president Michel Cosnard

Ann Van Soom

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

Unit name:

Sanitary

 Introduction

History and geographical location of the unit This unit was created as a "Young unit" in 2000 with the goal of studying the risk of transmission of CAEV through embryo transfer. Four years after the first evaluation, the research subject has been confirmed and the unit admitted as "Ministry of agriculture research unit" (UPSP). At that time, the unit included 6 researchers and was entitled "Sanitary risk of biotechnology of reproduction". In 2008, another researcher joined the team and the research unit focused more on security than on risk and adopted a new name "Sanitary security of reproduction biotechnology".

Oniris ("École nationale vétérinaire, agroalimentaire et de l'alimentation", Nantes-Atlantique) hosts all facilities where animal semen are collected, where in vivo-derived and in vitro-produced embryos are produced and where laboratory diagnostics are performed.

Management team

The research team headed by Mr Françis FIENI is composed of four researcher-teachers in theriogenology (pathology of reproduction) who have developed knowledge and skills in physiology and biotechnology of reproduction, one researcher-teacher in microbiology and general pathology, and another in molecular biology. These two last researchers increase the competencies in viral and bacterial pathology as well as in diagnostic tools and processes. 2  Overall assessment of the unit

HCERES nomenclature

SVE1_LS3

Scientific domains

Cell biology, biology of animal development

Unit workforce

Unit workforce

Introduction

The main interest of the unit is to investigate sanitary security of reproductive biotechnologies through two main research lines, the first being sanitary security of gametes and embryos and the second one the substitution of animal-derived products used in assisted reproduction. The unit was renamed after the last visit in 2012 ("risks" became "security", which is a more positive approach) and the part on embryo-pathogen interaction and molecular biology was reinforced.

Global assessment of the unit

The group is very well known in the world of embryo transfer and semen preservation. The team has 15 years of experience in both areas. They work on neglected domestic species such as the horse and small ruminants.

The team is now at the forefront of the research in embryo-pathogen, with few or no competitors in the field. The group is also very well known for its semen research and is collaborating with commercial companies on this topic. Multiple activities of the staff (clinics, research, education, diagnostics, part-time recruitment of technical staff…) are done in parallel in this team. This has the advantage that the researchers know what is going on in the field and in practice, but it has also the disadvantage that less time is available to focus on a particular topic, both for scientists and technicians.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

The team performs unique research, as team members are the only ones still involved in this area. The team includes experts in both reproduction and infectious diseases, and they benefit from their multiple networks related to training, international societies like IETS, HASAC, ECAR (European College of Animal Reproduction) and OIE, making it easier for them to collaborate with other relevant teams. Opportunities were taken from emerging diseases, since there was a focus recently on Coxiella and Chlamydia, two pathogens that are presently important for animal health. The lack of government funding opportunities on these topics was partly overcome by hiring a student who received an international grant for a PhD thesis, but this was only a temporary solution. The retirement (this or next year) of a senior scientist may be an opportunity to reconsider the merging and redirection of some research topics.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

The team does not have its own P3 laboratory. There is only room for a small number of recipient cattle, which makes in vivo experiments more difficult. The difficulty to raise grant money on the embryo-pathogen interaction is a threat. The involvement of technical staff in clinical and diagnostic activities of the veterinary school makes it more difficult for them to focus on research activities. Finally, the scarcity of hypothesis-driven research and mechanistic approaches prevents the team to publish in high impact journals

Recommendations

Permanent access to a P3 laboratory should be secured. It is also advisable to generate more hypothesis-driven research and to reinforce mechanistic approaches. This will make it possible to increase the scientific impact of the team and to succeed in getting more research grants.

It is recommended that the research line on synthetic culture media in cattle embryos be merged with embryopathogen research, so that bovine embryos which are not contaminated with proteins of animal origin can be produced and serve as a cheap source of embryos which can be used to investigate interactions with bovine pathogens. Since in vitro produced embryos have a different zona pellucida as compared to in vivo derived bovine embryos and react differently to the coincubation with pathogens, this research line is important and needs to be continued.

  Security of Reproduction Biotechnology

	Unit acronym:	SSRB
	Label requested:	EA
	Current number:	UPSP E26 or UPSP 5301
	Name of Director (2015-2016):	Mr Francis FIENI
	Name of Project Leader (2017-2021):	Mr Francis FIENI
	Expert committee members
	Chair:	Mr Ann VAN SOOM, Ghent University, Belgium
	Experts:	Mr Jean-Luc CADORE, Université de Lyon (representative of INRA)
		Ms Claire PONSART, Anses
	Scientific delegate representing the HCERES:
		Mr Emmanuel LAGARDE
	Representative of supervising institutions and bodies:

Ms Dominique BUZONI-GATEL, ONIRIS

Head of Doctoral School:

Mr Bruno LEBIZEC, Doctoral school ED BS n° 502, "Biologie Santé".


president Michel Cosnard

Rick Dijkhuizen

Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

Unit name:

Physiopathology The unit is hosted by the "Groupement d'intérêt publique" (GIP) Cyceron (Campus Jules Horowitz), in Caen, which offers a platform for investigations from molecular to integrated levels, through access to equipments of the GIS-IBISA platform for in vivo imaging (7T and 3T Magnetic resonance imaging, near infrared fluorescence, confocal imaging -in U919, multiphoton microscopy) and to a recently built animal facility (University of Caen).

Management team

The unit is headed by Mr Denis VIVIEN.

PhIND consists of three teams. Team A: tPA and Neurovascular Disorders, is headed by Mr Denis VIVIEN, Team B: Serine Proteases, Neuroinflammation and Glial cells, is headed by Mr Fabian DOCAGNE, Team C: Multimodal Neuroimaging and Lifestyle in Ageing and Alzheimer's Disease, is headed by Mr Gaël CHETELAT. 2  Overall assessment of the unit Introduction PhIND aims at developping and applying innovative research methods, focused on molecular biology, cell biology, physiology, behaviour and brain imaging, to elucidate mechanisms underlying functions and dysfunctions of the central nervous system, with a special interest on serine proteases (especially tPA), inflammatory processes and ageing. The unit promotes a translational approach with close interaction between basic research and clinical practice.

HCERES

Currently, the UMR-S U919 is a mono-team unit, which has been focusing on translational research on neuroprotective and/or pro-fibrinolytic strategies in stroke, inflammatory processes and age-related brain-dysfunctions. There has been a strong interest in the development and application of brain imaging tools, which has been reinforced when Mr Gaël CHÉTELAT (ex INSERM UMR-S U1077) joined the unit in 2015.

Global assessment of the unit

The future unit will be constituted of three research teams that aim at elucidating physiopathological mechanisms of neurological disorders and at developping diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies that could ultimately lead to improved outcome for patients. The research program has a specific focus on serine proteases (particularly tPA), and involves a powerful translational approach, with a central role for imaging techniques. The team leaders are internationally renowned scientists in the fields of molecular neurobiology in cerebrovascular and neuroinflammatory disorders (Teams A and B) or neuroimaging in Alzheimer's disease (Team C). They have a very impressive track record in terms of scientific output and technology transfer of their research findings. Furthermore, they have been highly successful in raising local, national and international funding.

The well-managed unit benefits from a well-equipped infrastructure for multidisciplinary studies and a close link with clinicians, which provides an excellent basis for bench-to-bedside-to-bench studies ranging from basic science to (pre)clinical research. Their organization also offers excellent internal PhD training opportunities. The teams have proposed an original, ambitious and promising five-year plan, which builds upon their previous successful achievements and includes novel strategies that can effectively benefit from interaction between the three teams.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

The scientific scope, achievements and outputs, as measured from publications and invited lectures, are excellent to outstanding, both qualitatively and quantitatively according to international standards. The unit consists of talented and ambitious team leaders, with a good balance between early-career and established scientists, who have developed and applied original and pioneering research approaches ranging from basic science to clinical studies. This will be extended in the proposed five-year plan with a highly promising and original research program focused on neurological disorders, particularly stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer's disease.

The leaders of Team A (unit director) and Team C are internationally recognized experts in the fields of protease and neurobiology (Team A) and neuroimaging of Alzheimer's disease (Team C). Team B is an emerging group with original concepts for research in the field of MS. The team leaders have been very successful in raising local, national and international funds, which provides an important basis for their successful achievements.

The composition of the unit and of the teams, which include clinicians, offers a very strong potential for efficient translational research, for example through use of neuroimaging tools that are available in experimental and pre-clinical settings. Furthermore, various successful partnerships with academic and non-academic institutions (locally, nationally and internationally) provide excellent opportunities for transfer and translation of their scientific results.

The unit is very well managed with a unique infrastructure for multidisciplinary studies and excellent training opportunities for PhD students.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

The wide extent of the research projects may carry a risk of over ambition at the expense of scientific focus, particularly for the single permanent researcher in Team B. This may be further threatened by shortage of technical support. Optimal clinical translation might be confined by the absence of clinicians as principal investigators in some of the teams.

Despite the great potential for a powerful joint translational research program, the exact strategy for continuing interaction between the three teams on the long-term is not fully clear. In particular, the integration of the program of Team C into the more basic science programs of Teams A and B requires attention.

There are only a few international PhD students or post-docs in the teams.

Although internal PhD training is excellent, the participation of PhD students in the doctoral school program is at a low level.

Recommendations

Further collaborative studies should be developed, particularly for Team C with Teams A and B, in order to promote the integration of Team C in the new unit.

Team B should keep focusing on MS, and the team leader needs to be supported in his development to become an independent principal investigator, for example through senior authorships on publications. This team should also aim at financial independence by increasing the part of its own grants.

  location of the unit The proposed tripartite unit "Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders" (PhIND) is a follow-up of the INSERM mono-team research unit 919 (UMR-S U919), entitled 'tPA in the working brain', created in 2008 under the responsibility of Mr Denis VIVIEN, which was renewed and renamed in 2012 as "Serine Proteases and Physiopathology of the neurovascular Unit (SP2U)" with the same director.

  and Imaging of Neurological Disorders (Former name: Serine Proteases and Pathophysiology of the Neurovascular Unit)

	Unit acronym:	PhIND (Former: SP2U)
	Label requested:	UMR-S INSERM / Univ. Caen / EFS
	Current number:	UMR-S U919
	Name of Director
	(2015-2016):	Mr Denis VIVIEN
	Name of Project Leader
	(2017-2021):	Mr Denis VIVIEN
	Expert committee members
	Scientific delegate representing the HCERES:
		Mr Jean-Marie ZAJAC
	Representatives of supervising institutions and bodies:
		Ms Chantal LASSERVE, INSERM
		Mr Guy LAUNOY,University of Caen
		Mr Frederick MARIE, Caen University Hospital
		Mr Samir OULD-ALI, INSERM

Chair:

Mr Rick DIJKHUIZEN, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands Experts: Mr Gilles BONVENTO, CEA, Fontenay aux Roses Ms Jöelle CHABRY, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Sophia Antipolis, Nice (representative of the INSERM) Mr Florian LESAGE, IPMC, Sophia Antipolis, Nice (representative of the CNU) Mr Jean Christophe PAGES, EFS Head of Doctoral School: Mr François DAUPHIN, Doctoral school n°497, ED NBISE

signed by their chairman.by the chairman of the expert committee".

Translational approaches can be strengthened by more involvement of clinicians at all levels of the scientific programs, i.e. from basic science to clinical applications.

Technical support and expertise should be increased, for example for electrophysiology and in vivo animal experimentation studies.

More foreign students and post-docs should be attracted.

Possibilities to improve the participation of the unit in the doctoral school program should be discussed between the director of the unit and the doctoral school.


The visit of the unit (one team) has been operated on November 15th, 2011.

History and geographical location of the unit, and overall description of its field and activities:

The unit is a laboratory located on the Agrocampus Ouest in Rennes. The unit depends on the National School of Agronomy with a contract with INRA. Although small, the unit is well known in the field of lipid nutrition, especially for the study of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids deriving from the essential fatty acids in mammals, namely linoleic and linolenic acids. One important topic of research in the team is the regulation of such a metabolism by saturated fatty acids.

Management team:

The head of the team is Philippe LEGRAND, Professor of Biochemistry at the Agrocampus. The unit is a small size team dedicated to the metabolism and function of fatty acids of nutritional interest. This team, located at AgroCampus in Rennes, is an efficient and creative one, interacting with Rennes University and clinical facilities in Lorient. Discussions for future interactions with the human nutrition research center (CRNH) in Nantes are also ongoing.

Unit workforce:

Strengths and opportunities:

The team benefits from international recognition in polyunsaturated fatty acid biogenesis from essential fatty acids in mammals, especially in the field of desaturases. Another well identified expertise is relating to myristoylation and the desaturation process in fatty acid and sphingolipid biogenesis. The research activities are well supported by industry.

Also, the team is strongly involved in training of students of the AgroCampus as well as of the Master degree and PhD level. The technician/researcher ratio of the team is relatively high, allowing good analytical possibilities.

Weaknesses and risks:

The team is small, although a new associate professor will be recruited soon, and does not interact much with the immediate surrounding for research. The impact factor of the journals for publishing the results is relatively low if we consider the quality of these results.

Recommendations:

The team should target higher impact factor journals, expand international collaborations, and apply for national and international grants.

The number of topics investigated should be better adapted to the size of the team, with a "go/no go" management of these topics. Investigations in humans rather than rodents should be a goal as much as possible, with collaboration to be developped with CRNH in Nantes.

 Detailed assessments

Assessment of scientific quality and production:

The first topic deals with the "metabolism and physiological role of saturated fatty acids". The topic is important because of the pathophysiological relevance of saturated fatty acids. The team is focusing on myristic acid that is involved in the myristoylation of some intracellular proteins (with Gly as N-terminus), which results in activation of some metabolic pathways. The team investigates the myristoylation process in desaturases involved in polyunsaturated fatty acid and sphingolipid biosynthesis. Also, critical processes such as cell signalling or apoptosis are concerned. The results obtained by the team represent a significant contribution to the current knowledge, and therefore the research carried out is highly relevant and original. Very few research laboratories have expertise in this field, especially in France.

A second topic deals with a desaturase-related enzyme, named FADS3, with unknown function. The approaches are well designed and described, with relevant experiments for the biochemistry and regulation of the enzyme. Although new aspects of FADS 3 have been found, they did not result in major outcomes and publications. The biological relevance of the FADS3 protein is investigated in the extracellular matrix where it has been located, but this appears as a source of diversion for such a small team (indeed, only one Associate Professor is in charge of this topic). This is a burning issue with an elevated risk as a highly competitive team in USA is making advances in this field.

A third topic, investigated in the past years, relates to a large collaborative programme aiming to determine, in obese volunteers, the impact of changes in the fatty acid composition of animal food products, those animals receiving linseeds in their diet. The program also involved a clinical and an INRA teams, in collaboration with the linseed agrofood industry. It took place within the scientific debate on the importance of the n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio, and more specifically the 18:2n-6/18:3n-3 one, on the occurrence of various metabolic disorders. The nutritional approach, based on the intake of food products derived from animals fed with extruded linseed (rich in 18:3 n-3), is very relevant and original. Although this nutrional intervention resulted in a weak increase in the long-chain omege-3 derivatives, EPA & DHA, virtually no clinical effects could be observed. For these reasons and because of logistic ones relating to the collaboration with the Lorient CHR, this topic will not be further studied.

The quality of the scientific production is high, if we consider the small size of the team (all the members are producing scientists). However, at the exception of a journal with IF over 10 (Hepataology), most of the original work has been published in quite specialized journals with medium IF (Lipids, Mol Cell Biochem, Biochimie,). Several reviews (Curr Opinion Clin Nutr, Biochimie, BBA Mol & Cell Biol Lipids) or expert review (Am J Clin Nutr) have also been published. Journals with higher impact factors should be targeted. The very heavy human study on the effect of fatty-acid modified animal products in obese volunteers led to only one publication, justifying that this approach be abandonned in the team project.

Assessment of the unit's integration into its environment:

The team benefits from a strong support provided by the local and national milk industry, which has been established in the Brittany Region for a long time. The team has a good national visibility, and is represented in numerous activities such as teaching and administrative responsibilities. This may explain in part the low international visibility except for the team leader.

No international grants and nor funding from national programs (ANR) could be noted. Thus, the international visibility of the team remains to be reinforced.

The team is relatively isolated in its scientific environment, and is encouraged by its institution to be more connected with local units.

Assessment of the research unit's reputation and drawing power:

The leader of the team has been invited to give a talk or a lecture in 30 meetings, including 9 international meetings or symposia, because of his expertise in saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acid biogenesis in mammals. His expertise is also recognized as being the Vice-president of the Expert Committee of Human Nutrition at ANSES.

The recruitment of a new Associate Professor in the near future will reinforce the team and reflects its attractitivity. The relative limited international visibility of the unit may explain the absence of foreign doctoral and post-doctoral fellows, which means that attracting researchers from abroad should be encouraged. However, each scientist is involved in French PhD student training.

The team does apparently not participate in international and national programs. The financial support of the research programs is guaranteed by industrial grants. Collaboration with a Canadian laboratory is mentioned.

An effort should be made to promote the participation of young associate professors in national and international events.

Assessment of the unit's governance and life:

The size of the unit is small and therefore the organization is quite simple. Due to the small size of the team, attention must be paid to the possible isolation of young scientists (PhD students). Also, each member of the technical staff is more or less involved in all projects. However, the technicians appreciate to be, when possible, more involved in a specific project.

The scientific animation is very good, but lacks of seminars, journal clubs, invited speakers to link the activity of the team with other groups from Agrocampus. There is no doubt however that the action of the present director is efficient.

The risk taken is somehow high for all the topics studied, especially for the investigation of FADS3. A cautious management of the topics should be engaged for the survival of the team, especially for the future of the younger researchers.

The strong implication within the Agrocampus training program is the cause of a good attractiveness for Master and PhD students. However, the drawback is the heavy teaching load on the researcher/teachers and technicians.

Assessment of the strategy and 5-year project:

There is a well-defined project which derives from the first topic reported above. This project is relevant as it aims at better understanding the mechanisms underlying the effects of myristic acid on: i) the endogenous biosynthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from their essential precursors; ii) the biosynthesis of sphingolipids with their functional consequences on mitochondrial function and apoptosis. Due to the specific expertise of some members of the team, there is no doubt that several of the objectives can be reached. A new goal in the topic is to investigate the impact of other types of protein acylation (such as octanoylation of ghreline), which may be less feasible in the context.

The project dealing with the second topic reported above (FADS3) is ambitious and promising but should be better structured. Reading the program, it is not clear whether the priorities are being determined. It is likely that the team will suffer from its small size. The team should then revise its strategy, and try to define priorities because the topic is highly competitive. The team should only focus on mechanistic approaches, limit dispersion as far as possible, and try to get collaborations with abroad competitors as well.

A third topic has been presented in place of that dedicated to the effect of food from linseed-supplemented animals. This new theme aims to reconsider the requirements in 18:2n-6, linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. It takes place in the controversial debate on the respective roles of 18:3n-3 and 18:2n-6, and their ratio, in the occurrence or prevention of various metabolic disorders. This is justified by the fact that the nutritional requirements for 18:2n-6 has been assessed in the absence of 18:3n-3, and thus may have been overestimated, due to a competition for the same desaturases and elongases during their conversion into their long-chain derivatives. These investigations are planned in the rat model for studies on the fatty acid conversions and in rabbits for studying the consequences in terms of cardiovascular effects. Such a program should clearly be more promising in humans with the use of stable isotope labelled fatty acid precursors. To that purpose, a strong collaboration with the human nutrition research center (CRNH) in Nantes is advisable.

The means (use of the rat or rabbit model, and cell cultures) are present in the laboratory. Due to the small size of the team, there is an easy agreement to use these resources and no internal competition is expected for allocation of means.

The first topic (acylation of proteins) is original and may be the less risk-taking project of the team: it is well defined, carried out in a very limited number of teams in the world, and benefits from a strong expertise.

The second topic is at high risk, but may be quite fruitful if it successful.

The third one aims at revisiting the old paradigm of essential fatty acids from the viewpoint of competition between them. Its relevance would be best in being investigated in humans.

Overall, the risk associated to those different topics could be largely minimized by adopting a "go/no go" strategy, especially for the second topic, as the small size of the team might be limiting to be fully efficient at investigating the three topics.

5 N5:2

 5 Other professors and researchers N4: Engineers, technicians and administrative staff on a permanent position 5 Engineers, technicians and administrative staff on a non-permanent position N6: Postdoctoral students having spent at least 12 months in the unit Number of Habilitations to Direct Research (HDR) defended N10: People habilitated to direct research or similar Assessment of the unit Overall opinion on the unit:

Sciences du Vivant et Environnement

				Statistiques de notes globales par domaines scientifiques
						(État au 06/05/2011)
	Note globale	SVE1_LS1_LS2	SVE1_LS3	SVE1_LS4	SVE1_LS5	SVE1_LS6	SVE1_LS7	SVE2 _LS3 *	SVE2_LS8 *	SVE2_LS9 *	Total
	A+	7	3	1	4	7	6		2		30
	A		27	1	13	20	21	26	2	12	23	145
	B		6	1	6	2	8	23	3	3	6	58
	C		1					4				5
	Non noté	1									1
	Total	42	5	20	26	36	59	5	17	29	239
	A+	16,7%	60,0%	5,0%	15,4%	19,4%	10,2%		11,8%		12,6%
	A		64,3%	20,0%	65,0%	76,9%	58,3%	44,1%	40,0%	70,6%	79,3%	60,7%
	B		14,3%	20,0%	30,0%	7,7%	22,2%	39,0%	60,0%	17,6%	20,7%	24,3%
	C		2,4%					6,8%				2,1%
	Non noté	2,4%									0,4%
	Total	100,0%	100,0%	100,0%	100,0%	100,0%	100,0%	100,0%	100,0%	100,0%	100,0%
	*	Intitulé UR / équipe	C1	C2	C3	C4	Note globale
	Biochimie -Nutrition humaine	B	A	A	A	A
	C1 Qualité scientifique et production
	C2 Rayonnement et attractivité, intégration dans l'environnement
	C3 Gouvernance et vie du laboratoire
	C4 Stratégie et projet scientifique

les résultats SVE2 ne sont pas définitifs au 06/05/2011. Intitulés des domaines scientifiques Sciences du Vivant et Environnement • SVE1 Biologie, santé SVE1_LS1 Biologie moléculaire, Biologie structurale, Biochimie SVE1_LS2 Génétique, Génomique, Bioinformatique, Biologie des systèmes SVE1_LS3 Biologie cellulaire, Biologie du développement animal SVE1_LS4 Physiologie, Physiopathologie, Endocrinologie SVE1_LS5 Neurosciences SVE1_LS6 Immunologie, Infectiologie SVE1_LS7 Recherche clinique, Santé publique • SVE2 Ecologie, environnement SVE2_LS8 Evolution, Ecologie, Biologie de l'environnement SVE2_LS9 Sciences et technologies du vivant, Biotechnologie SVE2_LS3 Biologie cellulaire, Biologie du développement végétal


president Michel Cosnard

Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

Unit name:

Bone sarcomas and bone remodeling of calcified tissues The laboratory LPRO "Pathophysiology of bone resorption and Therapy of primary bone tumours" was created at Nantes University in 1999 and under the direction of Mr Dominique HEYMANN. In 2004, the team obtained its first university label as Équipe d'Accueil (EA 3822) and received the same year a recognition both by INSERM and by the "Région des Pays de la Loire" as an Équipe Région-INSERM (ERI7). The team begun with 11 permanent employees and rapidly grew up to 16 permanent employees in 2008. After the AERES evaluation in 2008, the laboratory became in January 2009 an INSERM unit: the UMR_S957 monothematic INSERM unit. In 2012, the unit label was renewed by INSERM and Nantes University. In addition, part of the unit was recognized as "Équipe Ligue Contre le cancer" for five years. At the end of the AERES evaluation, a re-organization in a multi-team unit was discussed. Then from 2012 to 2015, the team still expanded with 4 more researchers (1 INSERM) and 2 more technicians and engineers. Currently, the creation of a unit with three internal teams is proposed. Most of the researchers develop projects on physiologypathology of bone sarcomas from the beginning, now with complementary approaches: team 1 is focused on bone sarcomas, targeting the tumour cells and their microenvironment (cells, signalling pathways) for new therapeutic strategies; team 2 is focused on the cellular communications in bone pathologies, mainly from tumour origin and in a bone inflammatory context; team 3 studies the genetic, epigenetic and cellular stress aspects of bone physiopathology, with a particular interest in bone sarcomas (but not only). The unit space (816 m²) is located at the Medical School, close to the hospital [Nantes CHU and "Mère-Enfant" hospital]. This vicinity facilitates the interactions between basic and clinical research.

Management team

For the 2017-2021 period, the director will be Ms Françoise REDINI (INSERM DR2), helped by a co-director Mr François GOUIN (PUPH). The 3 teams are:

-team 1 "Microenvironment of primary bone tumours: Signalling and therapeutic targeting". Director: Ms Francoise REDINI (Inserm DR2) and co-dir. Mr Frank VERRECCHIA (Inserm DR1); -team 2 "Inflammation and cellular communications in bone pathologies". Director: Mr Pierre LAYROLLE (Inserm DR1) and co-dir. Mr Frederic BLANCHARD (Inserm DR2); -team 3 "EpiStress: Genetics, Epigenetic, and Cellular Stress". Director: Mr Benjamin ORY (MCU) and co-dir. Francois LAMOUREUX (INSERM CR2).

HCERES nomenclature

SVE1_LS4 Physiologie, physiopathologie, biologie systémique médicale

Scientific domains

The scientific domains are related first to the physiopathology of bone remodelling, mainly in the pathogenesis of primary bone tumours, and secondly to bone reconstructive surgeries based on mesenchymal stem cells. The unit covers basic research, pre clinical and clinical aspects in these fields. The unit proposed novel therapeutic strategies (pharmacological agents, metabolic pathways, epigenetic or stress proteins, cytokine-based therapies, siRNA approaches, immunotherapy).

Introduction

The main area of the research unit is the understanding of the physiopathology of primary bone tumours at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels, with the aim of improving individual medical treatment. Despite the difficulties in attracting funding for such rare diseases, the group managed, through mechanistic approaches, to occupy a first place in the INSERM community. Thus, the Nantes research unit has undoubtedly reached during all these years a national and international recognition in the specific field of bone sarcomas comprehension and disease treatment. The other domain of high visibility is the healing of bone large defects supported by the FP7 REBORNE project.

At the last evaluation, the scientific quality was recognized. It was achieved through successful integration of basic and clinical objectives. It has also been achieved through good governance, dynamism and group cohesion. This great potential regularly grew during the last years and led to a restructuration from a single team unit to a multiteams unit. Indeed, this unit has now reached a larger size as compared to the previous evaluation in 2011, so that the reorganization into three teams appears fully justified. This reorganization obeys a logical strategy with clearly defined scientific perimeters and thematic complementary.

Global assessment of the unit

The "Bone sarcomas and bone remodelling of calcified tissues" ("Ф SOS") Unit is a research unit historically and mainly devoted to research on the biology of bone sarcomas and, more recently, on bone healing processes. The overall scientific quality of Ф SOS is prominent both in qualitative and quantitative terms. The experts committee judges this Unit to rank within the top 10% of their respective areas of expertise worldwide. The dossier and the various aspects presented during the visit offer a highly coherent and dedicated research structure. Original and specific approaches and ideas guarantee the individuality of the unit. It is important to highlight the really translational research, from bench to bedside and vice versa. The unit is internationally respected (38 invited talks at international meetings) and leads one FP7 that also gave visibility on osseous defects regeneration.

The visibility of the senior scientists in the international research arena is high. The long-term viability of the unit seems to be well prepared, with a recent success to an INSERM competition and the recruitment of other new young researchers.

The 3 teams of this unit have published in journals with high impact factors (J Bone Miner Res, Cancer Res, Biomaterials, PNAS, Ann Rheum Dis, Nature Commun, J Clin Inv) and several important breakthroughs have been reported in cell signalling, epigenetic/genetic, cell interaction/communication, and preclinical models.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

Multidisciplinary approach linking clinicians (including surgeons) and scientists to capitalize on typical translational research.

The reorganization of the unit that has reached a greater critical mass, is naturally favouring synergies and interactions between teams.

Basic science represents an important research component: important breakthroughs in -for example -the characterization of tumour microenvironment and the therapeutic targeting of bone cells, cytokines and their signalling pathways, and in the identification of the role of JQ1 (BET bromodomains inhibitor protein capable of interfering with osteosarcoma development) that generated new hypotheses that may lead to clinical trials.

The unit has publications in the Top journals in their field (at least 1 or 2 per year).

The unit protects the discoveries, with 3 patents since 2012 (2 common to all teams, 1 in team 2).

The unit has a center of shared competences to optimize efficiency and sustainability.

The unit shows good attractiveness with substantial progression in the manpower.

The unit shows a very good integration into the local and regional landscape and has the support of the région Pays de la Loire and of the University of Nantes; the unit benefits from a significant involvement of the hospital.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

Although the experts committee does not have any worry and fully supports the choice of the new director, the departure of the present director, a leader who contributed to the team high visibility and international reputation, might represent a notable loss for the unit. Hopefully this loss might be balanced by a new collaboration with the future lab of Mr Dominique HEYMANN in Sheffield "Sarcoma Research Unit" [the recognition as a "European Associated Laboratory" label is requested from INSERM].

The field of study on bone remodelling of calcified tissues opens up to new pathologies. The experts committee alerts the unit on the importance of maintaining specificity versus other teams working on rheumatoid arthritis or on vascular calcifications.

by the chairman of the expert committee". (Article 11, paragraph 2Permanent professors and similar positions 13 9 N2: Permanent researchers from Institutions and similar positions 13 12 N3: Other permanent staff (technicians and administrative personnel) 10 11 N4: Other professors (Emeritus Professor, on-contract Professor, etc.) N5: Other researchers from Institutions (Emeritus Research Director, Postdoctoral students, visitors, etc.) 2 N6: Other contractual staff (technicians and administrative personnel) N1 to N7 54 Qualified research supervisors (HDR) or similar positions PhD theses defended 26 Postdoctoral scientists having spent at least 12 months in the unit 9 Number of Research Supervisor Qualifications (HDR) obtained during the period 3 2  Overall assessment of the unit

Recommendations

Progression has been regular and impressive since the INSERM recognition; the team will have to keep pace, including for the funding!

The success and the increased volume of activity will likely require a more "formal" management in order to ensure scientific communication between the teams and to ensure internal communication within the teams so that the remarkable growth will not let anyone out.

The experts committee encourages the project of INSERM associated European Lab with Sheffield.

More postdocs should be recruited from abroad.

Considering the work force, the experts committee recommends to focus the research program in team 3.


The LIOAD laboratory composed of 49 people in 2006 was organized in a single research team sharing its activities between three research themes working in tight collaboration. In the proposed project, the RMeS-Lab will extend its activity to hydrogels for tissue engineering and develop additional topics thanks to the arrival of new researchers. To reflect this orientation, the present structure, will be organized into two teams entitled STEP ("Skeletal Tissue Engineering and Physiopathology") and REGOS ("Regenerative Medicine of Bone Tissues"). It also complies with the growth of the unit up to about 85 people, including permanent and temporary people, as well as PhD students and postdoctoral fellows in the RMeS-Lab.

The LIOAD, located within the School of Dental Surgery of the University of Nantes, spreads on about 1200 m 2 . This includes offices as well as 4 technical platforms composed of cell and tissue culture, molecular biology and physicalchemistry as well as state-of-the art imaging instruments. With the increase of human resources, the RMeS-Lab has obtained an additional space of 500 m 2 , yielding to a total area of 1700 m 2 .

Management team

The LIOAD laboratory was headed by its director Mr Pierre WEISS (PU-PH) assisted by a deputy-director, Mr Jérome GUICHEUX (DR INSERM), who will take the lead of the new RMeS-Lab. In the next term, he will be assisted by Ms Catherine LE VISAGE (DR INSERM) who will act as deputy-director. The direction team is assisted by a steering committee, a laboratory council and a scientific animation committee including representatives of research themes.

HCERES nomenclature

SVE1_LS4 Physiologie, physiopathologie, biologie systémique médicale SVE1_LS3 Biologie cellulaire et biologie du développement végétal SVE1_LS7 Epidémiologie, santé publique, recherche clinique, technologies biomédicales

Scientific domains

The RMeS-lab operates in the field of biomaterials for bone substitution, tissue engineering of bone and cartilage for various skeletal applications and regenerative medicine. 2  Overall assessment of the unit

Unit workforce

Unit workforce

Introduction

The RMeS-lab is a research unit that evolved over time from the conception of biomaterials, specifically calcium phosphate ceramics for bone substitution, into the field of biomaterial technology towards the development of scaffolds and hydrogels for tissue engineering of bone and cartilage for various skeletal applications. Lately, it has also focused on activities in stem cell biology, particularly for the understanding of embryonic development and aging of skeletal tissues, with the view to improve regenerative medicine strategies.

In the reference period, the unit was organized as a single team subdivided in three research topics: BIOMAT, STEP and ITO. It was recommended in the previous evaluation to adjust both the scientific strategy and the organization. In consequence, the proposed division into two teams STEP and REGOS and the re-focusing of the research activities into two main topics is coherent and appropriate.

The LIOAD research staff includes permanent researchers, associate professors, professors as well as university hospital staff, clinicians and dentists. The significant increase in the number of researchers in the last 5 years has to be highlighted, and in particular the mobility of 6 permanent researchers from CNRS and INSERM and 22 university hospital or ONIRIS researchers. The growth in human resources is impressive and supports a strategy of development of the proposed areas of research. This growth appears to be sustainable since it is supported by a dynamic strategy in fund raising.

The report shows some focus in developing new and emerging areas of research in both teams (STEP and REGOS). The focus of the research proposed for the next period is a combination of the previously developed areas with a stronger motivation for the translation of research results to the clinic and with new basic research areas, supported by the new researchers that joined or will join the unit. As such, the plan for the next period is a balanced combination of a few basic science topics aligned with the general goals of each team (bone, cartilage and intravertebral disc regeneration), more established research lines, and a strong emphasis in the translational potential of the research developed by both teams.

The latter is supported by a significant number of university hospital staff who combine their clinical activities with the research in the unit. The medical doctors involved in the research of the unit were referred (by several researchers who joined the unit recently) as providing a competitive advantage of the unit to attract researchers working in basic scientific topics who find there a possibility to translate their research works into the clinic.

Following the recommendations from AERES evaluation in 2011, the LIOAD has (i) shifted towards a multi-team unit; (ii) attracted senior scientists to increase its ratio of PH and PU-PH versus senior scientists; (iii) limited the number of research themes to limit dispersion of research; (iv) strengthened its collaboration with the Nantes University Hospital.

Global assessment of the unit

The RMeS-lab evolved from the previous LIOAD at Nantes capitalizing on its excellent expertise on the development of calcium phosphate ceramics for bone substitution. The RMeS-lab, now organized into two teams, has the ambition to be a center dedicated to osteo-articular and dental tissue engineering as well as physiopathology of skeletal tissues. The research is targeting regenerative medicine for bone, joints and intravertebral disc in a larger sense relying on in highly trained researchers and state-of-the-art technical platforms.

In the past 5 years, LIOAD has undergone a consistent and significant increase in human resources of about 20% per year. The LIOAD research members are all experts in several aspects of tissue engineering with established expertise in dental science. The permanent staff, students and post-docs and the management team should be congratulated on having created a place where people are enthusiastic about their work and feel highly motivated to come and develop their project.

The scientific production of the unit is excellent in quality and quantity. The members of the LIOAD published in high-ranked biomaterials and tissue engineering journals as well as in clinical journals.

The research activities are supported by a large number of regional and national projects and many collaborations with partnerships through European networks, and are very well integrated in the socio-economic environment. The unit has also a strong strategy of integration in the local academic environment.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

The RMeS-lab has positioned his project on regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, a very strategic domain. The unit has multidisciplinary expertise and cutting-edge lab facilities covering biomaterials and their characterization by histology, imaging, cell and molecular biology labs as well as physico-chemical characterization.

During the reference period, the LIOAD has had an offensive strategy to attract new members, following the recommendations of the previous evaluation committee. This plan resulted in the recruitment of 6 senior researchers enabling to cover some new and strategic areas of research. The lab succeeded also in expanding the area of the available lab facilities from 1200 m 2 to 1700 m 2 .

An organisation in two teams is appropriate with regard to the growth of the unit, both in terms of topics and of research staff. The management model is well adapted to the unit size and to its organization.

The unit succeeded in drastically increasing its funding (mostly national and regional but also European) to support its research activities (from 600 k€ in 2010 to 1400 k€ in 2014). It also has a strong network of national and international collaborations, creating opportunities for submitting European projects.

The unit has strong interactions with local and regional institutions and outstanding industrial partnerships. The unit has already created various spin-offs and currently has 10 active industrial collaborations. The unit is very effective in protecting Intellectual Property (IP) and generating resources by licensing some of the protected IP by royalties (25 k€ annually). The interaction with industrial partners is highly commendable and is an outstanding aspect of this unit.

The unit is highly competitive at the national level, has an excellent reputation, visibility and recognition documented by participations in panels and other prestigious boards, some of them with an international dimension. Some researchers received prestigious national and international awards. This is a strong basis to have an ambitious international exposure and to launch an offensive strategy to capture international funding's.

In conclusion, the unit has the critical mass of researchers, the expertise, the appropriate funding and national/international networking connections enabling working towards breakthrough discoveries in the field and having the potential to become a leading group in the future. The plan for the next 5 years is ambitious and embodies a clear vision for the development of the lab in terms of outputs, international projection and impact in the field.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

The scientific production has been important and regular and has increased over the years. The articles have been published in a large number of different journals, which corresponds to the high diversity of disciplines of the laboratory. The number and level of the publications is somehow unequally distributed among members.

The number of PhD students on some of the research topics is limited, indicating the need to dedicate efforts in attracting young researchers, in finding adequate grants and having a more distributed PhD supervision between the qualified staff members.

The increased number of researchers in the last years is reportedly linked to the funding and is the result of a clear strategic vision aiming at covering the two domains, from basic to applied research and translation to clinics. The international competition and the broad spectrum of the project will require strong supervision and focus to ensure success in reaching a competitive level internationally.

The translation of research from bench to bedside can be further increased. To this aim the arrival of new university hospital staff is a good strategy. It is the belief of the committee that successful translation will be achieved through the implementation of mechanisms that create mutually beneficial conditions (for the unit, for the hospital and for the medical school).

The unit is involved in several European networks. Its participation in ambitious EU funded projects is still limited but could be further reinforced namely taking advantage of the arrival of new staff.

Recommendations

The RMeS-lab has positioned his project on very strategic domains. It is recommended that both teams focused their activities in well-defined research areas to confirm the excellence of the research carried out in the laboratory. Moreover, the efforts, in interdisciplinary topics (such as the ones more clinically driven), should combine the expertise existing in the members of the various groups of the unit.

With the impressive growth of the unit, the effort in organisation should be pursued in order to ensure visibility of the different themes of each group. It is also recommended that the Unit closely monitor the progress of the different topics and encourage topics with high potential.

The unit should continue and reinforce the translational research at longer term, by promoting or being involved in clinical trials. The implication of many hospital researchers in the unit and the participation to 4 PHRCs and 2 clinical studies are expected to be fruitful, and to be further explored and potentiated in the next period.

With all the assets that the RMeS-Lab has gathered in human resources, technical platforms, national and international collaborations, the unit should now consider publishing in very top-ranking journals and (ii) applying for large international projects as feasible challenges in the next period. For these purposes, it may be helpful to more clearly specify the long-term goals (> 5 year timeframe) of the unit, to prioritize scientific challenges and further increase the cooperation with material scientists and chemists.

  Representatives of supervising institutions and bodies: Ms Pauline BOUDANT, Université de Nantes Ms Marie-Anne COLLE, ONIRIS Ms Marianne DESMET, INSERM Mr Olivier LABOUX, Université de Nantes Ms Marie-Josephe LEROY-ZAMIA, INSERM Mr Antoine MAGNAN, Université de Nantes Head of Doctoral School: Mr Frank BOURY, Doctoral School n° 34 "Biologie Santé" 1  Introduction History and geographical location of the unit The unit RMeS-Lab (Regenerative Medicine and Skeleton Research Laboratory) finds its origin in the INSERM unit LIOAD "Center for Osteoarticular and Dental Tissue Engineering" in the School of Dental Surgery at University of Nantes. This unit was established in 2006 and affiliated to University of Nantes, INSERM and to the Nantes-Atlantic College of Veterinary Medicine. This unit has a longstanding reputation in the domains of calcium phosphate ceramics for bone substitution and more recently tissue engineering. The laboratory was successively led by Mr Bertrand KEREBEL, Mr Guy DACULSI and Mr Pierre WEISS.

Number on 30/06/2015 Number on 01/01/2017 N1: Permanent

	professors and similar positions	27 (9.1 FTE)	31 (10.5)
	N2: Permanent researchers from Institutions and similar positions	6 (6)	8 (8)
	N3: Other permanent staff (technicians and administrative personnel)	13 (12.3)	13 (12.3)
	N4: Other professors (Emeritus Professor, on-contract Professor, etc.)	3 (1.5)
	N5: Other researchers from Institutions (Emeritus Research Director, Postdoctoral students, visitors, etc.)	5 (5)
	N6: Other contractual staff (technicians and administrative personnel)	8 (6.4)
	N7: PhD students	14
	TOTAL N1 to

N7 76 Qualified research supervisors (HDR) or similar positions 19 Unit record From 01/01/2010 to 30/06/2015 PhD

theses defended 18

Postdoctoral scientists having spent at least 12 months in the unit 5

Number of Research Supervisor Qualifications (HDR) obtained during the period 3


Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

Unit name:

Ecology

Head of Doctoral School:

Ms Nathalie THERET, Doctoral School n°92 "Vie-Agro-Santé"

 Introduction

History and geographical location of the unit

The unit was created the 1 st January 2008, by merging the unit "Écobiologie et Qualité des Hydrosystèmes Continentaux", the team "Écologie Halieutique" of the unit "Méthodes et Études des Systèmes Halieutiques", and the team "Gestion des Populations Invasives" of the unit "Station commune de recherche en ichtyophysiologie, biodiversité et environnement" in Rennes.

Most of the unit members are located at Agrocampus Ouest, but a few members are based at the Beaulieu Campus.

The unit has been moving several times during the last three years due to the renewal of the buildings in the Agrocampus Ouest. The new building should be available at the end of 2017.

Management team

Mr Hervé LE BRIS is the head of the unit, assisted by a deputy head (Mr Jean-Marc ROUSSEL).

HCERES nomenclature

Principal: SVE2_LS8 Évolution, écologie, biologie des populations.

Scientific domains

The title of the unit is "Ecology and Ecosystem Health", and as such it links aspects of stress ecology associated to human activities with the responses of aquatic ecosystems, especially at the interface between freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems.

Unit workforce

Unit workforce

Number The unit combines aspects of stress ecology with the responses of aquatic ecosystems, especially in the interphase between freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems.

Global assessment of the unit

The unit has made good progress with respect to the previous evaluation, regarding scientific output, recognition, integration between research teams, and has maintained strong interactions with stakeholders. The unit is producing good quality applied and basic research in a variety of fields. The unit has managed adequately the difficulties faced during this last period in particular those related with housing and departure of staff, and associated conflicts.

There is still room for improvement of the conceptual articulation between the different areas of research with regard to the scientific questions being tackled. This gives the impression that addition prevails over synergy. This situation is partly due to the institutional missions the unit has to accomplish (focusing, for Inra, on continental systems, and, for Agrocampus Ouest, mostly on marine systems), but the interaction between the research axes has to be improved.

The research production has unequal originality and novelty among the different teams of the unit. Traditional research goals have not yet been complemented with others dominating the modern debate, and this, in some areas, justifies the unit's absence of leadership with respect to the French and international standards: while some areas are producing research outputs of international standards, others are producing correct, but not highly innovative, and low-impact academic research. The same also applies to the international recognition of the research being done at the unit, which has recognised international reputation in some areas but not so much in others.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

The unit has a very good and broad expertise in freshwater and marine ecology, both in the applied and basic science fields.

The unit is enjoying a very good working spirit in the whole spectrum of the staff. This is an opportunity for enhancing interactions.

The "Sélune" project is an opportunity for a high profile common project that could bring international reputation to the unit.

The unit has produced an excellent bilingual, updated, website that reflects the internal dynamics of the group.

The new planned facilities, that should be available by 2017, will probably enhance the potential for collaboration within the unit. The unit has the necessary scientific complementarities to achieve high ground goals, and a better environment may indeed help.

There is a nice balance between teaching and research that benefits to all unit members.

The unit receives an excellent support from the two supervising bodies, in terms of promoting freshwater and marine research.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

Even though the number of published papers in high profile journals has increased in the last years, it remains relatively modest.

The unit has been suffering from repeated moving between buildings under renovation.

There is a threat related to the uncertainties of funding, and of replacement of technical and academic staff who has left the unit during the last years.

The teams are weakly connected with each other, partly due to separate research arenas (freshwater vs. marine systems). This leads to a lack of encompassing scientific goals, limiting the access to a high standing international visibility.

The diversity of funding sources, made of small projects (each with its own rules), generates additional administrative workload and scientific dispersion.

The lack of a well-defined organisational structure of the technical platforms might result in lower efficiency. Also, there is no clear vision on the integration of the unit's platforms with other high-tech platforms in the region.

Only a few PhD students are from abroad, and the same observation applies to post-docs.

The number of researchers visiting for sabbatical in the unit is low, as is low the number of researchers of the unit doing stays in other labs.

Recommendations

Even though efforts have been made to expand links with researchers outside the lab, and although a general improvement is obvious as compared to the previous evaluation period, the promotion of internationality should be a priority in many aspects within the unit. This should pave the way for international leadership.

The unit should have a more proactive strategy to attract post-docs and visiting scientists from abroad, and to increase the number of PhD students.

Crosstalk between research teams would lead to a broader scientific impact. Focusing on this enhanced internal interaction should have implications for management, stimulate staff mobility (internal, national and international), and lead to better support for obtaining competitive funds. If ambitious, one may think of applications to H2020, ERC, and Marie Curie calls.

The unit might benefit from a better strategic thinking in terms of project definition, funding sources, and organisation of technical platforms. This means allocating human and financial resources to reinforce the topics that have been identified as being among the unit best strengths.

It is highly desirable that the housing issue is rapidly solved.

  and Ecosystem Health

	Unit acronym:	ESE
	Label requested:	UMR
	Current number:	985
	Name of Director
	(2015-2016):	Mr Hervé LE BRIS
	Name of Project Leader
	(2017-2021):	Mr Hervé LE BRIS
	Expert committee members
	Chair:	Mr Sergi SABATER, Universitat de Girona, Spain
	Experts:	Mr Olivier BONATO, IRD (representative of the CNECA)
		Mr Pierre FEDERICI, CNRS
		Mr Pierre FRÉON, IRD
		Ms Emmanuelle PORCHER, MNHN (representative of the CSS Inra)
		Mr Filip VOLCKAERT, University of Leuven, Belgium
	Scientific delegate representing the HCERES:
		Mr Gabriele SORCI
	Representatives of supervising institutions and bodies:
		Mr Thierry CAQUET, Inra EFPA
		Ms Emmanuelle CHEVASSUS LOZZA, Agrocampus Ouest


president Michel Cosnard

Mariano Alcañiz

In the name of HCERES, 1

Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

Unit name:

Mobilités : vieillissement, pathologie, santé The INSERM UMR-S 1075 / COMETE UNICAEN "Mobility: Attention, Orientation, Chronobiology" was created on January 1 st , 2012. This creation is the result of a strategic combination in 2008 of two entities with respective experience in medicine and sport science (STAPS -"Sciences et techniques des activités physiques et sportives"). This grouping became ERI27 ("Équipe soutenue par la Région et par l'Inserm") in 2009 with the support of the "Région Basse-Normandie" and INSERM, as well as UMR ("Unités Mixtes de Recherche") at the beginning of the current five-year plan.

One essential aspect of this unit is its interdisciplinary activity bringing together researchers and teachers in neuroscience, STAPS and medicine wishing to combine their respective expertise to tackle the theme of mobility. Research objectives are structured through complementary methodologies and immediate clinical perspectives, especially in the field of ambulation and driving.

The unit has, since June 2015, new facilities inside the "Pôle des Formation et de Recherche en Santé" (PFRS) of the University of Caen-Normandie. These facilities bring together, in a single location, all the offices and rooms dedicated to experimentation in humans, which previously -due to the origin of its members (medicine,STAPS) -were scattered.

HCERES

Scientific domains

The unit COMETE studies cognitive mechanisms that underlie both types of mobility, ambulation and driving vehicle, and the development of therapeutics to prevent falls and other accidents.

The unit contributes to the development of mobility assessment tools, with the objective to know their associated functions and to develop appropriate rehabilitation programs. 2  Overall assessment of the interdisciplinary unit

Unit workforce

Unit workforce

Introduction

The strategy of the unit is centered on a synergic activity of researchers that are developing complementary interdisciplinary research around mobility. The scientific activity is both fundamental and applied with, in addition, the gradual introduction in recent years of translational studies from animals to humans. The approaches are mainly experimental and clinical, on healthy subjects or patients.

Since the last evaluation report (2011), the unit has grouped the different projects under 4 main scientific themes:

the theme "Attention" is interested in the study of attentional processes involved when walking and when driving;

the theme "Spatial Orientation" focuses on the study of neurophysiological processes involved in any movement; the theme "Chronobiology" is to understand the mechanisms that influence biological rhythmicity; the theme "Methodology and technology" is a separate issue since the technological and methodological development is a priority of the unit.

Each theme has a clear objective and presents a coherent scientific activity. This unit running is based on achieving the coherence of scientific activities within each theme; however, the unit as a whole shows a high interconnectivity between each theme in order to fulfill the main scientific objectives of the unit, which are:

identification and understanding of control and regulation mechanisms of mobility and the factors that can alter them, with special interest in intrinsic factors and de-synchronizations of biological rhythmicity;

screening and early diagnosis of mobility disorders;

prevention and treatment of mobility disorders by non-pharmacological and/or pharmacological interventions.

From January 2017, the unit will change its organization from a theme-based structure to a project based organizational chart, maintaining its central objectives. The GMPC ("Groupe mémoire et plasticité comportementale" EA 4259) members will be integrated in the unit. The GMPC team is composed of 8 members and has expertise in research based on animal models. This integration will enhance the development of translational research from animal models to humans, and from fundamental to more clinical and technological research approaches.

Furthermore, the unit has strengths in the technological and methodological production, having created a startup company (BodyCap) in 2011.

Global assessment of the unit

Overall, the unit displays a centralization of its activity, which is clearly organized around the four sub-themes and is one of the strengths of the unit.

The level of funding has improved significantly since the previous evaluation. However, the unit still highly depends on local funding, although to a lesser extent than previously.

The scientific production has also improved markedly, both in number and quality with a marked increase in the percentage of publications with an IF greater than 3. The unit's international visibility and economic relationship with the environment have improved. A start-up company, BodyCap, has been stabilized.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

number and quality of publications. The unit has published an adequate number of items original in peer-indexed journals with an average impact factor of 3.98, which is a good outcome (the average impact factor of journals which usually publish mobility related works is estimated to be 45). The productivity of the unit is 3.8 articles / year / FTE, which is a good result in the mobility field;

relationship with the environment. The unit is very well established locally and regionally; interdisciplinarity. One of the main strength of the unit is its interdisciplinarity that gives it the opportunity of conducting original research activities on mobility that are quite difficult to conduct for other labs;

translational research. The unit conducts translational research from animals to humans, which is a crucial aspect for the understanding of mobility mechanisms in humans. To do this, the unit is developing and mastering new models and tools. This capacity will be strengthened by the arrival of members of GMPC ("Groupe mémoire et plasticité comportementale" EA 4259);

the access to the SFR CIREVE ("Centre Interdisciplinaire de Réalité Virtuelle") virtual reality facilities can greatly enhance the research quality of the unit's projects about locomotion.

Weaknesses and threats in the context the unit has weak access and technical knowledge on imaging modalities (MRI, CT...) applied to mobility research;

  Mr Damien GALANAUD, La Pitié Salpétrière, Paris (representative of the INSERM CSS) Mr Claude GRONFIER, Inserm, Bron, Université Claude Bernard Mr Vincent NOUGIER, Université Joseph Fourier (representative of the CNU) Scientifics delegates representing the HCERES: Mr Jacques NOËL Ms Régine SCELLES Representatives of supervising institutions and bodies: Ms Anne GUESDON, representative Université de Caen Ms Marie Josephe LEROY ZAMIA, representative INSERM Head of Doctoral School: Mr Alain OURRY, Doctoral School n°497, ED Normande de Biologie Intégrative, Santé, Environnement 1  Introduction History and geographical location of the unit

-

the international visibility of the unit must be enhanced by increasing its involvement in international bodies, editorial boards, and its ability to attract international researchers, students and postdocs;

the presence of unit members on editorial boards of international journals in the field is limited.

Recommendations

the unit must enhance its activities oriented to the development of new models (like for example the model of vestibular lesion described in Vignaux et al., 2013) based on the data gathered during the last 5 to 10 years;

the number of contracts with industries must be increased in order to diminish the dependency of the unit on public fund;

the unit must pay attention to the good integration of the GMCP group.


president Michel Cosnard

Ms Anne Didier

PENICAUD Mr Luc

Lionel Mr

Bretillon

Franco Mr

Edmund Biasioli

Ms Jacqueline Blissett

Erminio Mr

Monteleone

Ruben Mr

Nogueiras

Michel Mr

Paques

Mr Jean-François

Hocquette Mr

Henri Chabrol

Alain Mr

Bonnin

François Mr

Agrosup Roche-Bruyn

Jean Dijon Mr

Dallongeville

Thierry Mr

Rigaud

Scientifics delegates representing the HCERES

 Introduction History and geographical location of the unit

The CSGA was created in 2010 from the gathering of 4 laboratories ("Centre des Sciences du Goût", UMR CNRS/Inra, University of Burgundy; "Flaveur, Vision, Comportement du Consommateur", UMR Inra/AgroSup Dijon, "Développement et Communication Chimique chez les insectes", UMR CNRS/University of Burgundy; "Mitochondrie, Plasticité, Métabolisme", UMR CNRS/University Paul Sabatier Toulouse).

Inra, CNRS and University of Burgundy (UB) are the 3 supervisory authorities of the CSGA.

Nowadays, 207 persons are currently affiliated to the CSGA among which 67 permanent researchers (49.7 Full Time Equivalent (FTE)) and 78 technical staff (70.2 FTE).

Initially composed of 9 teams and of the ChemoSens platform, the organization of the CSGA has evolved during the last years with emergence in 2014 of 2 new groups and a significant amount of between-group mobility resulting in the proposition of merging of two groups. For the next quinquennium, the CSGA proposes 10 teams and the ChemoSens platform. The unit also runs internal facilities: a human facility (equipped with experimental and storage rooms), an animal facility including rodents, rabbits and flies, as well as molecular biology, cellular biology, histology and chromatography facilities.

The CSGA is located in three different buildings within walking distance of the Dijon University Campus. Some groups are split between two buildings. The construction of a new building is scheduled with funds from "Region Bourgogne", Inra and UB with opening in 2017. This new building (500 m 2 ) will be located on the Inra Campus, next to the main current CSGA building. It will harbour the ChemoSens platform which is currently split in two different locations. Thanks to several subsequent moves, the entire CSGA will expand across two (instead of 3) buildings and no team will be separated in different buildings any longer.

Management team

The unit director is assisted by a deputy director and a general secretary. All three meet on a weekly basis. The current director was team leader until 2014 and the deputy director is actually team leader. The deputy director assists the director on scientific issues. The general secretary is the administrative manager. The general secretary of the CSGA, who has also the title of deputy director in charge of the administrative support to the unit at INRA and UB, supervises a staff of 17 (human resources 2, documentation 1, budget and contracts 6, technical support 4).

HCERES nomenclature

Sous-Domaine principal: SVE1 Sous-Domaines secondaires: SVE1_LS4 et SVE1_LS5 et SHS4_2

Scientific domains

The CSGA activity is centered on food sciences and technology with multidisciplinary expertise in chemistry, physicochemistry, physics, consumer sciences, sensory evaluation, neuroscience, cognition and psychology.

The unit is operating in the field of chemosensory perception and its relationships with eating behaviour. Using animal and human models, the unit conducts interdisciplinary research spanning from oral physiology and physicochemical characterization of food-related stimuli or neurobiological processing of sensory signals and their ethological significance to cognition and psychology of food representation and related behaviours. Interests of the unit also include multisensory integration, developmental and aging issues.

Understanding food perception and feeding behaviour is of primary importance. From a basic knowledge perspective, it is an excellent context to study and dissect the neural basis of behaviour. Research in this field also has strong implications in human health, in several pathologies but also in normal development or aging. Finally, the topic has strong potential outcomes in food technology, public health management and environment.

Unit workforce

Team record

From 01/01/2010 to 30/06/2015

PhD theses defended 55

Postdoctoral scientists having spent at least 12 months in the unit 38

Number of Research Supervisor Qualifications (HDR) obtained during the period 9

2  Overall assessment of the interdisciplinary unit

Introduction

The unit is composed of 10 teams and 1 platform, ChemoSens, for a total staff size of about 200. All have in common the interest in understanding feeding behaviour. Each contributes at different levels of investigation and using various up-to-date technologies in a cooperative manner, providing the CSGA with a strong scientific identity. The current scientific strategy is in the continuation of the initial will of the unit of setting up a large and multidisciplinary consortium devoted to understanding food perception and feeding, in accordance with the will of parent authorities (see below). A striking characteristic of CSGA is the high rate of technical support with a mean of 1.4 technical staff per researcher.

The CSGA is an important element of the scientific strategy of national funding bodies. The Human Nutrition Division and the Food Technology Division of Inra have established elucidation of the determinants of feeding behaviour as a scientific priority. CSGA addresses this issue and is thus a highly strategic group for Inra. The issue of Aging is another priority of Inra divisions and is also, although more recently, addressed by the CSGA. This strong support of Inra is visible in the investment in personnel, including 8 new researcher permanent positions attributed to the CSGA over the last 5 years and a strong investment in technical support. The University of Burgundy defined Food, Environment and Health priority domains in the context of its strategic scientific differentiation. The scientific focus Qualified research supervisors (HDR) or similar positions of CSGA clearly stands within the strategic interests of the University of Burgundy. In addition, its multidisciplinary approaches, covering basic and applied sciences, and the strong links with teaching through the high number of university staff attached to the CSGA and CSGA contribution to the doctoral school reinforced the rationale for the university to support the CSGA. The CNRS also invests in the CSGA. It is worth noting that 3 CNRS researchers are young leaders of teams developing more basic research projects, indicating the support of CNRS to the development of basic sciences within the CSGA. Finally, the AgroSup Dijon School, a national engineer school committed to both teaching and research is also a partner of CSGA. Although no doctoral student from AgroSup Dijon is currently present at CSGA, 5 teachers and 2 technicians from AgroSup are doing research at the CSGA, and this pool will be reinforced by one professor in the future.

In summary, the CSGA is strongly supported by its managing bodies and stands at the core of their synergistic projects. It is important also to note that the CSGA activities and project are highly consistent with the region of Burgundy scheme of smart specialization, in coherence with the CSGA parent authorities' priorities. The CSGA thus benefits from a consistent and long-term support and funding from parent authorities and from the Burgundy region.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

The expert committee would like to put forward the high quality of the scientific management conducted by the current direction over the last years. In compliance with previous recommendations, management of the unit has allowed recruitment of 10 new researchers (Inra, CNRS and UB). Attracting excellent young scientists allowed the emergence of new groups led by young scientists and involved in basic research. While maintaining and developing the long standing expertise of CSGA in sensory evaluation and food technology, the CSGA has thus been successful in setting up the basis for a strong basic research that will feed applied research in the future. The CSGA has also greatly increased its international visibility since numerous applications to European calls have been successful (Marie Curie fellowships, 2 FP7 projects as coordinator, 1 ERC grant). Internal calls have been launched to foster internal collaborations. In this context, it is surprising that the unit did not seek advice from an external advisory board along the last 5 years. The discussions led by the director should now shortly lead the CSGA to take this mandatory step.

On average, 80% of the funding of CSGA, not including staff salaries, is obtained from external sources, with a large contribution of the Regional Council of Burgundy (up to 40% of total budget in 2013 and 2014), significant level of European funding (about 17%), industries (14%) and national grants (19%). It is worth noting that the Regional contribution has dropped significantly over the last years, as did the Inra funding, resulting in a reduction of the budget from about 5 M€ in 2013 to about 3.8 M€ in 2015.

The CSGA is well integrated in the local scientific network. CSGA is part of a continuum of the Inra campus and interacts with Inra labs interested in agriculture or microbiology of food. Active collaborations also exist between CSGA and Inserm (Nutrition, Lipids and Cancer) teams of Dijon as well as physicians from the University of Burgundy and other regional campuses.

The CSGA has a very strong scientific identity and an excellent national and international visibility. It tackles issues of primary importance for the understanding of food perception and intake with many applied perspectives in medicine and food technology. The CSGA is a multidisciplinary unit, and multidisciplinarity is applied to a globally coherent project. The scientific production has increased in quantity and quality over the last years. The unit has been attractive for very good young scientists, boosting the development of basic research. The unit is active in training through research of both PhD students and post-doctoral fellows.

The unit benefits from a very strong support of its management bodies and is at the crossroads of the main priorities of Inra and University of Burgundy. The CNRS supports the development of basic research and the Burgundy Region invests a lot in the unit. As a consequence of this long-lasting and strong support, the research staff has increased, the technical staff is abundant and the overall level of funding excellent.

The CSGA benefits from the environment of the Inra campus and of Inserm or CNRS labs with which it has active collaborations. The recent success to the I-SITE call should even foster in-site interactions and boost CSGA objectives.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

The impact of the scientific advances obtained by the CSGA can still be improved by increasing the impact factor of the journals in which they are published. The international mobility of PhDs is very low while european projects are run by the unit and could certainly offer opportunities for students from CSGA to perform short or longer stays in foreign partners' laboratories.

Although the research focus of CSGA is clear, there is a risk for dispersion among many small projects; some of them are very specific and applied to specific products often through industrial collaborations and may not carry a global heuristic value. This may hamper the ability to increase the level of publications.

The CSGA has set up the ambitious goal of reinforcing basic research. Highly talented young scientists are put forward as team leaders but their teams are not yet fully secured in terms of funding and staff.

The level of funding is excellent but a drop in the global budget is noticeable over the last few years.

Recommendations

Basic research findings deserve to have more effort put into increasing the number of publications in high impact journals. This should be facilitated by recruitment in the centre of young scientists familiar with excellence in publication from their previous training.

Attention has to be paid to the new groups in terms of integration of the project to CSGA and of allocating or recruiting permanent staff (both researchers and technicians) in order to consolidate them. Funding is also a strong issue for these teams which cannot count on private collaborations as much as teams conducting more applied research.

The unit will have to keep maintaining the balance between basic and more applied research.

The unit should be proactive to foster translational research. The scientific activity is favourable to such development but the strategic plan to achieve is still somewhat vague.

The financial support to the CSGA internal call could be increased and focused on risky projects that are more difficult to fund by other means.

The strategic plan at the unit level could propose some ambitious goals that could be achieved by the synergy of CSGA teams (and only by CSGA teams), thanks to its multidisciplinary approach and could definitely make the CSGA more than the sum of its teams.

Team workforce("Full Time Employee" (FTE) between brackets) Number on 30/06/2015

			Number on
			01/01/2017
	N1: Permanent professors and similar positions	33 [16]	31 [15.5]
	N2: Permanent researchers from Institutions and similar positions	34 [33.7]	33 [32.7]
	N3: Other permanent staff (technicians and administrative personnel)	78 [70.2]	76 [68.2]
	N4: Other professors (Emeritus Professor, on-contract Professor, etc.)	1 [0.5]
	N5: Other researchers (Emeritus Research Director, Postdoctoral scientists, visitors, etc.)	11
	N6: Other contractual staff (technicians and administrative personnel)	26
	N7: PhD students	30
	TOTAL N1 to N7	213 [187,4]

5) 2 The evaluation reports "are signed by the chairman of the expert committee". expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.


president Michel Cosnard

Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee. CJF 94-08 (1994CJF 94-08 ( -2001) ) headed by Mr Eric SOLARY, and then of U517 "Cell Death andCancer" (2002-2006) followed by UMR-866 "Lipids, Nutrition, Cancer-LNC" (2007-2011), headed by Mr Eric SOLARY followed by Mr Laurent LAGROST. The team was evaluated by AERES in 2011, and has not succeeded to join the UMR-866, directed by Mr Laurent LAGROST, for the period 2012-2016. In 2012, the team has been approved by the Education and Research Ministry as an "Équipe d'accueil" (EA7269) of the University of Bourgogne (UB), and did not apply to join INSERM UMR-866 at mid-term of the mandate.

The team is localized in the Medical School of Dijon (UFR des Sciences de Santé), 7 Bd Jeanne d'Arc, 21079 Dijon. The team shares laboratories and common facilities with three teams of UMR-866 involved in cancer biology.

The team is a monothematic unit presently part of the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), and remains connected to the UMR-866.

Management team

For the period of 2017-2021, the team will be directed by Mr Ali BETTAIEB, who has been the director since the retirement of the former director Mr Jean-François JEANNIN.

HCERES nomenclature

SVE1 LS4, SVE1 LS6

Scientific domains

The team is involved in cancer biology, precisely in the development of new therapeutic combinations in cancer treatments, with specific interest in Nitric Oxide (NO) donors combined with standard or targeted anti-cancer drugs.

The team demonstrated high level of expertise in the field of nitric oxide (protein S-nitrosylation) in cancer therapy, and is the unique team working in this field in France. The approaches used involved chemistry, pharmacology, cell biology and immunology. The team develops translational research through collaborations with clinicians from the Cancer Centre Georges-François Leclerc (CGFL, Dijon) and the General Hospital of Dijon. The LIIC team promotes fundamental and clinical research in the field of cancer. The main goals are: 1-to develop more effective combinations of standard or targeted anti-cancer therapies with nitric oxide donors to treat various types of cancers (mammary, colorectal, prostate); 2-to develop new clinical protocols using these combinations through tight connections with the CGFL in Dijon.

Unit workforce

Unit workforce

The research strategy for the ongoing contract will be to strengthen the collaboration with teams of UMR-866 and with the "Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de l'Université de Bourgogne" (ICMUB). The team will soon also launch collaborations with EPHE SVT teams, according to the instruction of the EPHE and thus of the ministry.

With regard to the last evaluation in 2011, the team has maintained a good scientific production. The dynamism of the members of the team will allow keeping this level of publication and even increase it, making collaborations in the domains in which the team has less expertise such as immunology and animal models in cancer. Such collaborations would improve the funding sources and the international visibility of the team. The collaboration with the physicians needs to be reinforced, by working directly on human samples. Moreover the established collaborations with pharmaceutical companies on specific programs have to be improved and may be potential funding sources.

As recommended by the previous AERES committee, the program on OM-174 has not been maintained in the 2010-2015 program of the team.

Global assessment of the unit

The team has a high expertise in its field of research and is the only one in France to be largely dedicated to study the role of NO in cancer, an important area in cancer research. The team develops a well-defined and welldesigned scientific project. Members perform fundamental and translational researches favoured by collaborations with local clinical department and pharmaceutical companies.

The scientific production of the team has been quite good in these past 5 years.

The team is strongly dedicated to teaching, particularly the EPHE members of the team in the Doctoral school; and an MCU member will take an important responsibility in organizing the Licence cursus of the University.

The funds available, that were satisfactory for the 2012-2014 period, are at the present very scarce.

The international visibility has been slightly increased by the organization of an international congress meeting in 2012 and by two invitations to international meetings. The international collaborations are limited.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

A major strength of the team relies in its strong involvement in translational medicine reflected by the collaboration with the Dijon Cancer Center (CGFL). In this respect, the team has conducted promising studies on the beneficial effects of H89 and GTN in the treatment of experimental cancers. The team has also collaborations with pharmaceutical companies (Roche, DebioPharm, Vifor Pharma in Switzerland) and a biotech (Oncodesign) in Dijon.

The members of the team are strongly dedicated to teaching.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

A first weakness is the composition of the team with no fulltime researcher, all of the members being involved in teaching. The small size of the team and its involvement in teaching may be a handicap for developing a sustained research program. The request for an additional position is therefore fully justified.

In addition, the experimental model used are of limited scope: the beneficial effects of H89 and GTN were reported on the basis of studies conducted on cell lines and tumour cells in culture transplanted into mice. Given the complex effects of NO in cancer, either facilitating tumour growth or protecting the host against it, it is possible that the effects observed in the clinics will not replicate those described in experimental models.

The team lacks research collaborations with foreign labs and has a weak international visibility.

While several grants were obtained for the 2012-2014 period, the funding of the team for the next years may not be guaranteed. The committee noted that applications have recently been submitted.

Recent publications in a high impact journal are lacking.

Recommendations

The committee acknowledges that the project is original and that the team is specialized in its field. However, more international or local collaborations should be established in order to develop additional tumour models, which would strengthen the currently promising findings. Collaborations may also help to apply for additional funding sources.

Increasing the impact factor of the publications may also allow the recruitment of PhD students and postdoctoral fellows through applications to competitive grant programs.

The team should follow the same path, but should be strengthened with new collaborations to help achieving its goals.

  Ms Agnès BERNET, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie, Lyon (representative of the CNU) Mr Henri-Jean GARCHON, INSERM, UFR des Sciences de la Santé Simone Veil, Montigny-le-Bretonneux Scientific delegate representing the HCERES: Ms Sophie EZINE Representatives of supervising institutions and bodies: Ms Sylvie DEMIGNOT, EPHE Mr Jean GUZZO, University of Bourgogne Head of Doctoral School: Mr Thierry RIGAUD, Doctoral School N°554 « Environnements -Santé » 1  Introduction History and geographical location of the unit The « Laboratoire d'Immunologie et Immunothérapie des Cancers (LIIC) » was a former team of the Inserm unit


president Michel Cosnard

3

Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

Unit name:

Biochemistry of the peroxisome, Inflammation and Lipid metabolism The EA 7270 unit was created on the January 1 st 2012 and is headed by Mr Gerard LIZARD. This unit is an extension of the team n°9 ("Metabolic and Nutritional Biochemistry"), previously directed by Mr Norbert LATRUFFE, from the Inserm center U 866. The unit is located at the faculty of sciences "Gabriel" of Dijon. The unit is composed of about 50 people including 14 permanent researchers/teachers.

Management unit

The unit will be managed by the current director Mr Gerard LIZARD. A management committee composed of the four theme leaders will decide on the progression and on the strategic orientation of the unit four times a year.

HCERES nomenclature

SVE1_LS1 Biologie moléculaire et structurale, biochimie

Scientific domains

The scientific domains are related to the study of peroxisome organelles in the context of lipid metabolism, mainly in the pathogenesis of peroxisomal disorders, secondly on neurodegenerative diseases. The unit covers basic research as well as pharmacological and clinical aspects in these fields. The unit proposes the exploration of novel lipid biomarkers of the pathogenesis as well as the identification of new natural inhibitors of new pharmacological targets in these diseases.

Unit workforce

Introduction

The unit is one of the only few french units studying the organelle peroxisome in collaboration with national and international networks. The research of the unit is composed of both fundamental and clinical approaches. With the creation of the EA 7270, and according to the remarks of the previous AERES expert committee, the theme was focused on lipids with regards to peroxisomal metabolism in the context of peroxisomal disorders.

The unit is structured in 4 themes. It includes 14 members including 1 CR Inserm, 4 professors, 1 emeritus professor, 4 associate professors (with a total of 6 HDR), 1 research engineer, 1 research technician, and 2 technical assistants (including 1 at 20%).

The molecular origin of peroxisomal disorders with neurological involvement is the federating topic of the four themes, in which different though complementary activities are developed:

theme 1: biochemical and structural aspects of peroxisomal ABC transporters; -theme 2: roles of the peroxisomal enzyme ACOX-1 in inflammation and oxidation; -theme 3: impact of the peroxisomal enzyme COT in the peroxisomal β-oxidation of fatty acids;

theme 4: relationship between peroxisome-neurolipotoxicity and lipid biomarkers of neurodegeneration.

To improve its research activity, the EA 7270 unit recruited a research technician and an associate professor in 2011. An associate professor of the unit was promoted to full professorship in 2012. The scientific production is very good for a small unit and proves its exceptional dynamism.

By focusing its research program on the peroxisome, the unit is very well interfaced with the local and regional actors. The structuration of the unit in 4 themes is relevant. Moreover, the unit is decidedly positioned in the field of academic fundamental research and strongly interacts with clinical institutions. The unit is also invested massively in training through research, which is reflected by the large number of students of various levels (junior high/highschool, vocational, bachelor, master, PhD and post-doctoral) hosted in the laboratory. This strong implication in training through research is explained by the large proportion of teacher to researchers in the unit (70%) from the UFR "Science Vie, Terre et Environment". The members of EA 7270 are also strongly involved, at various levels, in the life of the university (Boards, Commissions, management of teacher training). In addition, the members of the unit are also very active in interacting with the socio-economic and cultural environment.

Global assessment of the unit

The team is composed of a laboratory director who heads a team of 14 permanent position persons, 9 of them being assistant professors or professors. The team has been joined by neurologists, which will give new opportunities of translational research, on peroxisomal defects-related diseases that include neurodegenerative diseases, and of fund raising for the unit. The laboratory has published a significant number of good publications in its field of expertise and had the opportunity to write review articles, present its work in international meetings as well as in social and economical instances.

  Ms Liliane BERTI, University of Corse (CNU representative) Mr Marc ENGELEN, Academisch Medisch Centrum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Mr Marc FRANSEN, University of Leuven, Belgium Scientific delegate representing the HCERES: Mr Jean GIRARD Representative of supervising institutions and bodies: Mr Jean GUZZO, University of Burgundy Head of Doctoral School: Mr Thierry RIGAUD, ED n°554 « Environnements-Santé » 1  Introduction History and geographical location of the unit

N3: 4 N4:N5:N7

 4 Permanent researchers from Institutions and similar positions 1 4 Other permanent staff (technicians and administrative personnel) 4 Other professors (Emeritus Professor, on-contract Professor, etc.) 1 Other researchers from Institutions (Emeritus Research Director, Postdoctoral students, visitors, etc.) N6: Other contractual staff (technicians and administrative personnel) 4

signed by the chairman of the expert committee". (Article 11, paragraph 2Postdoctoral scientists having spent at least 12 months in the unit Number of Research Supervisor Qualifications (HDR) obtained during the period 2  Overall assessment of the unit

Strengths and opportunities in the context

This unit has developed an original research on "peroxisomes" and importantly, neurologists from Dijon's Hospital will join the unit to develop translational research programs on peroxisomal defects-related neurological diseases. This unit shows complementary skills between groups, establishing a good cohesion. The unit shows a very good synergy between education and research, and a very good dynamism in the participation in projects promoting international networks of experts in lipid metabolism. The unit has acquired high performance equipment.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

The unit is not attached to a national research organism, which makes it more difficult to obtain grants and private contracts on the peroxisome theme, and interactions with clinical teams were limited.

Recommendations

The expert committee recommends measures to increase the stability of this group of researchers of remarkable dynamism. We recommend that the unit continues to work on lipid metabolism in peroxisomal disorders, which will improve the scientific identity of the laboratory at the national and international levels, and, to this end highly recommends a strategic analysis of research complementarities and funding. The expert committee strongly recommends that the unit try to achieve a better balance between research and scholarly activities.