Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1541019 formatted version of the article will be published soon You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers: If you already have an account, please login You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here The recurring epizootics of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in France have been associated with changes in the epidemiological landscape such as higher frequency of detections in wild birds and introductions into backyard farms This highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the factors that drive the spread of HPAI we examined various farm and environmental variables around the 2022-2023 outbreak sites in France to unravel potential common traits among detected outbreaks including different species and production types the farm characteristics and variables related with their direct environment within a 2km radius were collected accounting for qualitative and quantitative variable clusters were identified using k-medoid partitioning algorithm A random forest analysis was further used to hierarchize the relative role of each variable in the clustering process to assess the importance of the farm structural and environmental conditions on the outbreak occurrence.To disentangle the impact of environmental factors from intrinsic herd characteristics using the whole dataset including the farm characteristics and environmental variables (first scenario); second accounting exclusively for the environmental variables (second scenario) farm variables such as farm type were crucial in the clustering process overpassing most of the environmental factors although the distance from "particular risk zones" and the coastline were also important the clusters obtained with the second scenario that counts only for the environmental variables Received: 06 Dec 2024; Accepted: 30 Apr 2025 Copyright: © 2025 BEN SALEM, Andraud, Bougeard, Allain, Salines, Thomas, Schmitz, Saint-Cyr, Fiore, Le Bouquin and Scoizec. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish Trees and other vegetation grow on the site of a former soap factory in northwestern France While the greenery suggests all is well in the Ploufragan commune near the Brittany coast the truth is that a plant for making cleaning products has left a mess The surrounding soil is saturated with toxic hydrocarbons – byproducts of the soap production Tackling such environmental damage is a priority for Dr Thomas Reichenauer under a research project that has received EU funding to investigate how microbes can be used to break down contaminants in soil and groundwater.The problem is pressing because poisonous substances in the soil can seep into plants senior scientist at the Austrian Institute of Technology in Vienna it will take decades – or hundreds of years – until nature breaks them down completely,’ he said The EU has an estimated 2.8 million contaminated sites ranging from old industrial zones to landfills Clean-up efforts vary across Member States with Germany and the Netherlands leading the way The groundwater dimension is all the more acute because of worsening climate change which threatens to cause increasingly severe droughts So even as groundwater becomes a more precious resource less may be available to drink if it contains industrial pollutants Reichenauer coordinates a project called MIBIREM that has received EU funding to speed up the process of decontaminating soil and groundwater by learning more about their microbiome – the collection of microorganisms in a particular environment The researchers are trying to figure out how microbes interact to break down three particular contaminants: cyanides hexachlorocyclohexane and petroleum hydrocarbons While cyanides and hexachlorocyclohexane are less prevalent they’re toxic enough to warrant developing technology for breaking them down The initiative began in October 2022 and runs until end-March 2027 The process by which microbes can be stimulated to ramp up their consumption of contaminants is called bioremediation who originally trained as a geneticist and plant physiologist ‘Bioremediation is eco-friendly as we don’t have to introduce any toxic or dangerous chemicals,’ he said There are other ways of removing pollutants from soil Plants have been studied as a potential method for removing heavy metals But few commercial ventures exist because the removal process – another form of bioremediation – is slow offers only a partial solution because it typically removes toxic substances by adding fewer from the outset MIBIREM will focus entirely on using microbes because they have the potential to be the fastest and most eco-friendly option The project ultimately wants to come up with bioremediation tools for different industrial spots across Europe researchers hope to identify particularly useful microbes and store them for later use MIBIREM is focused on developing technologies that can be used on-site sparing itself the hassle of excavating soil and transporting it Because the project targets mainly industrial spots treating soil in the original place is sometimes the only option In the case of the factory site in Ploufragan where soap was produced for almost half a century until the mid-1990s this would mean being able to treat the area without digging up the vegetation that has grown there since the buildings were demolished in 2017 ‘If you can show that it works in the fields then there is a good chance that it can be commercially applied later on,’ said Reichenauer The global market for microbial bioremediation was valued at around €42 million in 2021 It’s projected to grow to about €85 million by the end of the decade Reichenauer sought to soothe any concerns that people might have about altering the microbiome of soil to remove contaminants saying such changes are neither negative nor positive and occur in line with environmental influences regardless of any human intervention MIBIREM could help the EU meet targets set under a mission called “A Soil Deal for Europe” which seeks a transition towards healthy soils by 2030 The use of microbes for bioremediation has also been the focus of an EU-funded project called GREENER which is due to finish this August after four and a half years soil from a former machinery park was excavated and treated on-site where microbes were used to remove hydrocarbons microbes enabled the removal of heavy metals from the groundwater without extracting it ‘We are working with clients that have a contamination problem and assisting companies that are performing remediation of the site,’ said Rocío Barros ‘Better understanding the microbiome in the soil will be very important for improving technologies that address soil pollution.’ GREENER went beyond MIBIREM in one respect: trying to create energy during the bioremediation process By coupling energy generation with soil and wastewater cleaning GREENER sought to help diversify the EU’s power sources while removing pollutants from the environment The energy component involves the use of microbial fuel cells As microbes break down organic molecules like hydrocarbons chemical energy is converted into usable electrical energy Results on this front have been less than promising when it comes to ramping up such activity sustainability and toxicology research group at the University of Burgos in Spain ‘Not all of the microbial fuel cells have reached a good enough performance for scaling up,’ she said This aspect of the project highlights the risks involved in research and development and the importance of funding sources including the EU Some of the microbial fuel cells being used to treat water have shown potential ‘The use of the fuel cells with wetlands has been very good,’ said Barros Hoping that microbial fuel cells can be further advanced, she is now developing a film that could be added to them to improve electricity generation under a new EU-funded project – BIOSYSMO – that is a successor of sorts to GREENER and that runs for four years through August 2026.  (This article was updated on 21 July 2023 to add a reference in the final paragraph to a new EU research project in the field)   Research in this article was funded by the EU please consider sharing it on social media EU Mission: A Soil Deal for Europe“A Soil Deal for Europe” seeks to reduce pollution in the ground and protect the numerous species that live in it an estimated 60-70% of EU soils are unhealthy The Mission reflects soil’s role as a foundation for food production will spearhead the Mission’s aim to transition to healthier soils by 2030 Read more about the EU’s Soil Mission here.  Contact Horizon so that percentage could soon be much less Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California Berkeley They have created a plastic with chemical bonds that make it much easier to recycle, according to a study published Monday in Nature Chemistry (MORE: New York City to Require Buildings to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions in First of Its Kind Law) When plastic is recycled, additives used to make it stronger or flame retardant or a specific color are hard to separate, Science magazine reports That recycling also is "costly, energy-demanding and usually produces poor-quality materials," according to an editorial accompanying the new study Recycled plastic doesn't perform as well as new raw material The Berkeley Lab plastic's chemical bonds allow it to be separated from additives and other unwanted materials using a strong acid Then pristine plastic can be recovered using a simple procedure and it can be used to create a material nearly identical to the original (MORE: Microplastics Found High in the Pristine Pyrenees Mountains in France) The work of the researchers "takes us considerably closer to the synthesis of plastics that have minimal environmental impact," the Nature Chemistry editorial said "The development of robust materials that combine excellent chemical and heat resistance with outstanding recycling capabilities could greatly assist the transition from the current linear model of plastics production and consumption — in which limited resources are used to make products that have a finite lifetime and are then disposed of — to a sustainable circular economy that minimizes waste and maximizes resource use," it said We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good We may use or share your data with our data vendors The Weather Channel is the world's most accurate forecaster according to ForecastWatch, Global and Regional Weather Forecast Accuracy Overview They have created a plastic with chemical bonds that make it much easier to recycle, according to a study published Monday in Nature Chemistry (MORE: New York City to Require Buildings to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions in First of Its Kind Law) When plastic is recycled, additives used to make it stronger or flame retardant or a specific color are hard to separate, Science magazine reports That recycling also is \\\"costly, energy-demanding and usually produces poor-quality materials,\\\" according to an editorial accompanying the new study Recycled plastic doesn't perform as well as new raw material The Berkeley Lab plastic's chemical bonds allow it to be separated from additives and other unwanted materials using a strong acid (MORE: Microplastics Found High in the Pristine Pyrenees Mountains in France) The work of the researchers \\\"takes us considerably closer to the synthesis of plastics that have minimal environmental impact,\\\" the Nature Chemistry editorial said \\\"The development of robust materials that combine excellent chemical and heat resistance with outstanding recycling capabilities could greatly assist the transition from the current linear model of plastics production and consumption — in which limited resources are used to make products that have a finite lifetime and are then disposed of — to a sustainable circular economy that minimizes waste and maximizes resource use,\\\" it said Translated from Metabiot : l'Intelligence Artificielle pour une meilleure alimentation Votre source d'information sur l'intelligence artificielle et ses avancées. © 2019-2025 Net Square Digital. Tous droits réservés. by opening a new Research & Development centre in Ploufragan The new Genomics Laboratory is a central hub for global molecular DNA work for all Hendrix Genetics divisions and is already producing new innovations in breeding Blood and tissue samples are taken from the poultry, pig and aquaculture divisions Samples are then transported to the Genomics Laboratory where DNA is extracted and stored in a BioBank geneticists of Hendrix Genetics use these to develop breeding programs for the divisions or directly into customer breeding programs Director of the Hendrix Genetics Research & Technology Centre is satisfied both about the initial results and the huge potential of the laboratory: “this is a valuable asset to the breeding programs of Hendrix Genetics and is truly one of a kind in this industry it is widening the opportunity for future developments in all our divisions we are already thoroughly excited to see what we have brought and what we can continue to bring to the market