Biophotonics R&D Projects
SEADEEP
Collaborative project (Horizon Europe)
The EU funded project, SEADEEP (Sustainable Energy Advancement through Digitalisation for Energy Efficient Production in Aquaculture and Fisheries), aims to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable blue bioeconomy, in particular by reducing emissions linked to marine food production. energy-efficient digital solutions are being developed for fisheries, aquaculture, and macroalgae cultivation in the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions.
Our objective: Develop optical instrumentation and spectral analysis methodologies for assessing nitrogen content in macroalgae. Also deliver a field-ready monitoring device alongside a reference spectral database, enabling precise, low-energy physiological tracking.
Partners: 30 partners from across Europe and Canada
ALVOPTIQ
Collaborative project (AMI Carnot, Carnot AgriFood Transition)
System for the temporal monitoring of inorganic elements in agriculture and algal cultivation.
Our objective: To develop an optical instrument for measuring the concentration of nutrients in terrestrial plants (e.g. cucumber, maize and potato) and in algae. Based on the analysis of the signal backscattered by the sample, the method will provide the end user with information on whether nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the field have exceeded thresholds (e.g. deficiency or excess). To this end, reference measurements are used to supplement the spectral dataset in order to ensure a robust algorithm.
Partners: CEVA (lead partner) and Vegenov.
MISPEL
Ressourcement Project (Brittany Region)
Multiphoton excitation microscopy for imaging organic samples.
Our objective: This project aimed to demonstrate the capability and efficiency of a parametric source (developed by our Fibre team) in exciting fluorophores in non-linear microscopy (2- or 3-photon). Our biophotonics team is responsible for designing and assembling the microscope, as well as carrying out the characterisation, testing and validation of biological samples from plants and living organisms.
EYECROPS (2023 – 2025)
Collaborative project (Brittany Region)
A project on real-time monitoring of plant crops subjected to abiotic stress.
Our objective: To design and develop a portable, autonomous decision-making tool based on hyperspectral imaging.
Partners: Photon Lines, VFI System.
TOMÉ – SEGA (2023 – 2025)
Internal R&D project (Brittany Region)
A project that aims to respond to the environmental and ecological challenges facing the world of agriculture and to propose a more precise and frugal form of farming. Agriculture is one of the main sectors of activity that directly emits man-made greenhouse gases and atmospheric pollutants (e.g. photorespiration from plants and soils, nitrogen fertiliser losses and enteric fermentation from ruminants).
Our objective: To develop a lidar (light detection and ranging) technology capable of mapping gaseous emissions in agriculture (CO2 and N2O) and animal farming (CH4 and NH3). The technology will make it possible to identify, spatially and temporally, losses of nitrogenous nutrients or areas with pollutants. Indirectly, it will reduce not only their impact on the environment and health, but also the associated economic losses.
Partners: Arvalis (subcontractor).
MICROSCOPIE HYPERSPECTRALE (2023 – 2024)
Internal project (CIR)
An in-house project to measure the spectral distribution of organic samples at the micrometric scale.
Our objective: To design and develop a hyperspectral microscope in the visible and near infrared. Biological cells from plants and algae were analysed with a spatial resolution of 9 µm and a spectral resolution of 2.1 nm. Nitrogen levels, indirectly linked to spectral information, were mapped. Inorganic samples, including minerals and metals, were also observed to analyse their chemical compounds. This work has been submitted to Applied Physics Letters.
SOFA (2021 – 2023)
Internal R&D project (Brittany Region)
A project designed to provide innovative solutions for tomorrow’s agriculture (plant health and water status diagnostics). A plant’s photosynthetic activity is strongly linked to its nitrogen or water supply.
Our objective: To study the chlorophyll fluorescence induced by photosynthesis reactions in order to explore the many physiological parameters of C3 (e.g. barley and wheat) and C4 (e.g. maize) plants and stresses. More specifically, the temporal kinetics (OJIP) of chlorophyll fluorescence and the spectral response of chlorophyll (EEM matrix) have been the subject of instrumental developments within the laboratories. Adapted for in-situ measurement, the sensors were then tested in the field during measurement campaigns.
Partners: Arvalis (subcontractor).
QUALIPHEN (2021 – 2023)
Collaborative project (Brittany Region)
A project aimed at assessing the performance of near-field remote sensing measurements for plant characterisation (e.g. estimation of chlorophyll content, quantification of the plant area index (PAI), etc.). The goal is to mount photonic instruments on UAVs. Two optical paths are being studied: an active path (multispectral lidar) and a passive path (hyperspectral imaging).
Our objective: To design and build the multispectral lidar (12 bands in the visible and infrared, 550 nm – 1650 nm) for in-situ measurement of leaf reflectance. Two field measurement campaigns validated the measurement instruments and the feasibility of characterising the plant cover (maize and wheat). This work has been presented in a number of scientific papers [9th Colloquium of the Hyperspectral Group (SFPT-GH, 2024) and Optique Rouen (SFO, 2024)].
Partners: Hytech Imaging, Arvalis.
ISHIA (2021 – 2022)
A maturation project to study the technical and commercial feasibility of this innovative hyperspectral imaging solution at a reasonable cost.
Our objective: To develop hyperspectral imaging technologies for use in agriculture and launch an entrepreneurial project.