Jérôme Delroisse, PhD in Biology​

I have actively participated in the development of scientific projects submitted to Belgian or international institutions. In most cases, I do not hold the official status of project leader, as this often requires being appointed within the research institution. My personal contributions are specified for each project.

 

Research Associate Application, F.R.S.-FNRS (CQ), 2025 [Selected by the commission, graded Outstanding/A+]

• Title: Deciphering the sensory universe of sea stars: Evolution, Diversity and Functional Characterisation of Sensory Receptors

• Personal Contribution: Personal project, project leader

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NERC Independent Research Fellowship, 2025 [Submitted]

• Title: Functionality of colour in invertebrates: what came first, colour or colour vision?

• Project Leader: Dr Nidia Álvarez-Armada (University of Manchester)

• Personal Contribution: collaborator

 

Exceptional Research Equipment Grant, UMONS, 2025 [Funded]

• Title: Acquisition de matériels de caractérisation optique

• Project Leaders: Dr. Sébastien Mouchet, Prof. Patrick Flammang

• Personal Contribution: Writing, technical expertise

 

PhD Project, PhD Research Fellow (Aspirant)-F.R.S.-FNRS, 2025-2029 [Thesis of Carla Pugliese]

• Title:  Investigating DNA Extracellular Traps (ETs) in Echinoderm Immunity: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms and Ecological Implications

• Personal Contribution: Project design, writing, co-supervisor, technical expertise

 

ERC Starting Grant, 20254 [Not funded]

• Title: Organisms and Preservation: Tracking the potential for fossilisation of the Integument and the Colour of Ancient Life – OPTICAL

• Project Leader: Dr Nidia Álvarez-Armada (University of Manchester)

• Personal Contribution: collaborator

 

PhD Project, FRIA-F.R.S.-FNRS, 2024-2028 [Funded, Thesis of Némo Lemaire]

• Title:  Molecular Analysis of Mechanical Transitions Governing Mutable Collagen Structures in Echinoderms

• Personal Contribution: Project design, writing, co-supervisor, technical expertise

 

Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship, 2024-2028 [Not funded]

• Title: Organisms and Preservation: Tracking the potential for fossilisation of the Integument and the Colour of Ancient Life – OPTICAL

• Project Leader: Dr Nidia Álvarez-Armada (University of Manchester)

• Personal Contribution: collaborator

 

Research Project, ARES Seed and Valorisation Project, 2024-2028 [Funded]

• Title: Towards a Sustainable Biodiversity Observatory of the Great Toliara Reef (Madagascar): An Integrated Approach

• Project Leaders: Prof. Bruno Danis (ULB), Dr. Jérôme Delroisse (UMONS)

• Budget: 79,640 €

• Personal Contribution: Co-writing the project, technical expertise

 

Research Associate Application, F.R.S.-FNRS (CQ), 2024 [Not funded, graded Excellent/A]

• Title: Decoding the Sensory Universe of Echinoderms: Exploring the Functional Diversity of Sensory GPCRs in the Common Sea Star

• Personal Contribution: Project leader, design, writing

 

Research Project, F.R.S.-FNRS (PDR), 2023-2027 [Funded]

• Title: Decoding the Functional Link between Bioluminescence and Extraocular Photoreception in Marine Invertebrates to Unveil Possible Convergent Evolution

• Project Leaders: Prof. Jérôme Mallefet & Patrick Flammang

• Budget: 475,000 €

• Personal Contribution: Design, writing

 

PhD Project, FRIA- F.R.S.-FNRS, 2023-2027 [Funded, Thesis of Leandro Smacchia]

• Title:  Diversity, Evolution, and Origin of Adhesive Proteins in Echinoderms

• Personal Contribution: Design, writing, co-supervisor, technical expertise

 

PhD Project, FRIA- F.R.S.-FNRS, 2023-2027 [Funded, Thesis of Wendy-Shirley Bayaert]

• Title: Evolution and Functional Diversity of Luciferase Genes: A New Insight into Echinoderm Bioluminescence

• Personal Contribution: Design, writing, co-supervisor, technical expertise

 

PhD Project, FRIA- F.R.S.-FNRS, 2022-2026 [Funded, Thesis of Youri Nonclercq]

• Title: Between Molecular Evolution and Sensory Ecology: A Study of Light Perception in Sea Cucumbers (Holothuroidea, Echinodermata)

• Personal Contribution: Design, writing, co-supervisor, technical expertise

 

Research Project, F.R.S.-FNRS (PDR), 2022 [Funded]

• Title: The protectobiome of sea cucumbers: a deeper analysis of the roles and interaction of coelomocytes and microbiotes in H. scabra’s homeostasis

• Project Leaders: Prof. Igor Eeckhaut & Fabrice Bureau (ULiège)

• Budget: 435,800 €

• Personal Contribution: Design, writing

 

Research Project, F.R.S.-FNRS (PDR), 2022 [Not-funded]

• Title: Co-evolution of color pattern and vision in coral reef fishes

• Project Leaders: Prof. Bruno Frédérich (ULiège), Prof. Oscar Puebla (ZMT, Germany)

• Personal Contribution: Design (“initiator status”), project writing

 

Research Associate Application, F.R.S.-FNRS (CQ), 2022 [Non financé, Excellent/A]

• Title: Molecular neuroanatomy and neural cell atlas in echinoderms to explore the evolution of the nervous system in deuterostomes

• Personal Contribution: Project leader, design, project writing

 

LIFE Project, 2020 [Not-funded]

• Title: Gathering the Power of People to Restore Ecosystems and Enhance Biodiversity

• Project Leader: ONG Ecosystem Restoration Camps (ERC)

• Budget: 229 407,05 €

• Personal Contribution: Design, project writing (as part of EnScope activities)

 

ARC Research Project, 2020 [Not-funded]

• Title: Comparative and in-depth study of the visual capacities of five species of Scincidae (Squamata, Vertebrata)

• Project Leader: Prof. Denis Nonclercq (UMONS)

• Budget: 400,000 €

• Personal Contribution: Co-supervisor, design, project writing

 

Research Project, F.R.S.-FNRS (PDR), 2019-2022 [Funded]

• Title: Deciphering the Functional Interaction between Extraocular Photoreception and Bioluminescence in Marine Organisms

• Budget: 434,617 €

• Project Leaders: Prof. Jérôme Mallefet, Prof. Patrick Flammang

• Personal Contribution: Design, project writing

 

Excellence of Science (EOS) Research Project, 2021 [Not-funded]

• Title: The evolutionary ecology of color polymorphism in reef fishes

• Project Leaders: Profs. Bruno Frederich (ULiège), Patrick Flammang (UMONS), Matthew Shawkey (UGent), Liliana d’Alba (UGent), Nicolas Salamin (University of Lausanne)

• Personal Contribution: Project initiator, design, project writing

 

PhD Project, FRIA- F.R.S.-FNRS, 2021-2025 [Funded, Thesis of Noé Wambreuse]

• Title: Functional Characterization of Coelomocytes in Sea Cucumbers (Holothuroidea, Echinodermata)

• Personal Contribution: conceptualisation, project writing

 

F.R.S.-FNRS Research Credit Application (CDR), 2021-2022 [Funded]

• Title: Valorization of a by-product of sea cucumber aquaculture: analyzes of the potential of the midgut of H. scabra's in the making of cheeses

• Budget: 44,143 €

• Project Leader: Prof. Igor Eeckhaut 

• Personal Contribution: Participation in project writing, technical expertise

 

Business Partnership Facility Project – Entreprises for SDGs, Foundation Roi Baudoin, 2019, [Not-funded]

• Title: Increasing the Profitability of the Growth Phase (sea ranching and earthen ponds) for the Support and Development of Holothuriculture in Madagascar

• Project Leader: Prof. Igor Eeckhaut (UMONS)

• Budget: 126,896 €

• Personal Contribution: Design, project writing

 

PhD Project, FRIA- F.R.S.-FNRS, 2019-2023 [Funded, ThesIs of Alexia Lourtie]

• Title: Le « syndrome de séparation » chez les organismes ectocommensaux associés aux crinoïdes et aux antipathaires de la baie de Tuléar, Madagascar.

• Personal Contribution: participation à l’écriture du projet, expertise technique

 

F.R.S.-FNRS Postdoctoral Researcher (CR), 2019-2022 [Funded, graded Excellent/A]

• Title: Opsin-based extraocular photoreception in echinoderms: the common sea star under the spotlights

• Personal Contribution: Project leader, design, project writing

 

BNP Paris Project: Climate & Biodiversity Initiative, 2019 [Not-funded]†  

• Title: Holoth Care, ecological roles of temperate sea cucumbers facing climate change

•  

• † Summary: Study the ecological role of sea cucumbers from the Mediterranean and Northeastern Atlantic coasts to anticipate the effects of climate change on ecosystems and enable sustainable resources management

• †Project Leader: Dr. Frank David (Concarneau, France)

• †Budget: 484,150 €

• Personal Contribution: Design, project writing

 

Project SMRT Grant, Application to the PacBio genome sequencing competition, 2019, [Not-funded, 3rd position]

• Title: Go for Scabra !

• Description: Funding request to sequence the genome – of chromosomal quality – of the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra. We came in 3rd place, after the German Shepherd and the domesticated fox, which is an impressive achievement for a marine invertebrate! The video I created with two colleagues, along with echinoderm experts from around the world, has been viewed over 3,400 times on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpbKtXad278).

• Budget: up to 50,000 USD

• Personal Contribution: Project leader, design

 

Research Project, F.R.S.-FNRS (PDR), 2018 [Not-funded, graded very good/A-]

• Title: Deciphering the Functional Interaction between Extraocular Photoreception and Bioluminescence in Marine Organisms

• Project Leaders: Prof. Jérôme Mallefet, Prof. Patrick Flammang

• Personal Contribution: Design, project writingProject FNSNF – Swiss National Science Foundation, 2018 [Not-funded, graded Excellent/A]

• Title: Deciphering the Biological Process Generating Geometric Sea Shell Colour Patterns

• Budget: 413,009 €

• Project Leader: Prof. Michel Milinkovitch (University of Genève, Switzerland), Prof. Igor Eeckhaut (UMONS)

• Personal Contribution: Design, project writing

 

Research Project, F.R.S.-FNRS (PDR), 2017 [Not-funded, graded Very good/A-]

• Title: Functional interaction between extraocular photoreception and bioluminescence in

• marine organisms: a physiological approach

• Budget: 432,100 €

• Project Leaders: Prof. Jérôme Mallefet, Prof. Patrick Flammang

• Personal Contribution: Design, project writing

 

Southeast Asia – Europe Joint Funding Scheme for Research and Innovation – Joint Call, 2017-2021 [Funded]

• Title: The emergence of Skin Ulceration Diseases in Edible Sea Cucumbers in a Global Change Framework

• Budget: 178,085 €

• Project Leaders: Prof. Igor Eeckhaut, Prof. Philippe Dubois (ULB), Prof. Anchana Prathep (Prince of Songkla University, Thailand), Prof. Nadia Ameziane (Marine Station of Concarneau, France)

• Personal Contribution: Participation in the design and writing of the project, technical expertise

 

F.R.S.-FNRS Postdoctoral Researcher Application (CR), 2017 [Not-funded, graded Very good/A-]

• Title: Shedding Light on Echinoderm Opsin-based Photoreception

• Personal Contribution: Project leader, design, project writing

 

Research Project on Sustainable Development from the Fundamental Strategic Research Fund (FRFS-WISD), 2016-2022, [Funded]

• Title: Research in Holothuriculture for the sustainable development of communities of traditional fishermen of the Indo-Pacific tropics

• Project Leaders: Prof. Igor Eeckhaut, Prof. Pascal Gerbaux, Prof. David Gillan (UMONS)

• Personal Contribution: Participation in the design and writing of the project, technical expertise

 

F.R.S.-FNRS Research Credit Application (CDR), 2017-2018 [Funded]

• Title: Differential expression analysis of the « host separation syndrome » in the ectocommensal shrimp Tuleariocaris holthuisi

• Budget: 22,000 €

• Project Leader: Prof. Igor Eeckhaut 

• Personal Contribution: Participation in project writing, technical expertise

 

F.R.S.-FNRS Postdoctoral Researcher Application (CR), 2016 [Funded for 1 year, graded Excellent/A]

• Title: Shedding Light on Echinoderm Opsin-based Photoreception

• Personal Contribution: Project leader, design, project writing

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PhD Project, FRIA-F.R.S.-FNRS, 2015, [Financé, thèse de Laurent Duchatelet]

• Title: Extraocular photoreception and bioluminescence of two bioluminescent shark, Etmopterus spinax and Squaliolus aliae.

• Personal Contribution: participation à l’écriture du projet, expertise technique

 

UMONS 2015 Project – Walloon Region (Post-Mons 2015), 2015 [Funded]

• Title: The Tree of Life Will Grow in Mons

• Development of a permanent exhibition at the Mons Regional Museum of Natural History 

• Budget: 45,000 €

• Personal Contribution: Project leader, design, project writing

 

Mons 2015 Project, 2015 [Not-funded]

• Title: The Tree of Life Will Grow in Mons

• Personal Contribution: Project leader, design, project writing

 

F.R.S.-FNRS Research Project (FRFC), 2011-2015 [Funded]

• Title: Extraocular Photoreception and Bioluminescence

• Budget: 145,215 €

• Project Leaders: Prof. Jérôme Mallefet (UCLouvain), Prof. Patrick Flammang (UMONS)

• Personal Contribution: Design, project writing

 

FRFC project, F.R.S.-FNRS, 2010 [Not-funded]

• Title: Extraocular Photoreception and Bioluminescence

• Budget: 120,000 €

• Project Leaders: Prof. Jérôme Mallefet (UCLouvain), Prof. Patrick Flammang (UMONS)

• Personal Contribution: design, project writing

 

PhD Project, Research Fellow Application (F.R.S.-FNRS), 2010 [Funded]

• Title: Extraocular photoreception in metazoans: an integrated study on the bioluminescent ophiuroid Amphiura filiformis

• Promoteur: Prof. Jérôme Mallefet (UCLouvain), Prof. Patrick Flammang (UMONS)

• Personal Contribution: Design, project writing

 

PhD Project, FRIA Application (F.R.S.-FNRS), 2009 [Funded]

• Title: Extraocular photoreception in metazoans: an integrated study on the bioluminescent ophiuroid Amphiura filiformis

• Supervisors: Prof. Jérôme Mallefet (UCLouvain), Prof. Patrick Flammang (UMONS)

• Personal Contribution: Project leader, design, project writing

 

Student Microproject of the University Commission for Development (CUD), ARES, 2008-2009 [Not-funded]

• Title: Participation in the installation of a histology laboratory at the Institute of Fisheries and Marine Sciences in Tuléar (Madagascar). Introduction to Histological Sciences

• Project Leader: Prof. Igor Eeckhaut

• Budget: 14,000 €

• Personal Contribution: Design, project writing