The Carnot MICA funds 8 resource recovery projects in 2024, covering health, energy, mobility, and industry, to anticipate companies’ innovation needs.

The MICA call for projects illustrates Carnot MICA’s ability to bring together the skills and talents of its members, as well as those of other Carnot institutes, to develop projects with significant socio-economic impact. By remaining constantly attentive to industry needs, these projects aim to anticipate companies’ requirements in terms of research and innovation in the fields of materials, surfaces, interfaces, and associated processes.

For the year 2024, Carnot MICA will fund 8 resource recovery projects, either R&D projects (3 years) or exploratory projects (1 year). Below is a brief overview of their objectives:

Exploratory Project GLIO-PLAT (Health & Cosmetics):

🔬 Among the resource recovery projects selected by Carnot MICA, GLIO-PLAT is an ambitious initiative aimed at developing innovative solutions to effectively treat glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Funded by Carnot MICA, this project will begin in January 2024. Research teams from INSERM and IPCMS (both members of Carnot MICA) will focus on a crucial aspect of this disease: cancer stem cells, which are responsible for tumor growth and resistance to treatment.

Their approach relies on the use of metallic complexes known as metallo-carbenes, formulated as hydrogels. This localized delivery method will enable sustained release of drugs directly at the tumor site. By specifically targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs), the objective is to overcome the side effects and limitations of systemic chemotherapy.

R&D Project ALGAEBIOSTIM (Energy & Environment):

The ALGAEBIOSTIM project was created through collaboration between two technological resource centers (APESA and RITTMO) and a research laboratory (ICPEES), all members of Carnot MICA. Researchers aim to address abiotic stress challenges affecting crops, such as water stress, salinity, and heat, in order to prevent negative impacts on germination, growth, and yield.

Their main objective is to optimize the use of algae-based biostimulants to strengthen agricultural practices. Their work will focus on the production, characterization, and agronomic testing of molecules of interest, such as phytohormones, to determine optimal conditions of use and better understand their effects on root systems and plant development.

The results of ALGAEBIOSTIM will provide concrete technical solutions for developing new algae-based biostimulants from effluents. These solutions will be particularly relevant for agri-food sector stakeholders such as farmers, market gardeners, nurseries, and horticulturists, who seek to:

• Improve the management and treatment of liquid and gaseous effluents,
• Protect crops against abiotic stress,
• Ensure the sustainability of their economic activities throughout the year.

Inter-Carnot R&D Project SKI-SENS (Sport & Well-being):

Carnot MICA co-funds the inter-Carnot project SKI-SENS led by researchers Olivier Soppera (CNRS – IS2M) and Guillaume Rao (Aix-Marseille University – ISM – Carnot STAR).

Their objective is to demonstrate the relevance of a disruptive sensor integration approach combining solution-processed materials with a laser processing step, enabling direct fabrication of sensors onto the object to be instrumented. This method allows sensors to be integrated into skis in a minimally intrusive way.

The prototype will undergo static and dynamic testing, both in laboratory and real-world conditions, combining different types of measurements. This multidisciplinary project, addressing challenges in materials science, embedded systems, and biomechanics, opens the way for numerous applications in sports, leisure, well-being, and transportation.

The long-term goal is to develop a functional prototype to be presented to ski manufacturers in spring 2026.

Exploratory Project DEFI-PHA (Health & Cosmetics):

🌱 The DEFI-PHA project, funded by Carnot MICA, will be carried out by researchers and engineers Pierre Lemechko (UBSIDE) and Bernard Durand (LPMT), both members of Carnot MICA. The goal is to develop a filament based on medium-chain-length poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAmcl), polymers with promising viscoelastic properties.

🔬 Their approach involves using PHAmcl in filament form, opening new perspectives for biocompatible textiles in the biomedical sector, particularly vascular applications. Thanks to their specific viscoelastic properties, PHAmcl show strong potential to withstand repeated cyclic stress, a key parameter in the development of durable implants.

R&D Project 3DPULP (Health & Cosmetics):

A few words about the 3DPULP project, led by Arnaud Spangenberg (CNRS – IS2M), Florent Meyer (University Professor & Hospital Practitioner – Inserm), and Thierry Roland (CNRS – ICS).

The objective of this R&D project is to explore the possibilities offered by 3D printing in the fabrication of medical devices for dental pulp tissue engineering.

This approach could revolutionize common dental procedures and positively impact the millions of root canal treatments performed each year in France.

R&D Project COSSE (Industry 4.0, Health & Cosmetics, Sport & Well-being):

Following promising initial scientific results obtained with the Swall-E swallowing demonstrator, experts Christian Debry, Yo Fujiso, Sacha Bernet, and Clément Denoual aim to develop a digital twin of the Swall-E robot through the COSSE project funded by Carnot MICA.

The objective is to accurately reproduce swallowing timing for all patients, whether they have normal or pathological swallowing.

R&D Project MECHANOCROWN (Environment, Sustainable Construction):

The MECHANOCROWN project aims to address challenges related to water depollution and the recovery of strategic metals.

Researchers Loic Jierry and Florence Bally-Le Gall seek to design an innovative and high-performance material capable of selectively filtering metallic ions from industrial wastewater and recovering the corresponding metals while regenerating the filtering phase.

This project involves close collaboration with IPHC and the Faculty of Chemistry of Strasbourg.

By using crown ethers anchored at multiple points on the surface of an elastomer, mechanical deformation of the material can modify the crown geometry and regulate adsorption/desorption kinetics. Applications are envisioned in wastewater treatment plants, industrial effluent processing (batteries, electronics), and soil decontamination.

Inter-Carnot R&D Project DRIFT (Mobility, Environment, Sport & Well-being):

Facing a potential decline in the attractiveness of competitive sailing, boat class organizations now encourage teams to integrate eco-friendly materials. The inter-Carnot project DRIFT anticipates this paradigm shift for structural components (foils, rudders, centerboards, etc.).

The objective is to develop and evaluate a structural component made from thermoplastic materials that can withstand racing conditions while being recyclable at the end of its life cycle.

Funded by Carnot MICA and Carnot ARTS, the project brings together researchers from UBSIDE and the Dupuy de Lôme Research Institute (IRDL).

The project will result in a demonstrator implemented on a MINI650 laboratory boat.