What if invasive plants saved the planet?
What if invasive plants saved the planet?
The pretty face of a silent plague, invasive plants are disrupting ecosystems and threatening biodiversity. Yet behind this nuisance lies tremendous potential. Chemist Claude Grison, a member of the French Academy of Sciences and a researcher at the CNRS, has discovered how these undesirable species can clean up soil and water by capturing the metals they contain - metals which can then be reused. In so doing, she has demonstrated that nature, even in its excesses, can be a valuable ally in the quest for greener chemistry and a more sustainable future.
From invasive plants to pollution control allies
Claude Grison, a researcher at the CNRS and member of the French Academy of Sciences, has turned certain invasive plants into a valuable resource. These species, often perceived as threats to biodiversity, possess an astonishing ability: they absorb metals present in polluted soil and water.
The researcher's idea is simple but innovative: to transform this ecological nuisance into a tool for depolluting and recycling metals.
Eco-catalysis: turning pollution into a resource
By studying the root and molecular structure of these plants, Claude Grison has discovered that they can capture heavy metals such as copper, zinc and even palladium. Once harvested and processed, these metal-saturated plants become "eco-catalysts": plant powders capable of accelerating chemical reactions while reducing the environmental footprint of conventional chemistry.
In this way, natural environments are de-polluted and useful materials are created for medicine, pharmaceuticals and industry.
Sustainable, socially responsible chemistry
Claude Grison is an advocate of sustainable chemistry, more ambitious than mere "green chemistry". Her goal: a science that solves environmental problems rather than creating them.
She campaigns for a symbiotic economy, capable of combining ecology, innovation and viable economic activity.
Her research has led to the creation of two CNRS-supported companies, which transform scientific discoveries into concrete applications: depollution, metal recycling and natural repellents inspired by the language of plants.
Claude Grison is Director of Research at the CNRS and Director of the Laboratory of Bio-inspired Chemistry and Ecological Innovations (ChimEco - CNRS/University of Montpellier). She has been a member of the French Academy of Sciences since January 2025. Find out more on theAcadémie des Sciences website.
Canal Académies
October 14, 2025
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