Prof. Claire Hellio
From chemical ecology to marine biotechnology: Case studies, the development of new antifouling strategies
Prof. Claire Hellio
Brest University, France
The growing demand to develop a novel, environmentally friendly antifouling (AF) or bioadhesive material is ever increasing. Bioinspiration is an attractive alternative in developing such a material, learning from nature’s own designs and solutions and transferring them to solve particular problems. In order to achieve this goal, the actual mechanisms and strategies that evolution has produced needs to be elucidated from the subject species.
The work presented in this talk, regarding new antifouling product, has investigated successfully chemical ecology (macroalgae and sponges), the role of microflora in the production fo defense molecules, seasonality of the production of defences molecules, and defences synergy. The role of surface topography and chemistry combined in a single material, a property that exists naturally in some common macroalgae, has been as well investigated and led to promising results.
The second part of this talk will focus on bioadhesion strategies used by marine organisms and how from fundamental studies, we have develop a new bioassay for testing the activity of compounds in inhibition or promotion of algal adhesion.