VIB Microbes
VIB Microbes
VIB Microbes
Microorganisms don’t always have the best reputation. People often link them to infections and diseases, giving microbes a negative connotation. During the months of September and October, we want to tackle these misconceptions and show why microbes deserve our attention. We will shine a spotlight on the research that is happening at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology. We will show how these tiny architects can produce beneficial products that help cure diseases, reduce food waste, create greener energy, and much more.
Don’t forget to also follow us on social media, where we will give you some behind-the-scenes of the lab activities and the people working passionately to discover the untapped potential of microbes.
Microbes as factories?
At VIB, we often talk about “Microbes as factories”. Read below what this means exactly.
Are you confused about our title, "Microbes: Tiny Architects, Giant Factories"? Don’t worry! In this blog, Joleen Masschelein explains in detail what we mean by that.
Joleen even received a prestigious ERC grant for her research on microbes as factories.
Get up to speed: origin stories from the past
Kevin Verstrepen, head of the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, explains why yeast has been such an important organism in scientific research. These microorganisms have made their mark in the fields of chemistry, medicine, biology, and of course....beer brewing.
Impact on society
Science meets life. This is not just the slogan from VIB, but words we live by. Learn more about the microbiology research that had an impact on society.
Experimental micro-brewery of VIB and KU Leuven
In 2017, Professor Verstrepen received support from AB InBev and other partners to establish a state-of-the-art experimental brewery in Kasteelpark Arenberg, Leuven. The brewery serves as a platform for his team to investigate the behavior of yeast cells in large beer vessels. By bridging the gap between the laboratory and industry, the brewery and fermenters enable the study and testing of new yeast varieties, which can be applied in commercial beer production.
Microbiota Project
In 2018 the Grand Challenges project on the gut microbiome was launched. The Jeroen Raes team and colleagues in the medical field try to tackle inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). They try three different approaches: fecal transplantation, microbial cocktails with existing or improved probiotics, and repurposing of existing medication.
Soy in Flanders
Catching nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Rhizobia) to introduce high protein-containing soybean for a sustainable agriculture in Flanders in the Soy project. For this project, the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology collaborated with the VIB-U Gent Center for Plant Systems Biology.
Research Center Involved
VIB consists of ten research centers located all over Flanders. Each research center has its own field of interest. One center is closely involved in the research happening on microbes.
