Projects

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Bacteriophage therapy for difficult-to-treat infections: the implementation of a multidisciplinary phage task force (PHAGEFORCE) KU Leuven

Willem-Jan Metsemakers
Locomotor and Neurological Disorders, Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), Animal and Human Health Engineering (A2H), Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, Laboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy
Infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria are becoming a global health threat and few novel antibiotic agents are currently in the pipeline. A promising alternative for the treatment of these difficult-to-treat infections is bacteriophage therapy. Although phages have been applied since the beginning of the last century, especially in Eastern Europe, there is still little evidence on the exact working mechanisms and the optimal application ...

Study and exploitation of bacteriophage encoded endolysins and expolysaccharide depolymerases. KU Leuven

Guido Volckaert
Department of Biosystems (BIOSYST), Division Animal and Human Health Engineering
Bacteriophages (or phages) are widespread viruses which infect bacteria. They use refined and highly adapted mechanisms to hijack the bacterial cell, which is subsequently used for the phage's replication. Unraveling the underlying fundamental processes and interactions between phage and host cell constitutes a corner stone in fundamental molecular research and served as a base for numerous applications. During the replication cycle, phages ...

Lytic bacteriophages and probiotic Bacillus spp. as novel biocontrol agents of Motile Aeromonad Septicaemia (MAS) in farmed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): A holistic approach to disease management. Ghent University

Peter Bossier
Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Busitema University

Local bacteriophages and probiotic Bacillus spp. will be isolated and characterized. The isolates wil be tested against Aeromonas hydrophila, both in vivo and in vitro under lab conditions. Bacillus spp. will be combined together with selected bacteriophages to test for a synergistic effect under lab conditions. Semi-field trials will conducted on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) for field verification.

Development of molecular tools for characterization and exploitation of a library of bacteriophages infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa. KU Leuven

Rob Lavigne
Division Animal and Human Health Engineering
Bacterial viruses (bacteriophages) are the most abundant and genetically diverse biological entities on this planet. Billion years of coevolution with their bacterial host organisms enabled the development of various phage-encoded mechanisms to shut down the host metabolism and direct it towards phage production. My doctoral research focused on the genetic diversity of bacteriophages infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important multi-drug ...

Application of bacteriophages for treatment and prevention of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and antibiotic resistance: a basic study into the bacteriophage-bacterium interaction. Ghent University

Patrick Butaye
Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine

CARTNET trains young researchers in Europe to address serious and global problems of antibiotic resistance. Diseasecausing bacteria are becoming resistant even to last resort antibiotics and transmission of resistance genes and resistant pathogens is widespread between human, animal and environmental reservoirs. Therefore, CARTNET will focus on alternative approaches to handle antibiotic resistance and treating resistant infections in both ...

Bacteriophages and monolith-cryogels: A new robust tool in chromatography KU Leuven

Hans Deckmyn
Chemistry, Kulak Kortrijk Campus

In view of the fast evolution in the biomedical research, there is an increasing need for quick, inexpensive and robust methods, including in the niche of protein chromatography. In this project, we want to focus on the use of monolith-cryogel as matrix and peptide-displaying phage as ligands in affinity chromatography. The cryogel matrix, with its specific large pore structure, is especially fit to purify components from crude materials such ...

HavePhAIth: Human Phage therapy using AI to design phage cocktails against ESKAPE pathogens KU Leuven

Rob Lavigne
Animal and Human Health Engineering (A2H), Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG)
Human Phage Therapy (PT) is a promising route for the treatment of increasingly drug-resistant bacterial infections. Belgium is leading the implementation of PT in Europe, and the technique is currently in operations at the Queen Astrid Military Hospital (QAMH), and was recently implemented at UZ Leuven. Indeed, a Multidisciplinary Phage Task Force (MPTF) has been set up within UZ Leuven to provide PT to patients with difficult-to-treat ...

Management of hairy root disease in tomato cultivation using integrated biocontrol organisms (BioMan) KU Leuven

Hans Rediers
Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG), Animal and Human Health Engineering (A2H)
“Hairy root disease” (HRD) (also known as “crazy roots”) is caused by rhizogenic agrobacteria, and is characterized by extensive root proliferation, which results in severe economic losses. Yield decreases of more than 10% in tomato horticulture have been observed. HRD is a rapidly spreading and highly persistent disease, which is not easily managed with conventional biocides. In this project, we propose an integrated and sustainable biocontrol ...

The role of capsular exopolysaccharide depolymerases as host determinant for Klebsiella pneumoniae phages, and their enzymatic properties. Ghent University

Yves Briers
Department of Biotechnology, Department of Applied biosciences

This doctoral research proposal investigates the unique relationship between the bacterial capsular serotype, bacteriophage-encoded depolymerases that degrade capsular exopolysaccharides and the bacteriophage host spectrum, specifically for Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteriophages. The enzymatic properties of these exopolysaccharide depolymerases will be analysed. A first-in-class phage engineering method will be introduced to study the role of ...