BIOMATPRO (2010-2014):
The Research Group (GDR) No. 3429, entitled "What agro-resources for which materials and products of the future?" (BIOMATPRO), marked the period from 2010 to 2014. This GDR, contracted with CNRS and INRAE, brought together French actors in the field for five years. The GDR played an essential role in coordinating research efforts aimed at exploring the potential of agro-resources for the development of innovative materials. Among the major themes, the field of catalysis/biocatalysis drew particular interest, with a focus on pretreatments of lignocelluloses and their impact on enzymatic hydrolysis.
Teams involved in the GDR also delved into bio-based hybrid materials, exploring interaction mechanisms at interfaces in relation to their properties. A functional screening of lignins based on pretreatment and/or extraction methods was considered as a cross-cutting action. A skills inventory within the GDR was undertaken, with the objective of selecting Inra/CNRS thesis projects in January 2014, focusing on key GDR themes.
SYMBIOSE (2015-2019):
From 2015 to 2019, the Symbiose GDR, dedicated to research on synthons and bio-based materials, initiated an integrated program under the theme "SYnthons and Materials BIOSourcEs." Contracted with CNRS and INRAE, this GDR brought together French stakeholders in the field around an integrated approach aimed at optimizing the specific properties of synthons and bio-based materials.
The concept of "synthon," representing chemical "building blocks," was central to the GDR's work, encompassing entities ranging from monomers to (pre)polymers and fibers, with sizes varying from nanometers to colloidal scales. Over these five years, the GDR facilitated scientific advances, established collaborations, and encouraged a common language within the national research community. Thematic axes emerged, focusing on bio-based materials and biopolymers, considered either in the mass state or hydrated, as well as the necessary processes to obtain them. Finally, the assessment of economic and environmental impacts was seen as integral to a new contractualization.
DUMBIO (2020-2025):
Launched in 2020, the Dumbio GDR (Durable and Multifunctional for BIOMaterials) positioned itself as the third stage of this evolution. Structured into four thematic axes, it aims to broaden its expertise by integrating resource extraction, biomass transformation, and the production of synthons and bio-based materials in the context of the bioeconomy.
Axis 1 focuses on bio-based materials and mass biopolymers, aiming to create new materials as substitutes for petro-sourced counterparts, with particular attention to fully bio-based (nano)composites. Axis 2 explores hydrated bio-based materials and biopolymers, emphasizing the structuring of ingredients incorporated into matrices based on bio-based synthons. Axis 3 addresses processes for advanced materials, promoting the development of new manufacturing methods and analyzing adaptations needed for bio-based materials and biopolymers. Finally, Axis 4 evaluates environmental, economic, and societal impacts, seeking to quantify the impact throughout the life cycle of synthons and bio-based materials, and promoting a cross-disciplinary approach integrating economic and societal disciplines. GDR animation methods have been adapted to facilitate exchanges and the creation of a common language, emphasizing the need for a multidisciplinary approach to address the complex challenges related to sustainable and multifunctional biomaterials.
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