Biodiversity and the value of nature: geographer Nicolas Dendoncker co-authors a major international publication
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has just published a study in the prestigious journal Nature, listing and assessing the different values we place on nature. Nicolas Dendoncker, professor in the Department of Geography and member of the ILEE Institute at UNamur, is one of the co-authors.
See content
Discover the city of Namur through urban trails
Namur, a capital city at the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers, in the heart of Wallonia. Its history, geography and architecture make it an attractive city and an ideal place for secondary school students to discover the city.
See content
Success for the 4th bePOM conference
On 21 and 22 September 2023, for the 4th year running, Belgian researchers came together for the bePOM conference. The format was original, with a virtual day and a hybrid day combining virtual and face-to-face sessions. A great success, and a Belgian network that is growing from strength to strength.
See content
Teaching in the field: students observe nature on an internship in Bavaria
At UNamur, theory is put into practice in the field! This summer, students in biology, physics, chemistry, geology, geography, mathematics, pharmacy and veterinary science (from the first to the third year of their bachelor's degree) were able to take part in a multidisciplinary scientific internship in Bavaria (Germany). This year, there were some surprise guests: a team from France Télévisions was part of the trip...
See content
Aiming for student well-being: results of a study in the Faculty of Medicine
"Take care of yourself to better take care of others" - this is the mantra guiding a wellness workshop for second-year medical students as part of the General Psychology course taught by Martin Desseilles, professor at the University of Namur. Taught by Laura Demarthe, psychologist and didactic associate in the Department of Psychology, the workshop aims to equip future doctors with tools to cultivate their physical, mental and social well-being. Professors at UNamur recently conducted a study on this initiative.
See content
DJESA: awareness-raising and interdisciplinarity in medical education
On Friday, March 1, the Faculty of Medicine hosted a Half Day of Exchange on Food Sovereignty (DJESA), organized by the UNI4COOP consortium, Humundi and Vétérinaires Sans Frontières. Led by Professor Grégoire Wiëers, Director of UNamur's Department of Medicine, and Caroline Canon, Master of Didactics, this event was dedicated to Block 2 students in medicine, pharmacy and biomedical sciences. An afternoon punctuated by a gesticulated lecture by Corentin Hecquet and awareness-raising workshops on sustainable development and interdisciplinarity in the medical field..
See content
Guillaume Berionni Belgian representative at the European Chemical Society
One year after receiving funding from the European Research Council (ERC) for his B-Yond project, Prof Guillaume Berionni has just been named a Fellow of the prestigious European chemistry society Chemistry Europe. This distinction makes him the new representative for Belgium for a period of 2 years.
See content
ERAMET project launched: improving the drug regulation system
On March 4 and 5, UNamur hosted the launch event for the European ERAMET project. Led by Professor Flora Musuamba Tshinanu, this collaborative project brings together 17 European partners. Objective: to improve the scientific database guiding regulators in drug evaluation, with a focus on rare and pediatric conditions. A look back at the launch day.
See content
Public thesis defense - Pauline TRICQUET
The Elongator complex is involved in the addition of 5'-carboxylmethyluridine (cm5U)-derived modifications to transfer RNAs (tRNAs), thereby influencing the translation of certain messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and helping to maintain the integrity of the proteome. This complex is involved in a variety of biological processes, and is of particular importance in oncology. The identification of chemical inhibitors of Elongator is of significant interest in both basic and pharmaceutical research.Through a yeast screen, this work reveals a potential new role for Elongator and identifies a chemical inhibitor of the complex. This compound presents itself as an interesting candidate as a pharmacological inhibitor, opening up new perspectives for the search for anti-cancer therapies.
See content
EMBO Workshop | Establishing state-of-the-art mollusc genomics
EMBO Courses and Workshops are selected for their excellent scientific quality and timelines, provision of good networking activities for all participants and speaker gender diversity (at least 40% of speakers must be from the underrepresented gender). Organisers are encouraged to implement measures to make the meeting environmentally more sustainable.Upon registration - More info and registration on the EMBO website.
See content
Chill&Sciences | From viruses to space, it's mathematical!
On Thursday May 30, for our last Chill&Sciences of the season, Candy Sonvaux and Alexis Coyette, mathematics researchers, invite you to discover the mathematics where the movements of the planets and the spread of viruses intertwine until they impact our society.Chill&Science: enriching encountersWith nearly 20 years' experience of scientific cafés, the Confluent des Savoirs has set up a new concept of scientific encounters. The Chill&Sciences are a unique opportunity for the public to come and discuss and ask questions of experts on research topics related to current affairs and citizen issues.Come and enjoy the unique, relaxed atmosphere of Quai22. Researchers and experts from the seven faculties of the University of Namur will present their research and discuss with you over a drink (or two, but never without exaggeration).In practiceThe meetings are open to everyone aged 16 and over. Evenings are limited to around 20 people to ensure a relaxed atmosphere and to facilitate discussions. Meetings take place if a minimum of 10 people are registered. Except in exceptional circumstances, meetings take place every 2 months at the University of Namur's cultural space, Quai22, located at n°22 Rue du Séminaire.Tarif Participation in a Chill&Sciences costs 5€. A discounted annual pass is available. Please note: preferential rate for students (discount code: PromoCDS).The booking fee includes a drink* (soft or beer), a snack (chips and cookies) and management fees linked to the organization Unless cancelled by us, bookings are non-refundable. (*additional drinks will be available upon electronic payment.)
See content
Public thesis defense - Valentin GOFFINET
Title of the dissertation: Ion implantation in Low-E coatings
Low-emissivity (Low-E) coating technology revolutionizes glass applications for windows, offering high optical transparency while reducing heat transfer. They consist of a silver-based thin film deposited on a glass panel by physical vapor deposition. However, these coatings are fragile and must be placed inside a double-glazing cavity where an inert gas resides. Otherwise, they can be easily degraded by bad atmospheric conditions.The thesis approach is to combine low-E technology with a post-treatment of ion implantation. The research question driving this thesis is: how does ion implantation enhance the durability of low-E coatings containing silver?The experiments conducted during the thesis show that implantation indeed increases the coating resistance while having a small impact on its color. However, the treatment degrades the thermal insulation properties. Hence, a series of hypotheses are formulated based on the literature to explain and control this behavior.A deeper investigation shows that implantation impacts the silver nanostructure. First by dewetting the film which allows reorganization into larger crystallites, second by forcing silver mixing at its interface through ballistic ejections. These two phenomena increase the toughness of the silver interface by interlocking effects. However, dewetting has also been linked to thermal insulation properties degradation. Nonetheless, it was shown that using light gas implantation limits the destructive effect (dewetting) while still inducing good durability (due to interface mixing)..
Jury
Prof. Julien COLAUX (UNamur), presidentProf. Stéphane LUCAS (UNamur), promoter and secretaryDr Amory JACQUES (Service Public de Wallonie)Dr Philippe ROQUINY (AGC Glass Europe)Prof. Rony SNYDERS (University of Mons)
See content