Research conducted within the Living Labs network of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, a national agricultural innovation initiative bringing together farmers, scientists and sector partners. Objective: to characterize carbon dynamics in Quebec agricultural soils (0–1 m), at the surface and at depth, across labile and stable fractions, benchmarked against natural reference sites, in order to estimate their sequestration potential.

• Led the funding, procurement and commissioning of a Bruker INVENIO-S FTIR spectrometer (Canada Foundation for Innovation), coordinating vendors, institutional services and funding partners.
• Built a provincial analytical infrastructure based on infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and chemometrics (PLS, Cubist, random forests), designed for integration with Canadian and international spectral libraries.
• Characterization of soil organic matter fractions and quantification of carbon stocks down to 1 m depth in Quebec agroecosystems.
• Organized and coordinated field logistics for a sampling campaign covering more than 50 farms across 6 regions of Quebec, supervising five research assistants, in partnership with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
• Leveraged large pedological datasets through advanced statistical modelling (mixed-effects models, R) to support agri-environmental decision-making; first-author manuscript in preparation for Geoderma Regional.
• Authored knowledge-transfer deliverables for the Living Labs network: farm-level reports presenting measured soil carbon stocks (0–1 m) for each field, and interactive mapping tools deployed online (available on GitHub, link above).

• Designed and transferred quantitative analytical methods for the determination of biomolecules in complex biological matrices (e.g. plasma), subsequently run by the technical teams.
• Development, optimization and validation of quantitative methods by tandem mass spectrometry (Waters triple quadrupole, HPLC/UPLC) and HPLC-fluorescence: calibration, linearity, LOD/LOQ and analyte quantification.
• Scientific support to innovative companies: scoping needs, developing analytical solutions, interpreting results and communicating recommendations.
• Contributed to funding proposals and to the development of new applied-research partnerships.

• Extraction and purification of cannabinoids (molecular distillation, flash chromatography, recrystallization) and of various plant biomasses.
• Contributed to the development and industrial-scale transfer of purification and valorization processes for natural compounds.
• Contributed to grant applications, patents and strategic documents supporting company growth.
• Regulatory documentation and scientific marketing; project management and delivery tracking.

• Managed the innovation portfolio and prioritized R&D projects (probiotics, cannabinoids).
• Coordinated cross-functional teams spanning research, regulatory affairs, operations and marketing.
• Built strategic partnerships with clients, suppliers and academic collaborators across Canada and Europe.
• Contributed to innovation strategy and to the launch of new value-added products.

• Supercritical CO₂ extraction of various biomasses.
• Conventional extraction (Soxhlet, reflux, hydrodistillation).
• Purification of biomolecules (high-speed counter-current chromatography, HSCCC).
• Intern supervision and scientific report writing.

• Supervision of research staff and interns.
• Sustained collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and agricultural sector partners.
• Conference presentations (AQSSS 2026) and knowledge-transfer activities with end users.
• Development of dissemination tools for research results (farm-level reports, interactive mapping).

• Derrien, M., Badr, A., Gosselin, A., Desjardins, Y., Angers, P. (2017). Optimization of a green process for the extraction of lutein and chlorophyll from spinach by-products using response surface methodology (RSM). LWT — Food Science and Technology, 79, 170–177.
• Derrien, M., Aghabararnejad, M., Gosselin, A., Desjardins, Y., Angers, P., Boumghar, Y. (2018). Optimization of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of lutein and chlorophyll from spinach by-products using response surface methodology. LWT, 93, 79–87.
• Derrien, M., Badr, A., Gosselin, A., Desjardins, Y., Angers, P. (2019). Optimization of a sustainable purification protocol for lutein and chlorophyll from spinach by-products by a saponification procedure using Box-Behnken design and desirability function. Food and Bioproducts Processing, 116, 54–62.
• Derrien, M., Samson, M.-É., Gasser, M.-O. Farm-level heterogeneity drives soil organic matter trajectories in Quebec agricultural soils (2000–2023) : evidence from 43 farms across the province. Manuscript in preparation for Geoderma Regional.