Rivoc and BiodivOc, the keys to a better future in Occitanie

[Article] - Published on April 5, 2021 in Research centers, Research structures

Advancer regional to to better preserve biodiversity and combat vector-borne diseases. This is the mission that the Occitanie region has chosen to entrust to the UM in the context of these last two key challenges. An initiative aimed at bring togetherregional academic, scientific, and economic forces around major strategic issues for the future of Occitanie. Presentation of these two key challenges, dubbed BiovddOc and Rivoc.

Gravel pit lake in Haute-Garonne.
Copyright: © Rémy Lassus, EDB Laboratory, Toulouse.

How will we live in Occitania in the coming decades? What will our climate be like? What impact will this have on biodiversity? On human, animal, and plant health? Will we be confronted with new diseases? If so, will we have the means to treat them? Will we have succeeded in developing greener energy? While these questions are at the heart of science, the links between research teams at the regional level sometimes lack structure, and bridges with the economic world still need to be consolidated to enable greater exploitation of results at the local level in the future.

More attractive research in Occitanie

"I am one of those who believe that research can be useful," says Montpellier-based biologist Didier Fontenille, "and when it addresses societal, economic, health, or environmental issues, we must seize this opportunity to make a difference." " For this researcher at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), the opportunity to make a difference is called Rivoc, one of four key challenges supported by the Occitanie region, which was officially launched on March 18. A few days before that of BiodivOc, the second key challenge led by the UM and this time spearheaded by ecologist and evolutionist Philippe Jarne, a CNRS researcher at the Center for Functional and Evolutionary Studies (CEFE).

Key challenges are an initiative of the Occitanie region, whose goal is to identify and structure the scientific community and local economic players around strategic themes for the region. "Excellence, unity, and protection are the three keywords that apply to the goals we want to achieve," says Nadia Pellefigue, Vice President in charge of economic development, innovation, research, and higher education. "We have been in dialogue with researchers in order to mobilize resources where it would be possible to make rapid progress. We want to implement actions that enable an ecological shift and contribute to making research more collaborative, more visible, and more attractive in Occitanie." Four key challenges have been launched so far, two of which are led by the University of Montpellier, in line with the three pillars of MUSE: nourish, care for, and protect.

Care for and protect with Rivoc and BiodivOc

The Rivoc key challenge aims to treat diseases, particularly by anticipating future diseases (see box) and stimulating the emergence of new control strategies through research. "Many animal diseases not only cause production losses but also pose a risk to human health. The Occitanie region, aware of the health risks and local economic challenges, has decided to support this project," explains Didier Fontenille.

This is a theme that is already well established in Montpellier, Perpignan, and Toulouse, where there is a high level of expertise. It is also part of the broader "One Health" strategy, which considers human, animal, plant, and environmental health as a whole. "An unhealthy environment causes disease in plants, animals, and humans. This ties in with the concept of biodiversity," adds the director of Rivoc.

Biodiversity is precisely at the heart of the second key challenge, BiodivOc. "If there is one scientific field that is essential for addressing these issues, it is scientific ecology," emphasizes Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier. "And that's good news! Because it is also an extremely strong field at UM and one of the pillars of the MUSE project, which aims to promote a transition to an environmentally friendly society."

Occitanie does indeed enjoy exceptional environmental potential, but under intense pressure from human activities, "the region is also one of 34 biodiversity hotspots. This means that it is very rich in species. We have a diversity of landscapes that continues to amaze me every day, but it also means that this biodiversity is under serious threat," warns Philippe Jarne. The causes include intense demographic pressure, which poses major problems in terms of natural resource management, widespread agriculture, and local species threatened by the arrival of exotic species such as nutria and the infamous tiger mosquito, which is the subject of the second key challenge. "The relationship we have with nature on an individual level is philosophical, but this loss of biodiversity will not be without economic, social, and health consequences."

Synergy booster

For all stakeholders, the success of these key challenges therefore depends above all on better structuring of research based on synergy, as Philippe Augé points out. "These are great tools for promoting interaction between regional research centers, organizations, and disciplines, for creating synergy between the 30,000 researchers in Occitania, but also for developing projects with the private sector or associations and making scientific knowledge accessible to as many people as possible."

Launched by Muse last February as part of KIM Rive, the Rivoc key challenge already has around 40 partners. These include academic and university partners in Montpellier, Toulouse, and Perpignan, institutional partners such as the Ministries of Agriculture and Health, professional associations, civil society actors, and companies working to combat vector-borne diseases through the production of diagnostics, medicines, and vector control tools that are greener than current pesticides. "The region's mandate is to structure scientific activities with multidisciplinary fundamental research, of course, but also implementation actions, i.e., promotion and expertise at the regional level, and this is already beginning to create links, networks, and opportunities," explains Didier Fontenille. Several companies in Toulouse have already contacted researchers in Montpellier with a view to collaborating, "and the door remains open to anyone who thinks they can contribute to or benefit from Rivoc," adds the director (1).

Philippe Jarne is also very committed to action-oriented research. "Our objectives naturally include improving our understanding of biodiversity and the mechanisms that govern it, but there are also issues of cross-disciplinary collaboration and socio-economic partnerships. This is not necessarily the area in which our community is expected to contribute, but we are already heavily involved in public policy initiatives. "To achieve these objectives, the ecologist will be able to count on the 70 partners already taking part in the BiodivOc challenge, including some 20 research units in Perpignan, Toulouse, Banyuls, Moulis and, of course, Montpellier, as well as organizations such as theCemeb and TULIP labexes. "We will rely on collective platforms, develop a multidisciplinary approach and forge links with biodiversity managers, as well as with design offices and large private companies."

From Occitania to the rest of the world

These two key challenges will each receive regional funding of €2 million over four years. For BiodivOc, this sum will in particular enable the financing of "between three and five projects worth around €300,000 each, involving at least five teams at two university sites. We want to transform these projects into scientific dynamics and use them as leverage to seek further funding." For Rivoc, this sum could also be used to bring in collaborators. "If African, American, or Asian researchers working on vector-borne diseases want to see what we are doing in Occitanie, we have funding to bring them here for three to six months," adds Didier Fontenille.

For both researchers, while everything starts in Occitanie, the goal remains to disseminate knowledge and make it available to everyone. "We're certainly not going to fund research on penguins in Antarctica, but our research won't be limited to Occitanie because the issues are much broader," says the biodiversity specialist. "Our idea is that the rest of the world should take an interest in us, understand what is happening in Occitanie, and come and work with us, but conversely, we have a duty to make these results available to the rest of the world," concludes the director of Rivoc.

(1): For further information, please contact rivoc-projet and BiodivOc.

Keywords: Initiatives, Research, Health