The LBE depends, for the scientific part, on the scientific divisions AgroEcoSystem, Mica and Transform as well as to the INRAE's Occitanie-Montpellier Centre for the administrative part.

Symbolized by the production of bioenergy (e.g., via biomethane and biohydrogen by anaerobic ecosystems), the LBE's research seeks to treat and/or valorize the waste products of human activity, whether they are liquid effluents (agri-food in particular), solid residues (agricultural residues, household waste and sludge from wastewater treatment plants) or specific biomasses such as micro or macroalgae. This valorization is declined by explicitly integrating the constraints of sanitary harmlessness (eg., related to the presence of pharmaceutical residues, detergents, and/or pathogens ...). Its research covers a very broad spectrum of disciplinary skills: microbiology, microbial ecology, biological engineering, process engineering, modeling, automation, life cycle analysis, project engineering, and industrial transfer. It is one of the world's leading laboratories in the field of anaerobic digestion. It benefits from a 4757 m² surface area, including 1882 m² of the experimental hall, and high-performance scientific and analytical equipment, with more than 50 digesters (1 liter to several m3) in operation 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The LBE relies on excellent research, a plurality of themes, a multidisciplinary approach, but also know-how in terms of technology transfer and innovation.

Link to the report of the 2014 evaluation of LBE by the AERES.