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UTAN lectures take place on Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. Unless otherwise noted, they are held at the UNamur Business and Learning Center, 5 Rue Godefroid, 5000 Namur. (BLC UNamur). UTAN conferences are followed by a reception to continue the gathering.Registration fee: €7 – UTAN members: €5More information on the UTAN website: https://www.utan.be/index.php/conferences

AbstractPopulation aging is accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, including tauopathies. This family of diseases, which includes Alzheimer’s disease, is characterized by the mislocalization, hyperphosphorylation, and accumulation of the tau protein in a pathological form, leading to neuronal dysfunction and ultimately neuronal death within the central nervous system. Numerous studies conducted in humans and in various animal models have demonstrated an association between repeated head trauma and the development of a specific tauopathy, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This progressive neurodegenerative disease is attributed to repeated exposure to impacts to the head that generate acceleration-deceleration forces in the brain.Although the brain and spinal cord share many cellular and tissue characteristics, the consequences of spinal cord trauma on the development of tauopathies remain largely unexplored. To investigate this question, a new mouse model of repeated mild spinal cord trauma was developed in the PS19 mouse, a transgenic model of tauopathy that replicates several characteristics of frontotemporal dementia. Two low-intensity spinal cord contusions (30 kDynes), administered three weeks apart, were performed at two months of age to assess their impact on the long-term progression of the disease.Although these injuries induce neither immediate clinical deficits, nor detectable tissue lesions, nor neuronal loss, they elicit a marked glial response as well as neuronal and axonal damage, as evidenced by increased circulating concentrations of neurofilament light chains. Longitudinal follow-up of the animals revealed an earlier onset of motor and sensory deficits, associated with an accelerated decline in their overall health.In the short term (3.5 months), no worsening of tauopathy was observed. However, at 6.5 months of age, a significant increase in the density of hyperphosphorylated forms of tau, detected by the pTau(Ser202/Thr205) and pTau(Ser422) antibodies, was observed near the epicenter of the lesion in the contusion-injured animals. By 9 months, this exacerbation of the pathology had spread along the rostral-caudal axis, between spinal cord segments C2 and C7, as well as to the thalamus. Although spinal cord injuries did not alter Tau protein aggregation, in vitro analyses showed that the insoluble protein fraction extracted from the spinal cord of contusion-injured animals possessed greater recruitment capacity.Although no direct causal link could be established, histological, biochemical, and transcriptomic analyses suggest the involvement of microglia, type I interferon signaling, and the p38 MAP kinase pathway in stimulating Tau hyperphosphorylation.Taken together, these results highlight a previously largely underestimated role of mild spinal cord injuries as a factor promoting the development and progression of tauopathies. They also reinforce existing literature suggesting that neuroinflammation—and more specifically, microglial activation and type I interferon signaling—contributes to the progression of these diseases. Finally, this study underscores the importance of long-term follow-up for individuals exposed to spinal cord injuries—even mild ones—due to the potential increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases involving the Tau protein.JuryProf. Pascal KIENLEN-CAMPARD (UCLouvain)Prof. Karelle LEROY (ULB)Prof. Aurélie LADANG (ULiège)Prof. Charles NICAISE (UNamur)Prof. Patsy RENARD (UNamur), ChairProf. Laurence RIS (UMons)

AbstractIn this work, I aimed to accurately simulate the Raman optical activity (ROA) signatures of flexible solute molecules in their environment. Indeed, these systems are quite challenging due to the potentially huge number of conformers—that is, local minima on the potential energy surface (PES). Furthermore, the environment can drastically alter the PES, as evidenced by experimental ROA spectra that vary significantly depending on the molecule’s conformation and its surroundings. To address this issue, we have developed a hierarchy of methodologies designated M1, M2, and M3. In M1 and M2, the so-called static approach is used: one or more conformers are identified, their geometries are reoptimized at the Density Functional Theory (DFT) level, and their vibrational signatures are simulated, typically using the harmonic approximation. The initial list of conformers was obtained using the CREST algorithm. In M1, the solvent is treated implicitly, whereas in M2, explicit solvent molecules are added around the solute molecule. In M3, we perform ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of the solute molecule surrounded by explicit solvent molecules. The spectrum is obtained by evaluating time-correlation functions along the trajectory. Our first systems of interest were cryptophane derivatives. These are flexible cage-like systems consisting of two hemispheres connected by three -O-(CH₂)n-O- (denoted Cr–nnn) linkers that exhibit chiroptical properties. For Cr–111, the smallest possible cryptophane, the M1 methodology showed good agreement with experimental data, especially in the fingerprint region. However, we demonstrated that the relative ratio between the different conformers was strongly influenced by the choice of the exchange-correlation (XC) functional in our DFT calculations, highlighting the sensitivity of the potential energy surface (PES) description. Cr–222 molecules have been shown to be more flexible, as evidenced by a greater number of significant conformers. The overall agreement with experimental data was also satisfactory. Finally, to test our different approaches (M1–M3), I performed new ROA measurements of amino acids in water at the University of Bordeaux in Dr. Daugey’s laboratory. When compared to our simulations, we clearly observed an improvement in the ROA signatures when explicit water molecules were added to our simulations (M2 vs. M1). Unfortunately, the M3 method did not perform as expected, and further investigation is needed. Overall, I have shown that the PES, as described by our various methodologies, is highly sensitive to various simulation parameters—such as the XC functional, the number and position of explicit solvent molecules, and so on—and that all of these factors strongly influence the simulated ROA signatures.JuryProf. Francesca CECCHET (UNamur), ChairProf. Vincent LIÉGEOIS (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Benoît CHAMPAGNE (UNamur)Prof. Carine CLAVAGUÉRA (University of Paris-Saclay)Dr. Nicolas DAUGEY (University of Bordeaux)

AbstractEnvironmental change rarely occurs as a single, isolated event; organisms and communities typically experience one stressor against the backdrop of another that has already passed. Arunima Sikder’s doctoral thesis examines whether an organism’s past environment shapes its response to the environment that follows, and whether that influence propagates upward to affect the stability of the communities to which these organisms belong.The thesis addresses this question in Synechococcus sp., a globally significant marine primary producer, using thermal and chemical stressors as its two environmental drivers. Working across three levels of biological organization, the study examines how past environments shape responses to subsequent ones—whether they occur in sequence, fluctuate, or occur in combination—using functional traits as the common metric for measuring these responses.The results reveal three key findings. First, sensitivity to a stressor depends on the sequence of exposure, not on the stressor alone. Second, response diversity predicts community stability only when measured under the community’s actual acclimation history, rather than under sustained conditions as conventional wisdom assumes. Third, an apparent contradiction in biodiversity–ecosystem function theory—a negative relationship between functional diversity and performance.Together, these findings suggest that sensitivity, response diversity, and functional diversity should be treated as state-dependent quantities rather than fixed properties, with implications for how the performance of biological systems is measured and modeled under increasingly variable environmental conditions.JuryProf. Alice DENNIS (UNamur), ChairProf. Frederik DE LAENDER (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Maren STRIEBEL (Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg)Prof. Giulia GHEDINI (Monash University)Prof. Eli THORÉ (UNamur)

The members of the jury are:Prof. Elisabeth LEIJNSE (Chair), UNamurProf. Lieven VANDELANOTTE (Advisor, Secretary), UNamurProf. Dirk DELABASTITA (Co-advisor), UNamurProf. Ton HOENSELAARS (Co-advisor), Utrecht UniversityProf. Raphaël INGELBIEN, KU LeuvenProf. Guido LATRÉ, UCLouvainYou are cordially invited to attend this dissertation defense.The announcement of the results will be followed by a reception in the Academic Hall.

Social Rights, Inequality, Climate Change: What Kind of Society Should We Build for Tomorrow? A Conversation with Christine MahyHave we ever been so much at a crossroads, at a time when opening our eyes and making choices is no longer an option, but a necessity? Inequality, the concentration of wealth, and power dynamics lie at the heart of the major challenges of our time. They call into question our shared future—that of humanity and the planet—as well as the place we wish to give to solidarity as a fundamental value.This conference invites us to take a clear-eyed look at these issues and the decisive choices before us. For the question is no longer simply whether change is necessary, but rather which direction we want to take and how we will equip ourselves to make it a reality. Christine Mahy is a leading figure in social activism in Belgium and the executive director of the Walloon Network for the Fight Against Poverty (RWLP). A trained social worker, she has dedicated her life to giving a voice to people living in precarious circumstances and to advocating for social justice among political leaders. Known for her outspokenness and humanism, she works every day to combat inequality and the stigma surrounding poverty. Sign me up

AbstractThe increasing regulatory pressure on Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), particularly in Europe, has made compliance a critical yet complex challenge for industry stakeholders. Many of these CPS are often long-lived systems with legacy code and limited (or no) access to representative documentation. This poses a problem when these systems must comply with newer regulatory frameworks. Indeed, current conformity assessment practices rely predominantly on documentation review and operational observations, while the analysis of software artifacts remains underutilized. This situation is compounded by a persistent communication gap between legal experts and engineers, and a lack of systematic traceability between high-level regulatory obligations and low-level technical implementations. Such a disconnect frequently leads to inconsistencies detected late in the development process, increasing correction costs and delaying time-to-market. Furthermore, the growing complexity of regulations, such as the Medical Device Regulation (MDR), contributes to the perception that compliance hinders innovation.Transitioning from theoretical frameworks to industrial implementation presents significant challenges. During this research, efforts to validate the approach in real-world production environments were hampered by restricted access to sensitive data and architectures, as well as the inherent risks of intrusive analysis in highly interconnected systems. Consequently, this thesis emphasizes a conceptual framework validated through modular prototypes and isolated CPS categories (e.g., medical devices), demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed methods where full-scale production deployment is not yet feasible.This thesis addresses these challenges by investigating how regulatory requirements can be transformed into structured, traceable, and partially automatable elements directly linked to software artifacts. The research adopts an industry-grounded exploratory approach structured around three main axes: (1) the formalization of regulatory requirements to bridge the semantic gap between legal and technical domains; (2) the extraction of system functionalities from source code using Large Language Models; and (3) a unified framework, supported by tool prototypes, to bridge expected system behavior and actual implementation through evidence-based assessment.By combining regulatory analysis, software engineering, and AI-based methods, this work contributes to redefining compliance as a continuous, traceability-driven process. Ultimately, it aims to support a paradigm shift toward “compliant-by-design” systems, enabling earlier detection of discrepancies and better alignment between regulatory intent and technical implementation in complex CPS environments.JuryPhD, P.Eng. Jun YAN, Concordia University, CanadaProf., Ph.D., Fuyuki ISHIKAWA, National Institute of Informatics, JapanPh.D., Paolo ARCAINI, National Institute of Informatics, JapanProf., Ph.D., Benoît VANDEROSE, University of Namur, BelgiumProf., PhD, Anthony CLEVE, University of Namur, BelgiumProf., PhD, Xavier DEVROEY, University of Namur, Belgium

AbstractFrequently touched surfaces (fomites) serve as reservoirs for pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, and act as vectors for contact-mediated transmission. They contribute to the spread of healthcare-associated infections and pose an increased risk during epidemic outbreaks, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This thesis focuses on the development of antimicrobial coatings that release silver (Ag) and copper (Cu), deposited by magnetron sputtering. Three coating matrices were investigated: hydrogenated amorphous carbon with or without chromium (a-C:H and Cr/CrN/a-CrC:H) and titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN).Antibacterial performance was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. To assess long-term efficacy, the antibacterial properties of the coatings were investigated through successive bacterial exposure cycles. Antiviral activity was evaluated against porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV), a member of the Orthocoronavirinae subfamily to which SARS-CoV-2 also belongs. For this purpose, a rapid, high-throughput antiviral screening assay was developed. This innovative method represents a promising approach for the standardized evaluation of antiviral surfaces. In addition to antimicrobial activity, the coatings were required to exhibit adequate mechanical properties and an attractive black appearance suitable for high-touch surfaces.The combination of Ag and Cu exhibited a synergistic effect, enhancing antimicrobial activity and broadening the spectrum of targeted pathogens. Optimization led to a TiAlN coating containing 0.9 at.% Ag and 1.7 at.% Cu, which provided the best balance between mechanical, antibacterial, and antiviral performance. Tribological wear tests confirmed that its antimicrobial efficacy was maintained for up to two years. Prospects for the further development and scientific validation of this prototype are discussed.JuryProf. Benoît MUYLKENS (UNamur), ChairProf. Stéphane LUCAS (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Jean-Michel DOGNÉ (UNamur)Prof. Philippe STEYER (INSA Lyon, University of Lyon)Dr. Sébastien PENNINCKX (UNamur)Dr. Emile HAYE (Innovative Coating Solutions)

Every year, the Namur International Nature Festival (FINN) dedicates an entire week to showcasing the beauty of the natural world. Its mission is clear: to inspire wonder and raise awareness. Through exceptional images, the festival invites the public to discover the richness of the nature that surrounds them and encourages them to act responsibly toward their environment.Founded in 1995, FINN has become a must-attend event for lovers of nature and spectacular imagery. With more than 35,000 visitors each year, three international competitions (photography, amateur films, and professional films), and a multitude of activities, it is now one of the five largest European events dedicated to nature.Among the highlights is the Nature Village, which brings together the festival’s partners. UNamur will have a booth there showcasing the most stunning photographs from the Biology Department’s multidisciplinary expedition. Interactive activities will also allow the public to explore nature from a scientific perspective. Brochures and information on academic programs related to the festival’s themes will also be available, as well as brochures on the Domaine d’Haugimont, La Maraude, and the Chronoxyle project (promoting the use of dead wood in Wallonia). FINN is also organizing an Environment Day dedicated to the major issues affecting biodiversity and human well-being. This year, the event will take place on October 15 and will feature three thematic sessions followed by discussions led by our experts Isabelle Parmentier, Laurent Houssiau, and Frédéric Silvestre. For this 32nd edition, the speakers will be Professors Isabelle Parmentier (History), Laurent Houssiau (Physics), and Frédéric Silvestre (Biology).This year, you can also join Corentin Fontaine for his lecture “Seeing Beyond Landscapes” on Wednesday, October 14, at 10:30 a.m. at Village Nature. This event is part of the continuing education program he offers, “Les Ateliers du Paysage,” which consists of nine workshops. On the evening of October 14, there will also be a lecture by Michel Fautsch, a bioengineer and photographer, at Quai 22 at 7:30 p.m. The lecture will provide an opportunity to learn about the role of dead wood in our forests, the situation in Wallonia, and efforts to better preserve it. The evening will continue with the photography exhibition “A Glimpse of the Living Forest,” featuring photos from the Domaine d’Haugimont, one of the recent showcases of the Chronoxyle project for the Province of Namur. This exhibition will run from October 12 to 23! More info here

This tourist car rally is open to all vehicles and all types of engines. All proceeds from the day will be donated to the Télévie campaign. Thank you to all the cars and their big-hearted passengers who will take part in this event to help raise funds for Télévie!Practical InformationMeeting place: Arsenal de Namur (rue de l’Arsenal, 5000 Namur)Vehicles: Classic cars, sports cars, convertibles, everyday cars, and all types of engines—everyone is welcome to support Télévie!Fee: €25 per vehicle (regardless of the number of passengers).     ==> The fee includes the roadbook, the rally plate (the first UNamur plate!), and a folder of information about the region being visited.Departures: Open departures between 8:45 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (approximately 85 km loop)Not included in the registration fee but available for order at the time of registration:     - Breakfast before departure (8:00–9:30 a.m.): €5 (pastries, cake, tea, coffee, juice)     - Lunch upon return (12:00 PM–2:00 PM): €10 (cheese platter, fruit, rolls)     - For those with a sweet tooth: dessert buffet and bar (payable on site). RegistrationThe easiest way: register and pay online via our secure payment system at https://soutenir.unamur.be/fr-FR/p/balade-touristique-au-profit-du-televie-2026Prefer a traditional bank transfer?     Please send your payment to the UNamur account BE92 3500 0000 0123, specifying in the memo line: RALLYE Télévie 5847850 Last Name First Name Reminder: €25 per vehicle + the cost of breakfast(s) (€5/person) and lunch(es) (€10/person)Join us for this friendly event dedicated to generosity, right in the heart of the Walloon capital!   An event organized with the invaluable help of the Les Matinales club. 

The Chronoxyle project was born out of a feeling—the one you experience when standing at the foot of a majestic dead tree. Walking around a worm-eaten colossus evokes admiration, humility, and an inner questioning about the future of forest ecosystems that are under ever-greater threat. After traveling the length and breadth of Wallonia in search of these forest gems, one thing became clear to me: the living forest—diverse and rich in deadwood—has become far too rare. The urgent need, therefore, is to bear witness to the beauty of this disappearing forest and to show just how essential its preservation is. As I set out to meet the forest managers of these Walloon showcases of the living forest, a new horizon begins to take shape. We can view the forest differently, place greater emphasis on its resilience, and stop trying to exploit its entire surface—because a new balance is needed to better integrate living organisms.The conference will provide an opportunity to assess the current state of deadwood in Wallonia, to discover why this deadwood is essential to the forest, and to explore what steps can be taken to improve the situation. Discussions and debates can continue with a visit to the photography exhibition “A Glimpse of the Living Forest,” on view at Quai 22 from October 12–22. Admission is free with registration. Sign me up