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On February 21, the University of Namur hosted the symposium "Medicine and Literature," organized by the History of Medicine and Health Sciences Group, with the support of the Royal Academy of French Language and Literature of Belgium. Nearly 70 participants gathered at the Faculty of Medicine for a particularly open and stimulating day of reflection, devoted to the deep and ancient links between medical practices and literary creation.

Are we prisoners of our genetic heritage? Can filiation be reduced to genes alone? Can we escape our destiny? Existential questions we all ask ourselves, and to which Gaëlle Pontarotti, lecturer and researcher in the Department of Sciences, Philosophies and Societies at UNamur, sheds new light in her book Par-delà les gènes. Une autre histoire de l'hérédité, published last October by Gallimard.

JuryProf. Régis HALLEZ (UNamur), PresidentProf. Jean-Yves MATROULE (UNamur), SecretaryDr. Rob VAN HOUDT (SCK CEN)Dr. Kristel MIJNENDONCKX (SCK CEN)Prof. Liselot DEWACHTER (UCLouvain)AbstractThe viable-but-nonculturable (VBNC) state is a type of bacterial dormancy triggered by sublethal stress, where cells remain intact but lose the ability to grow on standard media. This poses challenges for microbial monitoring and public health, as VBNC cells can evade detection and might regain virulence upon resuscitation. Copper compounds are explored as antimicrobial agents, however sublethal Cu concentrations were shown to induce the VBNC state in certain bacteria. This thesis investigates the Cu-induced VBNC state in Cupriavidus metallidurans, a metal-resistant betaproteobacterium, and examines the involvement of its Cu resistance determinants (CRDs). While resuscitation is usually mediated by external factors, we aimed to uncover intrinsic processes that enable spontaneous resuscitation, a rare phenotype lacking mechanistic understanding. Proteomic analysis revealed that expression of CRDs, among others, correlated with mitigated dormancy. Time-resolved profiling showed that VBNC cells exhibit highly dynamic proteomes: VBNC entry involved oxidative stress response, and resuscitation correlated with metabolic reconstitution and the strong induction of periplasmic CRDs. Temporal clustering corroborated the explored proteomic modifications. Through mutational studies we identified the plasmid-encoded copAB system as the minimal resuscitation factor, where integrity of the CopA methionine-rich domain proved critical. ICP-MS analysis indicated that detoxification relies on Cu sequestration rather than export. Altogether, this work uncovers key intrinsic factors and proposes a mechanistic basis for spontaneous resuscitation from the Cu-induced VBNC state in C. metallidurans. These insights refine our understanding of the VBNC state as a dynamic survival strategy and of bacterial Cu resistance.

JuryDr Luca FUSARO (UNamur), PresidentProf. Carmela APRILE (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Francesco GIACALONE (University of Palermo)Prof. Paolo PESCARMONA (University of Groningen)Prof. Michelangelo GRUTTADAURIA (University of Palermo)AbstractThis PhD research focused on the design, synthesis, and catalytic evaluation of novel materials based on metal phthalocyanines (MPCs) and imidazolium bromide salts. The initial materials were extensively characterized using a wide range of analytical, spectroscopic, and spectrometric techniques, including solid-state NMR, XPS, TEM, EDX, FT-IR, Raman, CHN analysis, ICP-OES, N₂ physisorption, and TGA. These systems showed remarkable performance in promoting the cycloaddition of CO₂ to epoxides to form cyclic carbonates. Building on these results, a new class of catalysts was developed by covalently anchoring metal phthalocyanines and imidazolium salts onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), yielding materials denoted as MPC@MWCNTs. This strategy enabled the creation of a versatile family of catalysts-prepared with different metal centers (Al, Mg, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn)-while maintaining a unified synthetic approach. The incorporation of MWCNTs was aimed at enhancing both catalytic activity and stability through synergistic support effects. The resulting MPC@MWCNTs were successfully applied in diverse catalytic contexts: CO₂ valorization into cyclic carbonates (Mg-, Fe-, Cu-, and Zn-based systems), nitro-reduction reactions to afford amines (Fe-based system), and electrocatalytic methanol oxidation for energy-related applications (Ni-based system). Overall, this work demonstrated the potential of MPC@MWCNT hybrid materials as robust, tunable, and multifunctional catalysts for sustainable chemical transformations. Attend the event remotely (Teams)

Alexandre Mauroy has been a professor and researcher in the Department of Mathematics for almost 10 years, working in the field of dynamical systems. He is also Director of the naXys Research Institute, which puts its expertise in complex systems at the service of UNamur researchers from all disciplines. Aware of the sometimes austere reputation of maths among the general public, Alexandre Mauroy works to demonstrate that this discipline is at the heart of today's technological and scientific challenges..

Today, our planet is undergoing major climatic changes. Particularly in the face of rising temperatures, it is not easy to predict how flora and fauna will react and adapt in disturbed ecosystems. International research, in which Professor Johan Yans' team (Department of Geology and ILEE Institute) is taking part, has found some answers in fossils, which have been the memory of Darwinian evolution for millions of years. Explanations.

JuryDr. Nikolai TUMANOV (UNamur), PresidentProf. Bao-Lian SU (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Yann GARCIA (UCLouvain)Prof. Teng BÊN (Jinhua University)Prof. Guillaume BERIONNI (UNamur)Prof. Alain KRIEF (UNamur)Prof. Alain KRIEF (UNamur)AbstractPorous crystals with structural flexibility are difficult to realize because flexible molecules often rearrange or leave the lattice, leading to pore collapse. Since the early 2000s, it has become clear that combining robust intermolecular interactions with flexible linkers and deformable nodes can stabilize porous crystals during guest removal. Frameworks such as MOFs, COFs, and HOFs benefit from strong noncovalent interactions, yet permanently porous HOFs remain uncommon due to dense molecular packing.Porous organic salts (POSs) offer an alternative strategy, assembling predictable networks from oppositely charged organic ions where electroneutrality and stoichiometry guide structure formation. However, most 3D POSs rely on planar guanidinium or tetrahedral tetraphenylmethane derivatives, resulting in a narrow set of topologies compared with the thousands of 3D nets catalogued in the Reticular Chemistry Structure Resource (RCSR).Here we report triptycene-based ionic frameworks (TIFs) formed via charge-assisted ammonium-sulfonate hydrogen bonding. By tuning triptycene symmetry and functionalization, together with sulfonate linker geometry, we generated diverse supramolecular architectures with tailored porosity, stability, and function.

JuryProf. Guillaume BERIONNI (UNamur), PresidentProf. Stéphane VINCENT (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Carmen GALAN (University of Bristol)Dr. Louis FENSTERBANK (Collège de France)Prof. Raphaël ROBIETTE (Université catholique de Louvain)AbstractCarboxylic acids are ubiquitous in nature and inexpensive compounds. Decarboxylation has become a key chemical transformation and has been widely reported in organic chemistry except for carbohydrates. This reaction can be catalyzed by transition metal and can also be induced by light, thermal activation, or photocatalysis. Borylated compounds have stimulated the pharmaceutical industry's interest (Boromycin, Bortezomib or boron neutron capture therapy). Recent methodologies have been developed to transform carboxylic acids to boronate esters by metal-catalyzed or light-promoted or photocatalyzed reactions. In this thesis, we explored the synthesis of borylated carbohydrates through a decarboxylation pathway. More specifically, sialic acids being among the most important carbohydrates in glycobiology, we addressed the problem of the synthesis of borylated sialic acids. On the other hand, organophosphates play an important role in diverse fields: in materials chemistry, in agriculture, in organic chemistry, and in biochemistry. Phosphorylation is a key reaction in biological processes such as signal transduction and cell activity regulation. The formation of phosphorylated carbohydrates has been widely described through two-electron mechanisms. However, radical phosphorylation of carbohydrates remains unexplored. This Ph.D. thesis describes the development of new methodologies for the decarboxylative functionalization of carbohydrates, focusing on borylation and phosphorylation..

One foot in the past, the other in the future. From Etruscan granulation to PIXE analysis, Serge Mathot has built a unique career, between scientific heritage and particle accelerators. Portrait of a passionate alumnus at the crossroads of disciplines.

A delegation from the University of Namur traveled to the Philippines in March 2026 for the inaugural symposium of the Global Research Alliance of Jesuit Universities (GRAJU). As a founding member of this new international alliance, UNamur participated in this event, which marks the official launch of a global network of Jesuit universities committed to research addressing major societal challenges.

Between the risks of “globocide” and the long-term management of nuclear waste, nuclear power embodies the anxieties of our time while remaining largely invisible in public discourse. Based on FNRS research led by Danielle Leenaerts, a lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and Art Sciences, a three-part project comprising an exhibition, a book, and an interdisciplinary study day offers a unique insight into how Belgian and international artists depict nuclear power. 

At the Organic Chemistry Unit (UCO) of the Chemistry Department at UNamur, researchers study organic molecules with high added value.  Lionel-Marie Van Geesbergen has just started a doctoral thesis under the supervision of Professor Steve Lanners.  After only a month and a half of investigation, the PhD student already has a proof of concept.  A very promising research project with numerous potential applications!