At the start of 2024, the spotlight is on the resourcing projects funded by Carnot 3BCAR. At the end of 2023, nine resourcing projects were selected, aligned with the key themes supported by Carnot 3BCAR—namely biomolecules, bioenergies, and bio-based materials.
These innovative projects will enable the development of products, processes, and technologies with practical applications, which can be adopted by industry and thereby stimulate the bioeconomy.
This project aims to develop a generic approach for the controlled and oriented immobilisation of enzymes onto functionalised elastomeric surfaces.
For the past three years, LCPO and TBI have collaborated to understand and mimic the natural action of certain bacteria, which exhibit high efficiency in degrading plant cell walls through polysaccharide hydrolysis. By grafting enzymes in a controlled manner onto a mechanically tunable surface, we can emulate the natural organisation of enzyme complexes. This enables fine control over their effects on plant cells and, more broadly, the composition of hydrolysis products.
This project aims to formulate a biocontrol product designed to prevent the contamination of maize fields by carcinogenic moulds.
To avoid the use of pesticides against Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), a carcinogenic mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus spp., LGC and LCA have partnered to develop aqueous plant extracts capable of inhibiting AFB₁ synthesis. Following comprehensive characterisation, the identified active extract will be formulated via microencapsulation using natural polymers. Notably, this active agent operates without direct contact with the mould—a significant advantage for field deployment
This project aims to develop a cost-effective bioelectrochemical system for the production of green hydrogen.
LGC and TBI are working together to use waste streams—specifically fermentation effluents and wastewater—to generate hydrogen. The system integrates microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) technology with a redox flow half-cell. By harnessing the energy contained in wastewater and fermentation effluents, this hybrid system is expected to significantly increase hydrogen production compared to conventional microbial electrolysis cells, while mitigating the safety and efficiency challenges typically associated with them.
This project aims to develop biosourced packaging to replace non‑biodegradable plastic materials.
LCA, IATE, and BIA are collaborating to enhance the properties and manufacturing processes of lignocellulosic materials by combining nanocelluloses with biosourced hydrophobic molecules under more environmentally friendly processing conditions. The ultimate goal is to achieve a material formulation with enhanced functional characteristics, suitable for sustainable and economically competitive applications in the field of food packaging.
This project addresses the ecological transition and agroecology imperatives by focusing on the anaerobic digestion of organic residues.
To better control methanisation processes, LBE, METYS, and ECOSYS are collaborating to develop rapid and cost‑effective characterisation and predictive methods that align with the economic needs of the sector. These methods will enable an improved understanding and monitoring of carbon and nitrogen dynamics within the system, the analysis of synergies and antagonisms, and prediction of methane potential by leveraging the Organic Matter Stability and Bioaccessibility Index (ISBaMO) alongside near‑infrared (NIR) spectroscopy.
This project aims to enhance the purification and desulphurisation techniques of biogas derived from anaerobic digestion.
PROSE and LGC are collaborating to jointly assess the potential of microbial electrosynthesis cells as biogas upgrading processes for biomethane production. The utilisation of microbial communities capable of reducing CO₂ to CH₄ via cathodic electrolysis and oxidising H₂S at the anode to elemental sulphur or sulphate presents a promising technique for obtaining high-quality, highly valuable biomethane.
This project proposes a methodology and the prototyping of an integrative digital platform for the implementation of sustainable biorefineries.
Targeting R&D engineers in bioeconomy enterprises, data scientists, as well as students and educators, this collaboration between IATE, LCA, and LGC adopts an Open Science approach. The platform will enable the interoperability of methods and tools, the organisation of academic knowledge, the structuring of operational expertise, and access to FAIR experimental data, including sustainability analyses encompassing various dimensions, for future biorefineries
This project aims to develop new, milder, and eco-responsible synthetic routes for epoxidised derivatives.
In line with green chemistry principles, LCPO and TBI are working to develop chemoenzymatic pathways using peroxygenases and lipases, coupled with controlled hydrogen peroxide release systems, to obtain epoxidised derivatives. These platform molecules—such as plasticisers, polyols, epoxy resins, and elastomers—offer significant industrial potential, and their eco-responsible synthesis are of great interest.
This project aims to design new functional biosourced polymers derived from castor oil.
By introducing new functionalities to an epoxidised precursor of ricinoleic acid—serving as a platform molecule due to its oxirane group—the collaboration between ITERG and LCPO seeks to develop new applications for these ricinoleic acid oligomers in markets such as surface coatings, adhesives, additives, and self-healing materials.
Find all the projects funded by Carnot 3BCAR
