Bioeconomy 2 min

Systems biology, synthetic biology and bioeconomy: INRA, CNRS and INSA Toulouse join forces in Southeast Asia

PRESS RELEASE - On 23 May 2018, Philippe Mauguin, President of INRA; Alain Schuhl, Deputy Director General in Charge of Scientific Affairs at CNRS; Pascal Loubière, Deputy Director of the Joint Research Unit for the Engineering of Biological Systems and Processes (INRA, CNRS, INSA Toulouse) for INSA Toulouse; Matthew Chang, Director of the SynCTI Laboratory for the National University of Singapore; and Benjamin Seet, Executive Director of the Biotransformation Innovation Platform, signed a letter of intent to create a new international associated laboratory (LIA) in systems biology and synthetic biology applied to the bioeconomy.

Published on 24 May 2018

© Christophe Maître - INRAE

The signing took place in Paris in the presence of Philippe Baptiste, Chief of Staff for Frédérique Vidal, the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, and Alain Beretz, Director-General for Research and Innovation.

 

This LIA will bring together three French partners – INRA, CNRS and INSA Toulouse – through their involvement in the Joint Research Unit for the Engineering of Biological Systems and Processes (LISBP) as well as two Singaporean partners – the National University of Singapore and the Biotransformation Innovation Platform (BioTrans) for the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

 

It will strengthen cooperation between France and Singapore. Using a synthetic and systems approach to biology, the knowledge acquired will support the development of innovative and effective strategies to create new biocatalysts. It will also help in efforts to engineer and optimise new bioprocesses and bio-based products derived from renewable resources for industrial needs.

 

The bioeconomy, which is based on the production of renewable bioresources, is an opportunity to tackle major societal challenges by developing sustainable processes that use renewable resources, waste and materials to create chemicals, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products, food products, raw materials and energy. This is a global priority, not only for the European Union (H2020 Programme) and France (national research strategy, regional innovation strategy) but for Singapore as well.

INRAE Press Office

Learn more

Bioeconomy

Monique Axelos, at the heart of the matter

Monique Axelos is currently the Scientific Director for Food and Bioeconomy at INRA, which became INRAE on 1 January 2020. Throughout her career, she has constantly broadened her scope, from the fine structure of foods to the concept of bioeconomy, which includes all the ways biomass is used, whether related to food or not.

20 December 2019

Food, Global Health

Christine Cherbut, INRAE at heart

As Deputy Director General of Science and Innovation, Christine Cherbut was the last voice in the room when it came to INRAE’s scientific strategic plan from 2017 to 2021. She helped build the new Institute when INRA and IRSTEA merged in 2019-2020. From a working-class background, this pioneer in human nutrition takes a look back at her career at INRAE, a place she likes to call home.

30 March 2020