Loiasis, a filarial infection caused by Loa loa, affects millions of people in Central Africa. A high number of microfilariae in the blood is associated with a risk of cardiac, renal, or neurological complications, as well as reduced life expectancy. The HYLO project aims to shed light on the clinical impact of loasis on the spleen, via functional hyposplenism (FHoS). More specifically, this project aims to confirm the existence of an association between microfilarial density in Loa and the presence and severity of FHoS, and to establish a correlation between HoSF associated with loasis and the increase in cases of bacterial infection. To achieve these objectives, we will conduct a three-year cohort study in the Republic of Congo and a hospital-based matched case-control study. In 2025, we will assess individual Loa microfilariae densities and IgM+/IgD+ memory B lymphocyte (MBL) levels. In addition, we will measure membrane and soluble biomarkers such as opsonin (tuftsin) and CD14/CD169/CD63 to better understand the mechanisms associated with FHoS, including possible deficiencies in macrophage activation. For all cases of fever, we will carry out bacteriological diagnostics using a decentralized laboratory. In addition, standardized verbal autopsies will be used to investigate all causes of death. We will compare the incidence of clinical and bacteriological diagnoses according to measurements of microfilarial density in Loa, BMLs, and biomarkers. Finally, this project aims to elucidate some of the underlying mechanisms associated with loiasis-associated FHoS and to highlight the clinical repercussions of loiasis on the spleen, as well as the respective contribution of possible antibiotic resistance to the unfavorable outcome of bacterial cases (both time in hospital and outcome as death). Our results could pave the way for specific vaccine recommendations, with the potential to reduce, for example, the burden of lower respiratory infections, which are over-represented in this region of the world.

The flow of groundwater into the coastal sea constitutes a vector for many chemical elements that may impact the quality of the coastal environment and marine ecosystems. Additionally, groundwater contributions are not considered to date in oceanic budgets. Although submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has been investigated in many places of the world, very few studies were conducted along the French coastline of the Mediterranean Sea: almost no information is available on the fluxes of water and chemical elements associated with SGD and on their potential impact on the water quality and geochemical cycling of the coastal zone. Pilot studies conducted on the field and a recent survey where we acquired airborne thermal infrared (TIR) images allowed us to locate the “hotspots” that will be studied in this project. The hotspots include the karstic submarine springs that have been known for a long time along the French Mediterranean coastline (eg. submarine spring of Port-Miou located in Calanques of Marseille-Cassis; Vise spring in the Thau Lagoon; Fontestramar spring that is connected to the Salses-Leucate Lagoon; Fleury et al., 2007), but also additional sites where groundwater discharges into coastal waters or coastal lagoons. The MED-SGD project aims at quantifying the water and chemical fluxes associated with the major SGD sites (“hotspots”) along the French Mediterranean coastline. We want to document the springs, lagoons, coastal seas, exchange between the lagoons and the sea, as well as seawater recirculation processes in the sediments/ sands. The SGD fluxes will be derived from the radium, radon and salinity budgets. Using the SGD fluxes thus determined, the flux of many chemical compounds of interest will be calculated based on a detailed chemical characterization of the SGD (i.e. nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, major elements, uranium, rare earth elements REE, trace metals including pollutants like eg. mercury etc..). Because both the water and chemical fluxes associated with SGD likely vary with time, a second objective of the MED-SGD project is to study the temporal variability of the SGD systems. To our knowledge, a study at such a spatial scale has never been performed and is the first study that attempts to quantify the chemical element fluxes associated with SGD along the entire French coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. We will use this latter information to evaluate the impact of SGD i) on the quality of coastal waters/ coastal lagoons and ii) on the chemical budgets of the Gulf of Lions and of the Northwestern Mediterrean Sea. A unique consortium was created to achieve the goals of the MED-SGD project. This consortium federates scientists with recognized expertise in the study of SGD (including geochemists, modellers, biogeochemists, microbiologists, hydrogeologists, oceanographers).

Timely onset of delivery is a key factor in perinatal outcomes and child health. Preterm birth—birth before 37 weeks of gestation—is the leading cause of mortality in children under 5 years of age worldwide. Survivors are at high risk of neonatal complications and childhood sequelae, including neurodevelopmental disabilities and learning disorders, especially the most premature. Low- and middle-income countries account for the majority of the world's preterm births. Although many socio-demographic, nutritional, medical, obstetric, and environmental factors have been shown to increase the risk of spontaneous preterm birth, its aetiology is imperfectly understood. The duration of gestation or the risk of preterm birth are also complex traits under genetic control from both maternal and fetal genomes. To date, the molecular mechanisms that trigger labor in humans remain elusive. We and others have reconsidered the importance of the complex interactions between immune and stromal cells at the maternal-fetal interface during pregnancy and labor. It is vital to gather comprehensive information about their molecular composition and spatial context. State-of-the-art single cell methods (genomics, spatial proteomics, epigenomics) will be applied to maternal-fetal interface tissues to determine changes during labor. The current project will include i) mouse genetic studies that may identify novel genes involved in the onset of labor, and ii) human studies, taking into account ethnic differences and low- and middle-income countries context. The work proposed here will provide a detailed picture of the maternal interface—how many different subtypes there are as well as their function and interaction—which may be key to understand the onset of labor and preterm birth. This will be necessary for the identification of biomarkers and pharmacological targets for a better prediction and prevention of preterm birth.

The aims of DANAC is to improve the anaerobic digestion performance by exploiting synergies established by the living beings, in order to identify and remove some locks of organic matter accessibility. The project is based on a review of solutions developed by life beings, and their transposition in terms of processes. The feasibility studies of different planned routes, followed by an optimization step, will lead a new eco-compatible concept of anaerobic digestion of secondary biomass, with degradation performances greater than 70%.