To access all features of this site, you must enable Javascript. Here are the instructions for enabling Javascript in your web browser.
Fundamental Research Division
The DRF at the CEA assemble approximately 6,000 scientists since January 2016.
A team of scientists has managed to couple a semiconductor quantum dot and a vibrating wire. The quantum dot detects the mechanical oscillations of the wire with high sensitivity. This work, completed as part of a collaboration between the University of Basel and INAC, opens new perspectives for the development of original sensors and for fundamental studies.
A collaboration led by IRAMIS has demonstrated that the graphite in Li-ion batteries electrodes can be advantageously replaced by a material made of nitrogen-doped tin oxide nanoparticles.
Based on observations by the space telescope, Hubble, an international study led by IRFU has shown that, in the sample under scrutiny, the galaxies that host an active supermassive black hole are on average more compact than others. This discovery sheds new light on the growth of black holes in the heart of distant galaxies.
Building upon a laboratory experiment, researchers from IRAMIS and LSCE have proposed a set of three "simple" equations to represent a very turbulent flow. These equations lead to an extremely chaotic behavior, which could be qualified as a "super-butterfly effect". Their results are a good starting point to describe complex atmospheric phenomenon, such as clouds or rainfalls.
As early as during their larval stage, corals are affected by ocean warming and acidification. Researchers show that exposure of coral larvae, Acropora millepora, to the conditions predicted to prevail by the end of the century weakens and distorts the skeletons of polyps derived from these larvae. Over time, they will have to revise their interpretation of the chemical composition of corals in terms of surface temperature and ocean pH.
A team from the François-Jacob Institute of Biology at CEA has highlighted the involvement of a micro-RNA in certain pediatric leukemias.
What are the photosynthesis mechanisms in phytoplankton? Researchers from CEA-BIG, CEA-IBS and their partners have solved this enigma.
Based on the study of two hundred poisonous animals, the European project VENOMICS managed to reproduce a bank of 3,616 “natural” toxins compatible with high throughput screening. VENOMICS demonstrated that animal toxins are hundred times more effective in identifying drug candidates than the usual banks of artificial molecules.
The work by an international collaboration involving IBS and CEA-BIG has led to the discovery of a protein necessary for the survival of pathogenic fungi. Their work could lead to the development of a new antifungal therapeutic strategy.
Top page
CEA is a French government-funded technological research organisation in four main areas: low-carbon energies, defense and security, information technologies and health technologies. A prominent player in the European Research Area, it is involved in setting up collaborative projects with many partners around the world.