Address: INRA, 2 Roland Garros esplanade, BP 224, 51686 Reims Cedex 2, France

Phone: +33 (0) 3 26 77 35 93

Fax: +33 (0) 3 26 77 35 99

E-mail.: bernard.kurek@inrae.fr

Career

2009-2020 - Director UMR FARE

2003 - Senior Researcher, INRA, Reims (UMR FARE)

1990 - Researcher, INRA Grignon, Biological Chemistry Laboratory (FR)

Training

2003 - Authorization to supervise research – Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne (Biochimie)

1993 - Visiting scientist, Forest Products Laboratory, USDA, Madison, WI, USA

1990 - PhD - University of Paris VII (Biochemistry - Microbiology), FR

1988 - 1990 - University studies at the Louis Pasteur University of Strasbourg (Physical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology), FR

Areas of expertise

Biochemistry of plant cell walls

Physico-chemistry and micromechanics plant fibers

Plant fiber reinforced composite materials

Current research

Oxidative mechanisms during degradation of lignins

Breaking mechanisms at different scale of the plant cell wall during defiberizing processes

Interactions at the interfaces between plant aggregates and cement matrixes in hemp based concrete

Integration of knowledge on the enzymatic deconstruction of lignocelluloses

Key Publications

Diquélou Y., Gourlay E., Arnaud L., Kurek B. (2015) Impact of hemp shiv on cement setting and hardening: influence of the extracted components from aggregates and study of the interfaces with the inorganic matrix. Cement and Concrete Composites 55 :112-121 - DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2014.09.004.

Chabbert B., Kurek B., Beherec, O. (2013) Physiology and botany of industrial hemp In «Hemp : industrial production and Uses» P. Bouloc éditeur, CABI Int, pp 27-47 –ISBN : 9781845937935.

Bag R., Beaugrand J., Dole P., Kurek B. (2011) Viscoelastic properties of woody hemp core. Holzforschung 65 (2): 239-247-DOI 10.1515/HF.2010.111.

Garnier E., Nieddu M., Barbier M., Kurek B. (2007) The dynamics of the french hemp system and its stakeholders. Journal of Industrial Hemp 12: 67-85.

Chabbert B., Joly C., Kurek B. (2006) Les fibres végétales: retour vers le futur. In« La chimie verte » P. Colonna éditeur, Tec et Doc, Lavoisier, pp 99-144 -ISBN : 2743008342.

Meyer-Pinson V., Ruel K., Gaudard F., Valtat G., Petit-Conil M., Kurek B. (2004). Oxalic acid: a microbial metabolite of interest for the pulping industry. Comptes Rendus Biologies 327:917–925.

Durot N., Gaudard F.,Kurek B. (2003) The unmasking of lignin structures in wheat straw by alkali. Phytochemistry 63:617–623

Lequart C. Ruel, K. Lapierre C., Pollet B., Kurek B. (2000) Abiotic and enzymatic degradation of wheat straw cell wall: a biochemical and ultrastructural investigation. Journal of Biotechnology 80: 249–259.

Kurek, B., Martinez-Inigo, M.J., Artaud, I., Hames, B.R., Lequart, C., Monties, B. (1998) Structural Features of lignin determining its biodegrdadation by oxidative enzymes and related systems. Polymer Degradation and Stability 59, 359-364.

Kurek B., Artaud I., Pollet B., Lapierre C., Monties B. (1996) Oxidative degradation of in situ and isolated spruce lignins by water-soluble hydrogen peroxide resistant pentafluorophenylporphyrin. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 44:1953-1959.

Kurek, B., Kersten, P.J. (1995) Physiological regulation of glyoxal oxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium by peroxidase systems. Enzyme and Microbial Technology 17: 751-756.

Kurek, B.Odier, E. (1990) Influence of the physical state of lignin on its degradability by the lignin peroxidase of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Enzyme and Microbial Technology 12:771- 773.

PhD thesis (co) supervised

2013 Youen Diquélou (co-supervisor Laurent Arnaud, ENTPE Vaulx en Velin, FR) Interactions between hemp aggregates and binders formulated with cement and lime : setting mechanisms and properties of interfaces formed in plant based concretes. University of Reims Champagne Ardenne (http://www.theses.fr/2013REIMS025).

2012 Estelle Garnier (co-supervisor Martino Nieddu, Laboratory Regards, EA 6292, URCA Reims) A socio-economic approach on the orientation of research projects in doubly green chemistry. University of Reims Champagne Ardenne (http://www.theses.fr/2012REIME002).

2010 Rahime Bag (co-supervisor Patrice Dole, UMR FARE). Parietal plazsticizers and processability of hemp fibers. University of Reims Champagne Ardenne (http://www.theses.fr/2010REIMS004).

2002 Nathalie Durot (co-supervisor Bernard Monties, UMR FARE). Plant cell walls destructuration by carbonate and transition metals: a model study on the abiotic degradation of straw in calcareous soils and on the incorporation of pesticide into lignins. University of Reims Champagne Ardenne (http://www.sudoc.fr/066957869).

2001 Valérie Meyer (co-supervisor Michel Petit-Conil, Centre Technique du Papier, Grenoble and Gérard Valtat, STORA-ENSO, Corbéhem). The use of oxalate and of the biomimetic system manganese IV/oxalate in the manufacturing process of high-yield pulps. Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (INA-PG) (http://www.sudoc.fr/071374027).

1999 Christelle Lequart (co-supervisor Philippe Debeire, INRA UPBP Reims). Destructuration of the lignified plant cell walls by an endoxylanase and a abiotic MnO₂/oxalate complex ; Application to the wheat straw. University of Reims Champagne Ardenne (http://www.sudoc.fr/049606328).

 Other activities

- President of the French Network on Plant Cell Walls (http://rfparois.free.fr) 2004-2014.

- Guest Editor of Comptes Rendus BiologiesVolume 327, Issues 9-10 (2004) « Current research is lignified secondary cell walls, a thematic issue dedicated to Bernard Monties » Pages 775-953.

- Guest Editor (with Alain Boudet) of Comptes Rendus BiologiesVolume 334, Issue 11 (2011) « Lignobiotech ONE Symposium: Applied biotechnology to lignocelluloses » 777-839.

- Organiser of the first symposium on biotechnology applied to lignocelluloses (Lignobiotech ONE), Reims, 2010.