The Conference of University Presidents (CPU) has organized a debate on ‘societal challenges associated with biodiversity’ to be held on the 19th of February at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.  In this context, two of our colleagues, Mélanie Morel and Aurélie Deroy (with the joint research unit UMR IAM) have produced a short 2 minute video entitled “biodiversity of fungi involved in wood degradation”.

Watch the video here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vCqVMKDDEQ&feature=youtu.be

Homepage for the Conférence des présidents d’université (CPU) :
http://www.cpu.fr/actualite/le-defi-societal-de-la-biodiversite/

The fourth gathering for the scientific and technical network of INRA microscopistes was held from 13 to 15 November 2013 in Champenoux.  This event was supported by Labex ARBRE.

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Ninety-two participants were present representing the different INRA centers. The theme of this event focused on scanning electron microscopy and analysis tools.  The base principles of these technological tools were presented followed by discussion of how samples are prepared (plant, animal, bacteria, soil etc.). The presentations and discussions between network members are linked by their focus on the use of pressure-controlled microscopes or use of microanalysis X permitting mineral elements to be located and quantified on a microscopic scale.

Hands-on workshops were held (EDS, WDS, microdissecion laser, cuts cryostat microtome, vibratome, as well as 3 mini bench top SEM) as well as guided tours of PTEF and Xylosciences platform research sites used by the different teams who work under Labex ARBRE.

For the full program details, please click here :

Report RMUI – part 1
Report RMUI – part 2
Report RMUI – part 3
Report RMUI – part 4
Report RMUI – part 5

AgreenSkills is an international mobility program offering young researchers of all nationalities incoming and outcoming fellowships in all disciplinary fields. 142 fellowships with attractive recruitment conditions will be offered over a period of four years.

ARBRE would like to remind you that this program exists with the possibility of cofinancement for projects supported by the Labex initiative.  ARBRE encourages all scientists to take advantage of this unique opportunity to further develop collaborative projects.

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Coordinated by INRA and Agreenium, the AgreenSkills program (2012-2016) is co-funded by the European Commission in the framework of the COFUND – FP7 People Programme.

AgreenSkills sets out to encourage the international mobility of young researchers, from 6 to 12 months for outgoing fellows and from 12 to 24 months for fellows coming to France (visiting fellows), by supporting research projects with attractive mobility allowances and personalized support for career development plans. It is aimed to aid talented young researchers from all over the world who have a PhD with a maximum of ten years research experience following their Master’s degree. The program concerns all Agreenium member research laboratories.

The AgreenSkills website www.agreenskills.eu provides general information about the program, eligibility criteria, all necessary documents as well as the official forms and templates. The website also includes information about the mobility and hosting conditions. Applications must be submitted through the online secure application system which will be available when the selection process opens.

Calendar:

Call for submisison is open. This open and continuous call holds two selection rounds each year over the first three years of the programme (2012, 2013 and 2014).

The second selection round closed on 15 May 2013. Applications for the latest selection process closed on 15 November 2013.

– Presentation of the programme (PDF) : Agreenskills program presentation

The first International Jacques Monod conference took place recently in Roscoff (Bretagne) from 7 to 11 December.  This conference co-organized by INRA, CNRS and Labex ARBRE was titled « Bacterial-fungal interactions: a federative field for fundamental and applied microbiology »

No fewer than 77 scientists of 15 different nationalities (France, Europe, United States, Mexico, Sri Lanka) gathered to learn more about the wide cross-sectoral nature of this area of research which is rapidly gaining momentum. Representing a wide cross-section of research fields (Agronomy-Forestry, Ecology and Environmental Protection, Agri-Food / Food Processing, Medicine, Modeling Systems, Biotechnology, Synthetic Biology and Cultural Heritage), these researchers in turn discussed their most recent results relevant to ecology, the molecular mechanisms of bacteria-fungal interactions and their applications and implications in all areas combined.  The dynamics created by this conference led participants to a program a similar event for 2016-2017 and to formalize the development of an international network of laboratories working on this theme. This network is open to any and all laboratories interested (for more information, please contact A. Deveau – deveau@nancy.inra.fr).

The conference program is available on the following link :
http://www.cnrs.fr/insb/cjm/archives/2013/cjmprog.html

To read more, please click here for the conference introduction slide presentation

An shared adventure for both PhD students and school kids

The Experimentarium project offers PhD students studying at the University of Lorraine the opportunity to interract with the non-scientific public (students, teachers, general public).

Two training sessions are organized annually and highlight three themes:

• Personalized interviews held in the laboratory where students are given the opportunity to reflect on what gives their research meaning and to consider the perspective of their scientific approach

• Individual research projects for which PhD students not only prepare a presentation of their work aimed at a non-specialist audiences but also design a workshop for an open dialogue with the public about the scientific approach in general and what the profession of researcher involves

• A day of training followed by class demonstrations

In Lorraine, the Experimentarium is run by the association La Vigie de l’Eau in partnership with INRA. Over the past five years, we have worked with 60 young researchers and 650 adults and children who were given the chance to discover the world of research.  Funded in large part by the 2013 call for project proposals, Experimentarium received additional support this year from Labex ARBRE.

Five PhD students working on their thesis projects in one of the LabEx research laboratories participated in this training this fall. On November 7, with enthusiasm, they presented their research and their approach to the profession of researcher to a group of 45 particularly attentive and interested students from Lunevillois.

Scanning electron microscopy and analyzing tools

13, 14 & 15 November 2013

INRA Centre of Nancy, Champenoux

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This year, the local  organizational committee of Nancy headed by Didier Le Thiec welcomes you to the INRA center of Nancy-Lorraine from 13 to 15 November for a program on electron microscopy and methods of coupled analysis. Hands-on workshops have been organized to shed light on these new techniques and to share expertise in microscopy.   Contests for session posters as well as photography will conclude this meeting of the microscopists network.
These workshops have received financial support from the departments of research Phase, BAP and EFPA of INRA, the CNOC, the national program for ongoing training at INRA, Labex ARBRE, the Lorraine region, as well as various partners in the private sector.

For the full program please click here :  Program

Honoring Alliances between Trees and Mushrooms

2nd Reseacher Award 2012

November 7, 2013

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Sébastien Duplessis (IAM unit) will receive the 2nd regional researcher prize by the Lorraine Region for his research on tree-fungus interactions. A young researcher at INRA Nancy-Lorraine, Sébastien Duplessis is experiencing a prosperous period: he was promoted to Director of research at the end of 2012 and, earlier this year, he received the Suzanne Zivi Award from the Academy of Stanislas.

These awards represent recognition throughout the lorraine forest scientific community and are an encouragement to continue our research efforts in areas where we are recognized internationally. The regional thesis prize and the prize for young researcher will also be awarded during two days devoted to the regional research centres. The areas of research developed by INRA with its academic partners figure prominently in the regional strategy for higher education, research and innovation.

To read more ..

Bravo Sébastien!