diff --git a/src/Algorithm/branching/branchinggroup.jl b/src/Algorithm/branching/branchinggroup.jl
index 1754ee979..613a02a7e 100644
--- a/src/Algorithm/branching/branchinggroup.jl
+++ b/src/Algorithm/branching/branchinggroup.jl
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ mutable struct BranchingGroup
     candidate::AbstractBranchingCandidate # the left-hand side in general.
     local_id::Int64
     lhs::Float64
-    children::Vector{Node}
+    children::Vector{SbNode}
     isconquered::Bool
     score::Float64
 end
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ end
 function BranchingGroup(
     candidate::AbstractBranchingCandidate, local_id::Int64, lhs::Float64
 )
-    return BranchingGroup(candidate, local_id, lhs, Node[], false, typemin(Float64))
+    return BranchingGroup(candidate, local_id, lhs, SbNode[], false, typemin(Float64))
 end
 
 get_lhs_distance_to_integer(group::BranchingGroup) = 
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ end
 # TODO : it does not look like a regeneration but more like a new vector where we
 # reassign children
 function regenerate_children!(group::BranchingGroup, parent::Node)
-    new_children = Node[]
+    new_children = SbNode[]
     for child in group.children
-        push!(new_children, Node(parent, child))
+        push!(new_children, SbNode(parent, child))
     end
     group.children = new_children
     return
diff --git a/src/Algorithm/branching/varbranching.jl b/src/Algorithm/branching/varbranching.jl
index 8eff8434a..e2f7d30b0 100644
--- a/src/Algorithm/branching/varbranching.jl
+++ b/src/Algorithm/branching/varbranching.jl
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ function generate_children(
     )
     end
     child1description = candidate.varname * ">=" * string(ceil(lhs))
-    child1 = Node(master, parent, child1description, store_records!(reform))
+    child1 = SbNode(master, parent, child1description, store_records!(reform))
 
     # adding the second branching constraints
     restore_from_records!(units_to_restore, copy_records(parent.recordids))
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ function generate_children(
     )
     end
     child2description = candidate.varname * "<=" * string(floor(lhs))
-    child2 = Node(master, parent, child2description, store_records!(reform))
+    child2 = SbNode(master, parent, child2description, store_records!(reform))
 
     return [child1, child2]
 end
diff --git a/src/Algorithm/conquer.jl b/src/Algorithm/conquer.jl
index 442345d3b..7417a067d 100644
--- a/src/Algorithm/conquer.jl
+++ b/src/Algorithm/conquer.jl
@@ -65,6 +65,30 @@ function apply_conquer_alg_to_node!(
     return
 end
 
+# This is only for strong branching
+# returns the optimization part of the output of the conquer algorithm 
+function apply_conquer_alg_to_node!(
+    node::SbNode, algo::AbstractConquerAlgorithm, env::Env, reform::Reformulation, 
+    units_to_restore::UnitsUsage, opt_rtol::Float64 = Coluna.DEF_OPTIMALITY_RTOL, 
+    opt_atol::Float64 = Coluna.DEF_OPTIMALITY_ATOL
+)
+    nodestate = getoptstate(node)
+    if isverbose(algo)
+        @logmsg LogLevel(-1) string("Node IP DB: ", get_ip_dual_bound(nodestate))
+        @logmsg LogLevel(-1) string("Tree IP PB: ", get_ip_primal_bound(nodestate))
+    end
+    if ip_gap_closed(nodestate, rtol = opt_rtol, atol = opt_atol)
+        @info "IP Gap is closed: $(ip_gap(nodestate)). Abort treatment."
+    else
+        isverbose(algo) && @logmsg LogLevel(-1) string("IP Gap is positive. Need to treat node.")
+
+        run!(algo, env, reform, ConquerInput(Node(node), units_to_restore))
+        store_records!(reform, node.recordids)
+    end
+    node.conquerwasrun = true
+    return
+end
+
 ####################################################################
 #                      ParameterisedHeuristic
 ####################################################################
diff --git a/src/Algorithm/divide.jl b/src/Algorithm/divide.jl
index 9c2a10ece..5e6ee56be 100644
--- a/src/Algorithm/divide.jl
+++ b/src/Algorithm/divide.jl
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Output of a divide algorithm used by the tree search algorithm.
 Should contain the vector of generated nodes.
 """
 struct DivideOutput <: AbstractOutput 
-    children::Vector{Node}
+    children::Vector{SbNode}
     optstate::OptimizationState
 end
 
diff --git a/src/Algorithm/node.jl b/src/Algorithm/node.jl
index 3eb9230f5..32a95323e 100644
--- a/src/Algorithm/node.jl
+++ b/src/Algorithm/node.jl
@@ -35,15 +35,6 @@ function Node(
     )
 end
 
-# this function creates a child node by copying info from another child
-# used in strong branching
-function Node(parent::Node, child::Node)
-    depth = getdepth(parent) + 1
-    return Node(
-        -1, false, depth, parent, getoptstate(child),
-        child.branchdescription, child.recordids, false
-    )
-end
 
 get_tree_order(n::Node) = n.tree_order
 set_tree_order!(n::Node, tree_order::Int) = n.tree_order = tree_order
@@ -64,3 +55,65 @@ function to_be_pruned(node::Node)
     getterminationstatus(nodestate) == INFEASIBLE && return true
     return ip_gap_closed(nodestate)
 end
+
+
+### WIP
+### Node for the strong branching (Goal: decouple strong branching from tree search)
+
+mutable struct SbNode 
+    tree_order::Int
+    istreated::Bool
+    depth::Int
+    parent::Union{Nothing, Node}
+    optstate::OptimizationState
+    #branch::Union{Nothing, Branch} # branch::ConstrId
+    branchdescription::String
+    recordids::RecordsVector
+    conquerwasrun::Bool
+end
+
+# this function creates a child node by copying info from another child
+# used in strong branching
+function SbNode(parent::Node, child::SbNode)
+    depth = getdepth(parent) + 1
+    return SbNode(
+        -1, false, depth, parent, getoptstate(child),
+        child.branchdescription, child.recordids, false
+    )
+end
+
+function SbNode(
+    form::AbstractFormulation, parent::Node, branchdescription::String, recordrecordids::RecordsVector
+)
+    depth = getdepth(parent) + 1
+    nodestate = OptimizationState(form, getoptstate(parent), false, false)
+    
+    return SbNode(
+        -1, false, depth, parent, nodestate, branchdescription, recordrecordids, false
+    )
+end
+
+function Node(node::SbNode)
+    return Node(node.tree_order, node.istreated, node.depth, node.parent, node.optstate, node.branchdescription, node.recordids, node.conquerwasrun)
+end
+
+
+get_tree_order(n::SbNode) = n.tree_order
+set_tree_order!(n::SbNode, tree_order::Int) = n.tree_order = tree_order
+getdepth(n::SbNode) = n.depth
+getparent(n::SbNode) = n.parent
+getchildren(n::SbNode) = n.children
+getoptstate(n::SbNode) = n.optstate
+addchild!(n::SbNode, child::SbNode) = push!(n.children, child)
+settreated!(n::SbNode) = n.istreated = true
+istreated(n::SbNode) = n.istreated
+isrootnode(n::SbNode) = n.tree_order == 1
+getinfeasible(n::SbNode) = n.infesible
+setinfeasible(n::SbNode, status::Bool) = n.infeasible = status
+
+# TODO remove
+function to_be_pruned(node::SbNode)
+    nodestate = getoptstate(node)
+    getterminationstatus(nodestate) == INFEASIBLE && return true
+    return ip_gap_closed(nodestate)
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Algorithm/treesearch.jl b/src/Algorithm/treesearch.jl
index d316e4cf7..0c3eaf863 100644
--- a/src/Algorithm/treesearch.jl
+++ b/src/Algorithm/treesearch.jl
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ function run_divide_algorithm!(
             end    
             print(" N° ", get_tree_order(child) ," ")
         end
-        push!(tsdata, child)
+        push!(tsdata, Node(child))
     end
     !first_child_with_runconquer && println()
     return
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index 6bf090ef5..64b192b4f 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ include("ColunaTests.jl")
 retest(Coluna, ColunaTests)
 
 # Run a specific test:
-#retest(ColunaTests, "toy instance with objective constant")
\ No newline at end of file
+#retest(ColunaTests, "small instance")
\ No newline at end of file