Services
Applied microbial ecology services
For information, contact prof. Nico Boon (Nico.Boon@ugent.be)
Consultancy, research and management on microbial ecology: interaction between structure and function of microbial communities by applying metagenomic and metabolomic
- Microbial predicting models
- Microbial interactions: cell-cell communication, horizontal gen transfer, biofilm formation, etc
- Development of methanotroph ecology, housing and application
- Microbial isolation and enrichment
- Antibiotic resistanceduring food production and storage
- Microbial oil degradation
- Primer design and development of protocols for molecular fingerprinting of bacterial communities
- Enrichment and characterization of high pressure adapted hydrocarbons degrading bacteria
- Bioinformatics and statistics tools for elucidating microbial communities relationships
- In vitro and in vivo interpretation of bacterial fingerprint and correlation with host and/or environment
Expertise in:
- Polluted and unpolluted drinking water
- Services for wastewater treatment plant
- Deep sea and high-pressure environment
- Axillary bacteria
- Pharma, food and feed
- Horticulture
Microbial electrocatalysis services
For information, contact prof. Korneel Rabaey (Korneel.Rabaey@ugent.be)
Consultancy and research related to (bio)electrochemical systems both with physic-chemical and microbial catalysis
- Bench studies for energy balance and economic potential
- Production of chemicals (eg. NaOH)
- Recovery of valuable compounds from waste (e.g. nitrogen, potassium, organics, sulfide)
- Targeted in situ membrane extraction of charged compounds (e.g. ammonium or carboxylic acids)
- Treatment of industrial and municipal waste streams and production of valuable by-products
- Biosensors for early diagnosis of toxicity, over-/under-loading and wastewater treatment plants’ control
- Feasibility of the process pipeline and possibility of commercialization
- Physic-chemical analyses on water and wastewater
- Electrode material evaluation/assessment for energy or chemical production
- Microbial electrosynthesis investigations
- Start-up and operation strategies for strict anaerobes communities
Expertise in:
- Industrial wastewater
- Municipal waste
- Biorefinery effluents
- Deep sea and high-pressure environment
Host microbe interactions services
For information, contact prof. Tom Van De Wiele (Tom.VandeWiele@ugent.be)
In vitro research and in vivo validation studies of the mucosal and luminal microbiota which can influence human health, with evaluation of the microbial modulation upon novel pre- and probiotic approaches
- Simulation of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME® and M-SHIME®) for in vitro tests of prebiotics, probiotics, functional food and contaminants
- In vitro characterization of novel anti-inflammatory strains to counterbalance dysbiosis
- Investigation of the microbial diversity in order to predict the ecosystem functionality
- Study of symbiotic formulations
- Investigation of interindividual variability
- Study of targeted delivery of probiotics and APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient)
- Immunomodulatory effect of specific treatments coupling the SHIME® with co-cultures, HMI™ (Host Microbiota Interaction) module and 3D models of cell lines
- Determination of the nutrient modulation mediated by microbiota
- Application of metagenomics as a tool to study the gastrointestinal communities of humans and livestock
- In vitro preservation of the gut microbiome in health and disease
Expertise in:
- Human gastro-intestinal communities
- Oral microbiota
- Human alimentary tract microorganisms
- Microbiota in food processing
Anaerobic digestion and fermentation services
For information, contact prof. Korneel Rabaey (Korneel.Rabaey@ugent.be)
Consultancy and research projects related to anaerobic digestion, fermentation and (an)aerobic biodegradation of liquid and solid waste streams.
- High-throughput biochemical methane potential (anaerobic biodegradability)
- Aerobic biodegradability testing
- Anaerobic inoculum optimization and preservation
- Methanogenic activity analysis of anaerobic digestion sludge
- Microbial biomass characterization and quantification (DGGE, real-time PCR)
- Reactor feasibility
- Co-digestion feasibility for methane production improvement
- Waste streams evaluation for chemical production (carboxylates as building blocks) through anaerobic fermentation
Expertise in:
- Livestock waste
- Sludges
- Organic household waste and wastewater
- Industrial wastewater
- Lignocellulosic residues
Biological nitrogen management services
For information, contact prof. Siegfried Vlaeminck (Siegfried.Vlaeminck@ugent.be)
Consultancy and research projects related to nitrification, denitrification, nitritation, anammox, denitritation and/or microalgal conversions.
- Reactor design and control strategy
- Start-up and operation strategies for reactors
- Molecular biomass characterization (FISH, DGGE, qPCR,…)
- Kinetic biomass measurements and activity tests
- Toxicity tests and feasibility studies
- Quantification and mitigation of greenhouse and acidifying gas emissions (e.g. N2O, CH4, NH3)
- Inoculum cultivation and provision of active suspended and/or immobilized biomass (e.g. alginate encapsulated)
- Biomass preservation/storage assays
- Bench studies for energy balance and economic potential
Expertise in:
- Domestic wastewater: mixed or source separated (black, yellow, brown, grey)
- Industrial wastewater
- Livestock residues
- Aquaculture, ponds, public aquaria
- Space application
Biomaterials & nanotechnology services
For information, contact prof. Nico Boon (Nico.Boon@ugent.be)
Supporting research and consultancy for self-healing building material and biogenic nanoparticles
- Layer (e.g. Calcium carbonate) bio-deposition for surface protection
- Bio self-healing concrete
- Microbial production of metallic nanoparticles (e.g. Pd, Ag, Au)
- Nanoparticle application for several purposes (e.g. sediment treatment, antimicrobial disinfectant, carriers)
- Metal recovery by liquid streams and sludge
Expertise in:
- Sludges
- Waste streams
- Concrete
