About us

Many years of research and development, impressive scientists and partners! Find out more about our story and meet our team!

bt_bb_section_bottom_section_coverage_image

Our story

E-BIOM came out of the meeting of scientists with complementary backgrounds, keen to come up with practical solutions to the major issues facing our society, including the extinction of biodiversity, sustainable development, the climate crisis, ecological transition, food resilience and epidemics.

By combining the use of innovative technologies with unique scientific expertise, E-BIOM is positioning itself as a new player, actively working to conserve biodiversity and protect the environment.

Long seen as the prerogative of research laboratories, advanced genetic methods make it possible to gather precise data on fauna and flora quickly, as well as identifying the presence of protected species or pathogens. These data are extremely valuable and help E-BIOM advise public and private stakeholders on how to systematically integrate biodiversity in all kinds of projects.

E-BIOM was founded in 2019 by Jonathan Marescaux and Karine Van Doninck as a spin-off from the University of Namur, after three years of R&D supported by the Service public de Wallonie.

Our vision

Our society is facing multiple challenges, from food security to health, linked to the growing precariousness of a proportion of the population, a decline in the competitiveness of our industrial landscape or the environmental impact of human activities.

We all live on a planet with finite dimensions. When we realise this, we understand that we need to make fundamental changes in the way we live, consume and work. We need to do more, we need to do it better, and we need to start now, using far fewer natural resources and reducing our emissions while making sure that as many people as possible have access to quality goods and services.

According to the 2019 IPBES¹ Global Assessment Report, nearly one million animal and plant species are at risk of extinction, especially in the coming decades. This is not a new problem. The Convention on Biological Diversity, ratified by 168 countries in Rio in 1992, already stated that “biological diversity is being significantly reduced by certain human activities” and that “it is vital to anticipate, prevent and attack the causes of significant reduction or loss of biological diversity”.

1 – IPBES – Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Biodiversity is being lost. We need to approach this with kindness, intelligence and fairness. It is in fact the basis of many services and the solution to many problems, such as food and medicine supplies, climate regulation, water purification, crop pollination and sources of leisure and well-being.

These challenges have become so complex that we need multidisciplinary research teams to help public and private decision-makers systematise the consideration of biodiversity in all kinds of projects, and design and assess fair, effective policies.

It is against this backdrop that E-BIOM intends to carry out the missions entrusted to it.

Our values

Scientific rigour and ethics

Convinced of the need to conduct responsible, quality scientific research, our researchers apply the “Code of Ethics for Scientific Research in Belgium”. We conduct our research rigorously, independently, and impartially, and we faithfully share our findings so that they can be verified.

Innovation

The great diversity of our activities and analytical methods requires continuous scientific and technological monitoring. This means that our R&D department can constantly develop new applications to best meet your various needs.

Societal entrepreneurship

Conservation of biodiversity, ecological transition and sustainable development are at the heart of our mission. In order to come up with solutions and give meaning to our work, all of our services and projects aim to create environmental and social value.

Partnership

Innovation and entrepreneurship cannot be achieved alone. This is why we involve as many stakeholders as possible in the different phases of our projects. Public authorities, associations and NGOs, researchers, private stakeholders and members of the public: only if we work together can we ensure the ecological, social and economic transition. We are proud of each and every one of our partnerships.

Our ambitions

E-BIOM is committed to developing innovative solutions to meet the major environmental, societal and economic challenges of today. Within the international framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, E-BIOM’s ambition is to strive to:

Goal 3

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Goal 11

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Goal 14

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Goal 15

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Our team

Jonathan Marescaux, PhD

Founder and CEO

Specialising in biological conservation and molecular ecology...

Full bibliography

Nicolas Debortoli, PhD

R&D Director

Specialising in comparative genomics and bioinformatic processing...

Full bibliography

Thibaut Bournonville, MSc

Project Manager

Specialising in environmental management, head of...

Full bibliography

Michaël Colle, BSc

Project Manager

Specialising in medical biology and a nature guide, head of...

Full bibliography

Scientific and strategic committee

Jean-Nicolas Beisel, Professor

Professor at the National School for Water and Environmental Engineering in Strasbourg and at the University of Strasbourg, Jean-Nicolas conducts research on the dynamics of invasive species, the restoration of ecosystems and the consequences of developments on aquatic biodiversity via population and synecological approaches to parasites, crustaceans, molluscs and fish.

Henry-Michel Cauchie, PhD

Head of the “Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology” research department at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Henry-Michel has been involved in the development of E-BIOM’s activities since 2015. His research focuses on the detection and characterisation of emerging pathogens in the environment.

Emilien Nicolas, PhD

Emilien is a research fellow at the “Molecular Biology and Evolution” research department at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and boasts multidisciplinary expertise in molecular and cellular biology. Formerly responsible for the development of diagnostic tests for a multinational company, he also shares his experience in order to improve E-BIOM’s approach to quality.

Jean-Marie Postiaux

Vice-President of WWF Belgium, Director of the Pairi Daiza Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ICEDD, Jean-Marie brings his critical eye to E-BIOM’s work, as well as its potential applications.

Jean-Michel Scheuren, MSc

Combining a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management with a professional background encompassing research, marketing and consulting, Jean-Michel joined E-BIOM in 2015 as an advisor to WBC Incubator. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Matthieu Terwagne, PhD

Scientific expert at the Institute of Pathology and Genetics, Matthieu boasts expertise in molecular and cellular biology as well as microbiology. He shares his experience with E-BIOM’s scientists in the fields of genetics, genomics and bioinformatics.

Karine Van Doninck, Professor

Director of the Molecular Biology and Evolution laboratory at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Karine is the co-founder of E-BIOM. Her research projects incorporate genetics, comparative genomics and the evolution of organisms and reproductive systems.