The agri-foodstuffs industry is France's
number one industry for turnover and workforce and the leading
employer in Basse Normandie. The economy of the region relies
mainly on agricultural resources and the resources from fisheries
and marine farming.
A special effort has to be sustained for innovation and for the
enhancement of product origin. The 'Normandie' label and the characterisation
of product origin are already attractive features for some dairy
products. These assets should be put to work for the development
of other products (cider and shellfish products). Basse Normandie
also boasts a huge potential for the use of animal, vegetable
or marine products, including waste reclamation, derivative products
and by-products. This potential requires efforts in research and
technology transfer. Generally speaking, the capacity to accommodate
the set-up of agrobiological (agrobio) companies in Basse Normandie
is still tremendous, with the existing, structured research hub
in this field contributing to the power of attraction of the region.
Basse-Normandie has an immense research potential in biology
and huge capabilities for transfers to agro bioindustries. At
the University, the basic and applied biology research hub has
become a priority hub, regrouping six research teams, including
five partnered with large organisations (INRA and IFREMER).
The Institut de Biologie et Agro-Bioindustries (ISBIO, the institute
of biology and agro bioindustries) brings all the teams together.
The Institute promotes the development of research activities,
mainly focussing on:
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Food quality monitoring:
selection, and traceability |
|
The biology and physiology
of molluscs and algae |
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Bacteria adaptation to the
environment |
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Microorganism characterisation
and selection for cheese-making |
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Mammal hormones and reproduction |
|
Nitrogen transfer to natural
and soilless crops |
| For technological research,
the Basse Normandie region has an agri-foodstuff Technical Centre
working mainly in the following areas: |
|
The microbiological quality
of food |
|
The sensory qualities and
flavours of food |
|
Technological innovation
(products / process) |
|
International documentary
watch |
| |
|
| The
Teams |
| Academic Teams - ISBIO has the following
6 laboratories: |
|
Laboratoire de Physiologie et Biochimie Végétales,
Unité Mixte de Recherche INRA 950 [LPBV, laboratory of
plant physiology and biochemistry, INRA 950 joint research unit]
|
|
Laboratoire de Biologie et Biotechnologies Marines,
Unité Mixte de Recherche IFREMER
[LBBM, the laboratory of biology and marine biotechnologies IFREMER,
joint research unit] |
|
Laboratoire "Aromatase et œstrogènes
dans les gonades de mammifères", Equipe d'accueil
(EA 2608, host team), Unit under an INRA contract [LAOGM, laboratory
'aromatase and estrogens in mammal gonads'] |
|
Laboratoire de Microbiologie de l'Environnement,
Equipe d'accueil (EA 956, host team) Unit under an INRA contract
[LME, laboratory of environmental microbiology] |
|
Laboratoire de Microbiologie Alimentaire, Equipe
d'Accueil (EA 3213, host team) Unit under an INRA contract [LMA,
laboratory of food microbiology] |
|
Laboratoire de Physico-chimie et Biotechnologie
(IUT-UFR Sciences) [ERPCB, laboratory of physical chemistry and
biotechnology] |
| Together the laboratories
account for a full-time staff of 107 (74 research teachers and
33 technical or administrative personnel) and 58 post-graduate
interns (diploma of advanced studies and theses). |
| |
|
| The Technological Team
- ADRIA NORMANDIE has a staff of 65: |
|
5 doctors |
|
15 engineers |
|
45 technical and administrative personnel |
| |
|
| Special Equipment |
The university laboratories have shared
equipment including a Centre of Electronic Microscopy and IMOGERE
(French acronym for a radioelement implementation and management
system).
ADRIA NORMANDIE boasts laboratories (sensory evaluation / physical
chemistry / microbiology / BSE), a documentary watch centre, and
a 350 square-meter technological workshop with pilot, food technology
equipment. |
| |
|
| Methods |
All the activities of the laboratories
rely on molecular biology technologies (gene cloning and the study
of gene expression, PCR amplification, and so on), the biochemical
approach (peptide purification and identification) cell cultures
(synthesis dosage, regulation, and so on), immunology, and so
forth. With this array of science and technology, they can develop
themes focussed on endocrinology, agronomy, aquaculture, process
engineering, the biological treatment of wastewater, the use of
lactic acid bacteria (characterisation, ecophysiology, and strains),
and the analysis of bacteria/environment interaction. Banks of
microorganisms and of microalga strains are also available.
The equipment at ADRIA NORMANDIE is organised as follows: |
|
Laboratories: Sensory evaluation: room with 20 computerised
booths / panel of 4,000 consumers / Qualified panels
Microbiology: standard microbiology and molecular biology
Physical chemistry: extraction and characterisation of flavour
ingredients
BSE: prion detection using the ELISA BIORAD method |
|
Documentary Watch Centre: 6,000 books, 200 subscriptions
to international scientific journals - database on the Internet
with 400,000 references (website: www.ialine.com) |
|
Technology Workshop: Experimental kitchen (recipe
development / ingredient tests)
Technological room: equipment for making and packaging processed
fresh products (convenience food, sea products, pastry, plant
products, and cold cuts |
| |
|
| Special Funding |
| The activities of the laboratories
are partnered with the activities of the CRAB (Comité Régional
pour la Biologie et les Agro-industries, regional committee for
biology and agro-industries) that buttresses the regional potential
for technological research through the emergence of new partnerships.
The laboratories partnered with various foreign teams also benefit
from many European contracts, such as: |
|
The Alliance programme with England and Scotland:
- nutritional exchange between clam species and microorganisms
- nutrition and nitrogen reserves in ray-grass |
|
INRA-BBSRC contract: rapeseed nitrate and proteins
|
|
Reserve Proteins in pulses (USA, Purdue University,
Indiana) |
|
Fructan Programme with Norway (Trømso) |
|
Breeding improvement of Crassostrea gigas by nutritional
and gametogenesis control |
|
Biology of sea-urchins under intensive cultivation
|
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Cephalopod resources dynamics: Patterns in environmental
and genetic variation |
|
Data Acquisition for Assessment of Fished Cephalopod
Stocks |
|
Coccolithophorid evolutionary biodiversity and ecology
network |
|
Biodiversity and anti-listerial activity of Surface
microbial consortia from Limburger, Reblochon, Livarot, Tilsit,
and Gubbeen cheeses |
|
Standards measurement and testing programme, 6th
Dedicafed call - topic n°26 "Methods for the official
control of probiotics (microorganisms) used as feed additive |
| The activities stemming
from the hub topics are eligible for French Calls for Applied
Research Proposals, supporting projects involving companies and
public research laboratories. The Regional Committee for Biology
and Agrobio industries supports technological research programmes
through a policy of calls for proposals, funded by the Basse Normandie
Regional Council and Feder. The first Call was issued in 1997.
To date, eleven projects were selected for a package aid worth
more than 1.5 million euros. |
| |
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| Contacts |
| For general technological
or scientific information |
|
M. Michel MATHIEU
mathieu@scvie.unicaen.fr
|
|
M. Bernard PICOCHE
bpicoche@adrianie.org |
| |
|
| For economic or industrial
information |
|
Normandie Développement
57 avenue de Bretagne - BP 1083
76173 Rouen Cedex 1 - France
Tel : 33 (0)2 35 03 06 04 - Fax : 33 (0)2 35 03 07 86
ndrouen@normandydev.com |
| |
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| For international information |
|
AFII (French Agency for International Investments)
- www.afii.fr |
to download the topic
PDF file. 