| CNRS Networks cnrs I international w 36 magazine Solvay-Rhodia The 60-strong team of researchers at the “Laboratory of the Future” (LOF) is making strides in the miniaturization of high-yield chemistry. BY Claudia Courtois Behind the green glass walls of a sleek building on the Bordeaux University campus in Pessac, some 60 scientists are hard at work. The only clue to their occupation is the Solvay logo on the façade. The “Laboratory of the Future,” or “LOF” as everyone calls it, is a leading-edge laboratory specialized in developing miniaturized and high-yield methods for chemical testing and appraisal. Since it was set up in 2004, this joint research unit has been operated by CNRS in cooperation with Bordeaux-I University and the industrial group Rhodia, which in 2012 was acquired by Solvay, another international chemical group.1 “Collaboration between Rhodia and CNRS dates back to 1975, when the first framework agreement was signed,” explains the company’s scientific director Patrick Maestro, who also heads the LOF. Since then, four joint research units have been created, including this one (see box). A hotbed of innovation For Solvay, the LOF is a strategic investment intended to stimulate innovation and produce faster, more efficient processes to maintain a leading edge over the competition. The LOF has considerably reduced the group’s time to market (TTM)—the time lag between the development and marketing of a product or process. This is made possible by an array of high-performance equipment: miniaturized instruments, robots that can reliably perform multiple simultaneous measurements, and IT and statistical tools for processing the resulting data. The laboratory opened in 2004 in an ideal location: virtually next door to university classrooms, engineering schools, and several other CNRS research labs. In addition to its sizeable student and researcher population, Rhodia chose the Bordeaux area for its concentration of partner laboratories and high-tech companies that could manufacture the microtools it needed. “We also felt a strong backing from the local administration,” Maestro recalls. Eight years on, the LOF has earned a worldwide reputation in high-yield methods and in miniaturization. For example, the laboratory has developed solutions for evaluating the potential performance of a formulation in a few hours, instead of a few weeks. A perfect testing facilit y Cosmetic giants have come knocking on the LOF’s door, looking for ways to improve their shampoo or skincare formulations. Similarly, for the past four years, a team has been working on the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) project, whose goal is to increase the productivity and lifespan of oil fields through the use of chemical additives called surfactants. Where does the laboratory come into play? “Our systems can test a wide variety of combi- A Window into the Future A photo report is available on the online version of the magazine. > www.cnrs.fr/ cnrsmagazine another thre joint laboratories Under the terms of their general framework agreement, CNRS and Rhodia operate three other joint units. The Complex Assembly of Soft Matter Laboratory (COM PASS ), founded in 1996 in Bristol, Pennsylvania (US), which now also involves the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), conducts research on the physical chemistry of fluids and surfaces. The Polymers and Advanced Materials Laboratory (LPMA ), created in Lyon in 2006, develops innovative polymer- and elastomer-based materials with enhanced mechanical, thermal, or gas impermeability properties. The Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2L), set up in 2010, and involving the ENS -L (École Normale Supérieure de Lyon) and ECN U (East China Normal University), specializes in “green” chemistry and bio-sourced products. © H. RAGUET /CNRS Pho tothèque
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