Biotechnologies now have the scientific maturity to propose high-potential devices to respond to the challenges of low-carbon energies and energy-efficient industrial processes. They rely on bioenergetic control mechanisms, and more generally on the mechanisms of biological oxidation-reduction, as well as exploration of the diversity of metabolic pathways of microorganisms.

​The DSV benefits from its fundamental research and skills (chemistry, isotopic labeling, imaging, etc.) to propose innovative approaches in the areas of diagnosis, therapy and prophylaxis. These innovations must contribute to the development of personalized medicine, by allowing physicians to anticipate managing diseases, to avoid ineffective treatments for some patients, and to have more easily tolerated therapies at their disposal.

Research at the DSV (Division of Life Sciences) is structured around five programs in energy and health. In the field of energy, DSV researchers work on third generation biofuels, energy-efficient industrial processes, and the impact of energy technology on humans and the environment. In the field of health, they study cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern living organisms in a normal or pathological context. They also develop new tools for diagnosis and therapy.