Claude Grison: The Formula for Clean Chemistry

Not strictly an ecologist, nor merely a chemist, she describes herself as an “eco-chemist.” “Chemistry and ecology are not radically different fields, but rather complementary ones. I move between these two worlds, and that’s what has allowed me to break down the barriers between these disciplines and bring new ideas to light,” explains Claude Grison.

For the woman who is now director of the Bio-Inspired Chemistry and Ecological Innovations Laboratory, interdisciplinarity is a necessity: “Our perspectives and knowledge are complementary.” It was in 2007 that Claude Grison first took a keen interest in ecology, thanks to requests from four students in the preparatory program at Lycée Joffre: “They asked me for help with a project on plant-based pollution remediation, and that’s when I realized that certain plants could survive in hostile environments, on soils that were toxic to all other forms of life. Thanks to my work as a teacher, I changed the focus of my research! ”

"Plant Frenzy"

Intrigued and inspired by this topic—even though it was outside her field—Claude Grison immediately wanted to learn more about these “plant oddities.” And so, in 2008, the researcher joined the Center for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology . “I was the first chemist at the CEFE,” recalls Claude Grison. “Knowledge of ecology opens the door to new ideas in chemistry that lead to innovation.”

It was in this laboratory that she began working on plants that hyperaccumulate heavy metals. What makes them unique? They extract polluting metals from the soil through their roots and accumulate them in their leaves. “For the ecologist, the question is: ‘Whyare the plants there? ’ For the chemist, it’s: ‘How do they manage to live there? ’ These two questions are complementary.”

For the eco-chemist, a third question then arises: Is this actually useful? “We must also ask ourselves what this work can contribute to society and reflect on the meaning we want to give to our research.” And Claude Grison has certainly found meaning in his work. First, because his research makes it possible to effectively remediate contaminated soil and restore ecosystems that are sometimes severely degraded.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg… “I learned back then that the reserves of certain metallic elements were under threat and that soon there would be no more zinc, for example—even though it’s an essential catalyst for many chemical reactions.” That very zinc that plants extract from the soil and that we find in their leaves… “What if these plants were nature’s zinc reservoir—the catalyst of the future?” And even the eco-catalyst of the future—a new concept was born. “And even a new kind of chemistry, one that does away entirely with toxic and polluting reagents or solvents—truly ecological chemistry.”

Catalytic effect

Very quickly, the results of her work began to bear fruit, and in 2009,ADEME took notice of the researcher. “They wanted to award me the Pollutec-ADEME Prize for Innovative Environmental Technologies, but to do so, we first had to protect our work, and we hadn’t filed a patent.” Within a week—a record time—it was done. “That first patent, followed by 35 others, marked a turning point in our research.” And that ADEME award acted as a catalyst for Claude Grison’s work, as she expanded the use of her hyperaccumulator plants not only in mainland France but also in New Caledonia, where the soil has high concentrations of nickel.

It was there, in the field, faced with industrial effluents contaminating the rivers and flowing into the lagoon, that the researcher realized the extent of water pollution. What if these wild plants could also be used to clean up the water?

This is a question that has been tackled head-on at the Bio-Inspired Chemistry and Ecological Innovations laboratory, founded in 2014. “Chemistry had become so important that we could no longer remain at the CEFE; that’s how ChimEco was born.” As early as 2016, researchers began treating aquatic systems with plants. “They have molecular ‘antennas’ on the surface of their roots that capture metal elements.” Claude Grison’s team has identified 40 plant species with these unique properties, using whole, living plants to capture metals from the water.

Restore the environment

The experiment took on yet another dimension the day Claude Grison and his team found a dead plant in their water purification system. “ Even though it was dead, it retained the same purification capacity!” The process then evolved: “Now we grind up roots to make plant-based filters that purify the water. ” And not just any roots… The chemists and ecologists use invasive species, which are veritable ecological disasters in wetlands. “Not only do we remove pollutants, but we also preserve the biodiversity of these areas , ” the specialist emphasizes.

A revolutionary process with elements of the circular economy, as the substances extracted from water by plants are then used to produce plant-based catalysts that enable the synthesis of various molecules needed by sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry, for example. The startup BioInspir, which currently employs 10 people, was founded in 2020 to commercialize these products. The company, born out of a desire to create a different kind of chemistry, is the only one in the world to have mastered this technology, which uses no chemical inputs, solvents, or synthetic reagents.

A new form of chemistry with no environmental footprint has earned Claude Grison the 2022 European Inventor Award in theResearchcategory from the European Patent Office.

Check out photos of Claude Grison’s work in the latest issue of Lum magazine, which is dedicated to innovation.