Operation BIOPOLE-MATEXPLOR

Objectives and ambitions

The BIOPOLE-MATEXPLOR project will develop INRAE's research potential in the Pays de la Loire region to support the transition to food and climate change by promoting sustainable agriculture in its bioeconomic, social, environmental, health and cultural dimensions.

This ambition is broken down into three key areas:

• Mastering the qualities of plant products to optimise their uses and exploit the functional properties of biopolymers
• Design the food of tomorrow and control its impact on health and the environment
• Developing bio-sourced materials through an integrated approach to the value chain.

Within the BIOPOLE-MATEXPLOR operation, these three areas are supported through :

(i) methodological levers shared with and complementary to existing platforms, providing access to high-level analytical equipment for characterising the different scales of size, with a view to opening up to all players in the Greater West (Biogenouest-accredited BIBS platform),

(ii) the development of equipment for characterising the functionalities of biopolymers and their interactions, designed to provide fundamental data.

Investment programme and planned equipment

The aim of the BIOPOLE-MATEXPLOR project is to strengthen the unique position of the BIBS platform by carrying out crucial work to maintain the performance and analytical potential of the existing equipment (NMR, chemotyping). These operations will also make it possible to extend and improve the analytical offering in atomic force microscopy (replacement of the system by a Bio AFM, genuinely dedicated to hydrated samples). Finally, mass spectrometry developments, both in the field of imaging and structural mass spectrometry, are planned to benefit from the latest technical advances in this highly dynamic field of innovation.

In addition, BIOPOLE-MATEXPLOR will provide the BIA unit with high-level equipment to answer the questions developed in the 3 priority research areas. Four themes have been prioritised: (a) the rheological properties of biopolymers (mechanical +dynamic analysis, rheoplast); (b) interactions between biopolymers (quartz microbalance, flow cytometry); (c) the thermal properties of biopolymers (differential calorimetry, micro-calorimetry, isothermal calorimetry titration); and (d) understanding the mechanisms of food allergies (equipment for the new animal facility).

The estimated budget for this project, which is part of the CPER Pays de la Loire application agreement, is €2.7m. It is being funded by local authorities (Nantes Métropole and the Pays de la Loire Region) and European funds (ERDF). INRAE is providing the remaining funding from its own resources. Investment is spread over the period 2022-2027.

The BIA unit has launched a first investment tranche of €750,000 in 2022, covering the following equipment:

• Upgrading of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry console €450k
• Ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography for phenol analysis €200,000
• QCM-D quartz crystal microbalance 100 euros

The following tranches will amount to €1.95m and will be devoted to the following equipment:

2024

• Confocal microscope
• Flow cytometer
• Micro-calorimeter

2025

• Jouvence Chemotyping
• Differential scanning calorimetry
• Isothermal calorimetric titration

2026

• Structural mass spectrometer
• Dynamic mechanical analysis
• Rheoplast