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All the news
Orange blossom. © INRA, CAIN Anne-Hélène

Press release

12 Jan 2018

The genome of vascular plants bears witness to the evolution of viruses of the family Caulimoviridae

Plant biology

Endogenous viral elements of plants, which are integrated into the genome of their host, have not yet given away all their secrets. As part of an international collaboration, researchers from INRA and CIRAD revealed the presence of sequences of viruses of the family Caulimoviridae, including several new genera, in a large number of vascular plants, from lycopods to flowering plants. That presence proves their very ancient origins, some 320 million years ago.

Detailed look at probe and loop systems of a bioreactor used to grow micro-organisms. © INRA, © Jean-Philippe GUIRAUDIE /jpgphotographie.co

News

05 Jan 2018

The European “CHASSY” project: putting yeasts to work to produce high value compounds for industrial processes

Biotechnologies

The Micalis research unit is taking part in a European project to develop the use of yeasts to produce high value compounds for the cosmetic, nutrition, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.

Couhins experimental winegrowing domain, Bordeaux. © INRA, MAITRE Christophe

Press release

02 Jan 2018

Exploiting the diversity of grape varieties to adapt to climate change

Climate Change

At a global scale, just 12 grape varieties (or 1% of cultivated varieties) occupy up to 80% of vineyards in some countries. Scientists from INRA and Harvard University in the USA have suggested that one of the levers that could be operated to adapt wine-growing to climate change is to exploit the diversity of other cultivated varieties by planting those that are less well known, and thus encouraging winegrowers and consumers to adopt new practices. Their study is published in Nature Climate Change on 2 January 2018.

Image illustrative de la plateforme Agrisource.

News

20 Dec 2017

Agrisource: agriculture united in the face of climate change

Climate Change

INRA and CIRAD ared developing a joint platform called Agrisource to provide information and exchange ideas on the adaptation of agriculture to climate change.

Wastewater purification plant. © INRA, BERTIN Jean

Press release

20 Dec 2017

The purification of domestic wastewater: the LBE is innovating

Biomass

Scientists from the LBE and their American colleagues have just made a major discovery regarding the treatment of domestic wastewater, which has been published in Scientific Reports and Environmental Science & Technology.  They have demonstrated the role of granules enriched in cyanobacteria that can treat the pollution found in wastewater.

Experimental installation: productive rooftops, the Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences - AgroParisTech, Paris © Baptiste Grard

Press release

20 Dec 2017

Installing rooftop vegetable gardens for sustainable cities

Agroecology

From producing food to regulating water runoff, urban agriculture has a lot to offer. Scientists from INRA and AgroParisTech have shown that rooftop vegetable gardens are an interesting way to recycle urban waste, produce food, and retain rainwater.

Islands in the north of Sweden © N. Fanin

Press release

18 Dec 2017

A new experimental facility to study the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning

Climate Change

For more than 20 years, 30 Swedish islands have been the subject of an experiment that is unique in the world. An INRA scientist and his Swedish and Australian colleagues have been surveying these islands in order to analyse the impact of biodiversity loss on the functioning of their ecosystems.

ICOS greenhouse gas measurement station © Andra

Press release

11 Dec 2017

The ICOS carbon observation network is supplying high-precision data to serve research on climate change

Climate Change - Technology platforms

With the certification of its first greenhouse gas measurement stations, ICOS, the Integrated Carbon Observation System, is now generating series of normalised data.

Cellule humaine de placenta parasitée par des vacuoles contenant Listeria sp (microscopie). Les vacuoles sont marquées en rouge, l’ADN des bactéries et du noyau des cellules est marqué en bleu. Les bactéries ont été isolées d’une épidémie de listériose (France, 1995). © Hélène Bierne

Press release

01 Dec 2017

When Listeria monocytogenes goes to sleep….

Mechanisms of living organisms

INRA* scientists, working in collaboration with their colleagues at Institut Pasteur**, have demonstrated the novel capacity of L. monocytogenes to generate dormant intracellular forms that could be harboured, unsuspected, by their host. These findings are published on 30th November 2017 in PLoS Pathogens.

Natural grassland in the Auvergne mountains. © INRA, TOILLON Sylvie

Press release

01 Dec 2017

Plant biodiversity and ecosystem vulnerability under climate extremes

Climate Change

Our environment is experiencing a number of changes, from biodiversity losses to global warming. INRA researchers were involved in a comprehensive European study that demonstrated that high plant species diversity does not always reduce ecosystem vulnerability under climate extremes. T