exploited by companies, thereby stimulating the bioeconomy within the industry.
This project aims to demonstrate the proof of concept for a novel transformation pathway for grape pomace through a Kombucha-type fermentation.
The Laboratoire de Génie Chimique (LGC) and the Laboratoire de Chimie des Polymères Organiques (LCPO) are collaborating to develop a new natural bioactive ingredient for cosmetic applications. The various products of the Kombucha-type fermentation will be utilized: on one hand, the liquid phase containing bioactive compounds (antioxidant, anti-aging, etc.), and on the other, the bacterial cellulose biofilm, which will be used to encapsulate the actives and thereby facilitate their incorporation into cosmetic products such as creams.
This project represents an alternative use route for wine-industry coproducts with higher added value than existing pathways, and aims to obtain unique active compounds for the market.
This project aims to optimize the triad of pyro-gasification, anaerobic digestion, and composting in order to determine the potential of this biowaste treatment chain.
Three Carnot institutes are collaborating on this project: 3BCAR with the Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l’Environnement (LBE), AgriFoodTransition with the OPAALE unit and the Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes (ISCR), and M.I.N.E.S. with the RAPSODEE unit. From the production of functionalized biochars to understanding their positive effects on composting and methanogenesis, this project is built on a comprehensive effort to advance knowledge of the interactions between biochars and anaerobic/aerobic treatment processes.
Taking into account the scientific, environmental, and technological challenges, the expected results are anticipated to provide clear added value for the composting and biogas production sectors.
This project aims to achieve the original functionalization of tannins to produce bio-based molecules and materials with properties of interest.
The 3BCAR Engineering of Agropolymers and Emerging Technologies (IATE) laboratory is collaborating with the Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier (ICGM) of Carnot Chimie Balard Cirimat to demonstrate the feasibility of a low-environmental-impact synthesis of modified tannins. Two strategies will be investigated: enhancement of functional properties for existing markets and the production of dedicated molecules that enable the introduction of tannins into new applications.
The utilization of tannins as coproducts will provide a bio-based solution for a range of applications, including flame retardants, chelating agents, surfactants, and polyester prepolymers.
This project aims to design new surfactant organocatalysts for the synthesis of high-value chiral molecules.
The Laboratoire de Chimie Agro-industrielle (LCA) and the CRITT CATAR are collaborating on this research to develop organocatalysts that can be used within micelles dispersed in water, thereby avoiding the use of organic solvents and aligning with green chemistry principles. Micellar reaction media—self-assembled surfactant aggregates in water—can function as sustainable alternatives to conventional organic solvent systems by enabling catalytic transformations in aqueous environments with reduced environmental impact.
Within this framework, synthesis pathways and catalytic activity for Friedel–Crafts alkylation reactions will be optimized while minimizing solvent use and following green chemistry metrics. The project also focuses on scale-up of the synthesis and catalyst recycling to ensure competitive performance and industrial applicability.
The expected outcomes of this project represent an innovative advance in catalysis for the green chemistry market, with a direct impact on the production of high-value compounds.
This project aims to eco‑design an innovative process for the production of glycerol carbonate.
Indeed, the challenges associated with upgrading glycerol are critical for the competitiveness of the biodiesel industry. This project, led by the Laboratoire de Chimie Agro‑industrielle (LCA) together with the Laboratoire de Génie Chimique (LGC) and the CRITT Génie de Procédés Technologies Environnementales (GPTE), is part of this search for solutions and focuses on optimizing both the reaction and separation of the target molecules to obtain glycerol carbonate. The scale‑up to a pilot stage and the selection of the optimal technological alternative for industrial implementation will also be investigated.
By removing barriers to the industrialization of glycerol carbonate production, this project will improve the sustainability of the biodiesel industry while producing a platform molecule within a circular economy framework.
This project aims to address the challenges of using non‑agricultural digestates.
The collaboration between the Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l’Environnement (LBE) and the Vegenov unit, a member of Carnot AgriFood Transition, will allow the evaluation of the biostimulant potential of anaerobic digestion residues and the testing of their efficacy in vitro and in planta on a range of lettuce cultivars under water‑stress conditions.
This work will contribute to the joint development of a comprehensive service offering, from raw biomass to the assessment of extract effectiveness, in response to drought‑related challenges.
Positioned as a response to the needs of future agriculture within a framework of circularity and coproduct utilization, this project seeks to unlock new uses for digestates beyond conventional applications while supporting sustainable crop production.
This project aims to investigate the challenges associated with scaling up solid‑state fermentation (SSF).
The collaboration between the Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI), the CRITT Bio‑Industries, and the Biodiversity and Fungal Biotechnology (BBF) laboratory seeks to understand the impact of two key parameters on SSF performance: the level of contamination by endogenous microbes and the heterogeneity of the substrate and surrounding environment. These factors are known to limit the industrial scalability of SSF processes despite their numerous sustainability advantages, such as low water usage and reduced waste generation.
This filamentous‑fungus cultivation on plant biomass represents a model solution for the bioeconomy, as it does not compete with food agriculture and holds significant potential for markets such as food, green chemistry, and cosmetics.
This project aims to optimize the microbial production of carotenoids as well as the extraction of the resulting molecules of interest.
Carotenoid pigments have numerous applications, including in the fabrication of photo‑optical devices due to their electroluminescent properties. The Laboratoire de Génie Chimique (LGC) and CRITT CATAR are collaborating to improve the yield of microbial carotenoid production, with particular emphasis on extraction and purification, two key steps from both economic and environmental perspectives.
These efforts are intended to make the production of bio‑sourced carotenoids competitive for the organic light‑emitting diode (OLED) market, with a significantly reduced environmental impact.
This project aims to design and evaluate the efficacy of formulated biosolutions with herbicidal action based on essential oils.
ITERG and the Agroecology unit of Carnot Plant2Pro will work together to design a formulated product based on bio‑sourced stabilizers and co‑formulants to enhance the efficacy of essential oils as herbicides. Application requirements (leaf adhesion and retention) will be taken into account, as well as the effectiveness of the formulated products on different weed species and on various crops, under both field and controlled conditions. The ecotoxicology of the biosolutions will also be evaluated to support market authorization of the solution.
The ultimate objective of the project is to deliver an effective formulated biosolution in the form of a marketable product that can broaden the range of bioherbicide solutions and thus compete with petroleum‑derived herbicides.
This project focuses on reducing the costs and environmental impacts associated with production processes for active ingredients via precision fermentation.
This collaboration between Toulouse White Biotechnology (TWB), the Laboratoire de Génie Chimique (LGC), and the CRITT Bio‑Industries aims to develop a digital tool capable of estimating the feasibility of converting a linear process into a circular one. An original experimental approach will be implemented, integrating performance metrics, process data, and biological data associated with the different unit operations of precision fermentation processes.
The project is situated within a recycling‑oriented framework intended to minimize inputs and reduce effluents requiring treatment, thereby improving the economic competitiveness of these fermentation processes while enabling adaptation to a broad range of processes.
This project is focused on demonstrating the proof of concept for the creation of a new cellular compartment designed to isolate a key metabolite, namely acetyl‑CoA.
The Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI) and CRITT Bio‑Industries will work together to construct this cellular compartment with the objective of synthesizing high‑value isoprene from acetate. By compartmentalizing the biosynthetic pathway, the project aims to increase yield and minimize carbon losses by limiting secondary metabolic routes. Subcellular compartmentalization is known to allow localized enrichment of enzymes and intermediates, which can reduce flux through competing pathways and improve product titers.
Scale‑up will also be investigated to anticipate constraints and evaluate the economic viability of the process.
Economically and environmentally advantageous, this compartmentalization strategy could be extended to other metabolic pathways at the conclusion of the project.
The objective of this project is the development of innovative technological pathways for the processing of plant co‑products, using apple pomace as a model.
Indeed, converting plant co‑products into nutritionally functional food ingredients is a preferred strategy for transitioning toward sustainable agri‑food systems based on production biocircularity. To achieve this, the Carnot 3BCAR units—the Laboratoire de Chimie Agro‑industrielle (LCA) and CRITT CATAR—are partnering with the Carnot Qualiment unit Safety and Quality of Plant‑Origin Products (SQPOV) to develop a combination of thermomechanical processing steps (deconstruction and reconstruction) aimed at improving the functional and structural properties of apple pomace for the intended application.
The expected outcomes of the project will enable the production of a food ingredient with nutritional effects on satiety, glycemia, and metabolic health, while adhering to a co‑product valorization approach.
