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This group mobilizes skills in soil biology and associated with the biochemical analysis platform (Biochem-Env of the AnaEE-France project). The techniques and methods employed in this group are as follows (Fig. 24): microbiological culture techniques, morphometry, microscopy, 14C and 13C incubation techniques, 13C respirometry for both natural abundance and artificial labeling, PLFA (to analyze the structure of microbial communities and macrofauna), ergosterol analysis, protein analysis, spectrophotometry (multiwell plates, absorption, fluorimetry) for enzymatic and microbial activity measurements, electrophoresis, q-PCR, sugar analysis, plant architecture  measurements (LAI, image analysis, electromagnetic digitizer), and gas exchange analysis.

Several meetings were organized between May 2013 and May 2015 to (i) present the objectives and define the human outline of the group, associated with technical skills and disposable equipment, in addition to considering organization (May 2013, 2.5 days); (ii) present and visit the various laboratories of ECOSYS (September 2014, 2.5  days); (iii) build a program of technical seminars based on questionnaires (January 2015, ½ day); and (iv) organize seminars on biological sampling techniques (May 2015, ½ day).

The goals of the group have been sharing of technical support and exchange of knowledge and skills to promote opportunities and innovation. New limitations of this new organization include the distance between the three laboratories, another stratum of organization and management, and the fear of scattering and logout in the research projects.

Similar to the other technical groups, this group is a driving force for methodological innovation, going as far as standardization, which is one of the missions of the Biochem-Env platform. Important achievements include the IBISA labeling of the platform and obtaining the ISO 9001 accreditation. This platform, which is largely open to outside partners (in the context of collaborative projects), offers development and technological monitoring services for the biochemical characterization tools (enzymatic and lipid biomarkers, catabolic activity) of solid environmental matrices (soils and sediments) and terrestrial and benthic macrofauna (enzymatic biomarkers, energy reserves). Biochem-Env is a unique research platform in biochemistry recognized by the Ministry of Research, included in the infrastructure project AnaEE-France and in AgroBRC-RARE (RARe is a research infrastructure in the French roadmap of Biological Resource Centers -BRC).