Projects
Understanding of multispecies biofilms in the food industry is indispensible to control biofilm related food safety and quality issues Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Microbial contamination in the food industry constitutes an important risk for the safety and quality of food products. Despite cleaning and disinfection food contact surfaces often remain soiled with attached microbial communities called biofilms. These biofilms mostly contain different species which interact synergisticially, rendering them more resilient and harder to eradicate through routine cleaning ...
The role of bacterial biofilms as a major cause of therapeutic failure in intensive care units (ICU): an in vitro and in vivo study of 'biofilm' virulence factors. University of Antwerp
Towards mechanistic understanding of biofilms: understanding the transport phenomena, kinetics and rheology of biofilm formation and morphology. KU Leuven
Biofilms are bacterial communities of cells enclosed in a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances. From an engineering perspective, it is intriguing how the bacterial colonies shape their surroundings to provide protection from external influences (mechanical/chemical stress). On the other hand, the biofilm needs to be structured in such way that bacteria can move during its formation and nutrients can reach the bacteria. ...
Insight in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilms: identification of key determinants in biofilm formation of highly pathogenic and globally successful MRSA clones University of Antwerp
Insight in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilms: identification of key determinants in biofilm formation of two highly pathogenic and globally successful MRSA clones, USA300 and EMRSA-15. University of Antwerp
Salmonella Typhimurium in multispecies biofilms: identification and validation of targets of biofilm inhibitors by a mechanistic approach. KU Leuven
Role of bacterial biofilms as a cause of therapeutic failure in intensive care units: in vitro and in vivo study of 'biofilms' virulence factors. University of Antwerp
Experimental evolution in Candida biofilms: does drug tolerance facilitate drug resistance development in fungi?Experimental evolution in Candida biofilms: does drug tolerance facilitate drug resistance development in fungi? KU Leuven
Invasive fungal infections pose a profound and growing public health threat with treatment failure and mortality estimates often surpassing 50%. Only three major antifungal drug classes are available to treat lethal fungemia and the incidence of resistance to these drugs has risen significantly in recent years. Moreover, multidrug resistant (MDR) ‘superbugs’ like Candida auris have emerged. Despite these alarming concerns, fungal infections ...
Controlling oral biofilms trough modulation of the commensal microbiota. An alternative for antiseptics? KU Leuven
Dental plaque is a bacterial biofilm which can lead to tooth decay and periodontitis. Not all bacteria in dental plaque contribute to these diseases as they will only develop when specific pathogens become numerically dominant in dental plaque. It should not be surprising that also these pathogens are becoming more and more resistant towards antibiotics but also to antiseptics. Therefore alternative treatment or preventive options should be ...