EcoSCience

The climate change we are experiencing today is one of the major challenges facing our society. CEREGE is a key player in France in the study of climate. Numerous research projects are carried out in order to study past climate variations and thus contribute to climate modelling for future years. More specifically, certain organic compounds preserved in sediments can be used as indicators of climate variations. The methodologies for analysing these biomarkers are based on their extraction using organic solvents, followed by purification and quantification steps using various chromatography techniques. These techniques require large quantities of organic solvents, which is a negative point for the environment.

The main objective of this project is to develop a new analytical methodology using supercritical fluids, without compromising the quality of the data obtained. This approach is called "green" because the use of CO₂ The supercritical process considerably reduces the consumption of organic solvents, which are toxic, polluting and costly. To achieve this, CEREGE will be collaborating with the M2P2 laboratory (AMU) and IFS (Innovation Fluides Supercritiques), both of which specialise in the implementation of supercritical technologies. This multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral project will therefore contribute to an effort to develop alternative and more ecological analytical methodologies that will reduce our impact on the environment while giving us a better understanding of climate change.