Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE)

The Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE) studies aquatic organisms and environments, at all integration levels, from molecules to ecosystems. Rather than focusing on specific molecular and cellular approaches of life, URBE investigates of biochemistry, physiology, evolution and ecology of living organisms. 

The main research topics are devoted to the analysis of physiological, biochemical and molecular responses of organisms to environmental disturbances (pollutions, climate warming, …), to molecular ecology and evolutionary genetics, as well as to ecology of microbial, plant and animal communities in lakes and rivers. Fundamental and applied research is also carried out in aquaculture and on management of aquatic environments in temperate and tropical regions.

Within the Department of Biology of University of Namur, URBE is involved in teaching at bachelor level (Biology, Medicine, Pharmacy) and at master level (master in Biology of Organisms and Ecology, co-organised with University of Louvain-la-Neuve). The unit also participates in various activities outside the university, such as development projects, international commissions, environmental policy. Furthermore, URBE is involved in two inter-universities master programs: the master program in Aquaculture in partnership with University of Liège, and the master program in Management of Water Resources, with University of Liège and University of Louvain-la-Neuve.