A fresh perspective

The story of BELEM Biotechnologies began in 2021 within the GEPEA UMR CNRS 6144 laboratory – TEAM group, in La Roche-sur-Yon.

Under the guidance of Prof. Gérald Thouand, the team faced a very practical challenge: the growing number of biodegradability tests carried out as part of various research projects was making their implementation increasingly demanding. As the solutions available on the market did not fully meet the laboratory’s needs, an idea emerged: to design our own automated biodegradability measurement system based on the principles of OECD Test Guideline 301F. After several months of development, this idea began to take shape.

In 2022, the first TOBIE – Tool for Biodegradation Evaluation – was born.

Initially designed as a research tool to meet the laboratory’s needs, this first prototype quickly demonstrated its value: automating measurements, simplifying test monitoring and increasing biodegradability testing capacity. However, moving from a functional scientific prototype to reliable, reproducible equipment suitable for everyday use represented a new challenge. The project gradually evolved into a genuine industrialization process: improving the design, increasing component reliability, developing the software and optimizing the user experience.

At the same time, TOBIE began to attract interest from organizations outside the laboratory. What had initially been developed to meet an internal need was revealing much broader potential.

A technology born from research could become a solution accessible to other laboratories.

BELEM Biotechnologies was born from this ambition to transfer, industrialize and bring this innovation to a wider audience. Today, BELEM continues to pursue this original ambition: developing innovative tools to make biodegradability assessment simpler, more automated and more accessible, while maintaining close ties with the laboratory where it originated. Incubated within GEPEA, the company continues to benefit from this unique scientific environment and maintains this close relationship through joint collaborations and research projects.