Mutaxio

The joint Research Laboratory “Mutaxio” (“Mutations focused on bio-based”) was created in 2017 between the international company Soprema, the CNRS and the University of Strasbourg. This joint Research Laboratory has already been renewed once in 2021.

Mutaxio is dedicated to the development of new renewable polymer materials for more environmentally friendly building.

To make a collaboration between public research and the business world a long-term one, the partners strengthened their links with the creation of Mutaxio in 2017. The challenge is to develop innovative polymer materials derived from different biomasses and respectful of the environment, to make them high-performance for building by deepening the knowledge acquired on these sustainable systems. This joint research laboratory was a further step in the partnership between the BioTeam team at ICPEES and the R&D department at Soprema-France.

• PIA/PSPC - BPI-France (Programme d'investissements d'avenir - PIA) “Trans'Alg” project. Theme: Development of a production chain for mixotrophic microalgae in biofermenters on industrial substrates to produce molecules of interest in large volumes for commodity chemistry. Duration: February 2015 - June. 2020.
• European H2020 project “P4SB”. Call: H2020-LEIT-BIO-2014-1. Overall theme: From Plastic waste to Plastic value using Pseudomonas putida Synthetic Biology. Utilization of the conceptual and material tools of contemporary Synthetic Biology to bring about the sustainable and environmentally friendly bioconversion of oil-based plastic waste into fully biodegradable counterparts by means of engineered, whole-cell bacterial catalysts. Duration: April 2015 to March 2019.
• European H2020-BBI project “UNRAVEL” . Call: H2020-BBI-JTI-2017. Overall theme: To develop an innovative lignocellulosic value chain based on the FABIOLA fractionation process and subsequent separation and conversion of the biopolymers to high value products. Duration: May 2018 to April 2022.
• EU/ANR-Eranet project “MIPLACE”. Overall theme: Microbial integration of plastics (PET, PU,) in the circular economy. Duration: January 2020 to December 2022.
• European H2020 project “MIX-UP”. EU-China project. Call: H2020-NMBP-TR-IND-2018-2020. Global theme: Valorization of mixed plastics waste as abundant second-generation feedstock for industrial biotechnology - plastics waste as a valuable resource for the future. Bioconversion of unsorted, mixed plastics waste into value-added, sustainable materials using engineered enzyme mixtures for depolymerization and mixed microbial cultures for upcycling of plastic monomers to valuable products. Duration: January 2020 to December 2024.

Mutaxio is characterized by a shared research strategy and governance. The members of Mutaxio are therefore members of the BioTeam and the R&D department of Soprema-France. In this context, Dr. Antoine Duval and Dr. Alexandru Sarbu are permanent members of Mutaxio, respectively, partially and fully detached by Soprema.

The director and deputy director of Mutaxio are respectively Pr. Luc Avérous (BioTeam group leader) and Rémi Perrin (Director of Soprema's R&D department).

Contacts Pr. Luc Avérous, Rémi Perrin

• Duval A., Avérous L. (2020) “Mild and controlled lignin methylation with trimethylphosphate: towards a precise control of lignins functionality.” Green Chem. Vol. 22, pp. 1671 – 1680
• Duval A., Avérous L. (2022) « Dihydrolevoglucosenone (Cyrene™) as versatile biobased solvent for lignins fractionation, processing, and chemistry » Green Chemistry, Vol. 24, pp. 338-349
• Lucherelli M.A., Duval A., Avérous L. (2022) « Biobased vitrimers: towards sustainable and adaptable performing polymer materials » Progress in Polymer Science, Vol. 127, ID N°101515
• Duval A., Vidal D., Sarbu A., René W., Avérous L. (2022) « Synthesis of lignin-based polyols with ethylene carbonate. Towards industrial production of renewable polyurethane foams. » Materials Today Chemistry, Vol. 24, ID N°100793
• Duval A., Sarbu A., Dalmas F., Albertini D.., Averous L. (2022) "2,3-butanediol as biobased chain extender for thermoplastic polyurethanes: influence of the stereochemistry on macromolecular architectures and properties" Macromolecules. Vol. 55, N°13, pp. 5371–5381
• Lucherelli M.A., Duval A., Averous L. (2023) "Combining associative and dissociative dynamic linkages in Covalent Adaptable Networks from biobased 2,5-furandicarboxaldehyde." ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. Vol. 11(6), pp. 2334–2344.
• Duval A., Averous L. (2023) "From thermoplastic polyurethanes to covalent adaptable networks via reversible photo-crosslinking of a biobased chain extender synthesized from caffeic acid” Polymer Chemistry. Vol; 14, pp. 2685 – 2696
• Sougrati L., Duval A., Avérous L. (2023) "From Lignins to Renewable Aromatic Vitrimers based on Vinylogous Urethane" ChemSusChem Vol. 16, ID N°e202300792.
• Duval D., Sarazin J., de Haas C., Sarbu A., Bourbigot S., Avérous L. (2024) "Influence of the chemical structure of polyester polyols on the properties and fire resistance of polyisocyanurate foams" European Polymer Journal. Vol. 210, ID N°112938
• Duval A., W. Benali W., Avérous L. (2024) "Turning lignin into a recyclable bioresource: transesterification vitrimers from lignins modified with ethylene carbonate" Green Chem., Vol. 26, pp. 8414 - 8427.

• Avérous L., Bindschedler P. E., Perrin R., Hablot E., Robach C., Bouquey M. « Flexible sealing membrane, in particular for sealing planar surfaces such as roofs », Publié le 14/07/2011. N° EP2516148, FR2954375, WO2011083247.
• Avérous L., Binschedler P.E., Arbenz A., Laurichesse S., Perrin R. « Fabrication process for modified polyurethane foam, foam thus obtained and uses thereof » Publié le 31/01/2018, N° FR1670413, EP3275912, US20180030196 ; CA2971314.
• Avérous L., Binschedler P.E., Perrin R., Furtwengler P., Sarbu A., Laurichesse S., Redl A. “Flexible or semi-flexible foam comprising a polyester polyol” Publié le 01/03/2018. N°FR3055335, WO2018037371, WO2018037373, WO2018037376. US Patent App. 16/327,555, 2019.
• Avérous L., Binschedler P.E., Perrin R., Furtwengler P., Redl A. “Process for producing a five-membered polycycloaliphatic carbonate” Dépôt : 31/03/2017. N° FR1700351, WO2018178362.
• Avérous L., Binschedler P.E., Perrin R., Furtwengler P., Sarbu A., Laurichesse S., Redl A. “Rigid foam comprising a polyester polyol” Dépôt : 24.08.2016, N° FR20160001253 ; WO2017IB55110, CA20173036188.
• Avérous L., Binschedler P.E., Perrin R., Furtwengler P., Redl A. « Méthode de production de polyol polyesters et leur utilisation dans le polyuréthane » Dépôt : 24.08.2016. N° FR 16 01253.
• Avérous L., Binschedler P.E., Perrin R., Furtwengler P., Sarbu A., Laurichesse S., Redl A. “Méthode de production de polyol polyesters et leur utilisation dans le polyuréthane/ Method for producing polyester polyols and use thereof in polyurethane” Dépôt : 24.08.2017, N° PCT/IB2017/055107. US Patent App. 16/327,542, 2019.
• Avérous L., Binschedler P.E., Perrin R., Furtwengler P., Sarbu A., Laurichesse S., Redl A. « Rigid foam comprising a polyester polyol » US Patent App. 16/327,523, 2019.
• Avérous L., Binschedler P.E., Perrin R., Furtwengler P., Sarbu A., Redl A. “Mousse rigide avec pouvoir isolant amélioré/Rigid foam with improved insulating power” Dépôt : 22.01.2018, N° FR 18/00072. US 11,718,703 B2
• Avérous L., Binschedler P.E., Perrin R., Sarbu A., Duval A, « Procédé de fabrication d'un mélange de polyphénols alcoxylés et utilisation de ce mélange » Publié 19/1/2024. CA3227697A1; CN117751150A;EP4377369A1; FR3125820B1; WO2023007103A1