Projects
Evolution and dynamics of collenchymatous cell walls: a structural-functional approach Ghent University
The specialised properties of plant tissues result mainly from the combination of polymers within their cell walls. Detailed characterisation of cell walls is needed to generate understanding into how cell wall architecture results in specialized properties. This project aims to gain insight into structural-functional relationships of collenchymatous cell walls by studying their evolution, cell wall composition, dynamics and biomechanical ...
Unravelling the barrier role of cell walls, as affected by pulse type, post-harvest storage and thermal processing, on the in vitro digestion of bio-encapsulated macronutrients in pulses. KU Leuven
Bridging the gap between genotype and phenotype: a working example on the effect of cell wall-related enzymes and drought stress on yield in wheat Ghent University
Recent developments in several omics platforms have made it possible to generate huge amounts
of genetic data. However, when trying to unravel how a genotype translates into a phenotype,
research often returns to traditional and laborious methods, and GxE interaction remains difficult
to detect. Ecophysiological models can quantify the effect of an environment on a phenotype, but
incorporation of genetic data within ...
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) - nanobiotechnology based platform for achieving the dynamics of individual molecules to versatile materials and cell mechanics Ghent University
An AFM-nanobiotechnology platform that is composed of (1) a high-speed bio-AFM, and (2) an upgraded AFM with advanced sensors, is proposed. This platform will allow to study various nano(bio)technology topics at a very high state-of-the-art spatial and temporal resolution. The intended research domains include structural biology (microbial adhesins, fibril formation, protein crystallisation), nanomicrobiology (host pathogen interactions, ...
Impact of cell disruption methods on extraction yield, lipid composition and oxidative stability of brewer’s spent grain oil KU Leuven
In recent decades, innovative approaches for the extraction of lipids have been proposed to increase extraction yield. These approaches often include pretreatment steps to disrupt the cell wall structure combined with conventional extraction steps. Mechanistic insight on the effects of extraction and cell wall disruption techniques on the biomass matrix is often lacking. This PhD thesis explores the effects of different cell disruption ...
Cell wall-degrading enzyme inhibition and health beneficial effects of phenolic compounds by solid-state fermentation from Brassica waste Ghent University
Production of Brassica leads to a high amount of by-products, rich in phenolic compounds. In this study, extracts rich in phenolic compounds will be prepared, after treating the by-products using specific micro-organisms, particularly fungi. These extracts will be characterized based on the phenolic compounds present by UPLC-MS. Also the extracts will be tested on their bio-activity potential, i.e. ACE-inhibitory and anti-obesity activity, ...
Mast cells in airway allergies: a new vision on a long-studied cell KU Leuven
The airway epithelium harbors a huge amount of mast cells which play a crucial role in host defense as they can adapt their function to the microenvironment in which the reside. Mast cells react to external and internal stimuli thanks to multiple receptors they express and carry out effector and regulatory tasks by different mediators they release. The most studied function of mast cells is associated with allergy through the binding of ...
Insight in the effect of (a combination of) cell disruption techniques on the extraction of lipids from Nannochloropsis KU Leuven
Microalgae are a promising new type of biomass for the production of food ingredients. Microalgae such as Nannochloropsis sp. are rich in lipids including the essential omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Extraction of these lipids while maintaining their stability is not straightforward. In addition, mechanistic insight on the effects of extraction and cell wall disruption techniques on the biomass matrix is often ...