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Fundamental Research Division
The DRF at the CEA assemble approximately 6,000 scientists since January 2016.
The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN) has just crossed a symbolic threshold. The collaboration, which includes the CEA-Irfu, has revealed a new upper limit of 0.8 eV/c2 for the mass of neutrinos. This result is of fundamental interest for both particle physics and cosmology.
Scientists from the EUROfusion consortium, which the CEA (IRFM) participates in, recently recorded the production of 59 megajoules of fusion energy over several seconds at the world’s only operational tokamak using deuterium and tritium: the Joint European Torus (JET) in the UK. In an environment very similar to that of ITER, they succeeded in piloting the fusion plasma according to their simulations. This brilliant demonstration confirms both the ITER project and the potential of fusion energy!
A new international study coordinated by the LSCE (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ) has revealed hundreds of very large methane leaks from oil and gas production facilities. This work draws on data collected by the European satellite Sentinel-5P.
In order to fight sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, two common genetic diseases affecting red blood cells, the AP-HP, the University of Paris, Inserm (Imagine Institute), Paris-Est Créteil University and the CEA-Jacob have conducted a clinical study utilizing the transplantation of a patient’s own genetically modified stem cells. A phase I/II trial with bluebird bio as the sponsor has been completed.
The X-ray space telescope, which was provided by France for the SVOM space mission, and for which the CEA-Irfu made a significant contribution, is now operational! The launch of the Franco-Chinese satellite is scheduled for 2023.
Researchers from the CEA-Irig (IBS), Grenoble Alpes University, the CNRS and the ESRF have described for the first time an essential interaction between two SARS-CoV-2 proteins that could inspire a new therapeutic strategy against COVID-19.
Using a “pump-probe” spectroscopic technique, researchers at the CEA-Irig have succeeded in creating an authentic identity map of individual quantum bits, based on the spin of holes in silicon. This is an essential task that can easily be extrapolated to high qubit densities!
A mere seven months into its five-year mission, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has already collected 3D mapping and spectral data from more than 7.5 million galaxies and quasars, breaking all previous records! The complete map will allow cosmologists to better understand the dark energy that drives the expansion of the Universe.
While France is taking over the Presidency of the European Union, and in a context of strengthening bilateral cooperation between France and Italy - highlighted by the signature of the Quirinal Treaty by President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on 26 November - CEA, CINECA and GENCI have engaged a joint initiative aimed at strengthening European digital capacity.
By analyzing the blood lipidome of patients with cirrhosis, a European collaboration involving the CEA-Joliot has discovered specific biomarkers for the different stages of the disease. This is an important step towards achieving a personalized and more effective management of this illness.
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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.