Projects
Research on the viruses NoV, HAV and HEV, which are transferable via certain food products, and contribution to risk assessment Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
In this project we develop sensitive detection methods for viruses in high-risk food products. We also evaluate the effect of intervention and control measures. Viruses, in particular norovirus (NoV) and hepatitis A (HAV) are shown to belong to the most important causes of food-borne outbreaks in Europe. Concern is also growing about the emerging food-borne hepatitis E virus (HEV). Foodborne ...
TRAVIFOOD: Research towards the viruses NoV, HAV and HEV that are transmissable via certain food products and a contribution to the risk assessment Ghent University
Travifood aims at the development of a detection methodology for the viruses NoV, HAV and HEV in food products. Additionally, models will be developed to simulate the exposure of consumers to these viruses related to prepared sandwiches and to fresh produce. Finally, the effectiveness of hand and surface desinfectants will be evaluated as input for the exposure models.
HIV Illness Identity, Household HIV Competence and Antiretroviral Treatment Adherence, an analysis of associations among a treatment-naïve adult population living with HIV in the Western Cape, South Africa. University of Antwerp
HIV Nanoheroes: novel CRISPR/Cas9-based CD4+ cell-specific HHV-7 vectors to cure HIV Ghent University
Nearly 38 million people globally are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS by replicating in CD4+ immune cells. Current therapies can inhibit the virus from multiplying, but cannot eliminate viral DNA copies integrated in the genome of CD4+ long-living cells (viral reservoir). Genetic therapy would be a sophisticated way to treat HIV, but conventional vectors are still unable to target the HIV reservoir. Here, we aim to design ...
HIV Latency and the epigenetic landscape: studying individual patients for developing HIV cure strategies KU Leuven
The aim of this project is to realize networking activities to promote long-term cooperation between the participating institutions: 1) To biobank HIV-1 subtype C provirus epigenetics in South African samples. Deposit patient samples in the HPP repository (South Africa) and plasmids and biotechnology tools in the
BCCM biobank (Belgium). 2) To organize 2 workshops to train South African students and staff in integration site sequencing ...
Better understanding HIV transmission through isolation and characteriszation of HIV from semen Institute of Tropical Medicine
The impact of LEDGIN-mediated retargeting of HIV integration on reactivation of latent HIV KU Leuven
Even after decades of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), a cure for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) through complete eradication of the virus remains an elusive goal. Viremia rebounds quickly if cART is interrupted. This is because HIV is a lentivirus that uses the viral proteins reverse transcriptase and integrase to stably integrate a provirus into the host cell genome, which leads to the existence of a latent HIV ...
Combining phylodynamics and agent-based HIV transmission modelling to advance epidemiological methodology and evidencebased public health policies for HIV prevention and treatment Hasselt University
Towards a functional cure strategy of HIV infection: Single virus imaging to study the impact of HIV nuclear import and integration on transcription and latency KU Leuven
The Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the causative agent of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Nowadays, HIV patients are treated with combination antiretroviral therapy which reduces the viral load but does not cure HIV infection. The persistence of integrated viral DNA in a transcriptionally silent mode is a major barrier to cure HIV infection. However, multiple strategies for an HIV cure are being developed. My ...