Impacts of marine biomaterials on the marine environment

Impacts of marine biomaterials on the marine environment

The MANTA Chair studies the impact of novel marine biomaterials on water and marine organisms.

This line of research aims at understanding the degradation of these biomaterials in the marine environment. Thus, it studies:

• abiotic factors : photolysis (degradation from the light) and hydrolysis (degradation from the water)
• biotic factors : degradation by the intervention of marine microorganisms

In parallel, it focusses on :

• in-vitro toxicity via the use of ecotoxicological bioassays
• DNA methylation
• coral bleaching

In addition to enabling the comprehension of degradation mechanisms in the marine environment of the biomaterials developed by the Chair, this work also allows the development of remediation methods against marine pollution.

Partners

Scientific collaboration

Team members conributing to this project

 

Susana Fernandes

Physico-chemist – Biopolymer Materials
Head of MANTA Chair

She is also Guest Researcher and a FORMAS Project PI at the Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University in Sweden.

She has expertise in research areas pertaining to functional and bio inspired biomaterials

 

Martin Thomas
PhD student – Physico-Chemistry
Photostability of biomolecules and biomaterials

Martin is a PhD student in the context of Make My Planet Great Again (MOPGA), Campus France. He studies the impact of UV-absorbing biomaterials/bio-inspired materials in the marine environment. This topic has broad applications in cosmetics and the biomedical sector.

Prior to join the MANTA team, he graduated from a Master of Technology in Polymer Science and Engineering from Cochin University of Science and Technology, India.

Contact: martin.thomas @ univ-pau.fr (martin.thomas @ univ-pau.fr)