BIAM's Cordée de la Réussite:
Bringing BIAM’s scientific discoveries to life in schools and inspiring young people to take an interest in environmental issues: after a successful first edition, BIAM’s Cordée de la Réussite is back for 2025-2026. On the agenda: concrete projects bringing together students, teachers and researchers to experiment, learn and share knowledge about biodiversity, microalgae and biofuels, as well as bioremediation and the greening of schools. A scientific and civic adventure to watch closely!
La Cordée de la Réussite – Réussir avec les sciences (The rope team of success – succeeding with science), co-led by the Aix-Marseille Institute of Biosciences and Biotechnology (BIAM) and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Academic Region, involves students, teachers and researchers in concrete projects related to environmental issues, as well as some related to the region, over the course of a school year.
From September 2024 to May 2025, guided by BIAM scientists, classes explored two major themes with:
- studying microalgae to understand their capacity to store atmospheric carbon and produce biofuels,
- exploring soil/plant/bacteria interactions, i.e. how plants and microorganisms in the soil influence soil health, carbon storage and enhance local biodiversity.
First, the pupils had to familiarise themselves with the scientific discoveries made by the BIAM teams so that they could then adapt them to their school environment:
At the Collège Pesquier in Gardanne, the pupils were able to experiment with growing microalgae in a miniature photobioreactor to measure their capacity to store carbon.
Students at Collège Giono in Manosque studied soil quality and the role of microorganisms in atmospheric carbon storage.
Collèges Verdon in Castellane and René Cassin in Saint-André-les-Alpes joined forces to devise, with local authority support, a composting network that recycles waste from school canteens. The pupils studied and compared the soil at their schools and in the surrounding areas (forests, agricultural areas, wasteland) to understand the importance of the ecosystem on soil quality, which nourishes everything that lives there. They also tested the degradation of different types of waste and assessed the impact of compost on the soil. The analyses carried out in the BIAM laboratories enabled the results to be compared and practices to be optimised in order to enhance the biodiversity of the soil at each school.
At Miramaris College in Miramas, the initiative arose from a practical observation: the heat stored in the schoolyard made it difficult to even stand there. Seeking to understand why, the pupils discovered that the tarmac absorbed a lot of heat (albedo effect). They then came up with a sustainable greening plan, drawing on all the skills available at the school and beyond: eco-delegates were asked to think about the types of plants that could provide shade, while other pupils studied the best locations within the school for the plants to thrive and benefit both the pupils and the building. The SEGPA (Specialised General and Vocational Education) classes were also asked to design large planters, and our group of very young researchers considered using succulents, which require little maintenance, and Mediterranean deciduous trees, which provide shade in summer and let the sun through in winter. To consolidate their research, the pupils met with three researchers from INRAe to select the plants and trees best suited to the soil, air and temperature of the courtyard.
At Lycée Saint Exupéry in Marseille, students continued the same type of project by raising awareness in local primary schools, passing on their knowledge to future secondary school students and ensuring the continuity and preservation of the plantations.
A feedback day – 140 students gathered at BIAM
Throughout the year, the students practised presenting and defending their projects, working on their arguments, clarity and ability to captivate an audience. On 15 May 2025, during the presentation day at BIAM, in the heart of the Cité des Énergies in Cadarache, the stress and excitement were palpable. Their hard work and training paid off: each team had 180 seconds to convince the jury, made up of members of the Academy and BIAM, highlighting the scientific approach, the feasibility of their project, intergenerational transmission and their ability to communicate effectively.
This ‘BIAM Cordée – Succeeding with Science’ programme fully achieved its objectives:
- strengthening scientific culture,
- developing critical thinking,
- promoting interdisciplinary cooperation and encouraging a civic-minded
- responsible approach to the living world
This first edition was a remarkable success with students and schools, which have already re-registered for the second edition in 2025/2026.
The success of the students, who were able to take on a challenge that was ambitious for their age, also impressed the BIAM researchers who attended the presentation day: their commitment, as well as the realism and creativity of their projects, won over and charmed everyone present. In total, more than 180 people attended the presentation, including representatives from the local education authority and the director of CEA Cadarache, Christophe Bourmaud.
Building on the success of this first edition, BIAM and the Academic Region have announced a second Cordée de la Réussite at BIAM for the 2025-2026 academic year, with the arrival of a fourth research team, PEPSS, alongside the teams involved last year: LEMIRE, Phytotec and EBMP.
These new collaborations will broaden the scope of topics covered, including the adaptation of plants and micro-organisms, bioremediation and biostabilisation, as well as atmospheric carbon storage and biodiversity enhancement, fostering dialogue between research, education and society to combat misinformation about science.
The BIAM Award
Miramaris College (Miramas) stood out for its creativity, winning the Institute’s special prize. Check out their french powerful 3-minute presentation!
