2022 European Inventor Award: French Innovation Excellence Honored with Three Finalists

Claude Grison (Category: Research): Remediation of Contaminated Soil Using Metal-Absorbing Plants

At the intersection of ecology and green chemistry, chemist Claude Grison, a research director at the CNRS, has been named a finalist for developing new types of catalysts from metal-absorbing plants. After years of research, she discovered the ability of certain plants to absorb heavy metals from the soil. Building on this finding, Claude Grison invented a method to extract the metals stored in the leaves and roots of these plants: the plants are treated at high temperatures to remove all organic matter, leaving only the metal salts, which are then transformed into catalysts for chemical reactions. These “eco-catalysts” represent a key technology for a more sustainable future, as they both remediate contaminated soil and provide a solution to the depletion of metal resources.

Biotech Press Release
May 18, 2022

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