Edito / Best Theses 2016
In 2016, 128 doctoral students graduated from INP
Toulouse. They performed their research work in
one of the 17 Laboratories of INP and addressed
various topics. PhD students play a key role in the
research projects supported by institutional or
industrial partners, by research programmes of
the Region, State or Europe. I sincerely thank our
partners for their commitment and trust.
For 3 years they carried out a research programme in
collaboration with other researchers and technical staff,
with autonomy, responsibility, creativity, developing original
experimental, theoretical and/or numerical approaches.
They also presented their work in international conferences,
took part in teaching activities and science popularization.
Their skills will be of great benefit in their professional life
in the academic sector or in industry, in France or abroad.
Each year, the Academic Research Council of INP selects
15% of the best theses. The assessment is based on very
selective criteria: scientific quality of the work, originality
of the subject and approaches, risk-taking, international
recognition. The Leopold Escande Thesis prize was awarded
to 20 graduate students.
This booklet is an opportunity to highlight their work and
to demonstrate the variety of researches performed at
INP: electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering,
computational science, material science, agronomic
research, human and animal health.
Catherine Colin
Vice-President for Research at INP Toulouse
All theses presented in this book (except confidential) are available on http://ethesis.inp-toulouse.fr
IOANNIS AVIZIOTIS
A new process to deposit iron and aluminium
simultaneously on complex shapes
To produce plastic in chemical industry, a hydrocarburon undergoes a catalytic
reaction. Today, platinum, which is an expensive metal, is used. This thesis proposes
to replace it by metals that are cheaper and which are more environmentallyfriendly.
TITLE
Chemical vapor deposition of al, fe and of the
al 13fe4 approximant intermetallic phase:
experiments and multiscale simulations
LABORATORY
Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche
et d’Ingénierie des Matériaux (CIRIMAT)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
Constantin VAHLAS
Andreas BOUDOUVIS
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
SDM – Sciences de la Matière
INTERNATIONAL COTUTELLE OF THESIS
National technical university of Athens
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I am currently doing my military service in Greece.
TEM cross section of an Al-Fe film
It investigates the formation of the low-cost Al13Fe4 coating
structure which has been found to fulfil the requirements
for the acceleration of the production of polyethylene,
commonly known as plastic. The environmentally compatible
chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique is chosen for the
formation of this structure, as a coating of underlying surfaces,
because it provides advantages compared to other techniques
such as better control and high coverage of complex-shaped
surfaces. However, complicated mechanisms prevail in this
process, namely the interplay of chemical reactions and
transport phenomena. To cope with this issue, mathematical
modeling and computational analysis are applied.
They contribute to the understanding and to a better control
and optimization of a CVD process. Experiments were carried
out to investigate separately the CVD of Al and Fe. Then,
a combined process was elaborated leading to the Al13Fe4
coating. Its catalytic properties were tested in the polythene
production.
SÉGOLÈNE BELLETANTE
Biorefineries: new method
for the design of sustainable processes
TITLE
Multiscale method for the optimal design
of a multiproduct biorefinery
LABORATORY
Laboratoire de Génie Chimique (LGC)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
Ludovic MONTASTRUC
Stéphane NEGNY
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
MEGeP – Mécanique, Énergétique,
Génie civil et Procédés
PARTNER
Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I have currently a postdoctoral position at IFP
(French Institute of Petroleum) in Lyon.
My work is in keeping with my PhD because
my research project is about the multiscale
optimization of processes.
Nowadays, the substitution of crude oil by new types of renewable raw materials
proposes a high potential, in the context of sustainability and energy transition.
According to several studies, biomass (organic material extracted from vegetables
or animals) is one of the most promising renewable resources because the action
of microorganisms on the biomass induces a large variety of transformations which
results in a large portfolio of molecules for varied applications.
In this context, new technologies and production pathways should be developed in order to
produce bio-based molecules sustainably and efficiently. The aim of this work is to propose a
generic methodology with connected tools in order to establish the optimal production pathway
to produce the bioproduct(s) of interest. The principle of the methodology is to evaluate performances of the options in the technical,
economic, environmental and energy
efficient aspects in preparation for the
optimization.
Moreover, this study allowed pointing
and overcoming some hurdles caused
by the modeling and the optimization
of biorefineries, but also proving the
importance of the multiscale aspect of
biorefineries.
The methodology has been applied
on
the production of biobutanol from
Schematic describing the steps and necessary data for the method
forest biomass.
CLÉMENT BERNE
Sustainability assessment
of gas network elements
The unpredictability of ruptures which occur in the gas transfer valves of the
French gas network (GrDF), though sporadic, is a major security issue.
TITLE
Study of the susceptibility of two-phase brass to
stress corrosion cracking: design of an accelerated
test to evaluate the susceptibility of gas transfer
valves to stress corrosion cracking
LABORATORY Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche
et d’Ingénierie des Matériaux (CIRIMAT)
THESIS SUPERVISOR
Christine BLANC
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
SDM – Sciences de la Matière
PARTNER
CETIM (Jean-Michel SOBRINO)
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
On finishing my PhD, I joined SABENA TECHNICS as
a Materials engineer. The responsibility of this
position includes the maintenance of the aerial
fleet for civilian security, the French and Dutch Air
Forces and civilian aircrafts.
To prevent rupture during service life of brass valves, accelerated tests are performed on a specimen selected from each batch, preliminary to the batch use. These tests simulate an accelerated
ageing. The main goal of these tests is to remove, before use, the least resistant valves. The
objective is to prevent serious
hazard, due to the flammability
of the gas that are transported.
Currently, the accelerated tests
are neither reproducible nor
representative enough of real
ageing. Indeed, in some cases,
premature ruptures occur during
service life although the specimen valves passed the current
test. New industrial tests, more
reproducible and representative
of real ageing could be based on
the PhD results. The efficiency of
new test conditions, to identify
the valves with poor durability,
has been designed.
Evidence of destructive cracks on the gas installation in brass
ÉLISE BLANCHET
Carbone dioxide valorisation
into molecules for sustainable chemistry
TITLE
Design of a microbial electrosynthesis cell
LABORATORY Laboratoire de Génie Chimique (LGC)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
Alain BERGEL
Benjamin ERABLE
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
MEGeP- Mécanique, Énergétique,
Génie civil et Procédés
PARTNERS
Suez (Alain HUYARD et Marion CREST)
6T-MIC Ingénieries (Dr Rémy LACROIX)
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I am currently an assistant lecturer at the INSA Toulouse
(National Institute of Applied Sciences). I then hope to
get a position of senior lecturer or researcher.
Microbial electrosynthesis is an innovative technology using an electrode
(biocathode) as an electron source for the microbial reduction of CO2 into organic
molecules. The Biorare process intends to associate the microbial electrosynthesis
with the oxidation of organic waste by a biofilm on another electrode (bioanode) in
order to increase the energetic yield of the process. Thus, the system allows both
treatment of polluted effluents and cost-effective CO2 valorisation.
The purpose of the PhD work was to improve the bioanode and biocathode performance separately, to finally design a Biorare prototype at laboratory scale. It was decided to use food waste,
being an abundant resource of 22 million tons in France. The study on biocathodes revealed
hydrogen as a key intermediate in
electron transfer from the cathode
to the microbial cells that reduce CO2.
This led to dissociate the initial process into two steps: hydrogen is first
produced in a microbial electrolysis
cell that oxidizes food waste.
Secondly, a gas-liquid bioreactor
uses hydrogen to convert CO2
to acetate, ethanol, formate or
butyrate, depending on the microbial system.
Schematic of the Biorare process
BENEDIKT BYRNE
Metamaterials for satellite antennas
TITLE
Study and design of metamaterial waveguides
and horn antennas
In space applications, one of the biggest challenges is to reduce the size and
mass of equipment, in order to reduce the costs of the rocket launch or to add
supplementary equipment on the satellite. For RF components, this has to be done
without lowering RF performance (directivity, cross-polarization, single-mode
bandwidth, etc.). The challenge is all the more problematic in the case of current
horn antennas and waveguides because of their relatively large size.
LABORATORY
Laboratoire Plasma et Conversion Énergétique
(LAPLACE)
The main contribution of this PhD work was
to develop a new methodology based on
the analytical Modal Expansion Theory for
waveguides with anisotropic walls. This
methodology makes it possible to optimize
very rapidly the dimensions of the metamaterial surfaces adjusted to the required
applications. A metamaterial waveguide
and antenna prototype have been designed,
realized and measured thanks to this methodology. The results obtained demonstrate
the usefulness, effectiveness and general
applicability of the method developed for
the design of RF structures with anisotropic
walls.
THESIS SUPERVISOR
Nathalie RAVEU
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
GEET – Génie Électrique, Électronique et
Télécommunications
PARTNERS
CNES – Co-financeur (Nicolas CAPET)
MVG – Co-financeur (Luc DUCHESNE)
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
Still passionate about space engineering,
I have joined a startup company, in Toulouse,
working on satellite antennas.
Measurement of the antenna
SÉBASTIEN COMBREXELLE
Improving satellite images
by integrating textures
TITLE
Multifractal analysis for multivariate data with
application to remote sensing
Distinguishing to the naked eye two images of texture, such as the cracked surface
of the bark of a tree and the rough surface of a plaster wall, is a simple task for
humans. However, computer automation of this recognition task with the use
of algorithms is much more complex; the main difficulty being the mathematical
definition of the notion of texture.
This thesis focuses multifractal analysis,
which is a powerful mathematical tool
characterizing the texture within an image
via the study of the local regularity of its
intensity. To some extent, the behavior
of this regularity, via indicators such that
the repartition and the fluctuations of
its value within the image, constitutes
a unique signature of the texture and
allows its characterization. The objective
of this thesis was the development of new
methods allowing a precise extraction
of such indicators and the application
of these methods for the processing of
satellite images.
LABORATORY
Institut de Recherche en Informatique
de Toulouse (IRIT)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
Jean-Yves TOURNEREZ
Steve MC LAUGHLIN
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
MITT – Mathématiques, Informatique,
Télécommunications de Toulouse
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I am currently looking for a job position within the
research and development department of companies
dealing with the automatic processing of big data.
Characterization of two different textures, one homogeneously rough
and another one, more complex, combining smooth areas and rough areas.
FANNY GRANAT
A promising anticoagulant to optimize
blood sampling in cats and dogs
TITLE
In vitro platelet aggregation: anticoagulant effects
of CTAD and its use for diagnostic investigation in
sensitive species
LABORATORY
École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
Nathalie BOURGES-ABELLA
Catherine TRUMEL
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
SEVAB – Sciences Écologiques, Vétérinaires,
Agronomiques et Bioingénieries
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I am currently a veterinary clinical pathologist
and a consultant in a private diagnostic laboratory
(in particular in the field of hematology and cytology).
I also sometimes teach classes about veterinary clinical
pathology at the Veterinary School of Toulouse.
In vitro platelet aggregation is a commonly encountered pre-analytical difficulty,
which limits the procurement of adequate blood specimens for hematological
analyses. Platelet aggregation is an obstacle for hematology analyzers resulting in
an underestimation of platelet count, especially in the feline species, for which the
rate of pseudo-thrombocytopenia secondary to this phenomenon is high in blood
specimens collected on EDTA, the commonly used anticoagulant.
This experimental work focused on the relevance of CTAD (mixture of an anticoagulant,
sodium citrate, and platelet inhibitors, theophylline, adenosine and dipyridamole) as a novel
anticoagulant for hematological analyses of sensitive animal species such as cats and dogs. We
confirmed the inhibitory effect of CTAD on
in vitro platelet aggregation and its interest
in the establishing the blood cell count in
order to be able to use routinely it with preanalytical conditions of those encountered
in veterinary medicine or research. Another
aspect of this work was to evaluate CTAD as
a ‘universal’ anticoagulant in dogs and cats
with a view to improve animal welfare by
limiting the number of blood samples needed
to explore the hematology, secondary
hemostasis and clinical biochemistry.
Platelet clumping observed on a feline blood smear (MGG staining,
oil high power field). Picture from the central laboratory
of the Veterinary School of Toulouse.
EMMANUELLE KERGOURLAY
New coatings to improve orthopedic implants
TITLE
Carbonated biomimetic nanocrystalline
apatites for medical applications: from powder
synthesis to cold sprayed coatings
LABORATORY
Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche
et d’Ingénierie des Matériaux (CIRIMAT)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
David GROSSIN
Christian REY
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
SDM – Sciences de la Matière
PARTNERS
Centre de Projecció Térmica (CPT), Université de
Barcelone (Sergi DOSTA et Josep Maria GUILEMANY)
University of Technology Sydney (Jerran SANTOS
et Besim BEN-NISSAN)
Projection Plasma Système (Muriel LELONG
et Carlos CORREIA)
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
Still passionate about the medical field,
and especially orthopedics, I joined the company
Integer (Greatbatch Medical) in October 2016
as coating and surface treatment specialist.
In the field of orthopedic implants, hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings obtained by
atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) are considered as standard coatings. However,
some studies have shown that these coatings contained secondary phases
resulting from the decomposition of HA during the spraying process, which could
potentially limit the lifetime of implants. Moreover, the increase of nosocomial
infections occurring sometimes several years after surgery has to be taken in
consideration.
This thesis deals with the development of new coatings composed of biomimetic nanocrystalline apatites (BNAc). These apatites offer the advantage, in contrast with HA, to possess
a hydrated surface layer similar to the one identified in bone mineral which can be functionalized
(antibacterial agents). In order to preserve the physicochemical characteristics of these powders,
thermally unstable and very reactive, an industrial low temperature deposition process was
selected: the Cold Spray process. Biomimetic apatite
coatings with physicochemical properties similar to the
powders were obtained by Cold Spray. Preliminary tests
of biocompatibility and adhesion were also carried out
on these coatings: the Cold Spray process seems to be
a promising method preserving the characteristics of
BNAc apatites and offering the possibility to produce
industrial coatings with a potential to improve implants,
osseointegration and resistance to infections.
SEM image of a human Adipose Derived Stem Cell
(hADSC) having adhered on a BNAc coating
after 6 days of incubation (biological test)
MITHLESH KUMAR
Monitoring gas bubbles in a nuclear reactor
TITLE
Magnetic flux distortion in two-phase liquid
metal flows
LABORATORY
Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse
(IMFT)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
Philippe TORDJEMAN
Wladimir BERGEZ
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
MEGeP – Mécanique, Énergétique,
Génie civil et Procédés
PARTNER
Commissariat de l’Énergie Atomique et aux énergies
alternatives, CEA Cadarache, France
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
ASTRID is a generation IV Sodium cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) being studied and
developed at CEA, Cadarache. Monitoring gas presence in SFR is important in order
to operate it in the safest conditions.
This thesis concerns the detection and characterization of void using magnetic flux perturbation principle. An Eddy Current Flow Meter (ECFM) device is used for this purpose. From
the technological point of view, the objective is to evaluate the feasibility of ECFM as a flow
and void characterizing device,
to determine which parameters
are of interest and the precision
of these measurements as well
as the possibility to measure
the flow rate and void fraction
simultaneously.
From the physics point of view,
our objective is to understand
coupling of Faraday induction
and Lorentz force effects.
After finishing my PhD I started working at the Indira
Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam in India.
My work here concerns hypothetical serious accident
scenarios of sodium cooled fast reactors.
Experimental set-up
MYLÈNE MARIN GALLEGO
Salvaging gases from wood torrefaction
to turn them into bio-sourced products
TITLE
Recovery process of chemicals from wood
torrefaction: thermodynamic modeling,
design and analysis of the process
LABORATORY
Laboratoire de Génie Chimique (LGC)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
Xuan Mi MEYER
Jean-Stéphane CONDORET
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
MEGeP – Mécanique, Énergétique,
Génie civil et Procédés
Lignocellulosic biomass is considered as a renewable carbon resource with great
potential for the energy and chemical recovery. Torrefaction is a thermal process
carried out at temperatures below 300°C, under inert atmosphere, at atmospheric
pressure. Torrefied wood is a solid product constituted by more than 70% of the
initial mass with properties close to those of coal. Currently, torrefied wood is the
main product of interest and is usually transformed into energetic gases by the
gasification process or directly used as coal for combustion. Conversely, gaseous
by-products are considered at present time as a waste and in the best case are burned
to provide energy to the process. Yet, the recovery
and valorization of the condensable fraction as
bio-sourced chemicals is worth considering.
PARTENAIRES
CEA Grenoble – Département LITEN
(Capucine DUPONT)
CIRAD – Équipe BioWooEB (Jean-Michel COMMANDRÉ)
PCAS (Régis PECQUET)
Prosim (Olivier BAUDOIN)
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I am an assistant professor in the Department of Energy
and Environmental Systems (DSEE) at the Institut
Mines Télécom Atlantique, Nantes. My research work
is focused on the use of modeling tools for the waste
process valorization (biomass, tires & plastic waste,
etc.).
Thermodynamic modeling of the condensable fraction
from wood torrefaction behavior at the reactive
vapor-liquid equilibrium.
The aim of the thesis is to propose a separation-purification
process for condensable chemicals of the waste gas.
This condensable fraction is a predominantly aqueous
phase, containing more than 150 identified organic species.
Minority species are present in varying proportions depending on torrefied wood.
The target compounds and objectives of the recovery
process were selected and several development strategies
were developed. This study assessed these different
strategies in terms of energy efficiency and purity of the
products for potential implementation on an industrial
scale of this sector.
ALEXANDRE MICHAU
Improving safety in nuclear reactors
with a protective coating
TITLE
Chemical vapor deposition of chromium based
coatings on complex surfaces for extreme
environments: experimental and modeling
LABORATORY
Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche
et d’Ingénierie des Matériaux (CIRIMAT)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
Francis MAURY
Raphaël BOICHOT
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
SDM – Sciences de la Matière
PARTNERS
CEA – Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique
et aux énergies alternatives (Frédéric SCHUSTER)
SIMaP – Laboratoire de Science et Ingénierie
des Matériaux et Procédés
DEPHIS (Éric MONSIFROT)
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I am continuing my work on protective coatings for
extreme environments and their deposition processes
at the French Nuclear Agency CEA. The variety of
materials and processes that I am studying have
expanded greatly.
Each nuclear reactor safety is ensured by three successive containment barriers:
fuel cladding tubes, the primary circuit and the reactor building. The protection of
each one of these barriers is fundamental.
Nuclear fuel cladding tubes resistance against high temperature oxidation during accidental
conditions is crucial because it means protecting the first containment barrier. This can be done by
coating the inner wall of the cladding tube with CVD processes, which are most likely to do so. More
specifically, we used DLI-MOCVD to grow chromium
based and chromium carbides based coatings, known
for their good oxidation resistance. The coating
process was optimized using both numerical modeling
and experiments. It allowed us to improve coatings
performance which show interesting mechanical
properties. The assessment of coatings oxidation
resistance during accidental conditions revealed
excellent performances coatings, which can delay
catastrophic oxidation up to 1h30.
It was also shown that all chemicals involved in the
deposition process can be directly recycled, increasing
its yield to a value near 100 %, saving a lot of chemical
waste and money.
Protective amorphous chromium carbides coating
deposited by DLI-MOCVD (TEM observation)
JEAN-LOU PIERSON
Not so simple to make a vinaigrette!
Every cook has already made vinaigrette, which is the result of a fork (the obstacle)
passing through an oil-vinegar interface. The goal of this work is to understand that
problem.
TITLE
Settling of a sphere through a fluid-fluid interface
LABORATORY
Institut de Mécanique des Fluides (IMFT)
THESIS SUPERVISOR
Jacques MAGNAUDET
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
MEGeP – Mécanique, Énergétique,
Génie civil et Procédés
To this aim, three different approaches were considered. An experimental device, in which spheres
are released above an oil - water interface, was designed to analyze different types of configuration.
An original numerical methodology was designed to compute the flow field. Finally, theoretical
models are derived to better understand the observed behaviors.
These three approaches gave insights to understand whether a sphere can float or sink. The behaviour of the tail of light fluid towed by the sphere appears to be extremely rich (capillary and shear
instabilities, fragmentation, etc.). The agreement between experimental and numerical results
allowed us to perform an extensive numerical study of the influence of all dimensionless parameters.
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I am currently working as a research engineer at IFPEN
(French Petroleum Institute). I am in charge of the
development of the PeliGRIFF code.
Growing of a shear instability during the settling of a steel sphere of diameter 14 mm through a silicon oil - water interface.
STEVE PRATTE
Mineral dust and climate:
a study of Canadian peat bogs
TITLE
Peat bogs as archives of the variability of
Holocene dust deposition in Boreal Quebec
-paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic implications
LABORATORY
Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle
et Environnement (EcoLab)
Mineral dust plays a complex role in the global climate system being both a factor
affecting the climate and varying according to the climate. The high spatial and
temporal variability of atmospheric dust limits our understanding of the different
interactions between atmospheric dust and climate. Three peat bogs in northern
Quebec, following an east-west transect, were used to characterize the spatial and
temporal variability of the atmospheric dust deposited over the last 7,000 years in
the region in relation to climatic fluctuations. From this point of view, elementary
and isotopic geochemistry, as well as biotic indicators (plant macrofossils and
testate amoebae) were combined.
This study is the first of its kind in Canada and has
demonstrated the applicability of methods used for
the peatlands of the region. Specifically, dust deposits
show an increase over the last 2,000 to 3,000 years.
These periods of increased dust deposition have
been identified as episodes of climate instability,
often cold and dry, potentially linked to intrusions
of Arctic air masses in the region. This study laid
the groundwork for future research on atmosphericclimate dust link(s) in northeastern North America.
THESIS SUPERVISOR
François DE VLEESCHOUWER
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
SDU2E – Sciences de l’Univers,
de l’Environnement et de l’Espace
INTERNATIONAL COTUTELLE OF THESIS
University of Quebec in Montreal
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I recently obtained a postdoctoral position at
the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology
of the Chinese Academy of Science, which focuses
on the influence of the East Asian monsoon
and Westerly winds on East Asian climate.
Ile-du-Havre peat bog and first meter of a peat core
YVAIN QUÉAU
Accurate 3D-reconstruction
by measuring luminous quantities
TITLE
3D-Reconstruction by photometric stereo
LABORATORY
Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse
(IRIT)
THESIS SUPERVISOR
Jean-Denis DUROU
This thesis deals with the photometric stereo problem, a 3D-reconstruction
technique based on analysing the luminous quantities in several pictures of a
scene taken under varying lighting.
Both theoretical (number of images needed, prior knowledge required, etc.) and practical (How
to ensure robustness to noise, shadows, etc.?) aspects of the problem are explored. Special
attention is paid to accurate lighting modeling, whose importance is demonstrated in real-world
applications to the 3D-reconstruction of human faces and of microscopic structures from the
skin.
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
MITT – Mathématiques, Informatique,
Télécommunications de Toulouse
PARTNERS
Toulouse Tech Transfer (Jean-Pierre SAINTOUIL)
Pixience (Romain VIE et Jérôme GEORGE)
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
After my thesis defense in November 2015,
I have been pursuing my academic research on
3D-reconstruction. I was a teaching and research
assistant at INP-Toulouse for one year, and I am
now a post-doctoral researcher at Technical University
Munich (Germany).
Photometric stereo: precise estimation of shape and reflectance of the observed scene
TEHYA READ
The importance of feeding strategies of the
rabbit doe and her kits around weaning
TITLE
Feeding strategies around weaning in rabbit
farms to improve health and performances
of rabbit kits and does
LABORATORY
Laboratoire Génétique, Physiologie
et Systèmes d’Élevage (GENPHYSE)
THESIS SUPERVISOR
Laurence FORTUN LAMOTHE
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
SEVAB – Sciences Écologiques, Vétérinaires,
Agronomiques et Bioingénieries
PARTNERS
CIFRE PhD work with:
Terrena (Dominique BRICARD)
CCPA (Karine BEBIN)
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
After my PhD, I obtained a position within the company
Terrena, one of the industrial partners of the PhD
project, as rabbit product manager. I am still working on
rabbit nutrition, where I am in charge of the food range
offered to commercial farms and the R&D trials we have
in progress.
The high prevalence of digestive problems in growing rabbits around weaning and
the high rate of mortality in rabbit does associated with a high prevalence of does
having a degraded body condition can suggest a mismatch between the nutritional
intake of animals and their needs.
This thesis aimed, through the use of a separate feeding system between rabbits does and
their kits before weaning, to respond to two complementary objectives: i) to better understand
the relationship between nutrient intake, the establishment of solid food intake, the maturation of the cecal ecosystem, and the health and growth of young rabbits, and ii) to explore the
relationship between the nature of nutrients provided throughout the reproduction cycle and
performance in breeding does.
This study demonstrated that the distribution of a
high energy diet before and after weaning increased
growth performances under a restriction strategy
without penalizing the sanitary parameters. It was
also found that the solid food intake level of rabbit kits
at the establishment of solid food intake influences
the maturation of the cecal ecosystem.
Finally, our results suggest that the strategy which
introduces the separate feeding system in order
to distribute only one type of food for the rabbit
does throughout their reproductive life might be the
best compromise between simplicity, efficiency and
Rabbits in commercial breeding farms: diverging nutritional
needs between mothers and their young
profitability.
INGRID ROUVRE
Impact of hydrogenase
on the corrosion of steel
TITLE
Hydrogenase: promoter or inhibitor
of microbial corrosion?
LABORATORY
Laboratoire de Génie Chimique (LGC)
THESIS SUPERVISOR
Régine BASSEGUY
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
MEGeP – Mécanique, Énergétique,
Génie civil et Procédés
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I am actively looking for a position as project
engineer / design engineer / development engineer
in physico-chemical processes and / or surface
treatment / materials.
Corrosion caused by microorganisms (MIC) leads to global economic losses which
are amounted to billions of euros. Hydrogenases have been identified as key
proteins in microbially induced corrosion phenomena but their real impact is still a
controversial issue. Even though they are present in most of the microorganisms
involved in anaerobic biocorrosion, their participation in a direct electron transfer
mechanism has rarely been demonstrated.
The purpose of the present work is to study the influence of hydrogenase on the anaerobic
corrosion of steel by deepening the understanding of interfacial phenomena governing its
action. The study is particularly focusing on the effect of Fe-S clusters, which had proved to
be major players in earlier work at LGC. The S235JR mild steel was chosen since it is the most
reactive material to highlight the influence of hydrogenase. The first studies in presence of
various types of hydrogenases have revealed that the presence of additional molecules in the
purification medium does not permit to get an open-circuit potential jump and a corrosion rate
that could be attributed solely to enzymes.
The enzyme purification protocol has been then optimized to
simultaneously allow a better purification performance with a
high enzymatic activity and a lower impact on electrochemical
signals. Finally, the use of a dialysis bag to concentrate hydrogenase in the close vicinity of the working electrode led to the
exacerbation of the enzyme effect: an open-circuit potential
ennoblement as well as a corrosion rate increase were observed.
Impedance spectroscopy coupled with surface analysis also
Experimental setup with three
electrodes in anaerobiosis
confirmed the strong corrosiveness of hydrogenase.
FARAH SALAMEH
Modeling the lifespan of components
TITLE
Statistical methods for the lifespan modeling
of electrical engineering components
LABORATORY
Laboratoire Plasma et Conversion Énergétique
(LAPLACE)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
Pascal MAUSSION
Antoine PICOT
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
GEET – Génie Électrique, Électronique
et Télécommunications
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I am currently working as a part-time instructor
at MUC (Matn University College) and at LIU
(Lebanese International University) in Beirut.
I teach courses in electrical and electronics
engineering.
Reliability has become an important issue nowadays since the most critical
industries such as aeronautics, space and nuclear are moving towards the design
of more electrical based systems. The objective is to understand, model and
predict the aging mechanisms that could lead to component failure. The study
of the operational constraints effects on the degradation of the components is
therefore essential for the prediction of their lifetime.
This thesis presents a new methodology for the lifespan modeling of electrical engineering
components according to the different stress factors that contribute to their degradation.
This methodology is general and applicable to various components. The developed models are
statistical models based on real experimental data. The main objective is to provide accurate
models while maintaining a minimum experimental cost. This objective is particularly interesting in electrical engineering where experimental data are often limited by the small number
of tested samples. Thus, the number and configuration of
the tests that are required to estimate the models are optimized to minimize the cost while maximizing the accuracy of
the models. In order to validate the methodology, two types
of components are tested: insulation materials of electrical
machines and OLED (Organic LED) light sources. Different forms
of models are presented: parametric, nonparametric and hybrid
models. Statistical tools that are particularly adapted to the
small number of samples were identified and used to evaluate
Optimal 3D configuration of the levels of three stress
factors using the Design of Experiments (black dots)
the statistical properties of the models as well as their accuracy.
and Response Surfaces (red dots) methods
ANDRÉ SCHWANCK
Identifying predictors of resistance
of plants against pathogens
TITLE
Identifying epidemiological predictors for
quantitative host plant resistance: application
to the sunflower-phoma pathosystem
LABORATORY
AGroécologie, Innovations, TeRritoires (AGIR)
THESIS SUPERVISOR
Lætitia WILLOCQUET
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
SEVAB – Sciences Écologiques, Vétérinaires,
Agronomiques et Bioingénieries
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I have submitted a project for a post-doc fellowship at
the University of São Paulo (Brazil) on the development
of disease management strategies on soybean, tomato
and citrus diseases. I am also applying for permanent
positions as Professor in the United States and Brazil.
I am part of the editorial board of Acta Scientiarum
Agronomy, a Brazilian journal of agronomy.
The Ph.D. study involved the identification of predictors of host plant resistance
to diseases. A ‘predictor’, in this case, can be defined as any experimentally
measured variable that depends on host genotype and which is associated with
field epidemics. Phoma black stem, an important sunflower disease in France, was
used as a case study.
The predictors were measured through phenotyping in experiments conducted in field (small
plots), greenhouse (adult plants) and growth chamber (seedlings) conditions on the same set
of sunflower genotypes. The phenotyping procedure aimed at identifying diverse sources of
resistance, such as plant morphological traits which may reduce epidemic levels (a process called
‘disease escape’), and components of resistance, which reduce the efficiency of the different
monocycle processes involved in the disease cycle.
An analytical strategy involving several statistical methods
was elaborated, and performed at two scales: phenotype and
genotype. The results indicated that taller sunflower plants
with larger number of green leaves are associated with
higher field resistance. Additionally, some of the components
of resistance measured in greenhouse and growth chamber
were significantly associated with field epidemic levels. The
methodological framework developed in the Ph.D. study can
be applied to other crop diseases, and its results can be
used to improve phenotyping methods in sunflower breeding
Inoculation on a sunflower seedling to identify
programs to enhance resistance against phoma black stem.
predictors for resistance to phoma black stem
under controlled conditions
UGO TILL
When light kills cancer cells
TITLE
Towards critical development of self-assembled
polymeric vectors for oncology
LABORATORIES
Département Sciences Sociales, Environnementales
et Biodiversité (SSEB-EIP)
Interactions Moléculaires et Réactivité Chimique
et Photochimique (IMRCP)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
Anne-Françoise MINGOTAU
Frédéric VIOLLEAU
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
SDM – Sciences de la Matière
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) allows precise removal of cancerous tumors with the
application of light. A photosensitizing product is applied to the lesions and absorb
by the cancer cells which retain longer than the healthy cells. The cancer cells are
then irradiated with light leading to the activation of the sensitizing product and
to the cells’ destruction.
To transport the product to the core of the targeted cells, polymer vectors (nanoparticles) are
used. They protect the product from antibodies, recognize the cells to be treated, penetrate
and release the product. Their size, morphology, chemical composition, vary and their effectiveness differs according to the type of cells affected. The objective of this thesis was to develop a
method for critical analysis of the different vectors and their therapeutic efficacy.
Different conventional techniques were
used such as dynamic light scattering or
electron microscopy, but also the technique
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I am currently looking for a job in the field
of chemical engineering.
PDT effect and interest for drug delivery
of field flow fractionation hardly used in
this field but which proved very effective.
In a second step, auto-assemblies were
used as a vector of a photosensitizer,
Pheophorbide-a.
They proved to be extremely interesting
for PDT on 3D cell cultures, demonstrating
an increased efficacy compared to the nonvectorized product.
VALENTIN VOILLET
Identifying mortality factors
of piglets at birth
TITLE
Integrative approach of muscular development
to describe the maturation process related to
neonatal survival
Over the last decades, some statistical integration studies have been developed
to participate in the detailed description of complex traits with socio-economic
interests. In this context, the aim of the thesis was to combine different
heterogeneous data to better describe and understand the last third of gestation
in pigs, period influencing the piglet mortality at birth.
In the thesis, through statistical and
computational analyses, we highlighted
some biological mechanisms regulating
the muscle maturation process in pigs,
but also in other livestock species
(cattle and sheep). Some genes and
proteins were identified as being
highly involved in the muscle energy
metabolism.
Piglets with a muscular metabolism
immaturity could be associated with a
higher risk of mortality at birth. Besides,
this work has also led to the development of a statistical method relating to
imputation of missing values.
LABORATORY
Laboratoire Génétique, Physiologie
et Systèmes d’Élevage (GENPHYSE)
THESIS SUPERVISORS
Magali SAN CRISTOBAL
Laurence LIAUBET
DOCTORAL SCHOOL
SEVAB – Sciences Écologiques, Vétérinaires,
Agronomiques et Bioingénieries
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle,
Washington - USA). I am still working on the
analysis and integration of biological omic data,
here, related to the elimination of cancer and
diseases causing human suffering and death.
Example of proteomic networks. Each node represents a protein
and each edge represents a relationship between nodes.
INP Toulouse
A research for innovation and educational excellence
INP Toulouse offers programs at the heart of research and
its innovations through it 17 laboratories situated in its
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ENIT, ENM and PURPAN). It includes 6600 students and
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Conducted in laboratories of quality, associated with famous
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research at INP Toulouse is characterized by a strong partnership with the socio-economic environment and regional
clusters.
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grandes
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17
laboratories
130
theses /year
9
> Part from industry: 25%
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doctoral
schools
670
lecturers and
researchers
INP Toulouse – Best Theses 2016
• Publishing Director: Olivier Simonin
• Editor: Florence Lauriac
• Writing and editing: Camille Hong-Chang,
Élodie Jambon, Marie Lemaire
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16
research
masters
All theses presented in this book (except confidential)
are available on http://ethesis.inp-toulouse.fr
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