1 YearRESEARCH

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at Université de Bretagne Occidentale

2020

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Contents

05 Editorial

06 32 Research units and 4 institutes supporting innovation and knowledge

08 5 Highlights

12 Our researchers in the spotlight

16 Our doctoral students in the spotlight

20 Key issues in research

23 A University at the centre of contemporary challenges in research

28 An ecosystem conducive to commercialisation

31 Research with an international reach

33 ScientificandtechnicalcultureatUBO

MY THESIS IN 180 SECONDSThe contest “My Thesis in 180 seconds” challenges doctoral students to give a three minute presentation on their research to a broad and diverse audience. In 2020, UBO hosted the inter-regional final for entrants from the Britanny/Loire School of Doctoral Studies and on 12 March, 16 research students from the Universities of Angers, Brest, Le Mans, Lorient, Nantes and Rennes met on stage in the petit théâtre at the Quartz Conference Centre. What an opportunity to share their passion for their subjects at an emblematic venue in Brest.

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2020 will most likely be remembered for the appearance of COVID-19 and the subsequent pandemic which led to two lockdowns that lasted several months, putting a brake on our research activities at UBO. One unforeseen but fortuitous consequence of COVID-19 is that we saw the government refer to scientific knowledge, or rather a lack of scientific knowledge about the virus, when making many decisions. Moving forward, dialogue between the scien-tific community and the authorities is going to be even more important given the major challenges the world faces as we prepare for the ecological, digi-tal and energy transition. This should see science and innovation returning to the foreground of government ac-tion. Not as if it were the only source of knowledge, but by being the source of support that public authorities can and should rely on in both the short term (such as in a health crisis) and the long (addressing climate change and the destruction of biodiversity). Short term economic demands should no longer be the deciding factor.

The questions the scientific community has been asked chime with a broader debate on the place given to science and innovation in policy-making, and on access to high quality knowledge generated through science in an ethi-cal and sustainable way that will benefit future generations. However, it is still vital to keep the decision-making pow-ers granted to democratically elected governments separate from scientific recommendations that set out options and anticipate multiple consequences to help these governments make in-formed decisions.

In these challenging circumstances, our research units have remained very ac-tive by adapting to new ways of working and an accelerating pace. Unfortunate-ly, restrictions on international travel and access to our technical resources have had a heavy impact on our doctoral stu-dents due to the time-limited nature of their contracts. As a consequence this has disrupted the timescale for their vi-vas by several months.

As you read this review, you will see that a number of our lecturer-research-ers have received recognition this year, once again highlighting the resilience and daring our ecosystem has demon-strated in the face of the COVID-19 ep-idemic. 2020 may have reminded us that we tend to underestimate the role chance plays in our trajectories. But it has also been the year in which our research units have set out their ambi-tions for the next five years.

Additionally, 2020 has seen the launch of ReSEArch-EU (Reinforce SustainablE Actions, resilience, cooperation and harmonisation across and by the SEA-EU Alliance) which will establish a net-work of research units within this Euro-pean University’s consortium.

Let's also remember the incredible for-tune we had to be able to hold a week of research for the UBO community at the beginning of the year, just weeks before all the travel restrictions were introduced during the first lockdown. To finish, I would like to say a big "thank you" to UBO’s administrative services for helping to create our Research Re-view for 2020.

Christian Brosseau, Vice President

Research and Innovation

RESEARCHAT

UBO IN TEN

FIGURES

3270

744320314

23 33%

11 94

505

Research units

Million Euros: research budget

Lecturer-researchers

Accredited research supervisors

Research contracts

CIFRE* doctoral students

International doctoral students

Doctoral schools

Doctoral graduates

Doctoral students across all disciplines

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*CIFRE: Industrial research and training agreement

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Health Agri-Environment-Materials

Maths ICT

Marine Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

32 research units and 4 institutes supporting innovation and knowledge

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IBSAM Institut Brestois Santé Agro MatièreDir.: Laurent CORCOS (INSERM)

HEALTH AGRI-ENVIRONMENT MATERIALS

Num EC*

Num HDR*

192 108

LATIMUMR-S 1101 Laboratoire de Traitement de l’Information MédicaleDir: Eric Stindel

22 14

GGBUMR-S 1078 Génétique, Génomique Fonctionnelle et Biotechnologies Dir: Emmanuelle Genin (INSERM)

26 17

LBAIUMR-S 1227 Lymphocyte B et Auto ImmunitéDir: Jacques-Olivier Pers

17 13

CEMCAUMR 6521 Laboratoire de Chimie,Électrochimie Moléculaires et Chimie AnalytiqueDir: Philippe Schollhammer

23 15

GETBOEA 3878 Groupe d’Étude de la Thrombose de Bretagne Occidentale Dir: Francis Couturaud

25 16

ORPHYEA 4324 Optimisation des Régulations PHYsiologiques Dir: Christine Moisan

14 5

LUBEMEA 3882 Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Écologie Microbienne Dir: Emmanuel Coton

22 10

LIENEA 4685 Laboratoire des Interactions Epithelium Neurone Dir: Laurent Misery

15 9

SPURBOEA Soins Primaires, Santé Publique,Registre des Cancers de Bretagne Dir: Jean-Yves Le Reste

16 1

OPTIMAGEA 938 Laboratoire d’Optique et de Magnétisme Dir: Yann Le Grand

12 8

CIC 0502Centre d’Investigation Clinique de Brest Dir: Christophe Leroyer

IBNM Institut Brestois Numérique MathématiquesDir.: Laurent Nana

MATHS-ICT

Num EC*

Num HDR*

105 48

LAB-STICCUMR 6285 Laboratoire des Sciences et Techniques de l’Information, de la Communication et de la Connaissance Dir: Christian Person IMT Atlantique

70 29

LMBA UMR 6205 Laboratoire de Mathématiques de Bretagne Atlantique Dir: Marc Quincampoix

35 19

OSU IUEMInstitut Universitaire Européen de la Mer Dir: Frédéric Jean (UBO)

MARINE SCIENCENum EC*

Num HDR*

150 71

LOPSUMR 6523 Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale Dir: Jérôme Paillet (CNRS)

9 5

LGOUMR 6538 Laboratoire Géosciences OcéanDir: Marc-André Gutscher (CNRS)

28 15

LEMARUMR 6539 Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement Marin Dir: Luis Tito de Morais (IRD)

38 24

LETGUMR 6554 Littoral, Environnement, Télédétection, GéomatiqueDir: Françoise Gourmelon (CNRS)

11 5

BEEPUMR 6539 Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes marins ProfondsDIR: Pierre-Marie Sarradin (IFREMER)

5 2

AMUREUMR 6308 Aménagement des Usages des Ressources et des Espaces Marins et Littoraux – Centre de Droit et d’Économie de la Mer Dir: Olivier Thebaud (IFREMER)

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LBCMEA 3884 Laboratoire de Biotechnologie et Chimie MarinesDir: Isabelle Linossier (UBS)

5 1

IRDLFRE 3744 Institut de Recherche Dupuy de Lôme Dir: Pierre-Yves Manach (UBS)

20 7

IBSHSInstitut Brestois Sciences Humaines et SocialesDir: Marie-Thérèse Cam

HSS

Num EC*

Num HDR*

289 102

CECJIEA 7289 Centre d’Etudes des Correspondances et Journaux Intimes. Dir: Sophie Guermes

9 7

CRBCEA 4451 Centre de Recherche Bretonne et CeltiqueCRBC - Documentation UMS3554 Dir: Ronan CALVEZ

40 21

HCTIEA 4249 Héritages et Construction dans le Texte et l’Image. Dir: Alain Kerherve

49 20

LEGOEA 2652 Laboratoire d’Économie et de Gestion de l’Ouest. Dir: Patrick Gabriel

28 9

CREADEA 3875 Centre de Recherche sur l’Education, les Apprentissages et la DidactiqueDir: Patricia MARZIN JANVIER

43 11

INSTITUT DE GÉOARCHITECTUREEA 2219 Dir: Frédéric Bioret 20 7

LABERSEA 3149 Laboratoire d’Études et de Recherche en Sociologie. Dir: Thierry Michot

38 3

LAB-LEXLaboratoire de Recherche en Droit Dir: Dorothée Guerin

40 17

LP3CEA 1285 Laboratoire de Psychologie: Cognition, Comportement, Communication. Dir: Maud Besançon (Rennes 2)

11 1

CRPC-CLCSEA 4050 Composante de Recherches en Psychopathologie - Clinique du Lien et Création Subjective. Dir: Luz ZAPATA

16 1

CFV EA 1161 Centre Francois Viète Dir: Pierre Tessier (Nantes)

5StaffSeptember2019EC: lecturer - researcherHDR: higher doctors accredited to supervise research

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In 2020, UBO increased its agreements withnational research bodies by signing new con-tracts with the CNRS*and INRAP*. These spe-

cial partnerships will enhance the university's influenceandalsostrengthencooperation, fos-teringasharedscientificapproachandnurturingmultidisciplinary research.UBO and the CNRS work together on many proj-ects via around ten research facilities or through shared services. A five-year agreement, whichwas signed on 2 July, has formalised this part-nership and will cement operations between the two institutions. Through this agreement, UBOand the CNRS will support joint research projects by contributing human and financial resources,facilitating staff mobility and hosting doctoralstudents. They have also introduced joint poli-cies to support international projects and boost the development of Open Science.In November 2020, UBO signed a cooperativeframework for a scientific, cultural and trainingpartnership with INRAP which will consolidate cooperation between the two institutions. UBO and INRAPhaveworkedtogether foralmost20years through research projects, joint publica-

tions and, more recently, the ArMeRIE* Chairwhich was established in 2019. In signing thisframework, they aredemonstrating their desirefor regular cooperation and to extend the scope oftheiractivities,particularlyintermsoftrainingstaffandstudentsfrombothestablishments.UBO and INRAP have also set objectives to fa-cilitatejointresearchprojects,implementsharedresearch tools and foster the exchange of scien-tificandtechnicalinformation.

*CentreNationaldelaRechercheScientifique*InstitutNationaldeRechercheArchéologiquePréventive* Archéologie Maritime et Recherche Interdisciplinaire Environnementale

TWO NEW AGREEMENTS

HIGHLIGHTS 5 La Bretagne Linguistique is a review which

has been published by the Centre de Re-cherche Bretonne et Celtique* (EA4451)

since1985.SinceJune2020,ithasbeenavailableonlineatOpenEditionsJournal,aplatformforthehumanities and social sciences which is current-lyhometo548onlinepublications,thatis,morethan150,000articles.95%oftheseareavailablein full text and the platform receives more than 4 million visits per month. La Bretagne Linguis-tiquefeaturesdiscussionandcontributionsfromdialectologists, linguists, sociolinguists and artsacademics and is the first publication from theFaculty of Arts and Humanities at UBO to to be accepted on this platform.Its presence online will make a much wider readership aware of discussions about linguis-tic practices in Brittany and how these relate to other comparable practices around the world,

or knowledge from other disciplines and other methodological approaches.OpenEdition Journal is part of OpenEdition, acomprehensive digital publishing infrastructure whose goal is to promote research in the hu-manities and social sciences. OpenEdition also hasadedicatedplatformforbooks(OpenEditionBooks),aplatformforresearchblogs(Hypothe-ses)andacalendarofacademicevents (Calen-da). It is runby theCentre forOpenElectronicPublishing (Cléo),apublicandnot-for-profit ini-tiative supported by top research organizations. Its overall aim is to promote open access digital publishing.

*CentredeRechercheBretonneetCeltique(CRBC,EA4551,UBO)

LA BRETAGNE LINGUISTIQUE GOES ONLINE AT OPENEDITIONS JOURNAL FROM JUNE 2020

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On4December,ÉlyneDugényadoctoralstudentatLEMAR*(UMR6539),wasappointedasanOcéanAt-lantiqueAmbassador.Asoneof25All-AtlanticOcean

Youth Ambassadors from countries bordering the Atlantic coast, shewill represent France. Her task is to promoteocean conservation to diverse audiences. For a term of one year,Élynewillthereforerepresentthevoiceoftheoceanat events primarily targeting decision-makers and mem-bersofgovernment,toencouragethemtoprioritisecon-servation for future generations. Throughout the academic year,Élynewillalsovisitclassroomsfromnurserylevelupto secondary as an ocean eco-consultant - a scheme run by the ocean discovery park Océanopolis. She will share her experience with pupils and encourage them to think of solutions and action they can take to protect the ocean.

*CentreNationaldelaRechercheScientifique*InstitutNationaldeRecherchesArchéologiquesPréventives

*Archéologie Maritime et Recherche Interdisciplinaire

ÉLYNE DUGÉNY APPOINTED OCÉAN ATLANTIQUE AMBASSADOR

Élyne Dugény Doctoral student at LEMAR* P

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Despite the unusual circumstances, 2020 has been a productive year for research and in-novation. UBO has stood out in all subjects and increased its partnerships, demonstrating its resil-ience, cross-disciplinary ethos and international outlook.

Published in January 2020 in the EuropeanJournal of Human Genetics, the GeneticHistoryofFrance,analysedbyresearchers

fromGGB*(UMR1078)andtheInstitutduThoraxinNantes,isthefirstexhaustivestudyofthege-netic structure of the French population.The study is based on analysis of genetic data frommore than 2100 French people. Althoughcontinuity in the population was observed across thecountry,theresultsidentifieddistinctgeneticgroups that correspond to geographic, historicand linguistic barriers. These borders have pro-vided a model for the genetic history of France.Rivers and mountain ranges form natural barriers whichmakeasignificantcontributiontogeneticdifferencesbetweenpopulations.TheRiverLoirefor example is an extensive watercourse that limited trading between its two banks for a long period. But it also formed a cultural and political border between the north and south of France creating a significant division between popula-tions from the two areas.Regions with strong and distinctive cultural fea-turesalsotendtodisplaydifferences,particularlyinBrittany.Thisdifferentiationcanbeexplainedboth by its geographic position, at the further-mostedgeofthecontinent,anditshistory,with

Brittany being an independent region with a sta-ble border for many decades.Inadditiontodifferencesinthegeneticstructureofdifferentpopulations,thestudyalsouncoveredmajor events in the genetic history of France. As hasbeenobservedintherestofEurope,theef-fective population size increased considerably over the last 4500 years, or 150 generations.However, between 1300 and 1700, therewas asignificantdropinthepopulationwhichseemstocoincide with the arrival of the Black Death in the Middle Ages.GGB’sstudyofthegenetichistoryofFrancefillsa gap in the demographic history of the genet-ic landscape in Europe and will enhance under-standingofphenomenoninthefieldsofmedicalgenetics,historyandarchaeology.

*Génétique,génomiquefonctionnelleetbiotechnologies(GGB,UMR1078,Inserm-UBO-ÉtablissementFrançaisduSang-CHRUdeBrest)

FRANCE'S GENETIC HISTORY REVEALED

AWARD FOR BEST PAPER AT THE IEEE SPIES CONFERENCE 2020

Thepaper,AFrequencySeparationRule-basedPowerManagementStrategy for a Hybrid Fuel Cell-Powered Drone* has received the prizeforbestarticleat IEEE*SPIES2020. It istheculminationofa

productive collaboration between Université de Bretagne Occidentale and the University of Salento in Italy and was cowritten by Mohamed Nadir BoukoberineadoctoralstudentatIRDL*(UMR6027),ZhibinZhou,TeresaDonateoandMohamedBenbouzid,ProfessorattheInstitutdeRechercheDupuy de Lôme.

Ths article is based on research that focuses on a power management strategy for fuel cell powered drones to extend their endurance and hence thelifespanofthecell.Thedesiredgoalistofindanenergymanagementtechniquetooptimallyincreaseflighttimes.

Inrealconditions,dronesareusedtoinspectsolarandwindfarms.Veryoften, these facilities cover a large surface area and as themajority ofdronesusedareonly fittedwithbatteries theyhavea relatively limitedendurance. The Franco-Italian team designed a prototype for a drone with a battery that uses both Lithium-ion technology and a fuel cell with a hydrogen res-ervoir to increase endurance. This will be tested at UBO.Thearticleshowcaseshybridtechnologythatusesafrequencysepara-tionapproachtomanagetwosourcesoptimally.Duringtake-off,whichisaparticularlyenergyconsumptivestage,thedroneispoweredbythefuelcellbutonceitspositionhasbeenstabilised,itispoweredbythebattery.Testsshowedthatatthesametimeasgaininganextra12minutesflighttime,thelifespanofthefuelcellwasalsoextended.

*French title -Stratégiedegestionde l’alimentationbaséesur la séparationdes fréquencespourundrone à pile à combustible*InstitutdeRechercheDupuydeLôme(IRDL,UMR6027,CNRS-UBS-ENSTA-UBO-ENIB)Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

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CREATIONThemorningaftertheNoteDamefireonthenightof15April2019,ArnaudYbert,aseniorlectureratUBOwhoisattachedtotheCRBC*(EA4551),sprungintoactiontoofferhisskillsandknowledgetotheefforttorestorethecathedralinParis.

As a geotechnical engineer and an architectural histo-rian specialising in the Gothic era and vaults, his urgentresponse to a disaster that shook France and the wider worldwasheartfelt.HisfirstmovewastocontactMaximeL’Héritier, a senior lecturer at the University of Paris-VIIIand buildings archaeologist and metallographer. The two researchers immediately decided to set up a cross-disci-plinaryscientificcommunity,intheformofanassociation,dedicated to the knowledge, expertise and restorationof one of the world's most symbolic monuments. Within three days it had taken shape and was an instant success.

Under the name Scientists at the Service of the

Restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris, the associationhas more than 300 expert members including histo-rians, archaeologists, conservators, archivists, anthro-pologists, art historians, sociologists, theologians, phys-icists, chemists, paleoclimatologists and musicologistsfrom all backgrounds and of all nationalities. They are all united by the same desire to pool their skills and exper-tise for the benefit of themonument and its restoration.

Arnaud Ybert chairs the association, contributes toCNRS*research programmes and works on creating sci-entific projects with departments within the Ministry ofCulture; but his input doesn't stop there. One of his tasks is to disseminate information accurately and in an easy to understand way. Too much incorrect information has been circulatedtothegeneralpublic,however,asArnaudpointsout, "we can't criticise politicians and journalists for notworkingwiththerightdataifwedon'tprovidethemwithit".

In response to this spontaneous initiative from the research community, the Ministry of Culture and theCNRSformedapartnership,theCNRS/MinistryofCultureNotre-Dame Project, to bring it to fruition and providea working structure. The organisational model chosen is the same as for the LRMH* at theMinistry of Culture,with laboratoriesdedicated to specificmaterials.Arnaudisamemberofthe"stonework"groupwhichismadeupof geologists, archaeologists, civil engineering expertsandart historians.The30or soexperts in thegroupareconducting research on stonework which collapsed and elevations that were saved. Their task is to identify con-struction techniquesused in the 12thand 13thcenturiesto improve understanding about the building, to date it,and to provide technical information to the contractors and contracting bodies who are managing the restoration.

OUR RESEARCHERS in the SpotlightOnce again, our researchers have been recognised this year for their excellence, their ca-reers and their contribution to their fields of expertise. In their respective areas, every one of them is helping to further understanding of the chal-lenges facing society.

ARNAUD YBERT set up a scientific association for the restoration of No-tre-Dame, Paris

LAURENT CHAUVAUDappointed project coordi-nator of the "Ocean" Research Group

NEW APPOINTMENTLaurentChauvaud,CNRS*researchdirectoratLEMAR*(UMR6537)andheadofLIA*Bebest,hasbeenappointedto the CNRS Management Board as project coordinator. He will set up and run a multidisciplinary research group for the ocean sciences.

From experts on the coastline to specialists in the deep sea, a wide range of researchers are involved inresearching ocean sciences across the ten CNRS lab-oratories. Whether working on oceanographic cam-paigns,marinestations, satellitedataor innovative tech-niques, each laboratory has an interest in this vast fieldof research which brings together oceanographers,ecologists, chemists, biologists, mathematicians, phys-icists and many more. Laurent will manage and coordi-natethemedresearchinvolvingthisscientificcommunity.

He will also take on an advisory role on the CNRS Management Board to make sure that its work con-tinues to make a compelling contribution to ocean sci-ences research internationally. Last year, the UnitedNations launched a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The EuropeanCommission also introduced Mission Starfish as part ofthe Horizon Europe initiative. And at international level,the “Priority Research Programme” has adopted a stra-tegicoceanresearchproject.Entitled“aseaofsolutions”,it was developed jointly by the CNRS and IFREMER and focuses on three thematic areas: the digital ocean, sus-tainable use of oceans and the exposome of the ocean.

*CentreNationaldelaRechercheScientifique*LaboratoiredesSciencesdel’EnvironnementMarin(LEMAR,UMR6537,UBO-CNRS-IRD-Ifremer)

* Laboratoire International Associé

CONGRATULATIONS Physicist Dimitris Visvikis is recognised by his peers asone of the greatest experts in nuclear medicine imaging. HehasreceivedtheEdwardJHoffmanAwardinacknowl-edgement of the important contribution he has made to PET* imaging and his leading role in training and dis-seminating knowledge within the scientific community.

DimitrisisresearchdirectoratLATIM*(UMR1101)whichspe-cialises in theefficient integrationofmultimodal imaging(PET/CT/MRI) in a therapeutic context for oncology. Heand his team are working on and developing several lines of research.Thefirstof these involves improvingquanti-tativeandqualitativeprecision in imaging inorder tobeable to identify biomarkers more accurately and then select and evaluate an appropriate therapeutic regimen. The second focuses on extracting biomarkers and devel-oping multi-parametric models to characterise tumours through a multimodal and multiscale approach. The third area is dedicated to radiotherapy,which alongwith sur-gery,isthemostcommontherapeuticoptioninoncology.

* Positron Emission Tomography*LaboratoiredeTraitementdel’InformationMédicale(LATIM,UMR1101,UBO-IMTA-INSERM)* Computerised Tomography* Magnetic Resonance Imaging

DIMITRIS VISVIKIS received the Edward J Hoff-man Award from the American Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging for his scientific career

*CentredeRechercheBretonneetCeltique(CRBC,EA4551,UBO)*Centrenationaldelarecherchescientifique*Laboratoirederecherchedesmonumentshistoriques

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2020 WINNER OF THE PRIX ANDRÉ PRUD’HOMME

InJune2020LiaSiegelman,adoctoralstudentatLEMAR*(UMR 6359) was awarded the Prix André Prud’hommeby Météo et Climat. This prize for young atmospheric science and climatology researchers is awarded for a doctoral thesis in meteorology, atmospheric physicsand chemistry, paleoclimatology or climatology.

Lia received the award for her thesis “Ageostrophic Dynamics in theOcean Interior"whichshecompletedatUBO in 2019with funding from theCNES*Her research,conductedatUEM’s*LEMAR*(UMR6359)andLOPS*(UMR6523)laboratories,focusedonheattransfersintheocean.Itdevelopedanovelapproachtoobservation,combiningexisting satellite observations with direct observations from within the marine environment via sensors placed on elephant seals. These mammals live in the Southern Oceanandcandivetoadepthof1000m.Theexistenceof numerous small-scale ocean fronts has therefore been verified,confirmingtheirimpactonboththeocean’sheatabsorption capacities and the behaviour of marine mam-mals,whichareanindicatorofthehealthofthisecosystem.

Now undertaking postdoctoral studies at the California Institute of Technology, Lia has received variousaccolades. In 2019, she was awarded a L’OREAL-UNESCO grant for this same piece of research.

*LaboratoiredesSciencesdel’EnvironnementMarin(LEMAR,UMR6539,UBO-CNRS-IRD-IFREMER)*CentreNationald’ÉtudesSpatiales* Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer*Laboratoired’OcéanographiePhysiqueetSpatiale (LOPS, UMR6523,CNRS-Ifremer-IRD-UBO)

LIA SIEGELMAN 2020 winner of the André Prud’homme Prize

RESEARCH

Jonathan Gula, oceanographer, physicist and lectur-er-researcher at LOPS* (UMR 6523) became a juniormember of the IUF in October 2020. This status isgranted to young lecturer-researchers, university pro-fessors and senior lecturers by an international panel, inrecognition of the exceptional quality of their research.From the moment they are appointed, and for a five-year term, junior members must concentrate on theirresearch with the goal of creating and innovating.

Jonathan's work focuses on ocean turbulence and the dynamic processes that control interactions between dif-ferentspatialandtemporalscalesofflow.Heisparticularlyinterested in the mechanisms behind unstable currents,mesoscale eddies (10-100 km), interactionswith internalwavesandsmallerscaleprocesses(0.1-10km)that influ-ence the dispersal of energy, mixing, and vertical flowsoftracers intheocean.Heusestheory,veryhigh-resolu-tion realistic modelling and observations to characterise theseprocessesanddefine their impacton largescales.

In 2019, in an article published in the GeophysicalResearch Letter, Jonathan and his American colleaguesdemonstrated the existence of small-scale eddies below the surface of the ocean. This fundamental discovery has made an important contribution to oceanography and is one of the reasons for his nomination to the IUF.

* Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS, UMR6523,CNRS-Ifremer-IRD-UBO)

PAUL TRÉGUER co-author of "Oceans - evolving concepts

PUBLICATION

A new scientific encyclopaedia, "Oceans - evolvingconcepts" co-written by Paul Téguer, UniversityProfessor at LEMAR* (UMR 6539), Guy Jacques(CNRS) and Herlé Mercier (IFREMER) has been pub-lished in French and English by ISTE Editions.

This richly illustrated book is intended for informed readers andstudents,andmorebroadly,anyoneinterestedinthehistory of oceanography and ocean sciences. It stands out forgoingbeyondthehistoryofoceanography,fromitscre-ationinthe19thcenturytothepresentday,tolookattheevolution of concepts that form the basis for major interna-tional programmes. It also gives a prominent place to French scientists who have played and still play an important role in oceanography and marine ecology internationally.

“Oceans” draws on data produced from new satellite and oceanographic tools and acquired through inter-national interdisciplinary programmes. It describes the processes that control how the ocean func-tions on different spatial and temporal scales.

After considering the evolution of concepts in physical,chemical and biological oceanography, the book out-lines the future of a warmer, acidified, less oxygenatedocean. It shows how visualizing the ocean at differentscales changes how we understand it. It also sets out the challenges facing the ocean in terms of exploitation of biological andmineral resources, in a context of sus-tainable development and regulation on climate change.

The French version “Océans-évolution des concepts” is published by ISTE and the English version by ISTE-Wiley.

*LaboratoiredesSciencesdel’EnvironnementMarin(LEMAR,UMR6539,UBO-CNRS-IRD-Ifremer)

JONATHAN GULAMember of the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF)

COORDINATOR

In November 2020, the CNRS INEE* appointedOlivier Ragueneau, who is CNRS* research directorat LEMAR* (UMR 6539), as a project coordinator. Hewill run the Réseau des Zones Ateliers network (RZA)and coordinate the IR-RZA* research infrastruc-ture for the ALLiance pour l’Environnement (ALLEnvi).

The RZA is the overall network for around fifteenZones Ateliers (ZA) in France, representing 1500 sci-entists and 140 partner establishments including 67universities. ZAs are geographical areas, usually cov-ering a region, with a common functional unit such asa forest, river, mountain range, city, or coastline. Theirfocus is on exploring the past, present and future tra-jectories of socio-ecosystems. They adopt highly inter-disciplinary approaches, particularly across the broadfields of natural sciences and human and social sci-ences, and also conduct cross-disciplinary researchbetween stakeholders on the ground and researchers.

Boasting several decades of experience - the longest establishedZAswereformedunderthePIREN*programmeinthe1980s-,theRéseaudesZonesAteliercomeswithinthe scope of the sustainability sciences which emerged in the early 2000s and are prominent in the English-speaking world. The network is the only social and envi-ronmental research infrastructure of its kind in the country and its aim is to shape thinking and action that will foster a stronger ethos of sustainability in the regions of France.

*CentreNationaldelaRechercheScientifique*LaboratoiredesSciencesdel’EnvironnementMarin(LEMAR,UMR6539,UBO-CNRS-IRD-Ifremer)*InstitutÉcologieetEnvironnement*InfrastructuredeRechercheduRéseaudesZonesAteliers* Programme Interdisciplinaire de Recherches sur l’Environnement

OLIVIER RAGUENEAU will coordinate the Zones Ate-liers network

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OUR DOCTORAL STUDENTSin the SpotlightUBO’s doctoral students are committed to disseminating scientific understanding and sharing their expertise both with their peers and the general public. A number of them have received national distinctions, helping to raise the university’s profile

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MY THESIS IN 180 S The Brittany/Pays de la Loire inter-regional final of"My Thesis in 180 s" 2020 was held on Thursday 12March on the national stage of the Quartz Centre in Brest. 16 young researchers from universities inBrittany and the Loire gave three-minute presenta-tions on their research to a broad audience. In addition to sharing their passion, entrants hoped that by con-vincing members of the public and a panel of judges,theywouldwin a prize and qualify for the national final.

LEMAR* (UMR 6537) doctoral student Élyne Dugény’senthusiasm and emotion won her the audience prize. Her research focuses on the Pacific oyster and its inter-actions with neighbouring species and its ecosystem. Asentinelof theocean, theoyster is inpermanent con-tactwithotherspecies.Someof thesearebeneficialbutothers are detrimental to its health. One such case is green algae which exacerbate the death rate for oysters exposed to a virus. They destabilise the oyster’s microbiota by altering the balance of its symbiotic bacteria which are key to its well-being. This unexpected discovery highlights how important the environment is to the integrity of an animal which sits at the centre of complex interactions.

Because of the public health situation, the nationalfinal of "My Thesis in 180 Seconds" 2020, had tobe cancelled but Élyne has joined a new batchof regional entrants for the 2021 competition.

*LaboratoiredesSciencesdel’EnvironnementMarin(LEMAR,UMR6537,UBO-CNRS-IRD-Ifremer)

ÉLYNE DUGÉNY Received the audience prize at the 2020 inter-regional final of "My Thesis in 180 s"

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MARION TALBOT & QUENTIN LE PLUARD have published A book about “Law in Disney" with éditions Mare & Martin

PUBLICATIONMarion Talbot and Quentin Le Pluard are doctoral stu-dents of private law and criminal science at Lab-LEX* (EA 7480). They have worked together on co-ordinatingandwritingabook"DudroitdansDisney"(LawinDisney)published by Éditions Mare & Martin in October 2020.

The book follows on from a symposium on the same topic which Marion and Quentin organised in March 2019. The theme of Disney was chosen for its time-less and universal nature. The cinematographic ref-erences may vary according to generation, but thethemes raised in Disney films are vast enough to havesomething of relevance to everyone. For their studies,Lab-LEXandAmure* (UMR6538)doctoralstudentsana-lysed Disney films and cartoons from a legal perspec-tive and then discussed them and shared their findings.

Thiswork formed the basis for the publication "Du droitdansDisney"whichwasenhanced furtherby four chap-ters with new contributions: envisaging a legal frame-work; agreeing to believe in the existence of the charac-ters; imagining adventures and going along with these; and daring to suggest a moral worthy of the name.

Everyone who contributed to this project shares the aim of making law accessible to everyone so it has been written with legal experts, novices and Disney fans equally inmind. Marion and Quentin’s book therefore gives a voice to "thosewho have bravely tried to detect a little bit oflawinthemagicofDisney.Orisittheotherwayround?"

*Laboratoirederechercheendroit(Lab-LEX,EA7480,UBS-UBO)* Aménagement des Usages des Ressources et des Espaces ma-rinsetlittoraux(Amure,UMR6538,UBO-Ifremer-CNRS)

A THESIS REPRODUCED AS A COMIC STRIPFor five years, the Syndicat National de l’Édition (SNE),Ministry of Culture, Conférence des Présidents d’Uni-versité (CPU) and the Art+Université+Culture networkhave been publishing "Sciences en Bulle" (Sciencein Speech Bubbles) for the Festival of Science.This book features around 10 theses in a shortcomic strip form which is accessible to all readers.

Candidates chosen for the publication work in dif-ferent fields of basic research including litera-ture, physiology and physics. All the theses chosenreflected the theme of the 2020 Festival of Science- The Relationship between Humans and Nature.

Valérie Marchal-Gaillard, a doctoral student at CREAD*(EA 3875) was UBO’s representative for this projectwhich saw her thesis adapted in three panels and a dozen speech bubbles. Her research on the didactics of sciences focuses on family composting practices and what five-year-oldchildrenunderstandabout these.Herstudies aim to demonstrate the importance of learning about the sciences from nursery age, because chil-dren will use what they learn in their day-to-day lives.

Valérieworkedalongside the scriptwriter and illustratorPeb&Foxtoproducethethreepanelsforhercomicstrip.Togethertheydevelopedthestoryline,drawingontextsandvisualmaterials(photos,graphics,etc)thatcamedirectlyfrom experimentsValérie had carried out for her thesis.

This collaborative approach to making science accessible to allgivesdoctoralstudentsfirst-handexperienceofscientificmediation and making their research legible to non-experts.

*CentredeRecherchesurl’Éducation,lesApprentissagesetlaDidactiques(CREAD,EA3875,UniversitédeRennes2-UBO)

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A thesis by VALÉRIE MARCHAL has been recreated as a comic strip

MATTHIEU LONGO received the Prix Patrick Queffelec for best poster

PRIZE

Microwaves and Materials Characterisation Days are a forum for presenting and showcasing recent advances in basic and applied research in the fields of mate-rials and microwaves to the scientific community. Everyyear, the event’s scientific committee awards twoprizes for excellence to students: one for oral com-munication (the Prix IEEE MTT-S France) and one forvisual, the Prix Patrick Queffelec for the best poster.

Atthesixteenthevent,inNovember2020,MatthieuLongo,adoctoralstudentatLab-STICC*(UMR6285)receivedthePrixPatrickQueffelecforbestposter.Thisawardrecognisesboth his research activities at the interface between mate-rialsandmicrowaves,and thequalityofhispresentation.

Matthieu’s thesis focuses on marine biofilms, thin layersmade up of microorganisms which develop on submerged surfaces,andtheircharacterisation.Hisgoalistocreatearadio-frequencysensor,basedonelectromagneticwaves,that can detect the growth of biofilms of bacteria and/or microalgae. The first stage in developing this sensor,whichhepresentedattheevent,wastostudythedielec-triccharacteristicsofbiofilms,thatis,theircapacitytoactas an electrical insulator. Characterising biofilms in thisway facilitatesunderstandingof thebehaviour and influ-enceofdifferentcomponentsundermicrowavefrequencyconditions. The experiment was broken down into two parts: a study of the dielectric permittivity of the principal components in a biofilm, to identify how componentsrespond to an electric field; and thenmonitoringgrowthof a real bacterial biofilm, using an experimental sensor,in controlled conditions. Additional analyses are in prog-ress to validate the initial findings and then anti-biofilmmaterials will be used to validate the experimental sensor.

*Laboratoire en Sciences et Techniques de l’Information, dela Communication et de la Connaissance (Lab-STICC, UMR6285, UBO-UBS-Télécom Bretagne-ENIB-ENSTA Bretagne)

RECOGNITION

The Académie des Sciences de Paris has awarded the Boucher-Dedieu prize for history, sciences and epis-temology to Céline Le Gall for her joint thesis with the CECJI * (EA* 7289): "Giovanni Poleni (1683-1761)and the Académie Royale des Sciences de Paris"

Her work presents brand new translations of three nautical tracts written in Latin by Poleni: the best way to measure the courseofavesselonthesea,independentlyofastronom-ical observations; Latin essays on anchors; and improve-ments to use of the capstan. Three centuries ago, theAcadémie Royale des Sciences de Paris awarded its Rouillé de Meslay prize to Giovanni Poleni for his three disserta-tions.Today,itisthetranslator’sturntoreceiveaprize.Theoriginal texts were written in response to a call for projects fromtheAcadémieRoyaledesSciencesinthe18thcen-tury.Toshedlightontheirwordsandformat,CélinecreatedacorpusoftranslationsfromPoleni’scorrespondence, inLatin,withEuropeanscholars.Shealsotranslatedextractsof his letters, courseprogrammes, discussions, sketchesand in situ investigations in Venice, Verona and Padua.

Forherresearch,sherecreatedthecapstanwithwoodworkstudents from the Lycée de l’Elorn in Landernau. Metalwork pupilsfromtheLycéeProfessionnelVaubaninBresthelpedher to recreate the device used to measure windforce.

*Centred’ÉtudesdesCorrespondancesetJournaux Intimes (CE-CJI,EA7289,UBO)

CÉLINE LE GALL Awarded the Prix de l’Académie des Sciences de Paris

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PhotoCredits:KatellGeffroy

©Peb&Fox,SyndicatNationaldel’Édition

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KEY ISSUES IN RESEARCH

Spurred on by the digital transition, theOpen Science movement promotes re-striction-freedisseminationofscientificre-

search findings. To roll out an ambitious policyforopensciencesacrossthecountry,FrancehashadanationalplanforOpenSciencesince2018.This action plan focuses on three areas: increas-ing open access to publications; structuring and opening up research data; and adopting a sus-tainable,European,andinternationaloutlook. Inthe long term, awidespread open science ap-proach,withmoredataandfundingpooled,willincrease the impact of research.Thisyear, inthecontextofahealthcrisiswhichhas illustrated the importance of sharing scien-tific data,Open Science has gained evenmoretraction. Indeed, in 2020, the number of publi-cations available in open-access format at UBO passedthe50%markandourgoalistoincreasethisto100%inthecomingyears.Thechallengefor open sciences now is research data. Managingopendata isasignificant issuewhenit comes to research at UBO. This is why Mathieu Hatt,headofresearchforINSERM*atLaTIM*,hasbeen appointed as project coordinator for "re-searchdata".Anewworkinggrouphasbeensetup to support him. It is tasked with understand-ingopen sciencepractices indifferent fieldsofresearch,drawingupalistofneeds,ascertainingtheresourcesrequiredanddevelopingplansforimplementation.UBO’s open science policy is both cross-disci-plinary,asitinvolvesalltheUniversity'sresearchunits,andcross-functional.Thiscross-functionalapproach takes the form of cooperation between

differentcentralservices includingresearch, in-novationandcommercialisation (DRiVe), shareddocumentation (SCD) and information systemsanddigitaltechnologiessupport(DSIUN).DRIVeand SCD work in particularly close collaboration to support researchers with developing data management plans. These plans make sure that data is considered in the early stages of a project andthatFAIRprinciplesareapplied,i.e.thedatamustbeFindable,Accessible,Interoperable,andReusable. They cover the data’s entire life-cycle (collection,sharing,storage,backups,andsafe-guardingsensitivedata)andalsotakeaccountofissuesandchallengesspecifictodifferentdisci-plines.Thanks to this synergy between services, re-searchers receive comprehensive support with managing and sharing both publications and research data. The involvement of the technol-ogy transferaccelerationcompanyOuestValo-risation in the University's open science policy is proof of a truly all-encompassing approach to this issue.

* Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale* Laboratoire deTraitement de l’InformationMédicale (LATIM,UMR1101,UBO-IMTA-INSERM)

Key figures on openscienceat UBO

UBO has introduced an open science barometer to track developments and produce statistics and indicators. More than 50% of publications issued in 2019 are available in open access. These papers, by re-searchers from UBO, are issued either via a pub-lisher or directly in open archives. Publications listed as "publisher and open archive" can be accessed both on publisher platforms and open archives.

Proportion of open access publica-tions in 2019 (assessed in 2020)

The University's scientific strategy responds to key issues in current research, which reflect societal concerns such as the digital transition and sustainable development.

Changes in open access rates for publications 2017-2019

All disciplines represented at UBO are involved in the open sciences. The disciplines offering the high-est proportion of open access publications, at more than 65%, are biology, ecology, and earth sciences. Engineering sciences and humanities and social sci-ences are currently the most closed disciplines with, respectively, 30% and 25% of publications available in open access.

Open access rates in 2019 compared to number of publications, per discipline

Between 2017 and 2019, the number of open access publications progressed by more than 5%. This in-crease reflects digital law which requires reviews to open up access to publications after a specified time period.

KEY ISSUES IN RESEARCH

UBO’S COMMITMENT TO OPEN SCIENCE

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Labo 1 point 5 is a collective of academic re-searchers. It has three main objectives: to index anddisseminateessentialaspectsofscientificlit-erature and information about current initiatives in French laboratories; to produce data on the environmental footprint of the research sector’s activities and to develop solutions by creating spaces for discussion and exchange.Bypursuingthesegoals,thecollectiveaimstore-duce the research sector’s environmental impact; its carbon footprint in particular. Several teams are involved, including a “Footprint" teamwhichhasdevelopedGES-1point5-a tool laboratoriescan use to assess their greenhouse gas emissions with a standardised protocol. Olivier Raguene-au, researchdirectoratLEMAR*(UMR6539), isamemberof the “ThinkTank" team.Hehasover-seen publication of an article on the higher ed-ucation and research sectors’ responsibilities in these uncertain times. There are three aspects to these responsibilities: rethinking the purpose of researchitself,intermsofbothobjectivesandre-sources; supporting regional authorities with the transition to sustainability; and initiating a reduc-tion in the research sector’s environmental foot-print.On this last point, alongside Audrey Sabbagh(UMR MERIT, IRD-Université de Paris), Olivier isjoint coordinator of a national study exploring differentapproachestoencouragingareduction

ingreenhousegasemissions-suchas taxation,quotas, compensation, awareness/education,and carbon currency - with volunteer laboratories. The study has two remits: a support remit to facil-itate essential discussion in participating labora-toriesaboutdifferentoptionsandhowtheywouldbe applied; and a research remit in the form of an interdisciplinary team that will observe the study from different perspectives including econom-ics,law,socialpsychology,sociologyofscientificknowledge and the political sciences.CO2 emissions and other indicators such as re-search quality and well-being at work will bemonitoredyear-on-year.Theidea,aboveall,istoinitiate action that reduces environmental foot-print and then to use this as a springboard to re-thinkworkingpractices.Inthissense,thestudyislikeamicrocosmofsocietyinthattoday,allsec-tors must work together to address climatic con-straints which are becoming harder and harder to ignore.

* Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement Marin (LEMAR, UMR6539,UBO-CNRS-IRD-Ifremer)*Gazàeffetdeserre

New discoveries aboutthe relationship betweenkeratinocytesand sensory neuronesKeratinocytes are the main type of cell in the epi-dermis,theoutermostlayeroftheskin.Theycanperceivetemperature,painanditching,andalsotransmit this information to sensory neurones in our skin. A new study conducted at LIEN* and led byMatthieuTalagas(seniorlecturerandamedi-calpractitionerattheCHRU*inBrest)hassetoutto identify the mechanisms of communication be-tween epidermal keratinocytes and sensory neu-rones. Until now, thesemechanisms have beenpoorly understood.For this study, connections between keratino-cytes and neurones were investigated with a mor-phological, molecular, and functional approachand by means of in vitro and in situ observations. Epidermal keratinocytes were placed in coculture with sensory neurones so that contacts created between the two cell types could be observed. To findoutwhetherstructuresobservedinvitrowerealsopresentinthehumanepidermis,humanskin

biopsies were also observed using confocal and transmission electron microscopy.Both the in vitro and in situ results showed that these contacts are synaptic and that they estab-lish dialogue between epidermal keratinocytes and sensory neurones. Although these contacts have similar attributes to classic synapses of the neuro-musculartype,theyhavespecificcharac-teristics,includingahighplasticitywhichislinkedto the permanent renewal of keratinocytes. As such, by establishing specific communicationbetween keratinocytes and neurones these syn-aptic-like contacts could play a role in optimising cutaneous sensory perception. The results of this study have significantly ad-vanced understanding about the mechanisms of cutaneoussensoryperception,pavingthewayfornew targeted therapeutic approaches to treating pain and itching. An article about the study was alsopublished in theDecember2020editionofAnnals of Neurology.

*LaboratoireInteractionsÉpitheliumsNeurones(LIEN,EA4685,UBO)*Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire Matthieu Talagas

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Labos 1 point 5 study on reducing the environmental footprint of research

A UNIVERSITY AT THE CENTRE OF CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN RESEARCH

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Between7 and 20October 2020, a first expedi-tion under the EU-funded, FOCUS projectwentaheadoff thecoastofCatania inSicily,which ishome to about 1 million residents. Its objectivewas to monitor and shed light on the movements ofan80kmseismicfaultatthefootofMountEtna.Marc-André Gutscher, who heads up the LGO*(UMR6538)at IUEM*,andhis team laidasix-ki-lometre long undersea cable using an innovative laser interferometry technique which until nowhad never been employed in this context.The expedition, known as FocusX1, and carriedoutonboardtheFrenchoceanographicfleet’sre-searchvesselPourquoiPas,isthefirstofitskind.Thefibre-opticcableisconnectedtotheCataniaInstituteofPhysics’TestSiteSouth(TSS)observa-tory.Layingitatadepthof2100kmprovedtobea particularly delicate operation. A plough spe-cificallydesignedbyIFREMER,anddrivenbytheRemotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Victor 6000,was used to deploy and bury the six-kilometre long cable under sediment on particularly rocky terrain.

Eight geodetic seafloor stations, tested in BrestHarbour,weretheninstalledoneachsideofthefaultline.Thissystem,whichusesalaserreflec-tometry technique known as Brillouin OpticalTime Domain Reflectometry (BOTDR) will mea-sure tectonic plate movement to monitor seismic activity.Thistechniqueisusuallyusedtoanalysemovements in large-scale infrastructures such as bridges or dams. Here however, itwillmeasuremovement in faults.ThisEuropeanResearchCouncil(ERC)projectwillreceivefiveyearsof funding from theEuropeanUnion. It will provide a better assessment of the activity of the North Alfeo Fault and could form the basis for a warning system for neighbouring populations. Since themiddle of October, laserpulses have been sent into the cable at regular intervals to detect movements in the fault. If this methodworks, itcouldbeappliedtootherfaultlines in Europe.

A new technique for measuring seismic activity underwater

*LaboratoireGéosciencesOcéan(LGO,UMR6538,CNRS-UBO-UBS)*Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer

AteamofresearchersfromtheESE*(UniversityofParis-Saclay) and LUBEM* (UBO) have identifieda domestication process in the mould Penicilium camemberti.Theypublished their findings in anarticle in Current BiologyinSeptember2020.In spite of its economic importance, there havebeen few studies of the fungus responsible for the formation of the white mould on Camembert and Brie. To enhance their understanding of the species,theresearchteambeganbysequencingthe Penicilium camemberti genome. They then went on to compare it to another cheese-re-lated mould, P. biforme, and thewild fungus P. fuscoglaucum, found in natural environments.Analyses showed that the two "cheese specific"species are sister groups and very close genet-ically,whereasP.fuscoglaucumismoredistant.This therefore suggests that selection pressure caused the separation of P. fuscoglaucum and P. biforme. Because the latter forms a blue-green mould,Briewasthereforeabluecheeseuntilthemiddleofthe20th century. Afterselectionofawhitemutant fungus,asec-ond and more recent domestication event pro-ducedthewhitefluffyP. camemberti line. Thankstohumanselection,thetwodomesticatedspeciesplayabeneficialroleinmaturingchees-

es compared to the neighbouring wild species. They are whiter and grow more rapidly on cheese incellarmaturationconditions.Additionally,theyproduceno,orveryfewtoxinsthatposeapoten-tial risk tohumanhealth,andalsostopundesir-able moulds from growing. ThesefindingsfromESEandLUBEMcouldhaveasignificantimpactoncheeseproductionandtheindustry, by steering mould selection to matchthedesiredcharacteristicsandfinalappearanceof cheeses.

*Écologie,SystématiqueetÉvolution(ESE,UMR8079,CNRS/Universi-téParis-Saclay/AgroParisTech)*Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et d’Écologie Microbienne(LUBEM,EA3882)

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Penicilium camemberti: a history of domesticationon the menu

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Hydrothermal vents are found at a depth of be-tween 500 and 5000 metres and form alongmid-ocean ridges where tectonic plates are sep-arating. They emit water spirals rich in chemical elementsanddissolvedmetals,includingsulphurandmethane, at temperatures that can exceed350°C.Thesefluidemissionstriggertheformationof chimneys which can reach heights of sever-al dozen metres and that provide hydrothermal ecosystems rich in biodiversity at their bases.A number of IUEM* laboratories study these dis-tinctive ecosystems to better understand them andalsofindoutwhichorganismslivethere.The microorganisms that populate hydrothermal ecosystems include unicellular organisms, alsoknown as Archaea. Knowledge of archaeal virus-es is limited; even more so when it comes to ma-rineecosystems.AteamfromLM2E*(UMR6197)thereforesetouttoacquirenewdataonvirusesthat infect hyperthermophilic methanogenic ar-chaea in hydrothermal marine ecosystems. These ecosystems play an essential role in the overall carbon cycle by producing methane. The study discovered and characterised Meth-anocaldococcus fervenstailedvirus1orMFTV1,the first virus infecting deep sea hyperthermo-philic methanogens. Its "head-tail" morphologyunequivocally demonstrates that this morpho-type can propagate at very hot temperatures of more than90°C.This is thefirst timeever thatahead-tailed virus has been isolated from hyper-

thermophilic microorganisms, raising questionsabout the thermostability of this morphotype. The study also shed light on genetic transfers from M. fervens to other hyperthermophilic meth-anogens.Thesefindingspointtoacomplexinter-action between diverse mobile genetic elements (viruses,plasmids)andtheirhosts,whichcontrib-utes to an adaptive and progressive process in the latter in abyssal ecosystems. This research was conducted at LM2E with the goal of gaining greater insight into the diversity of the deep sea virosphere and its impact on ther-mophilic microbial communities.Audrey Mat’s postdoctoral studies have focused on a previously unresearched theme: the biolog-ical rhythms of Bathymodiolus azoricus. She has carried out her research under the umbrella of the LabexMer cluster and through a collaboration betweenLEMAR*(UMR6539)andtheLaboratoireEnvironnement Profond (IFREMER). An articleaboutherstudyappearedintheJuly2020editionof Nature Communications.Bathymodiolus azoricus is a species of bivalve mollusc that thrives on the hydrothermal vents of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Audrey’s research sought to understand the temporal organisation of this species and its relationship with its distinctive en-vironment.Tothisend,herstudieswerebasedonbehavioural and molecular observations both in situ,atadepthof1700metres,and in the labo-ratory.

Data on behaviour showed that on hydrothermal vents,B.azoricusmanifestscyclicactivity.Havingestablishedthis,Audreythenfocusedonthemol-lusc’sphysiology.Reflecting theexploratoryna-tureoftheproject,shedevelopedacutting-edgeprotocol which involved sampling the molluscs every two hours and four minutes over a period of24hoursand48minutes;correspondingtotwocycles of the tide. Samples were taken and stabi-lised under red light directly in the deep sea. The successofthisapproachmadeitpossible,forthefirsttime,toproduceahigh-resolutiontemporaltranscriptome of a deep sea species directly in its environment. The transcriptome represents all genesexpressedatmoment"T",whichprovidesasnapshot of the physiological condition of an or-ganism. These molecular analyses revealed that insitu,atadepthof1700metres,a12.4hourcycledominates the mollusc’s physiology whereas in the laboratory, a daily cycle prevails inmusselsexposed to an alternating light/dark cycle.These results show that life in the deep sea is notaperiodic.What'smore,theysuggestthatthemolluc’s cyclical activity could be interconnected with its symbionts’ needs for sulphide and meth-anewhich are found in the hydrothermal fluidsthat make up these species’ environment.

*Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer*Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Envi-ronnements Extrêmes (LM2E, UMR 6197, Ifre-mer-UBO-CNRS)*Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement Marin(LEMAR,UMR6539,UBO-CNRS-IRD-IFRE-MER)

Hydrothermal vents: understanding and describing these ecosystems and their fauna

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Ifremer/Victor6000/Momarsat2017

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OlivierMignen,seniorlecturerattheLBAI*(UMR1227)hassetupanewbusinessafter15yearsofresearch in France and the USA during which he has focused on the calcium ion and its role in cell function and dysfunction. Olivier first began to study deregulation of cal-cium signalling pathways in a pathological con-textattheGGB*(UMR1078) inthemiddleofhisstint in an INSERM “Chaire d’Excellence” position. Then, in collaborationwith immunologists fromBrest,whomhejoinedattheLBAI,heturnedhisattention to the involvement of this deregulation in lymphocyte B related diseases - chronic lym-phocyticleukaemiainitiallyandthenlater,lupusand rare autoimmune disease.Havingdecidedtocommercialisehisresearch,Ol-ivier began prospecting for funding and partners. HervéBrail,amulti-entrepreneurandthefound-er of Innate Pharma, and biotechnology expertMathieu Bléry were both convinced by his project anddecidedtojoinhim.Poolingtheirknowledge,skills and experience, they launchedKalsiom in2018.Thisstart-upspecialisesindevelopinganti-bodies to modulate calcium signalling pathways in order to treat autoimmune disease. It works in close collaboration with numerous clinicians at the CHRU*.

Tobringtheventuretofruition,Olivierfiledseveralpatents and with the support of the SATT* Ouest Valorisation drew up three development plansto structure the project. Once these plans were implemented,newpatentswerefiled.Inparallel,Olivier won the Matwin competition on two occa-sions,firstforhisresearchoncancerandthenforhis plans for businesses specialising in innovative technology. Then came two years prospecting for funding. Two of France's leading investment funds for start-ups and health, Go Capital andAdvent France Biotechnology, eventually cameonboardandwilljointlyfinancethefirststagesofgrowing the start-up with an initial investment of €2millionin2020.

*LymphocytesBetAutoimmunité(LBAI,UMR1227,UBO-Inserm-CHRUdeBrest)S*Génétique,génomiquefonctionnelleetbiotechnologies(GGB,UMR1078,Inserm-UBO-ÉtablissementFrançaisduSang-CHRUdeBrest)* Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche MédicaleTechnology Transfer Company

Kalsiom secures 2 million eurosfrom Go Capital and Advent France Biotechnology

In 2020, UBO’s laboratories focused on completely new subjects and their research has led to discoveries that have attracted the attention of the scientific world.The University's research programmes have stood out in every field, showing once again that UBO is at the cutting edge of innovation.

Forhisdoctoralstudies,GwenaëlGuillard,found-erofIntradys,joinedtheinterdisciplinaryteamatLaTIM* (UMR 1101) where his research focusedon modelling the link between the form and functionofhumanjoints.Whilehewasthere,hedeveloped mathematical tools that generated morpho-functional signatures useful for classify-ingarticularpathologies,guidingosteotomypro-cedures and facilitating prosthesis positioning in knee replacement surgery. After completing his fundedthesisin2005,hemovedtotheUniversityof Geneva to work on the 3D Anatomical Human project which set out to model the human body on a range of scales. As well as managing this project,hedevelopedaspecificinterestinmedi-cal imaging of the musculoskeletal system. In 2008, Gwenaël joined Imorphics, a start-upbasedinManchesterintheUK.Tobeginwith,heworked on developing automated medical imag-

ing technology for use in planning and guiding prosthesis positioning in knee and hip replace-ment surgery. He then extended the technology's capabilities into developing image-based bio-markerstoquantifyarthritis.In2019,havingdecidedtocreatehisownmed-ical technology company, he returned to Brestand co-founded Intradys. This start-up aspires to serve as an ecosystem for interventional neurora-diology, a specialised technique in stroke treat-ment. To achieve this goal, Gwenaël maintainsvery close links with the CHRU* in Brest and more specificallyitsinterventionalneuroradiologyunit,run by Professor Gentric. Through this partner-ship,Intradyshasbeenabletodevelopsomeini-tial algorithms and an initial telemedicine solution basedonmixedreality.TheCHRU,whichownsastakeinthecompany,grantedaccesstomedicaldata from 500 patients,with their prior permis-sion. Intradys also works with the UBO Open Fac-tory who supplied 3D printed models to validate the algorithms.The telemedicine solution is currently under eval-uation. It will enable two interventional radiol-ogists, onewho is in the roomwith thepatient,to communicate both by voice and with the as-sistanceof3Dholographictools. Inthisway,thetechnology enables the radiologist to have these tools to hand and to interact as closely as possi-ble with their patient.*Laboratoiredetraitementdel’informationmédicale(LaTIM,UMR1101,UBO-IMTA-Inserm)

* Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire

Intradys introduces AI to the radiology room with its medical imaging software

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TheCarnotexcellencelabelwascreatedin2006.It is awarded to research establishments who ap-ply and meet the criteria for accreditation. Since 2016,theCarnot“springboard”systemhasservedas a preparatory phase for research facilities wanting to develop their contractual relations with businesses.Carnot Institutes bring the worlds of public re-search and business/industry together to speed up the transition from research to innovation and increase the transfer of technology to economic stakeholders. The Carnot label is reviewed regu-larly.InFebruary2020,theCarnotspringboardAgrifoodTransition was awarded the label and became the Institut Carnot Agrifood Transition*.

This Institute comprises nine public research units and eight technical centres in Brittany and the Pays de la Loire. UBO is represented through the involvementofUBEM*(UR3882).Partners pool their complimentary areas of ex-pertise to serve businesses in the agriculture,aquaculture,andagri-foodsectors.The focusofresearch and innovation at the Institut Carnot Agri-Food Transition is therefore on developing sus-tainable food chains beneficial to human healthand the environment.

* https://www.agrifood-transition.fr/*Laboratoire Universitaire de Biodiversité et Écologie Microbienne(LUBEM,UR3882,UBO)

Carnot Agrifood Transition becomes a Carnot “Institute”

AN ECOSYSTEM CONDUCIVE TO COMMERCIALISATION

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In 2020, UBO once again made its mark on the international research landscape. From its placement in the best university rankings to its involvement in creating a Europe-an research-based university, UBO’s projects are focused, definitively, on the international arena.

SEA-EU Alliance obtains european funding for its ReSEArch-EU project

UBO has continued to make its mark inter-nationally through the European SEA-EU Alliance and a place in the Shanghai rank-

ings, a barometer of excellence for universitiesworldwide.

The ReSEArch-EU programme has been set up to support research and innovation. Funded under a callfromHorizon2020-SciencewithandforSo-ciety (SWAFS), itbegan inJanuary2020andwillrun for three years.

In linewithSEA-EU’s long-termstrategy,theAl-liance’s six universities are pooling their compli-mentary expertise to: • Build an anti-fragile (beyond resilient and ro-bust)andinnovativepan-EuropeanAlliance;

• Align expertise and resources with the needs of the production system;

• Co-design,co-createandco-deliverknowledgewith and for stakeholders and citizens;

• Establish a common policy on Open Science and Open Research data;

• Draft and develop a common multidisciplinary research agenda that promotes sustainable de-velopment;

• Share critical analyses and best practices for successful implementation of its research and innovation strategies with other university alli-ances.

The goal is to establish a robust and trustworthy research structure for the Alliance by strengthen-inglinksbetweenscientific,citizenandsocio-eco-nomiccommunities, involvinginstitutionsinjointprojects,makingacontributiontolocaleconomicdevelopment and rising to the societal and envi-ronmental challenges facing its members. It will bevisibleto,andactivewithkeystakeholdersinsociety(citizens,entrepreneurs,corporatebodies,administrators).

*UniversityofWestBrittany,UniversityofCadiz,UniversityofGdansk,UniversityofMalta,UniversityofKiel*(Germany)andUniversityofSplit.

Cormorant isascientific interestconsortium(GIS) that hasbeen set up to amalgamatethe research activities of key players in the

Bretagne Océane district specialising in marine technology, particularly for the naval and aero-nautical industries. Its expertise focuses on obser-vation,surveillanceandsecurity,andembeddedinfrastructures-airborne,surfaceandsubmarine.Theconsortiumwasformallyestablishedin2020,inspiredbyadesireforauniquepartnershipbe-tween industrial and academic stakeholders with expertise in maritime embedded electronic systemsforvariousoperationalapplications(air-borne,navalandsubmarinesystems).Anagree-menthasbeensigned for fiveyears.Cormorantwill be governed by a joint steering committee and will work to a long-term road map which sets out its overall direction.This multidisciplinary partnership brings Thalès together with several research laboratories and could potentially involve almost 1000 research-ers and engineerswho are experts in the field.ThemainsignatoriesareLab-STICC*(UMR6285)anditssixsupervisorybodies(CNRS,ENIB,ENSTABretagne,IMTAtlantique,UBOandUBS),IRENAV*and L@bISEN (ISEN-Yncréa Ouest). Céladon,which manages the SeaTestBase platform for sea trials,isanassociatepartnertotheinitiative.Cormorant’s research and innovation activities areorganisedintothreekeyfields:independenceof maritime systems; human-system interactions and human factors; and sensors and smart pro-cessing. The partnership will facilitate cross-disciplinary research and technical innovation as well as making provision for activities at the interface be-

tweenindustryandresearch,muchlikeasharedlaboratoryoffering,forexample,jointsupervisionof CIFRE*doctoral studies. Consortium members could also team up to respond to national and Eu-ropean-level joint calls for tender.Cooperation between GIS Cormorant partners therefore covers several main objectives:·Toconductjointresearchthatreflectstheareasof interest of the actors involved;· To facilitate the development of applied research activities between partners;·Todeploytheresearchteamsbestqualifiedtorespond to scientific and technological issuesraised by Thalès-DMS as part of its development strategy and to maintain and extend these teams’ expertise;· To capitalise on joint intellectual property by pur-suing a collective strategy;· To set up collective training and mentoring ac-tivities.

*COllaboration forResearch regardingMaritime technologies,Obser-vation,security,suRveillANce*InstitutdeRecherchedel’EcoleNAVale*LaboratoireenSciencesetTechniquesde l’Information,de laCom-municationetdelaConnaissance(Lab-STICC,UMR6285,CNRS-UBO-UBS-IMTAtlantique-ENIB-ENSTABretagne)*ConventionIndustrielledeFormationparlaRecherche(Industrialre-searchandtrainingagreement)

Multi-discliplinary partnership on marine technology formalised through creation of the Cormorant consortium

RESEARCH WITH AN INTERNATIONALREACH

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More visibility for research and innovation at UBO through the introduction of a subject category in the ARWU World University Ranking (Shanghai 2020)

The Shanghai "by subject” ranking 2020,which lists the best universities in each dis-ciplinaryfield,waspublishedinJune.

Asinthelasttwolistings,oceanographyatUBOstands out, occupying thirteenth place in theworld,whichcorresponds to fourthplacewithinthe European Union and second place in France. This good result once again proves that UBO is at the cutting edge of research in marine sciences.Inadditiontothisveryhighinternationalplacing,the University continues to gain momentum and nowfeaturesin11rankings(comparedwithfivein2019),coveringabroadrangeofsubjects.Intotal,theUniversityappearsin11categoriesincludingearthsciences,medicaltechnology,andelectricand electronic engineering. This means that three of UBO's four specialist research areas (marinescience; digital; health-agri-environment-materi-als)arerecognisedintherankings.The Shanghai ranking is based primarily on re-search output, and specifically, contributions

from researchers to international scientific re-views. The evaluation criteria focus on both the number of articles published and their impact on a global scale.They offer an external and inde-pendentview,basedonpublicandreproducibleindicators.Although appearing in such rankings has never beenaspecificgoalwithintheuniversity’sstrat-egy,Shanghai2020servesasanimpartialmeansof validating UBO’s objectives and the prominent multidisciplinary aspect of its research.

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BO Disseminatingscientific,technicalandindus-

trialculture(CSTI)isoneofthepublicser-vice remits expected of French universities.

Activities that guide CSTI policy at UBO are divid-edintofiveareas:

1.Educationalcoursesandresearchpolicyattheuniversity;

2.Devisingandpromotingscientificandtechnicalevents;

3.Buildingonthecampus’sscientificandtechni-cal capital

4. Strengthening dialogue on CSTI between the University and its locality;

5.Developingprojectsthatsharescientific,tech-nical and industrial culture with all audiences.

In other words, the goal is to equip everyonewith tools that enable them to improve their un-derstanding of the challenges facing the world we live in today so they can make an informed contribution topublicdebate. In return, throughthese activities, researchers are better able toincorporate the views of civil society in their re-search choices. CSTI activities should inspire the youngest members of society to pursue careers inthesefields.Theyshouldalsohelptocounterinequalities inaccessingknowledgeandeduca-tion by focusing on issues such as the place of

girlsandyoungwomenonscientificcoursesandinscientificcareers.Additionally, it ishopedthatthese activities will encourage everyone to play a partinadvancingresearch,forexamplebytakingpart in citizen science projects. CSTI also helps to desanctify science through conversation, funandcreativity. It is an integral part of culture, initsbroadestsense,andisintendedforeveryone.

Tofulfilitsremitinthisarea,UBOhastakenpartin a range of nationally coordinated events such asMyThesisin180s,BrainAwarenessWeek,TheFestivalofScience,PintofScience,HeritageDays,and European Researchers’ Night, and has alsojoinedlocaleventssuchasHealthcareMondays,DaysofResearch,CabinetdeCuriosités,theSto-ryofmyThesis,andtheStoryofmyResearchinpartnershipwithotherinfluentialCSTIactorssuchas Océanopolis. Three services at UBO play a prominentrole:CommunicationandPartnerships,SharedDocumentationandResearch,Innovationand Commercialisation.

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SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CULTURE AT UBO

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To reallycelebrate tomorrow's researchers,this year’s graduation ceremony for doctors washeldduringtheWeekofResearch.115

young researchers received theirdiplomason7February 2020,marking the culmination of theirdoctoral studies.As is traditional, twoeminentpersonalities fromthe world of research sponsored UBO’s doctoral classof2019.Monical Heller, anthropologist and sociolinguistandaprofessorattheUniversityofToronto,was

chosen as a sponsor and also received an Hono-ris Causa doctorate from UBO on the same day. This honorary award recognises the international influence of her research and her inspiring per-sonality. Monica’s research focuses on the role of speechandlanguageinconstructingdifferencesandsocial inequality.Over severaldecades, shehas worked particularly closely with the CRBC* on research projects and supervising students.GérardMourou, aprofessor andmemberof theHautCollègedel’ÉcolePolytechnique,wasalsosponsor for UBO's doctoral class of 2019. He isparticularly well-known as the inventor of refrac-tive femtosecond laser surgery for eyes and cat-aractswhichisusedtotreatmorethan1millionpatientsperyear. In2018hereceivedtheNobelPrize for physics for his work with lasers.

*CentredeRechercheBretonneetCeltique(CRBC,EA4551,UBO)

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The work of the University’s technological plat-forms service was also showcased during the Week of Research. This department, which israrelyvisibletothegeneralpublic,makesequip-ment and resources available for research. It also facilitates cooperation between research-ersanddifferentbodies,suchaspoliceforensics,enablingthemtopooltheirscientificandtechni-cal knowledge and expertise.To highlight the University’s partnership with po-lice forensics,NellyKervarec,PhilippeEliesandGaëlle Simon from the technological platformsservice organised an original event with the sup-port ofAnne-TyphaineBaude, officer at theNa-tional Gendarmerie Forensics Institute in Cergy PontoiseandEmilieMartin-Ozanne,medicalex-aminer.Throughtheformofalecture,fictionandan escape game, "the experts at UBO" offeredan immersive “behind-the-scenes experience” at a police forensics investigation. The aim was toshowhowcombiningdifferentscientifictech-niqueswithexpertanalysisfrompoliceforensicscan be used to uncover the clues needed to solve a case.

Havingpreviouslyorganisedfour"DaysofResearch"forthescientificcommunity,thisyear,UBOtookadifferentapproach,puttingonafullweekofeventsdedicatedtore-search,andaimedatallaudiences.From3-7February2020,morethan60speakerstookpartinthe26events(includinglectures,roundtables,meetings,andexhibitions)held at the university’s different campuses andothervenues across the region in-cludingOcéanopolis,DialoguebookshopandtheQuartztheatreinBrest,leChapeauRouge in Quimper and the town hall in Morlaix.Thiseventwas thefirstof its kind tobeheld in this format inFranceandwasde-signed to provide a relevant cultural space for all. Its aim was to make the results of researchand innovationaccessible toeveryone, toshareknowledgeandexpertiseand to showcase the multidisciplinary nature of the University's research activities. It wasalsoanopportunityforstakeholdersfromthesocio-economicworld,thegeneralpublic,students,thescientificcommunityandexternalexpertstomeet,shareideasand debate.Arangeofthemeswerecovered,includingclimate,food,space,artificialintelligence,precisionmedicineandgenetics.Topicalsubjectssuchastheseareofequalinterestto researchers and socio-economic stakeholders including citizens. Taking the over-allthemeof"Let'sImagineTomorrow'sWorldbysharing,transferringknowledgeandmeeting”,thisfirsteverWeekofSciencewasalsoachancetothinkabouttheUniver-sity's place in current and future society.

A week of research at UBO to imagine tomorrow’s world

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3 rue des ArchivesCS93837-29238BrestCedex3

drive@univ-brest.fr

T.02 98 01 60 07

PhotoCredits:MatthieuTalagas-Servicegénéraldesplateformestéchnologiques