Innovative topics

The FRC groups a wide range of skills enabling it to study and create new molecules and treatments against, for example, genetic diseases (cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc.) infectious diseases, (HIV), auto-immune diseases (lupus), orphan (or rare) diseases (cystic fibrosis), allergies and obesity.

Interdisciplinary research and considerable academic and industrial collaborations are particular strengths in Strasbourg, making it possible to deal with all aspects involved in drug development. Effective treatment is not solely related to the bioactivity of a molecule but also to a whole range of factors: bioavailability, solubility, toxicity etc. For this reason the FRC teams work in close collaboration with groups involved in other aspects of the drug development value chain, which are all present on site and members of the Alsace Biovalley cluster.

Many environmental challenges linked to sustainable development confront the FRC laboratories which are already studying green chemistry, biodegradable materials and renewable energy. With regard to the environment, the laboratories are searching for strategies to increase the effectiveness of industrial processes and thereby reduce industrial waste. This will lead to industrial production equipment and catalytic converters which are increasingly more environmentally-friendly. The FRC is also working at the possibility of harnessing carbon dioxide emissions, responsible for the greenhouse gas effect, as a new fuel. Lastly, the FRC researchers are studying the synthesis of biodegradable polymers of agro-materials from the biomass or from renewable resources in order to meet the challenge of recycling waste plastics.

The decrease in fossil resources and the steep rise in petrol and gas prices prompt governments to develop alternative energy. In this context, the FRC laboratories design innovative materials for the future generations of photovoltaic cells and also study the issues concerning production and storage of hydrogen and optimizing systems for reforming hydrocarbons.

The term “multi-functional materials” covers a group of products capable of adapting to their environment. The FRC teams are heavily involved in the development of these materials. This involves the idea of molecular motors and actuators imitating Nature. These are the key to the miniaturisation and the optimisation of medical biotechnologies and the electronics of the future. At macroscopic level, research targets include the development of biocompatible materials in medicine to create artificial organs or implants, biocaptors or pharmaceutical controlled-release systems. Lastly, these intelligent materials are self-cleaning or composed of (bio)degradable polymers.