Team leader

Dr. Christine Cavazza CEA Researcher Phone: 04 38 78 91 10

Address
Laboratoire Chimie et Biologie des Métaux
CEA-Grenoble
17 avenue des Martyrs
38 054 Grenoble cedex 09
France


Team Members
Dr. Patrice Catty, CEA Senior Scientist
Dr. Elisabeth Darrouzet, CEA Senior Scientist
Laurence Macari, CNRS Technician
Roger Miras, CEA Technician
Dr. Julien Pérard, CNRS Engineer
Dr. John Willison, CNRS Senior Scientist

Umberto Contaldo, PhD Student
Gregory Cwicklinski, CEA Technician (Short-term contract)
Clara Rinaldi, CEA Technician (Short-term contract)


Keywords
Structure/fonction relationships and maturation of redox nickel enzymes
CO, H₂ & CH₄ metabolism in microorganisms
Methanogens, hydrogenogenic carboxydotrophs, water-gas shift reaction


Research projects
The “BioEnergy & Environment” team focus its interests on the bio-activation of small molecules by metalloenzymes and anaerobic micro-organisms. The themes are centred around the study of the energy metabolism of microorganisms capable of metabolising diverse gasses such as CO, CO₂, CH₄ and H₂. The model microorganisms will be the two photosynthetic bacteria Rhobobacter capsultatus and Rhodospirillum rubrum and the methanogenic archae Methanococcus maripaludis. Understanding the enzymatic mechanisms involved in these processes as well as the optimisation of catalytic processes for applications in sustainable chemistry are at the heart of the team's concerns.

Optimization of biological water-gas shift reaction, a key reaction in the synthesis of green fuels
H₂ photoproduction by Rhodobacter capsulatus
Biomethane production from solar energy
Artificial metalloenzymes for the synthesis of high-added value products