Trip to Toulouse (cohort 3 - AgroParisTech)
After spending three months in Paris for their 3rd semester at AgroParisTech, the Bioceb Track 1 students travelled to Toulouse, in the south of France, on 19 and 20 December 2023 to discover the Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI).
Toulouse Biotechnology Institute is a laboratory for fundamental and applied research in the field of biotechnologies, located on the campus of the National Institutes of Science and Technology (INSA Toulouse). TBI is under the joint supervision of three research and high education organizations, including the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), one of the Bioceb associated partners.
The visit organized by Claire Dumon, Research Director in the Biocatalysis department, started with a presentation of TBI’s activities by its director, Gilles Truan, and was followed by the discovery of different labs focusing on enzyme engineering and screening (PICT-ICEO), bioprocesses (FAMETech), and synthetic biology. Lastly, the students could meet two PhD students. One of them is a Bioceb alumnus from the first cohort, working for his PhD thesis on "Coupling microbial electrolysis with gas fermentation for CO2 valorization". The other is an AgroParisTech engineer alumnus, who also presented his main topic of research to the students. The whole visit was closely related to the knowledge acquired by the students during their Bioceb third semester and was at the very center of interest of some students now starting their master’s thesis in this field. Thanks to this visit, they got particular awareness of the performance of high throughput strategies.
During the second part of the visit, the students discovered Toulouse White Biotechnology (TWB), a demonstrator born in 2010 to ensure the transfer of knowledge from basic research to industry. They had the opportunity to see the highly automatized and performant equipment’s of the TWB Bioprocess and Strain Engineering platforms. This visit was very useful to take awareness of innovation transfer, industrial properties and scale-up problematics.
Testimony of the student Muhammad Khizar Naeem (article originally published on LinkedIn):
"We visited TBI - Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, Bio & Chemical Engineering and Toulouse White Biotechnology (TWB) just before Christmas. The trip was nothing short of awe-inspiring, offering a glimpse into the innovative world of biotechnology.
TBI, a renowned institution, is a hub of groundbreaking research and education. The state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories showcased the institute’s commitment to advancing biotechnological knowledge. From genetic engineering to bioinformatics, the range of disciplines covered at TBI was impressive, reflecting a holistic approach to biotechnology education.
TWB, on the other hand, provided an insight into the fascinating realm of white biotechnology, where the focus is on developing sustainable and eco-friendly solutions. The institute’s emphasis on industrial applications of biotechnology, especially in fields like bioenergy, green chemistry, and bio-based materials, left us inspired by the potential for positive environmental impact. The level of automation in terms of scientific facilities at TWB are truly amazing.
During our visit, we had the privilege of interacting with leading researchers and experts who generously shared their insights. The collaborative atmosphere at both TBI and TWB fostered interdisciplinary discussions, underlining the importance of teamwork in pushing the boundaries of biotechnological innovation.
One of the highlights was witnessing cutting-edge projects in action. From the development of novel biopharmaceuticals to the optimization of industrial processes using biocatalysis, the projects at TBI and TWB exemplified the real-world applications of biotechnology, emphasizing its role in shaping the future of various industries."
- Updated March 2024 -