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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.

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.

In January 2023, an international symposium on organic chemistry was held at UNamur in honour of the 80th birthday of Professor Emeritus Alain Krief. A scientific day with six renowned speakers, including Professor Jean-Marie Lehn, 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Interview.

Characterization of trehalase from Acyrthosiphon pisum for the design of new insecticides SummaryAphids are major pests in agriculture, causing direct damage to plants and acting as vectors for phytopathogenic viruses. Conventional insecticides are widely used to control them, but their toxicity and efficacy pose problems in terms of the environment, human health and the emergence of resistance to these compounds. New alternatives are therefore needed, such as biological control using predators or parasitoids. However, these methods are not always economically viable on a large scale. As part of this thesis, another approach is being explored which involves developing new insecticides targeting the biochemical functions of aphids.The project aims to discover new inhibitors of trehalase, an enzyme essential for insect energy metabolism. Inhibition of this enzyme could disrupt vital insect functions without affecting mammals. This research involved several stages: the purification and complete characterization of trehalase from Acyrthosiphon pisum (the model for this study), the in vivo, in vitro and in silico analysis of commercial inhibitors on this enzyme, before moving on to the search for new inhibitors. Two points of integrated insect management were explored, biological and chemical control.The biological side saw the study of a strain of Streptomyces naturally producing trehalase-inhibiting metabolites, notably validamycin A, a molecule recognized in the literature as one of the best inhibitors, but not applicable as an insecticide. Other molecules appear to have interesting features, but we have not been able to isolate and characterize them.The chemical side has enabled us to create a pharmacophore hypothesis based on experimental results on molecules obtained by virtual screening. Although these molecules are not usable as insecticides as they stand, this hypothesis provides a better understanding of trehalase inhibitors in general and can be used to refine future analyses. JuryProf. Jean-Yves MATROULE (UNamur), presidentDr Catherine MICHAUX (UNamur), promoter and secretaryProf. Frédéric FRANCIS (ULiège), co-promoterProf. André MATAGNE (ULiège)Dr Rudy CAPARROS (ULiège)Dr Morgan HANS (Biocidal)

Lately, and thanks to LUMI, one of Europe's largest supercomputers, the limits of our knowledge of cell lipid membranes have been pushed back. A team of Namur researchers, including Professor Benoît Champagne and Drs. Pierre Beaujean and Charlotte Bouquiaux, has just published in the Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling. The results of this study pave the way for new approaches in the field of membrane lipid therapy.

The expertise of the Functional Structured Materials (FSM) pole is divided into two interconnected areas: the development of 3D porous architectures and the functionalization of nanostructures.

The Surfaces, Interfaces and Carbon Nanostructures (SICN) pole is active in the synthesis, characterization and modeling of new materials, with a particular focus on interfaces between two distinct phases and for low-carbon materials.

General contacts President Prof. Francesca CECCHET +32 (0)81 72 54 88 francesca.cecchet@unamur.be Vice-president Prof. Vincent LIEGEOIS +32 (0)81 72 45 53 vincent.liegeois@unamur.be Executive assistant Jeanick PIGNOLET executive-assistant.nism@unamur.be FSM representatives Permanent members Nikolay TUMANOV nikolay.tumanov@unamur.be Non-permanent members Tarek BARAKAT anthony.morena@unamur.be HPC-MM representatives Permanent members Prof. Yoann OLIVIER +32 (0) 81 72 45 34 yoann.olivier@unamur.be NOP representatives Permanent members Prof. Olivier DEPARIS +32 (0)81 72 52 35 olivier.deparis@unamur.be Non-permanent members Dr. Sébastien MOUCHET adrien.debacq@unamur.be SICN representatives Permanent members Julien COLAUX +32 (0)81 72 54 70 julien.colaux@unamur.be Non-permanent members Emile HAYE lucas.schoenauen@unamur.be Organisation Découvrir les membres

For their research activities, NISM Institute researchers rely on technology platform teams, each of which houses state-of-the-art equipment, technical know-how and cutting-edge expertise. They are accessible to the scientific community as well as to industry.

The Institute's research projects, publications and collaborations include all categories of researchers. Led by academic promoters, they mobilize post-doctoral researchers, PhD students and even master's students (student-researchers).

HPC-MM representatives Permanent members Prof. Yoann OLIVIER +32 (0) 81 72 45 34 yoann.olivier@unamur.be NOP representatives Permanent members Prof. Olivier DEPARIS +32 (0)81 72 52 35 olivier.deparis@unamur.be Non-permanent members Dr. Sébastien MOUCHET adrien.debacq@unamur.be SICN representatives Permanent members Julien COLAUX +32 (0)81 72 54 70 julien.colaux@unamur.be Non-permanent members Emile HAYE lucas.schoenauen@unamur.be FSM representatives Permanent members Nikolay TUMANOV nikolay.tumanov@unamur.be Non-permanent members Tarek BARAKAT anthony.morena@unamur.be

At the 12th International Congress on Mesostructured Materials (IMMA), held from July 8 to 12 in Montpellier, Prof. Bao-Lian Su was re-elected President of the International Mesostructured Materials Association (IMMA).