Team "Bioenergies and Microalgae"

Fundamental research in the fields of lipid metabolism and atmospheric carbon fixation in photosynthetic microorganisms (microalgae, cyanobacteria).

The objectives of the EBM team are to understand the photosynthetic mechanisms of conversion and storage of light energy into organic compounds by microalgae or cyanobacteria, to identify the regulatory mechanisms and to propose innovative strategies for the improvement of the production capacities of energy-rich molecules (lipids and biohydrocarbons derived from fatty acids, starch) or molecules with added value (particular fatty acids, pigments, etc.).

The research is based on genetic, biochemical and biophysical approaches developed on model organisms such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to identify the key genes of photosynthesis and lipid metabolism, and on an exploration of biodiversity to search for enzymes, metabolic pathways or photosynthetic micro-organisms of interest.