NANOTECHNOLOGY MIGHT HELP FIGHT

DEADLY “CYTOKINE STORM” OF COVID-19

Campus life

H-BAR – THE NEW HUB FOR

PHYSICIANS

Espace technologique, Bât. Discovery – RD 128 – 1er étage, 91190 Saint-Aubin – France www.universite-paris-saclay.fr/en

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L’Édition of l’université paris-saclay june

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Teaching, Learnig

Science outreach

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UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

AT UNIVERSITÉ PARIS-SACLAY

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TOPOLOGICAL PHASES

IN MATTER IN STOP-MOTION

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08Research – Open science

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Research – Cosmic rays and very high-energy astrophysics

Seen from abroad

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Research – Atomic nucleus and nuclear physics

Business & Innovation – Cybersecurity

Research – Urban agriculture and Biodiversity

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13France2020

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AWARDS & PRIZES Section

Ane Aanesland, researcher at the Laboratory of Plasma Physics (LPP – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, École Polytechnique) won the CNRS 2019 Innovation Medal for designing unique tech-nology that accelerates both positive ions and electrons via radio frequency voltage.

Olivier Allix, professor of mechanical engineering at ENS Paris-Saclay was awarded the Gay-Lussac Humboldt research award in recognition of his research in the fields of modelling and simu-lation of materials and structures.

Aurélie Albertini of the Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC - Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS), Milena Jakšić of the Institute of Social Political Sciences (ISP – Université Paris- Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS), and Nicolas Morange of the Laboratory of the Physics of the two infinities – Irène Joliot-Curie (IJCLAB – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS) received the CNRS 2020 Bronze Medal.

Isabelle Guyon, researcher at the Research Lab in Computer Science (LRI – Université Paris- Saclay, CNRS), received the BBVA foundation’s Frontiers of Knowledge prize in the Information and Communication Technologies category for her fundamental contributions to machine learning.

Laurent Mugnier, researcher at ONERA, was awarded the 2019 Lazare Carnot prize by the French Académie des Sciences for the development of remarkably high-performance mathematical and algorithmic tools for data analysis and processing.

Manuel Rodrigues and Pierre Touboul, researchers at ONERA, were awarded the 2019 Prix Servant by the French Académie des Sciences for their work on the MICROSCOPE mission, the CNES’s first microsatellite dedicated to fundamental physics.

Denis Sipp, researcher at ONERA, won the French Académie des Science’s 2019 Paul Doisteau-Emile Blutet award for his fundamental research into hydrodynamic instability and controlling it, which improves understanding of transition to turbulence.

Claire Chenu, a soil-science researcher at AgroParisTech was awarded the INRAE Grand Prix for agronomic research. She was recognised for her entire career.

STUDENTSMatthieu Acker, Antoine Arnoult, Jacques Bois, Alexandre Kreber and Grégoire Souverain, first-year engineering students at CentraleSupélec, won the Thalès Tech Challenge innovation competition in France with their Scan Ocean project. This project is an autonomous underwater drone equipped with more efficient passive sonar using machine learning.

Jacqueline Cherfils, researcher at the Laboratory of Biology and Applied Pharmacology (LBPA – Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris Saclay, CNRS) received the Emile Jungfleisch prize awarded by the French Académie des Sciences (Science Academy) for her major contribution to the field of small GTPases.

Philippe Dillmann of the Nanosciences and Innovation Laboratory for Materials, Biomedicine and Energy (NIMBE – Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS) received the 2020 CNRS Silver Medal.

Loic Esteve, Alexandre Gramfort, Olivier Grisel, Bertrand Thirion and Gaël Varoquaux, resear-chers at INRIA Saclay – Île-de-France, received the INRIA Dassault Systèmes innovation award for their open source tool “scikit-learn” dedicated to statistical learning.

Yves Gaudin, researcher at the Institute of Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC – Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS), received the Bettencourt Coup d’Élan (Momentum) prize for the work carried out with his team on the rabies virus.

Jean-Daniel Fekete and Catherine Plaisant, researchers at INRIA Saclay – Île-de-France, were distinguished by the Special Interest Group on Computer-Human interaction of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), in recognition of their work in human-machine interactions.

© Hugo Noulin

Lauriane Aufrant, Lina Benajiba, Samuel Bitoun, Alexandre Bordat, Célia Dupain-Jourda, Carole Lazarus and Alexander Enrique Fox Ramos, all PhD students at Université Paris-Saclay were awarded the Prize of the Chancellery of the Universities of Paris for their excellent research into science, medicine and pharmacy.

Chaimae Azdad and Raed Hlaylel, students at the Institute of Optics Graduate School, received the first prize for the best student pitch awarded by the European Research Council for their presentation “Characterising skin fundations: Soft focus”.

Eva Borakiewicz, Jahnavi Kantharaju and Marine Ruffenach, respectively PhD students in materials, aerodynamics and physics at ONERA, were rewarded for their work by the prestigious Amelia Earhart award by the Zonta International club.

Céline Boufette, Hélia Briaud and Rachel Locquet in the third year of the Innovation-Entrepreneurs (FIE) curriculum at the Institute of Optics Graduate School won the first prize in the Dare Award pitch competition organised by HEC, Star’HEC and L’Oréal for their “SecureLight” project. The project aims to improve safety for cyclists.

© Laurent Zylberman

Yann Honoré (ENS Paris-Saclay), Emilie Renouard (ENS Paris-Saclay), Manon Riche (Strate) and Perrine Weffling (AgroParisTech) won the 2020 Design & Science award from Université Paris- Saclay for their Typik project. This project rede-fines the notion of land in urban agriculture.

Jean Maillard, PhD student at the Macroscopic Molecular Energy and Combustion Laboratory (EM2C – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Centrale-Supélec), is the first Frenchman to receive the Filippi Spirit Award for rowing.

Fy Antenaina Rakotomaharo, undergraduate student of Science, Technology and Health at the Université Paris-Saclay is French champion of university chess and qualified for the European championships in Belgrade.

The Évry IGEM team won a Gold Medal at the International Competition in Synthesis Biology iGEM 2019 in Boston, thanks to their project for the organic production of rare fatty acids.

A team of students from the “magistère” (post-graduate programme) in fundamental physics at Orsay and ENS Paris-Saclay, was ranked in the Gold Medal category during the 7th edition of the French Physicists’ Tournament in Paris.

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RESEARCHERS

Aurélie Albertini © Hugo Noulin

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EDITOR’S LETTERSection

Members of Université Paris-Saclay

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PSac

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The whole world is going through a very difficult crisis. It is even more difficult for those who do not benefit from the infrastructure, support and financial resources that we can count on in France. I am particularly affected by these consequences, which highlight so many inequa-lities, and I know that many of us today are sincerely questioning our lifestyles and defending sustainable development.

Once again, the academic world is rising to the occasion in the face of this crisis. I have regular exchanges with my counterparts in Europe, the United States and elsewhere in the world, who, like us, have thrown all their forces into the battle: the faculties of medicine and pharmacy are on the front line night and day, and all the medical, chemical and biological research laboratories are mobilized to resolve the thousands of questions raised by this virus, before finding a cure or a vaccine to stem its transmission. All disciplines are involved, because this health crisis, as we well know, will not only create an appalling void left by the men and women that the disease is taking away.

Politicians and editors are predicting an economic crisis, which we are already perceiving, because the University generates immense direct and indirect economic activity. Despite our efforts to support our sup-pliers and partners, we too had to shut down entire areas of our business for two months. But we are now in the process of restarting everything that can be done, while remaining on the alert and respecting, of course, the necessary health and safety measures. Our researchers in econo-mics and human and social sciences are particularly in demand: ethics, evolution of models, open science and sustainable development... in this issue you will find some of the strategic aspects of our University’s positioning.

The current health situation has, of course, led us to adapt our habits and teaching tools. Our priority is to make it possible to welcome stu-dents and staff back to our campuses at the start of the 2020-2021 aca-demic year, and to recreate the social bonds and face-to-face dialogue that are essential to our missions.

I wish you a good read and a peaceful summer, and look forward to meeting you for the next issue of our journal next autumn.

Sylvie Retailleau, President of Université Paris-Saclay

Undergraduate studies at Université Paris-Saclay: engaging, stimulating

and innovative training courses!

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© Christian Dao

TRAINING, TEACHINGSection

Undergraduate programme – Honours bachelor’s degree – Design Spot – Science and Architecture

Keywords

Part of the Université ParisSaclay programme is reserved for under- graduate degrees. An integral part of the academic, scientific and economic environment of the University, it is a dynamic education programme designed around students’ personal goals and aspirations. The programme features high-quality courses, educational innovation and personalised coaching.

The objective of the Université Paris-Saclay undergraduate programme? Help each stu-dent to find their place in the academic com-munity, and support and ensure their success. The teaching team had to question themselves first, because the University’s undergraduate programme has a global objective. As well as acquiring skills and knowledge in their discipline, the University guides students to become responsible citizens, open to the world.

Courses in tune with students’ ambitions

The undergraduate programme consists of classical and professional degrees, two-year technical degrees (DUT) and scientific and technical university diplomas (DEUST). It is also open to students wanting to study health. There is a wide choice of disciplines. Next year, the programme will include just over 13,000 students. “They will be divided into 76 different courses. The challenge for the programme is to provide dynamic education programmes and opportunities so that each student can follow their ambition,” explains Isabelle Demachy, Vice-President for educational innovation and student life at Université Paris-Saclay.

Teaching is provided by professors and aca-demic staff from Université Paris-Saclay and external speakers. “Discipline-specific knowledge and skills in courses delivered by academic staff is fundamental to provide students with a solid foundation. Professionals in the sectors related to the course provide more cross-cutting aspects, such as how to use skills in professional situa-tions, with the acquisition of soft-skills,” explains Isabelle Demachy.

Student support is the priorityStudent support is the core ambition of the

undergraduate programme with several mea-sures in place. The priority: give students what they need to develop a successful programme. Support systems help them to realise their first year of studies in a chosen discipline, from several reinforcement sessions to persona-lised programmes. The PPEI is a personalised study and career programme. It is a three-year module during which students develop eloquence, acquire knowledge about business and professions, and learn to lead a project. There are also many educational innovations including online resources, inverted teaching and projects. Finally, the programme develops students’ capacity to analyse current scienti-fic challenges: “Each undergraduate student takes an interactive course designed by inter-national experts about ecological transition and science in society, through notions of truth and untruth,” explains Pascal Aubert, pro-ject leader for Paris-Saclay’s undergraduate programme.

Graduates finish their undergraduate pro-gramme with all the skills required to either pursue a master’s degree or join professional life thanks to the rich contribution by indus-trial and socio-economic partners.

https://ecole-universitaire-paris-saclay.fr/ecole- universitaire/

An undergraduate programme with strong student support

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The curriculums of Université Paris-Saclay’s honours bachelor’s degrees feature dual or multiple disciplines and promote learning via early and visible research into scientific challenges and issues.

Divided into 14 courses, honours bachelor’s degrees (LDD) at Université Paris-Saclay offer a variety of educational options. They can combine scientific subjects like the Chemistry and Life Sciences degree, or scientific, social and humanities subjects such as the Econo-mics and Mathematics degree. Students fol-low two disciplines or specialise in one while exposing themselves to a wide range of com-plementary disciplines.

Multiple learningNot all the University’s honours bachelor’s degrees have two disciplines. “For example, the honours bachelor’s degree ’Law, Science, Innovation’ aims to educate lawyers while reinforcing their scientific knowledge. The aim is to improve their understanding of scienti-fic issues and their quality of exchange about innovation, giving them the means to contri-bute to change in laws and regulations in these areas,” explains Isabelle Demachy, Vice-Pre-sident for educational innovation and student life at Université Paris-Saclay. “The honours bachelor’s degrees reflect the philosophy of the Paris-Saclay undergraduate programme: support students who have chosen a multi-disciplinary course to realise their ambition,” says Pascal Aubert, project leader for Paris-Saclay’s undergraduate programme (see article opposite).

Selective educationThe honours bachelor’s degree programme is intensive. Studying several disciplines, early introduction to research and handling scienti-fic challenges...the programme is demanding and students must be very committed. “They aren’t all necessarily ready for it,” warns Isabelle Demachy. “However, honours bachelor’s degrees and other undergraduate degrees have courses in common, so it is possible to switch. Students can switch to a classical degree from an honour’s degree, or vice versa, apply to switch to an honour’s degree from a classical degree.”

A range of master’s opportunitiesThe honours bachelor’s degrees are designed to ensure continuity with master’s degrees,

both at Université de Paris Saclay and in international institutions. Students with an honours bachelor’s degree can pursue a mas-ter’s degree with a single or double discipline that corresponds to their acquired skills.

www.universite-paris-saclay.fr/formation/ licence-double-diplome

Is there a natural link between architecture and science? The École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay (The National Superior School Paris-Saclay) and the École Nationale Supé-rieure d’Architecture Paris-Malaquais (The National Superior School of Architecture Paris-Malaquais) answer that question with a resounding yes! In December 2019, the two schools signed an agreement to create a multi-disciplinary course combining their expertise.

From 2020/2021, students and higher-educa-tion students from ENS Paris-Saclay can pur-sue a mixed curriculum combining science and architecture. They will pursue a three-year course at ENS Paris-Saclay when they will be trained in their chosen scientific discipline and the equivalent of two to three years of architec-tural training at ENSA Paris-Malaquais from where they will qualify with an architecture degree. In exchange, students at the Paris-Ma-laquais school of architecture will benefit from access to ENS Paris-Saclay facilities for large scale experiments in teaching or joint projects between the two schools.

Long term, the programme will train pro-fessionals able to respond to major societal challenges in urban planning and sustainable architecture.

www.ens-paris-saclay.fr/actualite/devenir- architecte-normalien

A mixed curriculum of science and architecture at

ENS Paris-Saclay

Learn about design at Université

Paris-Saclay

Paris-Saclay has a centre where students, scientists and entrepreneurs try to imagine and invent future uses. It’s called the Design Spot: a design centre created two years ago by the Université Paris-Saclay to promote design to its community.

The Design Spot offers short courses, divided into three modules of three hours. There are no prerequisites for any of the modules. “The first module, called The Indispensable, is theoretical. It provides a broad vision of design,” explains Yoann Montenot, design project manager at the Design Spot. “Design is a vast field including a range of subjects including interface design, brand identity creation and product design.” With this module, participants learn about the history of design and methods and tools used by designers.

The second module, The Workshop, is more practical: participants choose an existing product and analyse and decrypt its design to create an improved version. They imagine what the product would be like after the design is revised.

The last module, called The Specials, is a series of thematic workshops presented by experts in their field including eco-design, interface design and brand design. “Our goal is to help participants to grasp design so they can work with designers and understand their approach,” says Yoann Montenot.

Register now!

www.designspot.fr/formations

Undergraduate degrees that develop multidisciplinary profiles

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SCIENCE OUTREACHSection

Topological phases

in matter in stop-motion

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Illustrations on the right page

and page 22:Simon Bailly

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Art and science are two different ways of seeing the world. But they have common aspects: curiosity, the quest for beauty and conscien-tious execution. Who better than Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519), such a prolific and multi-disciplinary artist, to symbolise this union? To mark the 500th anniversary of his death, the Louvre museum and Université Paris-Saclay joined together to propose a series of events focusing on the master’s work and his taste for science with a course for teachers and stu-

Leonardo and Science

The aim of this national initiative, led by INRIA and the French Ministry for Education and Youth, is to raise awareness about digital research among students in their first year of the equivalent of senior secondary school and to stimulate passion for new digital sciences and technology curriculum accessible the fol-lowing year.

Each class will be visited by a specialised digital scientist. “We want interactive presen-tations that stimulate exchange,” says Alain Couvreur, science mediator at INRIA Saclay – Île-de-France. Students will have a clearer idea about digital science research, how it impacts their daily lives and how they use digital technology.

https://chiche-snt.fr/

The Physics Reimagined team works to find new ways to explain physics to a wider audience. They are currently addressing topological phases in matter.

“We’re not really changing the way we do

physics,” says Julien Bobroff, academic staff

member at Université Paris-Saclay and perma-

nent member of the Physics Reimagined team.

“But we are working on how to present and

teach the discipline differently.” This original

team at the laboratory of solid-state physics

(LPS – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS) includes

physicists and specialists in design and science

outreach. They are investigating new ways to

explain science and developing new teaching

“One scientist, one class,

dare!”

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methods. The team covers subjects ranging

from quantum physics to matter.

Their latest production targeting the general public is a film entitled “The Hairy Nobel”. It explains the topological properties in matter, a Nobel prizewinning theme for American researchers David Thouless, Duncan Haldane, and Michael Kosterlitz in 2016. The team chose this theme because despite conside-rable developments over recent years, it was insufficiently known to the general public. The researchers worked with Charlotte Arene, an animation specialist, to produce the video with stop-motion technology.

Two explanations are better than oneThe film gives an accurate explanation of

the topological states of matter. It explains

a topological invariant, otherwise known as the Hall effect. The historical aspect of scien-tific discoveries is also covered, describing the emergence of a research field that is now wide-ranging. The film is also a powerful inter-nal communication tool: “It’s a great way to talk about science – not just to researchers – but to everyone working in the field including administrative staff, technicians, engineers and communication teams,” highlights Julien Bobroff. Take some time to watch “The Hairy Nobel” – it’s a great production that everyone can understand!

http://hebergement.u-psud.fr/supraconductivite/projet/le_nobel_chevelu/

dents in November, 2019, and a lecture for the general public on 30 January, 2020, at H-Bar building at Orsay. Jacques Le Roux, lecturer at the Louvre, provided his expertise as an art historian. Emeline Faugère, lecturer at the mechanical engineering department of ENS Paris-Saclay, spoke about “Leonardo’s educa-tion”, and Pierre Pansu, professor of mathema-tics at Université Paris-Saclay, presented the theme: “Leonardo and mathematics”.

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The Hairy Nobel

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Increase encouragement for open science

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RESEARCHSection

Open science

Keywords

“France is committed to making open science daily practice for researchers by default.”Frédérique Vidal

Université Paris-Saclay is undertaking increasing initiatives to promote open science. At the core of national, European and international measures, the University defines its political position.

“Science is a common good that should be shared as widely as possible,” declared Frédérique Vidal, Minister for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, in his opening speech about the national plan for open science on 4 July, 2018. The Ministry’s public policy plan echoes the digital republic bill passed on 7 October, 2016. It reaffirms the need to extend open communication of scientific research results in articles, books and data, and to ensure there are no difficulties, delays or costs related to their distribution.

What is the purpose? The editorial system has become incoherent. Researchers publish their articles in peer-reviewed journals, but the cost of access to their peers’ publications is increasingly expensive for their institutions, despite it being provided and assessed free of charge. This elitist system, run by a couple of large publishers who own most – and the

most prestigious – of the journals, holds the public captive. A rogue system, it privatises knowledge produced with public funds, hit-ting institutions with prohibitive subscrip-tions and creating inequalities. For example, Université Paris-Saclay will spend €2M on subscription fees in 2020. The subscription for Elsevier alone is €700K. The University has chosen to cancel its Springer subscription since 2018.

To correct this situation, open science prin-ciples have been driving initiatives and strate-gies for action at institutional, national and European levels over the last few years. As Frédérique Vidal announced: “France is com-mitted to making open science daily practice for researchers by default.” The French plan aims to generalise open access to publications,

whether in open access magazines or parallel

to traditional magazines in open archive sys-

tems such as the HAL platform operated by the

CNRS or ArXiv operated by Cornell University

in the United States.

Biology Chemistry Computer and information

sciences

Earth, ecology, energy and

applied biology

Engineering Humanities Mathematics Medical Research

Physical, science,

astronomy

Social Sciences

61,2 %

42,3 %

50 % 49,6 %

37,2 % 39,1 % 41,7 %

59,4 %

38,5 %

71,6 %

HOUSING TYPE

Publisher Open archives

Publisher and archives

Unopened publications

OPEN ACCES PUBLICATIONS RATE 2018 BY DISCIPLINE (measured in 2019 in France, source: Unpaywall, MESRI treatments)

Article 30 of the 2016 law gives authors new

rights which change the game. When at

least 50% of research is government funded,

authors are entitled to make their work avai-

lable in an open archive after publication by

the publisher: after six months for technical

and medical sciences, and after twelve months

for social sciences and humanities. “In the event

that the contract with the publisher stipulates

the contrary, it is deemed to be null and void,”

adds ministry expert Marin Dacos, scientific

advisor for open science to the head of the

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“Our open science charter will be reinforced to increase encouragement for publication on open access platforms.”Sylvie Retailleau

“Publishing research with open access does not jeopardise your research. It shows what you are working on.”Julien Sempéré

French department for research and innova-tion. Result: in 2019, 49% of French research publications were published with open access. This figure grows each year, though there remain disparities between disciplines.

All publications with open access in the future

Paris-Saclay is following the movement, defining its own guidelines on the subject in accordance with the national framework and national, European and international networks. Sylvie Retailleau, President of Uni-versité Paris-Saclay explains, “We now have to take a political stance. In 2020, our open science charter will be reinforced to increase encourage-ment for publication on open access platforms. Our approach is sufficiently developed for us to judge which are the best platforms, provide tools for researchers, and reflect on how to promote people who are committed to open science, for example with recruitment or promotion. The first measures will probably be applied in 2021, after discussion and vote at the University’s aca-demic council.”

Étienne Augé, recently appointed Deputy Vice-President for Open Science at Université Paris-Saclay, confirms, “Major efforts are still required to educate and raise awareness among researchers, and from PhD level, and to put in place training pertinent to each discipline. But generally, everyone wants to do the right thing.” 

“A number of actions have been developed for this purpose including practical information sheets, courses and study days,” comments Julien Semperé, prefigurator for the depart-ment in charge of libraries at Université Paris-Saclay that is actively driving this approach. “We are also developing a table of expected skills and producing educational videos addressing questions such as What is an open archive? and What is a predatory editor?.”

In 2018, 7,241 or 47% of the 15,133 publications signed by Université Paris-Saclay researchers were published on open access platforms. “Publishing research with open access does not jeopardise your research. It shows what you are

working on,” explains Julien Semperé. “In some cases, researchers hesitate to publish on open access platforms because they are convinced that publisher rights prevail over national law. They need more reassurance about the issue.”

Paris-Saclay has its own collection on the HAL platform where a large part of the University’s production is hosted. The objective is now to improve the user experience for researchers, “by displaying publications in a suitable user interface for example. We plan to help them to publish on open access platforms and make their lives easier,” says Julien Semperé. In addition to HAL, the University also promotes other platforms delivering publications with a vir-tuous economic model, such as DOAJ (Direc-tory of Open Access Journals), ArXiv, and OpenEdition.

Data with valueAll research produces data - “the raw material of knowledge”, points out Frédérique Vidal. Data is the second main focus of France’s plan for open science. “Sharing data opens up new scientific perspectives.” To that end, article 6 of the digital republic law opens all institutional data by default, including data from comple-ted research. “Public institutions – universities and research centres – now have a new obliga-tion regarding data because if researchers own their papers, the research data belongs to their employers. Institutions must take advantage of this new legal reality!” says Marin Dacos.

At Université Paris-Saclay, reflection is underway but “the application of clear mea-sures will take more time than publications,” says Sylvie Retailleau. “First, we need to deve-lop backup policies, initiate technical work, and facilitate understanding of what open science represents for research data.” The desire to make data openly available requires some restrictions. Certain data – personal, finan-cial, medical, defence – must remain inacces-sible. “It is rarely the obstacle. Due to a lack of awareness and global effort within the research community, we have not dared to share data that could have been,” Semperé highlights.

Ensuring good data management

To this end, research projects funded by the European Commission and the French National Research Agency (ANR) must now include a data management plan. “A data management

plan indicates what types of research data will

be retrieved, their forms and intended use,”says Augé.

Good data management has many advantages: when data is placed in storage it is visible and can be referenced like scientific publications. “Making data accessible is also a sign of confi-

dence in research results,” continues Étienne Augé. Marin Dacos adds, “Science is cumu-

lative. Closed research efforts are in danger of

being repetitive, resulting in wasted financial

resources and loss of innovation. After all, the

researcher is the main beneficiary. By storing

his or her data, he or she ensures it is preserved

correctly and facilitates its reuse.” 

Producing metadata

Université Paris-Saclay produces an extraordi-narily diverse range of data including instru-mentation, archives and imagery. “As a result, it is very complex to have an overall vision. That requires collective action,” says Semperé. Cur-rently only 38 or 10% of the 400 H2020 projects – completed or not – carried out by University researchers and supported by the ANR have been published for open access.

“The practice is slowly becoming accepted proce-dure but there is one significant obstacle: orga-nising and indexing data properly – in other words producing metadata – is time-consu-ming,” explains Semperé. For example, with Christine Hatté, researcher at the Laboratory for climate and environmental sciences (LSCE

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Open science

Keywords

“It is important to communicate with these people and develop dedicated tools to recognise the value of their work.”Étienne Augé

“The practice is slowly becoming accepted procedure but there is one significant obstacle: organising and indexing data properly.”Julien Sempéré Références

∙ www.ouvrirlascience.fr/open-science/

∙ www.universite-paris-saclay.fr/recherche/science-ouverte

∙ www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IOnCEh34Nc&list= PLyeHq-UkjFkUIwwTZO4BS39qP-lmIlOna&index= 18&t=0s

– Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, CNRS, CEA), we are developing precise vocabulary for des-cribing loess, the sediment deposited by wind during glacial periods. If a sample is to be used by other researchers, the conditions and context of its collection and storage must be correctly listed, such as weather conditions on the day, surrounding material, magnetic orientation of the face, how the face was prepared and cleaned, the temperature and drying time after the selec-tion of samples.”

On 30 April, 2020, Université Paris-Saclay responded to the first call for a project fun-ded by France’s open science fund and with a total budget of €2M. “We have applied to fund the development of the Bibliolabs platform. We also applied with Pssst magazine! (Paris-Saclay Sciences and Society) and proposed the creation of the annals for the Institut Pascal,” reports Étienne Augé. Result are expected in October 2020.

Another challenge for data is storage and pro-cessing. The University has used a facility on the Orsay campus for several years: Virtual Data. It hosts data submitted by researchers locally and free of charge. “We are now plan-ning to pool other IT resources on a larger scale and test a cloud system,” says Augé.

Moving towards more citizen participation

Citizen science, the final component of the government’s plan for open science, is strongly supported by Paris-Saclay. “The University is very active in this area, notably through Diago-nale Paris-Saclay, which invites citizens to reflect and debate about key societal issues. We are also working with M.I.S.S. – the House for Scientific Initiation and Awareness-raising – to develop scientific culture in schools, an ’in the trenches’ approach which adds purpose for citizens. This is also reflected in teaching provided to students, as university professors address ethical issues such as integrity, gender equality and sustainable development,” explains Sylvie Retailleau.

Citizen science also includes the participation of citizens in large-scale scientific projects that require a motivated workforce to carry out tasks that do not require specific scienti-fic knowledge. “Participatory science is a way to produce first-rate knowledge about difficult subjects, and it helps to interest the general public in science. It is important to communi-cate with these people and develop dedicated tools to recognise the value of their work,” says Étienne Augé.

Urban agriculture – Biodiversity

Keywords

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Research and agriculture: cross-fertilization at Saclay

Researchers, farmers, local associations and local authorities are working together to develop research projects on the Saclay plateau.

Society’s expectations of agriculture have changed in recent years and farmers have often been caught off guard. “They are being asked to modify long-standing practices and the transition to new systems is not always easy. The prospective nature of research means it can be used to find answers and help farmers plan for the future without putting their farms and employees at risk,” explains Dorian Spaak, general coordinator of the association Terre & Cité (Ground & City). He is working with Université Paris-Saclay’s BASC LabEx (Labo-ratory of Excellence for Biodiversity, Agroeco-systems, Society, Climate) to develop research projects involving researchers and other actors on the Saclay plateau.

The plateau has a lasting agricultural tra-dition. Since the installation of the CEA in the 50s, this natural region of Île-de-France has gradually become an important centre for education and research. When the BASC LabEx was created in 2010, there were few

Title

exchanges between researchers, farmers and associations. Yet “the life sciences faculty was and is very strong,” remarks Dorian Spaak. The LabEx comprises fourteen research laborato-ries working on agroecology and socio-eco-system dynamics when climate change is a burning issue. Terre & Cité and BASC gra-dually worked together more closely, and in 2015, the association applied for the European rural development programme LEADER. The LabEx provided support with funding. Mee-tings between local actors and researchers were organised and in 2016, the first joint projects were launched.

RESEARCHSection

“Through the LEADER programme, we sup-ported research projects with complementary themes in order to increasingly work on more concrete issues involving the public and private sector and associations. The joint development of projects is the strength of this programme, ” says Dorian Spaak. “There is genuine exchange that ensures the projects are interesting to resear-chers, farmers and local communities, and really meet the region’s needs,” confirms Paul Leadley, coordinator of BASC LabEx.

Coming soon – a conservatory orchard on the plateau

Since then, many projects have been deve-loped, such as the project led by Amandine Cornille, from the Quantitative Genetics and Evolution laboratory – Le Moulon (GQE – Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, CNRS, Agro-ParisTech). An experimental and educational conservation orchard on the edge of the Saclay plateau will develop a heritage collection of crabapples (Malus sylvestris), an ancestor of some current varieties of cultivated apples (Malus domestica). The project benefits from LEADER funding and involves a wide variety of local, regional and national actors: far-mers and local associations from the plateau,

“The prospective nature of research means it can be used to find answers and help farmers plan for the future without putting their farms and employees at risk.”Dorian Spaak

Forest Green areas

Agricultural areas Residential areas

Guyancourt

Villiers-le-Bâcle

Voisins-le-Bretonneux

Saint-Aubin

OrsayGif-sur-Yve�e

Les Loges-en-Josas

Palaiseau

Jouy-en-Josas

Saclay

Vauhallan

Buc

BièvresToussus-le-Noble

Montigny-le-Bretonneux

Bures-sur-Yve�e

THE SACLAY PLATEAU

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agricultural colleges and local business, the green spaces department for the Île-de-France region, the Paris-Saclay community, the Paris-Saclay public development institution, the French agroforestry association and the French National Forests Office. The project also involves geneticists, ecophysiologists, climatologists and ecologists from the Ins-titute of Diversity Ecology and Evolution of Life (IDEEV – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech). The orchard will be a source of seeds and grafts and will be an educatio-nal source for popularising science, an expe-rimental research centre, and a pilot site for the conservation of local diversity.

How did it come about? It was observed that the genetic integrity of the crabapple was endangered. “It was shown that, with natural distribution in Europe, 23% of the populations hybridize locally with the surrounding culti-vated apple,” explains Amandine Cornille. To blame were mechanisms for gene trans-fer – or introgression – from the genome of the cultivated apple to crabapple genomes. Researchers updated the existence of five genetic groups (or populations) of the Euro-pean crabapple. They showed that the seeds sold in private nurseries in France under the name Malus sylvestris are either hybrids or from cultivated apple seeds. This proves that the crabapple seeds used for a European refo-restation program come from a single clone.

“Oaks and beech are the most studied trees. However, very little is known about how fruit species, such as the crabapple, respond to glo-bal warming and the emergence of new pests or pathogens. By studying its genetic diversity, we could find adaptation genes there, and try to “introgress” them in cultivated apple species to improve them long term,” remarks Amandine Cornille.

A specific layoutThe orchard will be planted on a one-km2 plot with natural pest control near the future IDEEV building, currently under construction

on the Saclay plateau. In autumn 2020, 400 apple trees will be planted there. They will all be genetically characterized and derived from the germination of crabapple seeds from all over Europe. Eventually, only 120 will remain. “We will observe whether certain genotypes die or grow more easily, and if local populations, such as Fontainebleau, adapt better.” A bocage hedge will surround the orchard. The species in the hedge have been studied to promote natural colonisation in the orchard. The hedge will include local species of shrubs and year-round flowering will provide a source of food and shelter for local fauna.

TerriBio Saclay is the continuation of pre-liminary work carried out in 2018 thanks to Emergence funding from MSH Paris-Saclay, for which it received Excellence funding in 2019. The team, which includes a sociologist, geographer, ecologist, ethno-ecologist and environmental psychologist, will conduct a series of surveys throughout summer 2020. They will ask local stakeholders to respond individually or as a group to a questionnaire on their perception of the ecosystem services provided by these open and cultivated spaces. They will also propose a closed questionnaire door-to-door to a target sample of approxima-tely 100 gardens in the plateau area, identi-fied by photo interpretation. In the next stage, some of the original sample will voluntarily participate in semi-structured interviews. The data will be analysed in autumn and results will be reported at the end of 2020.

Areas conducive to exchangeThe project aims to question the relation between nature and Saclay plateau users, resi-dents, inhabitants, workers and students, “and the importance of their life-course approach,” comments Romain Melot. “We know that there is a very strong relationship between the environment – whether it be urban or rural – in which a person has grown up and their degree of sensitivity to nature and motivation to pro-tect it. The more contact they had with nature as a child, the more motivated they are by its protection. But the age range that develops such sensitivity is not precisely known,” adds Emma-nuelle Baudry. “With Terre & Cité, we will also investigate whether the students still are in that sensitive age range.”

The aim of TerriBio Saclay is to assess the contribution of gardens and fields to biodi-versity. “Plants and pollinators live on scales and at distances for suffice for them as their habitat,” says Emmanuelle Baudry. “And for many people in peri-urban areas, the garden is the main interaction they have with natural biodiversity.”

Researchers will also study the social impact of gardens. While domestic gardens are often seen as a private domain, several sociologi-

Some crabapple trees will be planted on the Orsay campus or donated to farmers. “We also plan to organise events for the general public.” As part of this activity, Diagonale Paris-Saclay is funding the production of information panels and educational booklets. “Eventually, we want to duplicate the project in the North and South of France, then in Europe (Romania, Den-mark, Spain) to see how the five crabapple gene-tic groups react in different geographic areas,” says Amandine Cornille.

Studying domestic gardens and fields

Interested in rural development issues in Île-de-France, Romain Melot from Science for Action and Development Unit: activities, products, territories (SADAPT – Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech) and Emmanuelle Baudry, from the Laboratory of Ecology, Systematics and Evolution (ESE - Uni-versité Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech) are crossing their expertise with the TerriBio Saclay project that studies cultivated spaces in the peri-urban environment. The project, part of a local public action, focuses on domestic gardens and fields, seen as potential vectors of biodiversity and social representation. “These open spaces provide a number of ecosystem ser-vices but have not yet been closely investigated,” comments Romain Melot. The study will take place on an individual and regional scale, “because some of the ecological processes take place at distances that go beyond the surface area of the gardens,” explains Emmanuelle Baudry.

“These open spaces provide a number of ecosystem services but have not yet been closely investigated.”Romain Melot

“There is genuine exchange that ensures the projects are interesting to researchers, farmers and local communities, and really meet the region’s needs.”Paul Leadley

Urban agriculture – Biodiversity

Keywords

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Publications:

∙ A. Cornille et al., A Multifaceted Overview of Apple Tree Domestication. Trends in Plant Science, 2019.

∙ E. Baudry et al., Domestic gardens as favorable pollinator habitats in impervious landscapes. Science of the Total Environment, 647, 2018.

∙ R. Melot. Réglementer la ville périurbaine : choix politiques locaux et registres de justification, Revue française de sociologie, 2016. 4(57), 711-734.

∙ www.terreetcite.org

∙ www6.inrae.fr/basc

cal studies observe the opposite. “The garden provides opportunities to meet with neighbours, swap information and offer produce,” says Romain Melot. The project will also examine the contribution of gardens to household consumption and the consequences of the prohibition of the use of phytosanitary subs-tances by non-professionals (French Zero Phyto law in January, 2019).

Finally, researchers will clarify services pro-vided by these open and cultivated spaces, appreciated by peri-urban residents. For poli-cymakers, this study will provide new infor-mation to help them adjust measures. “Some of the measures that benefit biodiversity are often perceived negatively. For example, leaving dead leaves in communal areas to provide organic matter is seen as a lack of maintenance,” says Emmanuelle Baudry. “Due to the housing crisis in Île-de-France, many households are conver-ting part of their garden into rental accommoda-tion. Such spontaneous densification is more or less authorised after the event by municipalities. Correctly analysed, this could help to solve hou-sing problems. It is however a problem if it results in anarchic concrete constructions motivated by personal gain,” says Romain Melot.

Vital roots in the area

organic matter to improve soil and yields, or for mixing wheat varieties that are more resis-tant to disease. Others study the impact of the University’s development on soils and carbon storage. “The plateau is a life-size playground for the development of new synergies and for the implementation of more sustainable and resilient systems,” says Dorian Spaak. “Des-pite many changes, it has retained a coherent and functional agricultural core, both geogra-phically and socially. And the concentration of researchers is quite exceptional. What’s more, with the arrival of AgroParisTech in 2021, a quarter of French agronomic research will be located there. That’s impressive!”

Such excellence is part of the area’s reality, connecting students and researchers to major societal issues. “I’m pleased to see that the Uni-versity is working closely with farmers and local communities to develop strong local roots. It is important to protect farming land, green spaces and forests in this peri-urban area of Paris,” says Paul Leadley. This feeling is shared by the Pre-sident of the University, Sylvie Retailleau: “The University’s local involvement is as important as its international involvement. It’s impossible to create an important university without invol-ving the local community – local actors and citizens – and without them knowing what is going on in the labs.”

There are plenty of projects on the Saclay pla-teau... Some for organic farming and recycling

“We know that there is a very strong relationship between the environment – whether it be urban or rural – in which a person has grown up and their degree of sensitivity to nature and motivation to protect it.”Emmanuelle Baudry “Despite many

changes, the Saclay plateau has retained a coherent and functional agricultural core, both geogra- phically and socially. The concentration of researchers is quite exceptional.”Dorian Spaak

Cybersecurity at Université Paris-Saclay

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BUSINESS & INNOVATIONSection

Cybersecurity

Keyword

Main research areas— Simulation and formal verification of decisions by autonomous vehicles in the event of cyber attacks— Simulation and verification of cybersecurity properties of data storage protocols in public cloud computing— Copyright protection, privacy protection, observational equivalence— Cryptographic protocols, content distribution protocols, encryption algorithms, proof of security, logic

— Image analysis for detec-ting tampering— Multi-agent systems, data loss, communication, fault diagnosis, fault tolerance, control/observation, vehicles/drones — Fundamental algorithms for cryptography, proven constructions in symmetric encryption, cryptographic algorithms and protocols for emerging applications, cryptographic methods for embedded code security— Monitoring financial markets for fraudulent acti-vities, especially derivatives, monitoring online auctions, automatic detection of anomalies

— Cryptology, cryptography, cryptanalysis, IT security, IS security— Confidentiality algorithms and vigilance analysis for database processing— Monitoring information flows, alarm prediction in networks— Computer codes— Statistical learning for the detection of malicious behaviour— Providing security using the a-contrario method for learning results— Efficient arithmetic for cryptography and crypta-nalysis— Security analysis of bio-metric identification

15PhD students

146 masters students

3 Graduate schools:• Mathematics• Computer science• Engineering and System Sciences

A PhD programme:• Information and Communication Science and Technology (ICST)

154 professors and academic staff

Two laboratories of excellence:— LabEx Digicosme— LabEx Mathematics Hadamard

Engineering Masters and Courses:— Masters 1 and 2 Computer & Network Systems

— Masters 1 and 2 Content, Network, Telecommunications and Systems Security— Master 2 Applied Algebra— Master 2 Automatic

Mobile Systems— CentraleSupélec Cybersecurity Course— Polytech Paris- Saclay Engineering specialised in computer science

A technological research institute: — IRT SystemX

A major annual event:A hackathon proposed by the DGSE (French ex-ternal intelligence agency) and orga-nised annually by CentraleSupélec

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PARIS

Versailles

Thiverval-Grignon

Villejuif

Boulogne-Billancourt

Ivry-sur-Seine

Massy

Évry

Orsay

PARIS- SACLAY

Saint-Aubin

Gif-sur- Yvette

Aéroport d’Orly

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RER C

RER B PalaiseauLABORATORIES AND RESEARCH STRUCTURES WORKING ON THE THEME

1 – IBISC (UPSaclay, Univ. Evry)2 – LSV (UPSaclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS)3 – LMV (UPSaclay, UVSQ, CNRS) 4 – ONERA 5 – LIST (UPSaclay, CEA)

6 – DAVID (UPSaclay, UVSQ)7 – Centre Borelli (UPSaclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS) 8 – IRISA (UPSaclay, Inria, CNRS, Centrale-Supélec)

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Rennes

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FRAMA-C, Binsec, AI vs. Wild: Cybersecurity at CEA List

Ensuring future vehicles are safe

RISQ and the post- quantum revolution

Protecting sensitive personal data

Digital technology now has a central role in society, both in communications and trans-port. The RISQ project – organised by French industry to study post-quantum security –brings together academic and industrial actors to reflect about future cybersecurity, including Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yve-lines (UVSQ) and CEA List.

Cryptography now occurs in every aspect of daily life where digital tools are used. It is vital for securing data exchanges. New quantum computers are more powerful than traditio-nal computers so cryptography algorithms will become obsolete. New cryptography systems will be implemented to ensure the security of future systems and equipment. RISQ is preparing for this transition by deve-loping effective cryptography software that

The transport industry is constantly evolving and vehicles are becoming increasingly effi-cient and connected. New driver-assistance systems – autonomous or not – are being developed. These “smart” vehicles have many advantages but also raise cybersecurity issues. Electronic and computer elements added to the mechanical part of a vehicle require sof-tware which is vulnerable to attacks, especially when connecting to the internet for updates. The CTI project (cybersecurity for smart trans-port) organised by IRT SystemX (institute for technological research) includes many acade-mic partners such as Télécom ParisTech and Université d’Évry, and industrial partners such as Airbus, Alstom, IDnomic, Prove&Run, PSA Group, RATP, Renault, Trialog and Valeo. To understand and respond to new threats, CTI has developed a simulator that comprises only the electronic part of future intelligent vehicles. It is used to simulate attacks and develop tools to counter them so that cyber-security can be integrated into the design and maintenance stages of vehicles.

www.irt-systemx.fr/projets/cti

The increased use of digital methods, particu-larly the internet, and the increasing collection of personal information requires measures to protect individual privacy and prevent mali-cious acts. Methods used often lead to the loss of sensitive information, making the data less useful because statistical analysis ensuring quality services is less pertinent. The HYPATIA – Privacy and Utility Allied project run by team Comete (competition, mobility, transport) at INRIA Saclay–Île-de-France decided to meet the challenge and attempt to reconcile the res-pect for privacy with the utility of personal data recovered from Big Data for statistical analysis.

The team has developed a probabilistic method of differential privacy. The service provider or user adds statistical background noise that scrambles the information provided by the user. As a result, the data can still be used for statistical analysis. “The challenge is to maintain accurate information collected despite additio-nal noise,” explains Catuscia Palamidessi, head of the Comete project team.

https://project.inria.fr/hypatia/

The use of increasingly powerful and complex technology requires new cybersecurity tools. While some computer programs represent millions of lines of code that a human alone is incapable of understanding, the List (Univer-sité Paris-Saclay, CEA) develops software ana-lysers such as the Frama-C or Binsec platforms. These platforms facilitate program analysis, help to understand how programs operate, and correct possible programming errors. For example, Frama-C is used in encryption algo-rithms. “We ensure that software is not vulne-rable to malicious acts,” explains Florent Kir-chner, Director of the laboratory for software safety and security at CEA List. In other cases, Binsec is used to understand the behaviour of malware and counter attack. “The aim is no longer to check whether the software that pro-tects us is vulnerable, but rather to understand what the malware does,” says Kirchner.

Technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) is also vulnerable to attacks. AI vs Wild is a List project that aims to combat attacks that imper-ceptibly change the immediate environment of machines in order to alter their decisions. “For example, an attacker may slightly alter the appearance of a traffic sign on a road, so that it is perceived differently by the AI in a car,” com-ments Cédric Gouy-Pailler, a CEA List resear-cher. By modifying AI neural networks, scien-tists make them more robust against attacks.

www-list.cea.fr

can withstand attacks from high-performance quantum calculators. When the international call was launched by the USA’s National Ins-titute of Standards and Technology (NIST), of the 25 post-quantum algorithms selected in the second international phase in 2019, 6 were developed by RISQ, including 2 from the Versailles mathematics laboratory (LMV – Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, CNRS).

www.cryptoexperts.com/research/projects/risq

neutrons→

prot

ons →

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126

82

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CHART OF NUCLEI

Radioactive nuclei Stable nuclei

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The proliferation of nuclides through nuclear physics

RESEARCHSection

Title

Atomic nucleus – Nuclear physics

Keywords

Made up of protons and neutrons, atomic nuclei are the building blocks of matter – yet they remain shrouded in mystery. Intrigued by their properties, researchers at Université Paris-Saclay are investigating the nuclear reactions and astrophysical sites around the Universe that give rise to chemical elements.

Discovered and modelled by Ernest Ruther-ford in 1911, the atomic nucleus has proved to be extraordinarily complex. Indeed, nuclear physicists today know that things are nowhere near as simple as they first appeared. With a diameter of about a femtometer (10-15 metres), this assembly of particles in an atom – protons (positively charged) and neutrons (neutral) – orbited by electrons (negatively charged) has yet to reveal all its secrets. These elementary components of matter display a great variety of internal structures, lifetimes, forms and behaviours, all of which are relentlessly stu-died by researchers at the University. Amongst other things, their research aims to describe how the Universe’s various chemical elements, some of which can be found on Earth, are for-

we seek to define the terms of nuclear interaction and understand its primal origins,” says David Verney, researcher at the Laboratory of the Physics of the Two Infinities - Irène-Joliot Curie (IJCLAB – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS).

med. Each of these chemical elements has a precise number of protons (Z). Nuclei with an identical Z but a different number of neutrons (N) are said to be isotopes.

There are currently 291 naturally occurring stable or quasi-stable nuclides on Earth. Often doted with a greater number of neutrons than protons, these nuclides have lifetimes of at least several hundred million years. At present, the heaviest known stable nucleus is lead-208, with 82 protons and 126 neutrons. Thorium-232, uranium-235 and uranium-238, while not completely stable, are also present in the earth’s crust. Some nuclides – those that have 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82 or 126 protons or neu-trons – are said to be magic or even doubly magic. These nuclides are particularly stable due to phenomena of quantum mechanics at work within them.

Pushing the limits of the nucleusTo explain these phenomena, scientists are using the nucleus as a kind of research lab. “We create the conditions required to bring out new properties. We enrich the nucleus with pro-tons or neutrons, for instance, or we investigate those at the uppermost boundaries of mass (the superheavy nuclides) to see how they resist, as

Thanks to the appearance of nuclear reac-tors and particle accelerators in the last few decades, nuclear physicists around the world have artificially created nearly 3,000 other nuclides. All are unstable or radioactive: they transform into other, more stable nuclides either through radioactive decay (α, β), through fission (nucleus splits into two), or by emitting γ photons without altering their nature. Some have such short lifetimes that they barely have time to surround themselves with electrons and form an atom. Predictions estimate that there remain 3,000 to 5,000 exo-tic nuclides to be discovered.

“We create the conditions required to bring out new properties.”David Verney

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A double entry table – the chart of nuclides – lists all these nuclides according to their num-ber of protons and neutrons, incorporating a third aspect: their degree of stability (life-time). This array of boxes, some of which are still empty, reveals a very distinctive median set: the valley of stability, grouping together all the stable or quasi-stable nuclei. On either side of this valley lie the unstable nuclei, which seek to reach stability through nuclear decay.

Nuclear reactions and high accelerations

In nuclear reactors, radioactive nuclides are produced either through the capture of neu-trons or protons, or through fusion of nuclei. For example, uranium-238 (Z=92 N=146) captures a neutron and transforms into ura-nium-239 (Z=92; N=147) which undergoes β- decay and loses an electron. A neutron then turns into a proton and the nucleus becomes neptunium-239 (Z=93; N=146). “Assuming we have enough neutrons, the reaction will keep going, creating heavier nuclei such as plutonium. The heaviest nucleus created in this way is fermium-257, which contains 100 protons,” says Antoine Drouart from the ato-mic nucleus research lab (LENA, Laboratoire d’études du noyau atomique) at the Nuclear Physics Department (DPhN – Université Paris-Saclay, CEA/Irfu).

Using accelerators, researchers merge two nuclei into one, heavier nucleus. Positively charged nuclides naturally repel each other: only when they are accelerated can they pass the Coulomb barrier. Several combinations are possible at each merging, some more effective than others. “For example, to create a copernicium atom (Z=112), we can bombard an uranium target (Z=92) with a beam of cal-cium-48 nuclides (Z=20), or use a lead target (Z=82) with a beam of zinc nuclides (Z=30),” explains Antoine Drouart.

The stars are nuclide factoriesAlthough not all the nuclides on the chart of nuclides have been observed, they may all exist in the Universe, produced by nuclear processes that bring thousands of reactions and nuclei

“Assuming we have enough neutrons, the reaction will keep going, creating heavier nuclei such as plutonium.”Antoine Drouart

“The nuclear reactions induced in the accelerators are designed to resemble those we observe in the stars, as closely as possible.”David Verney

“The nuclear reactions induced in the accelera-tors are designed to resemble those we observe in the stars, as closely as possible,” comments his colleague David Verney. “When it proves impossible to carried out an indirect measure of an exact replica of a reaction, we use a subs-titute.” One such case is the reaction between hydrogen and phosphorus-30. “We cannot directly measure the capture of a proton targeted by a phosphorus-30 beam, a reaction in which the product, a sulfur-31 nuclide, decays to its ground state by emitting a gamma ray photon. Therefore, using ALTO (the Orsay linear acce-lerator and Tandem) at IJCLAB, we carried out an indirect measure of a charge exchange by aiming a stable beam of helium-3 onto a stable target of phosphorus-31, indirectly propagating sulfur-31,” explains another colleague, Faïrouz Hammache.

into play. “Since we cannot study all of them, we use stellar models to pinpoint key reactions, such as the capture of a proton by phosphorus-30 in novae (binary star systems) or that of a helium nucleus by nitrogen-13, a significant reaction in supernova explosions,” says IJCLAB researcher Nicolas de Séréville.

Trying to understand the origin of these ele-

ments is a long-term endeavour for nuclear

physicists. The IJCLAB researcher has been

studying the formation of lithium-7 during

nucleosynthesis for a long time. “The stan-

dard model predicts the quantities of the first

chemical elements – hydrogen, helium, deute-

rium, lithium, beryllium – formed during the

Big Bang. In the case of lithium-7, the prediction

differs from the quantity actually observed in the

Universe by a factor of 3,” says Faïrouz Ham-mache. “We have studied all possible nuclear reactions, and none of them explains this difference. The cause is therefore to be sought elsewhere, perhaps beyond the standard model.”

The potential of radioactive beams in nuclear astrophysics

While nuclear physics has been able to produce stable ion beams since the 50’s – at first, very light ones and later, heavier ones – the current challenge is to extend the range of radioactive beams available on accelerators like ALTO or GANIL (France’s national Large Heavy Ion Accelerator) located in Caen. Nicolas de Séréville explains: “We know that neutron-rich nuclei of intermediate mass are involved in the rapid capture of neutrons during the fusion of neutron stars; this is how half of the elements heavier than iron are formed in the Universe. By creating populations of these nuclei, which turn into very ephemeral and manipulable radioac-tive sources, we can determine the fundamental properties of these ions – such as mass, the key to nuclear power.”

Forming these new nuclei involves taking nuclear paths through other radioactive nuclei which, being unstable, cannot serve as targets. “The only solution is to continuously produce them, transport them in a beam at the right energy and strike a stable target with them,” says David Verney. Transposing the knowledge acquired using stable beams to unstable beams is something of a gamble, and a complex one at that. There’s no guarantee that they will yield the same level of performance. “There are 104 to 105 particles/second in a radioactive beam, compared to 1011 particles/second – if not more – in a stable beam. That means the detectors must have a higher degree of sensitivity,” adds Verney.

Little-known superheavy nucleiOganesson-294 (Z=118) is the heaviest element created to date using an accelerator. Only three

“By creating populations of these nuclei, which turn into very ephemeral and manipulable radioactive sources, we can determine the fundamental properties of these ions.”Nicolas de Séréville

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Atomic nucleus – Nuclear physics

Keywords

“In nuclear physics, we are still in a phase where experimental data add a great deal to theory, as we strive to advance in our description of the nucleus.”Antoine Drouart

nuclei have ever been obtained, by bombarding very thin sheets of californium-249 (Z=98) with stable ions of calcium-48 (Z=20) at very high intensities. These nuclei have a lifetime of 900 ms. “For a new element to be official, the nucleus created must have a lifetime of over 10-15 s, so that the electron shell has the time to reorganise around it. In practice, what limits us is our detec-tion capacities, currently standing at around 10 μs (10-5 s),” notes Antoine Drouart, who studies the structure of transfermian nuclei (between 100 and 104 protons) by spectroscopy, with a view to understanding superheavy nuclei.

Publications

∙ Verney D. et al. Features of the Fission Fragments Formed in the Heavy Ion induced 32S+197Au reaction near the interaction barrier. Eur. Phys. J. A 56, 6 (2020)

∙ de Séréville N., Hammache F. et al. Experimental Study of the 30P(p,y)31S Reaction in Classical Novae. Proceedings in Physics. 219, 195-200 (2019)

∙ Drouart A. et Bender M., À la recherche des élé-ments superlourds, La Recherche 524, 44 (2017)

of SPIRAL 2, an accelerator currently in the start-up phase at GANIL. SPIRAL 2 uses some of the most high-intensity stable beams in the world. “In order to study the nuclei created, we have to move them far away from the target. We have to eliminate those that have not reac-ted or have yielded parasitic reactions; then, we have to isolate the superheavy nuclei and send them to a suitable detection device,” explains Antoine Drouart. All this is to be accompli-shed by an instrument dubbed S3, SPIRAL 2’s Super Separator Spectrometer, due to be ope-rational by 2022. This instrument will select the superheavy nuclei and herd them to the detection station using a combination of elec-tric and magnetic fields. “If we manage to create more superheavy nuclei, we’ll also be able to use detection techniques that are less sensitive, but more precise,” notes Drouart.

Today, a hundred years after being discovered,

the atomic nucleus remains tantalisingly out

of reach. No model can explain each and every

one of its properties. All are partial. All, to a

greater or lesser degree, are phenomenologi-

cal. “In nuclear physics, we are still in a phase

where experimental data add a great deal to

theory, as we strive to advance in our description

of the nucleus,” says Antoine Drouart. David

Verney adds: “We can review the way a nucleus

has been understood for many years since signi-

ficant improvements in machine precision are

enhancing our ability to probe its interior.” For

nuclear physics, the future is still bright.

These nuclei of over 104 protons, with their sensitive lifetimes, should also not exist: once again, it is quantum effects that make their existence possible. “Protons and neutrons arrange themselves in such a way as to increase the stability of the nucleus. These layer effects tell us about the nuclear interaction. Today’s theoretical models even predict a magic num-ber or island of stability at 114 to 126 protons for around 184 neutrons, with nuclei that would have lifetimes of over a year,” adds Antoine Drouart.

Since accelerators around the world have so far only managed to create a dozen or so – perhaps a hundred-odd at most – knowledge about these the superheavy nuclei remains limited. “We know a little about their decay properties (through either α decay or spontaneous fission) according to the nucleus produced. On the other hand, we know very little about their mass, ground state, levels of excitement or structure,” says Antoine Drouart.

A virtuous spiral

The only way to solve this is to create more superheavy nuclei. That’s one of the purposes

Showers burst from sourcesTitle

1 – FERMI satellite 2 – CTA small, medium ad large-sized telescopes 3 – Water tanks of Pierre Auger observatory

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Cosmic rays – Gamma rays – Very high-energy astrophysics

Keywords

RESEARCHSection

Cosmic radiation carries par-ticles with phenomenal energy from its origins to its arrival on Earth. In order to better understand it, researchers are following the traces left in the sky and on the ground.

Cosmic radiation, which was discovered in 1912 by Victor Hess, the Austrian physicist, has always fascinated people as much as it has raised questions. Originating from mean-ders through the interstellar medium, these rays, invisible to the human eye, bombard the Earth with a steady stream of particles made up mostly of protons, as well as helium nuclei and some heavier atomic nuclei. Their energy is spread over 11 orders of magnitude. Although very rare, the most energetic pos-sess extraordinary energy. “We are talking about macroscopic energies of the order of 1020 electron volts (eV), i.e. more than 10 joules, car-ried by particles one millionth of a billionth of a metre (10-15 m),” explains Thierry Stolarczyk, a researcher at the Department of Astrophysics (DAp – Université Paris-Saclay, CEA/Irfu).

How and where do these particles acquire their phenomenal kinetic energy, enough to

score an ace at Roland-Garros? What are the physical processes and astrophysical material at their origin? These are some of the myste-ries that astrophysicists at Université Paris-Saclay are trying to unravel in order to take us one step closer to understanding the Universe.

neutron star. The outer layers fall on it, rebound off it and are thrown into galactic space. They sweep up the interstellar matter and push it into a wave that accelerates particles, electrons and protons,” explains Thierry Stolarczyk. “These particles locally create γ-rays, which continue their trajectory in a straight line without stop-ping and are very good indicators of an upstream cosmic proton.”

The γ-ray bursts themselves are very brief emissions that come from the explosion of a massive star at the end of its life or the coales-cence of two compact stars. “It is thought that these are sources of cosmic radiation because they are linked to very violent events which give rise to a strong acceleration of particles,” says Fabian Schüssler, a researcher at the Depart-ment of Particle Physics (DPhP – Université Paris-Saclay, CEA/Irfu) and a specialist in such phenomena. However, as Thierry Stolarczyk points out, “Cosmic radiation probably does not just originate from a single source, as several types of sources are needed to explain the energy spectrum and flux which have been observed.”

Particle showers and Cherenkov photons

Succeeding in tracing cosmic rays is a real

Earth

’s atm

ospheric boundary

Where are the sources?Replicating such phenomena in the labora-tory is, however, a challenge. The world’s most powerful particle accelerators produce proton beams of “just” a few TeV (1012 eV) at most. As a result, scientists are scanning both galactic and extragalactic space in search of these energetic particles. Supernova rem-nants, neutron stars and gamma-ray bursts (γ) are among the sources being explored. “If a very massive star runs out of hydrogen or helium to burn, it collapses in on itself and instantly creates a compact star, a black hole or

“We are talking about macroscopic energies of the order of 1020 electron volts (eV).”Thierry Stolarczyk

20

puzzle, because, “the cosmic rays are charged and so are deflected by the magnetic fields they pass through on their journey to Earth,” adds Thierry Stolarczyk. Since γ-rays come from the same suspected sources as cosmic rays, resear-chers are using γ-ray astronomy to try and find a way ahead. As these rays are neutral, they travel through space in a straight line. At low energy, the fluxes are large enough to be detected by sensors on board satellites, such as FERMI. Above 10 GeV (109 eV), detectors with a much larger surface coverage are required and observatories on Earth are needed, such as H.E.S.S. in Namibia or the CTA, which is under construction in the Canary Islands and Chile.

Like cosmic rays, γ-rays collide with the ato-mic nuclei of the air as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere. The energy of this impact pro-duces secondary particles, which then collide with other atomic nuclei in the air, in turn emitting other particles and so on, until the energy of the original particle has been fully distributed among the thousands of billions of particles created.

While the shower triggered by a γ-ray is made of γ-photons, electrons and positrons, the one triggered by a cosmic proton comprises mostly pions, which disintegrate into neutri-nos (which are difficult to detect) and muons. For a short time, the particles in these showers exceed the speed of light in the air and produce a Cherenkov effect in the atmosphere, or the

emission of bluish light. By detecting direc-tly these particles or the emitted light on the ground using telescopes, scientists are able to trace the direction and energy of the incident particle and the position of the source in the sky above.

A hybrid observatory to see very high-energy cosmic rays

Pierre Auger, which covers 3,000 km2, is one of the largest terrestrial observatories dedi-cated to the study and measurement of very high-energy cosmic rays – those above 1018 eV. At such levels of energy, the rays travel so fast that they are hardly deflected during their journey. Auger’s 1,600 detectors, or water tanks, then collect on the ground particles from the shower using the Cherenkov light produced. “This determines the lateral profile of the shower – the density of the particles arri-ving on the ground based on the distance from the axis of the shower. Thanks to this pattern, we can trace the energy of a cosmic particle at the heart of the shower. For maximum accuracy, we cross-reference our measurements with those from fluorescence detectors,” points out Isabelle Lhenry-Yvon, a researcher at the Laboratory of the Physics of the Two Infinities – Irène Joliot-Curie (IJCLAB – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS) and a member of this collaboration which brings together over 400 researchers from 18 different countries.

In addition to the water tanks, 24 fluores-

cence telescopes, equipped with photomulti-

plier cameras, record on a clear night and in

different pixels the fluorescence emitted by a

shower over time. “A shower has an extremely

dense core of particles. These excite the nitrogen

molecules in the air which become de-excited

by emitting fluorescence– this is very focused

along the shower’s axis. Its longitudinal pro-

file is then obtained and its energy level can be

determined by analysing its distribution.” As the

deploying follows a well-defined process (the

shower starts, swells and then decreases when

the energy becomes too low and it no longer

has power), the researchers can establish the

maximum of development. This point cor-

responds to the altitude at which the shower

contains its maximum amount of particles.

“This altitude depends on the mass of the inci-dent cosmic particle. The heavier it is, the higher the maximum development will be in the atmos-phere. This allows us to tell if the cosmic ray was light or heavy,” says Isabelle Lhenry-Yvon.

The goal is getting closerHer colleagues have recently demonstrated the anisotropy of cosmic rays. “For energy above 8 ×1018 eV, cosmic rays come mainly from a direction which is 125° from the galactic centre, i.e. from extragalactic space.” By correlating catalogues of objects already recorded and events at even higher energy (above 40×1018 eV) observed by Auger, they have succeeded in pinpointing, in the catalogue of starburst galaxies, two zones in the sky which are visible from the Southern Hemisphere as potential sources of cosmic rays. “We will soon be wor-king with the Telescope Array experiment, which is located in the Northern Hemisphere, to see if we can find a third zone,” says the researcher.

With the AugerPrime programme, all the site’s electronics are currently being redone and scintillation detectors will be installed above the tanks by the end of 2020. “We will then be able to better evaluate the proportion of muons present in the showers, add constraints to the models of the development of these showers and become more accurate,” says Isabelle Lhenry-Yvon.

Revolutionizing the exploration of the sky in γ-rays

Explorations are also going well in the field of γ-ray astronomy. Fabian Schüssler and his colleagues have recently observed very high-energy emissions in γ-ray bursts thanks to data from H.E.S.S. This is a world first, which will enrich present models. “These γ-ray bursts give rise to a violent jet of particles which are accelerated at high energy. In simple models, these are electrons which produce synchrotron light which is visible in X-rays. Other electrons in the stream then transfer their energy to these photons which become very high-energy γ-rays,” explains Fabian Schüssler. Contrary to all expectations, researchers still detected these ten hours after the start of a γ-ray burst. “By measuring their spectrum and time of arrival,

“Cosmic radiation probably does not just originate from a single source, as several types of sources are needed to explain the energy spectrum and flux which have been observed.”Thierry Stolarczyk

“Thanks to this pattern, we can trace the energy of a cosmic particle at the heart of the shower.”Isabelle Lhenry-Yvon

21

we can trace back to the accelerated electrons and obtain information on processes and time scales.”

In the start-up phase, CTA – Cherenkov Teles-cope Array - will have the task of observing a large area of the sky in γ-rays in order to better understand the γ sources already listed and to detect new ones. This international project is bringing together 31 countries and 1,500 people from over 200 institutes, including 232 French researchers from 16 laboratories. Researchers from Université Paris-Saclay are heavily involved. The Departments of Astro-physics (DAp), Sensor Electronics and Com-puter Science for Physics (DEDIP), System Engineering (DIS) and Particle Physics (DPhP) from CEA Irfu, and IJCLAB are all contributing their expertise.

Its 118 telescopes – small, medium and large – each equipped with a camera, will record every single Cherenkov photon reflected by the mirrors. The NectarCam, whose integra-tion is being managed by CEA/Irfu, is one of the two models that will equip medium-sized telescopes. Photomultipliers implanted in the cameras will transform the Cherenkov blue light into digital signals. The CTA will scan the entire galactic plane – including the galactic centre – and probe extragalactic space. By 2025, its scientific capacity will have been reached. The observatory will be able to ope-rate for 30 years.

The art of distinguishing between γ-photons and protons

At the moment, Thierry Stolarczyk and his team are developing the chain of analysis for data collected by the cameras. This software will be routinely used to process the raw images collected by the telescope cameras. The challenge is to correctly distinguish a shower of particles initiated by a γ-ray from one ini-tiated by a cosmic ray, which are 100,000 times more numerous.

This program will first clean up the images and eliminate the background noise of the night. It must then know how to recognize the signal from a shower of γ-rays by using its geome-trical characteristics. Finally, thanks to the ten or so telescopes involved on average in an observation, it should be able to reconstruct the light intensity and direction of the shower in the atmosphere.

To develop such a program, researchers are carrying out a series of simulations including the production and propagation of γ rays and cosmic protons and then the detection and digitisation of Cherenkov photons, which they compare with real data. They are also using machine learning to teach a code to recognize a γ-photon from a cosmic proton. They are also helping to provide a number of scientific tools (computer and mathematical programs) to analyse the map of the sky, decode its images and detect the presence of a source.

“Today, thanks to the FERMI satellite, there is a list of over 3,000 sources of high-energy γ-pho-tons. Thanks to H.E.S.S., the TeVcat catalogue lists about 250 TeV γ-ray sources. We are hoping, with the CTA, to multiply that number by 10!” says Thierry Stolarczyk excitedly. In this way, another step closer in understanding can be taken.

Cosmic rays – Gamma rays – Very high-energy astrophysics

Keywords

“By measuring their spectrum and time of arrival, we can trace back to the accelerated electrons and obtain information on processes and time scales.”Fabian Schüssler

Publications

∙ Abdalla, H. et al. A very-high-energy component deep in the γ-ray burst afterglow. Nature 575, 464–467 (2019)

∙ A. Aab et al. Data-driven estimation of the invisible energy of cosmic ray showers with the Pierre Auger Observatory. Phys. Rev. D 100, 082003 (2019).

∙ Science with the Cherenkov Telescope Array. The CTA Consortium. World Scientifc Ed. ISBN : 978-981-3270-08-4. March 2019.

SEEN FROM ABROADSection

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Newspaper

Newspaper

ISABELLE GUYON, BERNHARD

SCHÖLKOPF AND VLADIMIR VAPNIK

WIN THE BBVA FRONTIERS AWARD

IN ICT

OBŘÍ SRŠNĚ V USA, MENŠÍ „BRATŘI“

U ČESKÝCH HRANIC. MŮŽOU

SE K NÁM DOSTAT, ŘÍKÁ ODBORNÍK

Title

Title

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Information and Communications Technology has gone in this 12th edition to Isabelle Guyon, Bernhard Schölkopf and Vladimir Vapnik, for their “fundamental contributions to machine learning”

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/ 2020-02/bf-igb021920.php

Vypadají strašidelně a strašidelně se i chovají. Invazivní druhy sršní původem z druhého konce planety poslední roky děsí nejednoho včelaře na Západě. USA řeší obrovskou sršeň mandaríns-kou, evropské země zase sršeň asijskou. Oba druhy spojuje fakt, že se chovají agresivně a dokážou napáchat velké škody, navíc se těžko likvidují. Sršeň asijská již poletuje kolem českých hranic a není vyloučeno, že je překoná, říká Tomáš Görner z Agentury ochrany přírody a krajiny České republiky (AOPK ČR). Bude to ale záležet na více faktorech.

www.blesk.cz/clanek/zpravy-udalosti/642878/obri-srsne-v-usa-mensi-bratri-u-ceskych-hranic-muzou-se-k-nam-dostat-rika-odbornik.html

STUDY OFFERS MOST DETAILED

PICTURE YET OF US CHILDREN

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“CYTOKINE STORM” OF COVID-19

As concern grows over the potential for children to become seriously ill from the coronavirus, a new study paints the most detailed picture yet of American children who were treated in intensive care units throughout the United States as the pandemic was taking hold in the country.

www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ ct-nw-nyt-coronavirus-children-sick- 20200511-pmhefff56vfenngyneakkagayy- story.html

For many COVID-19 patients battling for their lives in the ICU, a runaway immune system response – known as a “cytokine storm” – is their primary foe.

www.medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-nano-technology-deadly-cytokine-storm-covid-.html

The European Commission and EU member states have launched the #EUvsVirus pan-European Hackathon, aiming to connect innovators, partners and buyers across Europe that seek for innovative solutions to help tackle the coronavirus (Covid-19).

https://news.gtp.gr/2020/04/22/euvsvirus- hackathon-seeks-solutions-tackle-covid-19/

【大纪元2020年05月03日讯】究竟有多少法国人感染了中共病毒（武汉肺炎）呢？法国公共卫生部将联合国家统计局等多个研究机构对20万法国人进行大规模的调查。

www.epochtimes.com/gb/20/5/3/n12079777.htm

Title

Title

Title

Title

Newspaper

Newspaper Newspaper

#EUVSVIRUS HACKATHON SEEKS

SOLUTIONS TO TACKLE COVID-19

法国采取大规模人口调查 统计染疫抗体状

况

Newspaper

H-Bar – The new hub

for physicians

Title

The nickname refers to Planck’s constant, the fundamental constant of quantum physics, but it also suggests a sociable venue. And for good reason: The ħ Building, or H-Bar, was designed to accommodate over 1,000 phy-sics undergraduate and master’s students at Université Paris-Saclay and academic staff that were previously dispersed across three locations on the Orsay campus. South of the Moulon plateau, the new building opened its doors at the beginning of the 2019/2020 academic year. Uniting this population near the physics laboratories already located on the Saclay plateau promotes exchanges and meetings between students and researchers.

Dominique Lyon Architectes consulted with physicists to build a facility that is adapted to their needs, and the University’s educatio-nal and research activities. “Lecture theatres and rooms for applied and practical work were designed specifically for physics courses and experiments,” says Alain Abergel, academic staff member of the physics department of the University’s science education and research faculty. The building also includes a new observatory dome managed by the depart-ment of physics and the University’s institute of astrophysics (IAS – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS). It is used by students for practical stu-dies in astrophysics or optics, but is also used for public events, such as observation evenings organised by the student association ALCOR (astronomy and lights association of the Orsay Campus).

Finally, the H-Bar designers were sensitive to staff and student working conditions. They created modern and convivial teaching spaces which are a pleasure for all users. “It’s very pleasant having lessons in the new building. The layout, the lights, the lecture theatres... and everything is clean and spacious,” says Alexis, first-year Master’s student in fundamental physics. It is a dynamic and agreeable envi-ronment that is completely beneficial for the University’s physicists.

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H-Bar – University Chairs – Campus solidarity projects

Keywords

CAMPUS LIFESection

Fondation Paris-Saclay Université

Chairs

Encouraging open science, university chairs unite research, teaching and/or science outreach activities carried out by a scientist. They share a common ambition to disse-minate the latest research results to a wide public (schools, students, the general public, business), and to respond to today’s great societal challenges by promoting “the best for all.”

The Université Paris-Saclay foundation sup-ports eight chairs: Public Purchasing; Invasion Biology AXA; Cosmology Mode B; Cuisine of the Future; European Chair on Intangibles; International Chair on Law for Technology and Services of the Future; Physics Reimagined; Dynamic Data-Oriented Languages. These chairs help to develop innovative research fields and cutting-edge education. They are funded by at least one external partner, usually from the industrial sector, governed by a patronage convention, and they all benefit from the international visibility of the Paris-Saclay ecosystem.

www.fondation.universite-paris-saclay.fr/les-chaires/

Title

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The foundations of AgroParisTech, Centrale Supélec, UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Uni-versité d’Évry and the Institute of advanced scientific studies (IHES) share their resources and skills to encourage solidarity actions on campuses and to boost sustainable develop-ment and social responsibility.

Following a call for projects launched in Octo-ber 2019 among students and staff in the Uni-versité Paris-Saclay institution community, eight projects were selected for funding: Oasis du Soleil (Sun Oasis) solidarity vegetable garden, a solidarity meal ticket, collection of unsold fruit and vegetables, the creation of an inclusive choir, Paris-Saclay Olympic Games, the cycle of Inspiraction workshops, HelpOut – junior solidarity, and events for international solidarity and citizenship. Spanning a broad spectrum of issues, all the projects resonate with a single theme - sharing! They will all be completed by the end of 2020.

www.fondation.universite-paris-saclay.fr/projets-en-cours/des-campus-responsables/

Campus Solidaires: engaged

prizewinners

Title

© Fa

culté

des

scie

nces

UPS

acla

y©

Facu

lté d

es sc

ienc

es U

PSac

lay

CALENDARSection

Description

JUNE

NOVEMBER

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

Palaiseau

Château de Villiers- le-Mahieu

Orsay campus

Design Spot

Labex LERMIT, Ariis, Aviesan, Inserm, Leem

Université Paris-Saclay

Location

LocationLocation

Host

Host Host

Date

DateDate

Thurs-days

12 – 1418

After selection by an expert jury, 40 researchers from the private and public sectors and 40 PhD students will learn about the complexity of pharmaceutical R&D over three days of lectures, workshops and meetings.

https://evenium-site.com/site/jrs-eit-ecole- de-l-innovation-therapeutique-2020;jsessionid =kYS8HU5S1du3NtQ9fDoTA3BQ.gl3

Join us to discover the nocturnal fauna in Paris-Saclay’s botanical garden, particularly the species of birds and bats that live on the campus.

www.openagenda.com/universite-paris-sud/events/rendez-vous-au-jardin-nocten-nat_ 410488?lang=fr

The Design Spot, Université Paris-Saclay’s design centre, proposes a 3-hour introduction to design module. The module has no prerequisites and is free of charge. Registration required.

www.designspot.fr/formations/latelier

The annual science festival!

www.fetedelascience.fr

A scientific research evening to meet the greatest researchers and science passionate and share with them the enthusiasm for research.

www.savant-melange.ihes.fr

A day of company platform meetings where Life Sciences platforms of Université Paris-Saclay can discover the other platforms of the area, make themselves known, present their know-how and equipment, and where companies or research units which need to use state-of-the-art equip-ment in Life Sciences, can expand their network of academic partners.

www.universite-paris-saclay.fr/evenements/meet-my-platform-universite-paris-saclay-sciences-de-la-vie-2

WORKSHOP – INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN

ÉCOLE DE L’INNOVATION THÉRAPEUTIQUE 2020 (SCHOOL

OF THERAPEUTIC INNOVATION)

IN THE GARDEN – NOCT’EN NAT’

TitleTitle

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Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing uncertainty, the following events may be delayed or cancelled after this information is published.

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Campus Pierre et Marie Curie – Paris

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26 to 28

The conference presents research related to virtual physiological humans and more broadly to computational systems biomedicine and how they can be applied in clinical practice, underpinning the transition to personalised predictive medicine.

https://vph2020.sciencesconf.org/

VPH 2020 CONFERENCE – VIRTUAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL,

HUMAN: FOR IN SILICO MEDICINE EXPERTS

Inria Paris Research Centre

The Paris- Saclay campus

La Sorbonne, Paris

Université Paris-Saclay and Genopole

Université Paris-Saclay

IHES

Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance, Massy

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Date

2 –12

13

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SAVANT MÉLANGE – “CLEVER MIX”

MEET MY PLATFORM – LIFE SCIENCES #2

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ISSUE N° 14

TO BE RELEASED IN OCTOBER 2020

Contributors to this issue :

∙ Nazim Agoulmine, researcher at the Computer Science, Integrative Biology & Complex Systems Laboratory (IBISC – Université Paris-Saclay, Université d’Évry) ∙ Pascal Aubert, project leader for Paris-Saclay’s undergraduate programme ∙ Étienne Augé, Deputy Vice-President for Open Science at Université Paris-Saclay ∙ Emmanuelle Baudry, researcher at the Laboratory of Ecology, Systema-tics and Evolution (ESE – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech) ∙ Michel Beaudouin-Lafon, researcher at the Computer Science Research Laboratory (LRI – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS) ∙ Farid Benboudjema, director of the Civil Engineering Department ENS Paris-Saclay ∙ Julien Bobroff, researcher at the Laboratory of Solid State Physics (LPS - Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS) ∙ Amandine Cornille, researcher at the Quantitative Genetics and Evolution laboratory – Le Moulon (GQE – Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, CNRS, AgroParisTech) ∙ Alain Couvreur, science mediator at INRIA Saclay – Île-de-France ∙ Isabelle Demachy, Vice-President for educational innovation and student life at Université Paris-Saclay ∙ Antoine Drouart, researcher at the atomic nucleus research lab (LENA) at the Nuclear Physics Department (DPhN – Université Paris-Saclay, CEA/Irfu) ∙ Jean-Michel Fourneau, researcher at the Data and Algorithms for a Smart and Sustainable City Laboratory (DAVID – Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ) ∙ Louis Goubin, researcher at the Versailles Mathematics Laboratory (LMV – Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, CNRS) ∙ Cédric Gouy-Pailler, CEA List researcher (Université Paris-Saclay, CEA) ∙ Faïrouz Hammache, researcher at the Laboratory of the Physics of the Two Infinities – Irène-Joliot Curie (IJCLAB - Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS) ∙ Jürgen Kiener, researcher at the Laboratory of the Physics of the Two Infinities – Irène-Joliot Curie (IJCLAB - Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS) ∙ Florent Kirchner, director of the laboratory for software safety and security at CEA List ∙ Witold Klaudel, project manager at IRT SystemX ∙ Paul Leadley, coordinator of BASC LabEx ∙ Pascale Le Gall, Researcher at the Mathematics and Computer Science for Complexity and Systems Laboratory (MICS – Université Paris-Saclay, CentraleSupélec) ∙ Pierre Gilles Lemarié-Rieusset, researcher at the Laboratory of Mathematics and Modeling of Évry (LAMME – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Université d’Évry) ∙ Isabelle Lhenry-Yvon, researcher at the Laboratory of the Physics of the Two Infinities – Irène Joliot-Curie (IJCLAB – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS) ∙ Romain Melot, researcher at the Science for Action and Development Unit:

Members of the Editorial Board who contributed to this issue:

Julie Bernede ∙ Loraine Borges Pereira ∙ Bruno Chanetz ∙ Morgann Crozet ∙ Christine Jez ∙ Isabelle Huteau ∙ Jean-Marie Jourand ∙ Simon Jumel ∙ Sophie Martin ∙ Magalie Quet ∙ Éric Valdenaire ∙ Anaïs Vergnolle

Publishing director: Sylvie RetailleauManaging editor: Marie-Pauline GacoinEditor-in-chief: Véronique MederEditing: Mehdi El Sadek Fadel, Flore Kapusta-Loyer, Véronique Meder, Irène TanneurArt direction: The Shelf CompanyTranslation: ABAQUEPrinting: Stipa

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activities, products, territories (SADAPT – Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech) ∙ Yoann Montenot, design project manager at the Design Spot ∙ Catuscia Palamidessi, head of the Comete project team ∙ Franck Richecoeur, researcher at the Molecular and Macroscopic Energy, Combustion Laboratory (EM2C – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CentraleSupélec) ∙ Caroline de Sa, Deputy Vice-President Studies and Student Life ENS Paris-Saclay ∙ Nicolas Sabouret, researcher at the Informatics Laboratory for Mechanics and Engineering Sciences (LIMSI - Université Paris- Saclay, CNRS) ∙ Fabian Schüssler, researcher at the Department of Particle Physics (DPhP – Université Paris-Saclay, CEA/Irfu) ∙ Julien Sempéré, prefigura-tor for the department in charge of libraries at Université Paris-Saclay ∙ Nicolas de Séréville, researcher at the Laboratory of the Physics of the Two Infinities – Irène-Joliot Curie (IJCLAB – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS) ∙ Dorian Spaak, general coordinator of the association Terre & Cité ∙ Thierry Stolarczyk, researcher at the Department of Astrophysics (DAp - Université Paris-Saclay, CEA/Irfu) ∙ David Verney, researcher at the Laboratory of the Physics of the Two Infinities – Irène-Joliot Curie (IJCLAB – Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS)

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Teaching Experimental Science in a Time of Social DistancingJulien Bobroff and Frédéric Bouquet, academic staff members in physics at Université Paris-Saclay, and Ulysse Delabre, from Université de Bordeaux, give feedback on their experimental distance learning in confinement.www.theconversation.com/teaching-experimental- science-in-a-time-of-social-distancing-139483

Starlink: Collateral damage from Elon Musk’s satellite fleetRoland Lehoucq, a researcher at the Department of Astrophysics (Dap – Université Paris-Saclay, CEA/Irfu), and François Graner, from Université de Paris, warn of the possible damage linked to the launch of the Starlink satellite network (light pollution, traffic jams in low orbits, increased waste, exacerbated competition, etc.). (In French)www.theconversation.com/starlink-les-dommages- collateraux-de-la-flotte-de-satellites-delon-musk-135330

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MANAN SURI, FROM THE INDIAN

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

IN DELHI

Life on campus

THE C2N HAS MOVED

INTO ITS NEW PREMISES

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Teach, Learning

Mediation of sciences

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AN EVENTFUL SUMMER IN

EXPERIENCES IN THE

LABORATORIESPage

LEARNING HOW TO PLAY

(AND VICE VERSA) WITH DATA

Section

Section

Title

Title

Title

8Research – Quantum technologies

Page Section and thematic

10

16

19

20

Research – Microfluidics

Research – Environmentalhealth

Seen from abroad

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Page

Page

Page

Section and thematic

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Section

12

14

Business & Innovation – Photonics

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9France2019

Issue

Year Country

Research – Nanoparticles & Biomedical

Page Section and thematic

Section and thematic

6,51

MURAT BASTEPE, FROM

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL

AND HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

Campus life

A NEW BUILDING FOR THE PARIS-

SACLAY INSTITUTE OF NEUROSCIENCE

Espace technologique, Bât. Discovery – RD 128 – 1er étage, 91190 Saint-Aubin – France universite-paris-saclay.fr

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L’Édition of université paris-saclay may

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Teaching, Learning

Science outreach

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CHEMISTRY MASTERS’ DEGREES:

A WORLD OF TREASURES BENEATH

THE MICROSCOPEPage

EXOPLANETS: THE GAME

Section

Section

Title

Title

Title

Title

08Research – Virus and medicine

Page Section and thematic

10 16

19

20

Research – HSS interdisciplinarity Research – Dietary behavior

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Page

Page

Section and thematic

Section

Section

12Business & Innovation – Green chemistry

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10France2019

Numéro

Year Country

Section and thematic

14Research – Nanomaterials

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AREG MICKAELIAN, BYURAKAN

ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY,

ARMENIA

Campus life

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

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Teaching, Learnig

Science outreach

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INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOLS

LOOK TO THE FUTURE

Page

THE WIND OF AERONAUTICS SWEEPS THROUGH

HIGH SCHOOLS

Section

Section

Title

Title

Title

08Research – Climate, Environment, Biodiversity

Page Section and thematic

19

23

24

Research – Electrochemical batteries

Seen from abroad

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Page

Page

Section

Section

16

14

11

Research – Neuroscience and machine learning

Business & Innovation – Life Sciences and Health

Research – Ancient and heritage materials

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Page

Page

Section and thematic

Section and thematic

Section and thematic

12France2020

Issue

Year Country Section and thematic

Title

TSUYOSHI KAWAI, OF NAIST,

JAPAN

Campus Life

ICE, A BUILDING FOR CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL

SCIENCES

Espace technologique, Bât. Discovery – RD 128 – 1er étage, 91190 Saint-Aubin – France universite-paris-saclay.fr

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L’Édition of l’université paris-saclay september

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Training

Science outreach

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PARIS-SACLAY’S “EXCELLENCE LABS” OFFER A BROADER

RANGE OF TRAINING SOLUTIONS

Page

CURIOSITAS FESTIVAL:

LOOKING BEYOND APPEARANCES

Section

Section

Title

Title

Title

Title

08Research – History of science and ethics in chemistry

Page Section and thematic

10

16

19

20

Research – Chemistry and theranostics

Research – Chemistry, energy, environment

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Page

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Page

Section and thematic

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Section

12Business & Innovation – Chemistry at Université Paris-Saclay

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11France2019

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Year Country Section and thematic

14Research – Theoretical chemistry

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#09Photonics

#10Green chemistry

#11Chemistry

#12Life sciences and health

LA VIE EST UNE BOÎTE DE CHOCOLATS, N’EST-CE-PAS ?

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UPSaclay viewedby Andrew Archer universite-paris-saclay.fr

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France06 2018

Issue Year Country

07, 16

Pages

l’Édition ofuniversitéparis-saclayjanuary

THE DESIGN

SPOT

18

Page

Title

Business & Innovation

Section

03Gilles Bloch

“A both ambitious and confident spirit to start the new year.”

Page Author

05Teaching, Learning

Page

WHO ARE OUR PHD.

CANDIDATES?

Section

Title

10The end of the tower of Babel

Page Title

SOON ON THE SACLAY

PLATEAU

Life on Campus 20

Page Section

Title

Page A rich maths career that still inspires

Title

08

12Li-Fi has a bright future

Page Title

“Our investigation thus questions the issues related to urban sprawl.”

17

Page Author

Anaïs Tondeur

14Where food meets science

Page Title

PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN

UNIVERSITÉ PARIS-SACLAY AND MCGILL UNIVERSITY

Life on Campus

BEGINNING OF NEW BUILDING WORK

FOR THE BIOLOGY- PHARMACY-

CHEMISTRY DIVISION

Espace technologique, Bât. Discovery – RD 128 – 2e étage, 91190 Saint-Aubin – France universite-paris-saclay.fr

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Teaching, Learning

Science Outreach

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INTEGRATING UPSACLAY PHD STUDENTS HAS

OPENED UP NEW HORIZONS

HARD TIMES FOR

CLIMATE SCEPTICS!

Section

Section

Section

Title

Title

Title

08Research – Urban mobility

Page Section and thematic

10 16

18

20

Research – Multiscale simulation Research – Gene therapy

Seen from Abroad

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Page

Page

Section and thematic Section and thematic

Section

Section

12

14

Business & Innovation – Artificial intelligence

Research – Artificial intelligence

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Page

Section and title

Section and thematic

8France2018

Issue

Year Country

1

Campus Life

LARGER, BETTER SPORTS

FACILITIES

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INTERNATIONAL MASTER’S DEGREES:

ORIGINALITY UNITES

MENTORING: A SURE WIN

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Section

Rubrique

Title

Title

Title

08Research – Cyberphysics

Page Section and topic

10 16

18

20

Research – Astrophysics Research – Climate

Seen from Abroad

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Page

Page

Section and topic Section and topic

Section

Section

“THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AND

CULTURE HAS BEEN VERY FRUITFUL”

Suzanne Higgs

12Business & Innovation – FabLabs: Creating, Prototyping, Sharing

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L’Édition of l’université paris-saclay may

14Research – Heritage

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7France2018

Issue

Year Country

#05Information

and communication technologies

#06Design

#07Industrial renewal

#08Artificial

intelligence

1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

14The James Webb Space Telescope: a Space & Ground Challenge

Page Title

10Random Walks on Mountain Graphs

Page Title

12

17

03

Chaotic Light Opens up NewAvenues Into the Field of Photonics

Espace Technologique, Bât. Discovery – RD 128 – 2e étage, 91190 Saint-Aubin – France

UPSaclay viewed by Clément Vuillier universite-paris-saclay.fr

Patrick Couvreur

“You will discover our strengths and our bright young experts.”

“It is important for us to show to the general public what we do”

DEVELOPINGLEARNING

DESIGN

18

Asia’s Surprisingly Low Contributionto Global Climate Change

Teaching, Learning

Business & Inovation

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Title

AddressIllustration Website

Author

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06

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Title

Section

AEROSPACEDEFENSESECURITYCLUSTER

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Title

Section

SOON ONTHE SACLAY

PLATEAU

France01 2016

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08

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07, 16

Pages

20

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Title

Life on Campus

Section

l’Édition ofuniversitéparis-saclaymay

Gilles Bloch

Espace Technologique, Bât. Discovery – RD 128 – 2e étage, 91190 Saint-Aubin – France

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0

0

0,1

0,05

0,1

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0,2

0,25

0,3

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0,4

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0,5

0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8

time

posit

ion

du sp

écul

ateu

r

A

14

12Why trading speed matters

Page Title

Memoirs of a keymultiscale modeling

Page Title

03

“The students entrusted us with the immense task ofpromoting their degree loudly and clearly worldwide.”

Page Author

AN AGREEMENT

WITHSINGAPORE

04

Gilles Bloch

Page

Title

Teaching, Learning

Section

18Business & Innovation

Page

THE MOBILITYCLUSTER

Title

Section

08PAH: a new biological target identified

Page Title

PP P

StSt St

SS

S

2 3

C

C

C

4♂ ♀ ♂ ♀

17

SOONON THE SACLAY

PLATEAU

A platform to engineer new plants

Life on Campus

Vincent Minier

“The interactive showroom is thus at the heart of research on the Universe.”

Page Author

20

Page

Title

Section

Title

10

Page

THE HEALTH CLUSTER

08How to boost your company

Page Title

17

03

Espace Technologique, Bât. Discovery – RD 128 – 2e étage, 91190 Saint-Aubin – France

“Art and science interact here for your sensory pleasure.”

10

SOON ON THE SACLAY

PLATEAU

Page Author

Nanomedicine: a good asset against cancer

Life on Campus

UPSaclay viewedby Andrew Archer universite-paris-saclay.fr

05Teaching, Learning

Gilles Bloch

“The Highest Number of ERC Grants in France.”

Page

Page Author

AN INNOVATIVE

MASTER’S DEGREE

Address

20

Section

Page

Page

Section

Title

Illustration

Title

Website

France

Jean-Hugues Berrou

04 2017

Issue Year Country

07, 16

Pages

l’Édition ofuniversitéparis-saclaymay

18

Page

Title

Business & Innovation

Section

12Cybersecurity: Detect and Conquer

Page Title

Titre

Nuclear materials under pressure

Title

14

Page

SOME THOUGHTS FOR

FOOD

10The cold came after the ice

Page Title

03

12Bismuth ferrite, a revolutionary material

Page Title

17

Espace Technologique, Bât. Discovery – RD 128 – 2e étage, 91190 Saint-Aubin – France

“Université Paris- Saclay is celebrating its second anniversary.”

08

Page

SOONON THE SACLAY

PLATEAU

Author

Unveiling protein 3D structure is such a game

No clean bill of health for our data protection

UPSaclay viewedby Clément Vuillier

Life on Campus

universite-paris-saclay.fr

18Business & Innovation

Jérôme Perez

“And now, I’m going to ask you some questions!”

Page

Page Author

THE ENERGYCLUSTER

Address

Section

20

Title

Page

Page

Title

Section

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Title

France

Gilles Bloch

03 2017

Issue Year

04

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Title

Teaching, Learning

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14

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07, 16

Pages

l’Édition ofuniversitéparis-saclayjanuary

Title

#01 Aerospace,

defense & security

#02 Mobility

#03Energy

#04Health

INNOVATION AT THE SERVICE OF SOCIETAL CHALLENGES,FEATURED IN THE ISSUES OF THE EDITION

OF UNIVERSITÉ PARIS-SACLAY

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