Ongoing Projects

Cardimed (Climate Adaptation and Resilience Demonstrated In the MEDiterranean region)

This project, led by the Ethnicon Metsovion Polytechnion (Greece), brings together 51 partners and aims to introduce a framework for building climate resilience in the Mediterranean biogeographical region, effectively unifying the individual efforts of regions and communities across different countries and continents. To achieve this, a digital infrastructure will be deployed to harmonize data collection and evaluation processes, provide open data to all actors involved in the value chain of nature-based solutions (NBS), and integrate crucial functions for climate resilience.

Type of contract or funder: Horizon Europe Team: TRAME Project period: September 2023 - February 2028 Coordination: Ethnicon Metsovion Polytechnion (Greece) LCE Contact: Alain Sandoz

Ideal-Water

Accurate monitoring of trace metals in water is of outmost importance for the environment preservation and for human health. Therefore, there are increasing concerns to develop novel and robust portable sensors in order to control their levels. IDEALWATER project aims to design a novel in-situ device based on fluorescence and electrochemical dual-mode detection to measure trace metal ions in natural water. The advantage of such chemosensors combining dual transduction mode is that they can ensure enhanced diagnostic accuracy by data coupling, mutual verification and elimination of interferences. 
IDEALWATER project will target lead, cadmium and copper as trace metals representative of various contaminated environmental waters in France and worldwide. Selective detection of these latter metals will be achieved by functionalizing working electrodes with original ion imprinted polymers (IIPs) as recognition elements. IIPs are materials able to selectively recognize a target ion used for their synthesis. For IDEALWATER project, smart IIPs will be specially designed in order to provide a fluorescence signal correlated to the metals binding, and will accumulate metals for the electrochemical measurement. Combining these unique polymers with the double fluorescence and electrochemical detection on a same platform designed to be incorporated in a fluidic device aims to provide accurate, selective, sensitive and portable sensors. These detectors will be capable to evaluate trace metal levels in natural water quickly with no need for any additional step such as sampling and storage. They will represent a versatile platform for other metal detections by adapting the IIP synthesis to other targets.

Type of contract or funder: ANR - French National Research Agency Team: TRAME Project period: February 2023 - January 2027 Partners: MAPIEM - University of Toulon; Laboratoire de Génie Chimique - Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse; MIO - Aix-Marseille University Coordination: Catherine Branger (MAPIEM - University of Toulon) LCE Contact: Bruno Coulomb

ORACLE

Cloud droplets in the Earth’s atmosphere form ubiquitous aerosol particles. At present, predictions of cloud droplet size and number concentration derived from aerosol properties are still poor, leading to large uncertainties in the radiation budget and climate projections. Cloud droplet formation on cloud condensation nuclei (CCN activation) is often investigated in closure studies, where the number of activated particles derived from their hygroscopic growth is compared with the one directly measured with a CCN counter. Many of these studies resulted in a poor agreement, most probably due to effects related to the organic aerosol fraction: lowered surface tension of the growing droplets compared to pure water due to surface-active substances (or surfactants), solution non-ideality affecting hygroscopic growth due to sparingly soluble organic substances, and co-condensation of semi-volatile organic substances from the gas phase. ORACLE aims to fundamentally improve the understanding of the role organics play in CCN activation through combined experimental and modeling work. The main objectives are: - to investigate the evolution of surface tension in a growing solution droplet - to elucidate the effect of co-condensation on particle growth and surface tension. In the long term, ORACLE will improve our ability to predict the number and sizes of cloud droplets, two parameters paramount to precipitation forecasts in numerical weather prediction models and the climate impact of aerosol particles in future climate projections.

Type of contract or funder: ANR (PRCI) – SNSF (Switzerland) Team: IRA Duration / Project period: April 2021 - March 2025 Partners: IRCELYON - ETH Zurich Coordination: Anne Monod (LCE) and Claudia Marcolli (Switzerland (ETH Zurich) - SNSF)

RESILIENCE

RESILIENCE proposes an innovative transdisciplinary approach to assess the effectiveness of urban planning policies aimed at improving living conditions, as well as the possible co-benefits and public acceptance of these actions. One focus will be on reducing urban heat islands (UHIs) through a detailed analysis of the thermal properties of urban surfaces (buildings, roofs, streets, soils, etc.), green spaces, and CO2 emissions. We also propose to study how greening and soil de-sealing plans promote biodiversity and ecological continuity, as well as natural carbon sinks. Special attention will be given to mobility transition plans, such as the establishment of low-emission zones and the promotion of active mobility, by examining the methodology adopted by local authorities and the perception of residents. In parallel, we will evaluate the impact of mobility transition on air quality, health, CO2 emissions, and UHIs.

Type of contract or funder: PEPR Sustainable Cities Team: IRA Duration / Project period: May 2024 - April 2028 Partners: Aix-Marseille University (IMBE); IUSTI; ULCO; LGCE; IMT Nord Europe; LMA Coordination: Barbara D'Anna (LCE); Veronique Riffaut (IMT Nord Europe)