FillingGaps

The main hypothesis of the FillingGaps project is that certain structural markers of biomass, which have been insufficiently studied, could be key factors in understanding the behavior of biomass during its transformation.

Thus, the project's objective is to develop multi-scale approaches for representative biomass species, to establish relationships between scales, with the aim of highlighting markers of biomass properties and reactivity.

This will require the application and development of original characterization tools along with associated digital treatments that will provide information at complementary scales. The proposed strategy will also lead to the development of new methods for coupling scales and integrating information, ultimately aiming to propose virtual models of biomass reactivity.

Project Objectives:

Knowledge Sharing:

Create an active network among partners to share expertise and train students and scientists. This will be achieved by organizing workshops at the beginning of the project where partners will present their techniques, and then categorizing these techniques based on the spatial scale at which they can acquire information and the type of data they provide.

Biomass Properties:

Develop common techniques and tools to characterize reference biomass types at different complementary spatial scales, and then link these scales. Based on the previous step, techniques not yet used for certain biomass samples will be tested by sharing know-how, if necessary, to enhance each partner's knowledge.

Biomass Reactivity:

Analyze biomass samples concerning their reactivity to transformation through standard and industrially relevant operations. Some key transformation processes (e.g., enzymatic hydrolysis, mechanical tests) will be conducted at each partner's facility that has reference biomass samples.

Markers and Models:

Highlight markers predicting biomass properties and standard reactivity. Relationships (e.g., Pearson correlation, ANOVA) will be evaluated to decipher mathematical equations capable of predicting and, preferably, rationally explaining the links between properties and reactivity.
 

Project lifetime:
 

June 2023 - May 2027

Scientific manager:
 

Gabriel Paës (INRAE)

The consortium:
 

Higher education establishment

Research institutes