Life, a Model for Chemists

An Interview with Marc Fontecave

by Lucie Campos , 2 June 2014

translated by Kate McNaughton

with the support of Institut français

Version française

energy , science , technics

In the context of increasing uncertainty regarding how we will source our energy in the future, the bio-inspired chemistry of carbon and hydrogen is, according to Marc Fontecave, destined to play a major role in the development of renewable energies. His laboratory, which works at the crossroads of chemistry and biology, uses biological phenomena such as photosynthesis as its inspiration in inventing new materials, new catalysts and new reactions.

Marc Fontecave is a professor at the Collège de France, where he holds the Chair in the Chemistry of Biological Processes, and is a member of the Académie des Sciences. His laboratory, the Chemistry of Biological Processes Laboratory, works at the crossroads of chemistry and biology, following a multidisciplinary approach based on the methods of biochemistry, molecular and structural biology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and on various spectroscopies. He has in particular worked on the chemistry of metals in transition: iron, cobalt and nickel, and the role that these metallic ions play in cellular life, and also on the chemistry of carbon (exploitation of carbon dioxide) and of hydrogen.

For English subtitles, click on the “cc” button on the upper right-hand corner of the video.

Marc Fontecave par laviedesidees

Shooting & video editing: Ariel Suhamy.

by Lucie Campos, 2 June 2014

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To quote this article :

Lucie Campos, « Life, a Model for Chemists. An Interview with Marc Fontecave », Books and Ideas , 2 June 2014. ISSN : 2105-3030. URL : https://booksandideas.net/Life-a-Model-for-Chemists

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