The Opportunity (E)4 project proposes to explore the outlines of an innovative method, which is the chemical recovery of phytoextraction technologies and wastes, which are contaminated with trace metal elements. Taking advantage of the adaptive capacity of certain plants to hyperaccumulate Zn2+, Ni2+, Mn2+ and/or Al3+ cations in their aerial parts, the design of this project is based on the direct using of metal derived from plants as supported "Lewis acid" catalysts in organic chemistry. The catalytic support is mining (tailings and slag) wastes. The project is the result of public, semi-public research and private society collaboration, which have chosen to combine their skills in phytoextraction through the sustainable ecological rehabilitation of mining sites in Gard and in New Caledonia, respecting local biodiversity. Vegetable and metallic wastes will be directly recovered and transformed into green catalysts. Then, they will be dispersed and stabilized on wastes to lead to cleaner, greener new technology and to lower production costs than the classic process. These original polymetallic systems will serve as heterogeneous catalysts in synthetic transformations allowing access to molecules with high added value (aromatic heterocycle scaffolds and oligomers of biological interest, chiral cyclic structures, key intermediates of the industrial chemistry...). The design of these processes will allow recycling through simple filtration. It will be also adapted to the new economic constraints and it will constitute a concrete solution to the criticality of non renewable mineral materials. Overall scientific program will be undertaken in closed association with the actors, local communities and structures under French state control. It will be the subject of activities, which may be supported by industrial groups in complementary fields (restoration ecology, mining and chemical industries). The ultimate aim of this interdisciplinary research is an environmental and socio-economic reconstruction of sites, which have been damaged by mining activities.

Climate change will threaten the ecosystems on which humans depend for healthcare. This phenomenon will be especially pronounced for populations of developing countries who depend on medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) as first medications. During the last decade, several MAPs were included to the French Pharmacopeia and obtained marketing authorizations based on assertions for anti-inflammatory properties. Biotic and abiotic factors were shown to influence both MAPs growth and specific metabolites content. Increases in atmospheric CO2 and temperature or drought are major climatic disturbances that have variable consequences depending classes of metabolites. On the other hand, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may induce changes in specific metabolites of MAPs by activating metabolic pathways. Clinical study showed evidence of anti-inflammatory effects of MAPs, however they often considered single herbal compound omitting the complex combination contributing to the holistic effects of MAPs. AMF are obligate symbionts having a huge potential to improve plant growth by different mechanisms, including increased mineral nutrition, water uptake, drought and disease resistance and plant productivity in exchange for carbon. Two metabolomic approaches based on Proton nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution mass spectrometry could lead to the discovery of new patterns in the biotic and abiotic interactions. A research consortium including four institutes and a private partner with complementary expertise was set up to understand the impact of climate change on MAPs metabolome and anti-inflammatory activities of MAPs and evaluate AMF as regulator of environmental stress.

Nickel (Ni) is a heavy metal widely used in the industry to produce stainless steel and rechargeable batteries that are used in everyday life. However, the Ni mining industry leads to environmental pollution and has a direct impact on biodiversity. In the context of a sustainable development, it is crucial to limit the negative effects of Ni production on the environment. Phytoremediation and phytomining are promising technologies that use plants to remove Ni from polluted soil and to extract Ni for commercial purpose. Today, the development of these eco-friendly strategies is still limited by our succinct knowledge on the mechanisms of Ni accumulation in plants. The goal of the EvoMetoNicks project is to improve our basic knowledge about molecular mechanisms involved in Ni resistance and hyperaccumulation in plants. Ni is an essential element but becomes toxic at high concentration for most living organisms. Surprisingly, 400 plant species found on serpentine (ultramafic) soils rich in Ni in Europe, New Caledonia and Cuba, are able to accumulate tremendous amount (>0.1%) of Ni in leaves. Sixty of these Ni hyperaccumulators are endemic to the ultramafic soils of New Caledonia that is a biodiversity hotspot but also one of the most important producers of Ni in the world. Ni hyperaccumulators are receiving an increasing interest because of their potential use in phytoremediation and phytomining technologies. In this project, we will take advantage of the important diversity found in Ni hyperaccumulators worldwide to obtain a novel and broad vision on the fundamental mechanisms involved in Ni accumulation and adaptation in plants. We have selected evolutionary distant Ni hyperaccumulators including Noccaea caerulescens, a species of the Brassicaceae family developed as a model plant to study metal accumulation, and two hyperaccumulators endemic to New Caledonia, Psychotria gabriellae (Rubiaceae) and Geissois pruinosa (Cunoniaceae) that will be better characterized at the physiological and molecular levels in this project. Using Next Generation Sequencing strategies, we will compare the transcriptomes of these species with those of closely related non-accumulating species to identify molecular mechanisms linked to Ni accumulation and adaptation that were conserved during evolution of higher plants or on the contrary that are more divergent in plant species. Among candidate genes, we will focus our functional studies on genes and pathways that are involved in transport, chelation, detoxification and sequestration of Ni. We think this project will identify target genes and molecules important for Ni accumulation in plants and therefore will be valuable for the development of phytoremediation and phytomining technologies. Also, according to the Nagoya Protocol for the access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits, the EvoMetoNicks project will conform to local and international environmental laws for the protection of plant species and we will share the knowledge and experience generated by this project with students and a more general audience through lectures and conferences in New Caledonia.

FALAH (Family farming, lifestyle and health) is a multidisciplinary project focused mainly on family farming and food in the Pacific Islands. Due to the close relationship between agriculture and food, the project is structured in three complementary scientific components The project involves some fifteen multidisciplinary teams at local, regional and international networks. This network-networking project mobilizes researchers and teaching-researchers from Europe and partners from Vanuatu, Fiji, Salomon, New-Caledonia and Australia. During this project, three time phases are planned at different levels, as shown in the figure below (2020, 2012 and 2022). In each phase, joint meetings in the form of workshops or conferences are planned for the three WPs. At the same time, common areas of experimentation / exploration for future research are planned on the Pacific Fields of Application (Fiji, Solomon, Vanuatu and NC). The secondments of the members of the scientific teams are defined on the basis of these joint meetings. The teams must also propose specific secondments according to the tasks they wish to carry out, the apprenticeships and / or the enrichments they wish. Regardless of the WP, please note that the number of stays will be 3 to 6 maximum per team during a year (ie 9 to 18 for the total duration of the 3 phases of the project).