Projects
Quantitative relation between pectin structure and rheological properties of calcium-pectin gels. KU Leuven
Foaming and antifoaming from emulsions - structure development from emulsion concentration, drying, or freezing KU Leuven
Unravelling and improving the structure of emulsified meat analogues KU Leuven
Microbiomes of meat-processing environments: influences of microbial diversity, structure, and variability on pathogen survival, transmission, and evolution Ghent University
Our aim is to gain a better understanding of the effect of microbiome diversity, structure and functioning on the ecology and evolution of food pathogens in meat-processing environments. We will investigate microbiome temporal and spatial variability and functional profiles, pathogen population metagenome dynamics, and how microbiome structure affects the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of the pathogen.
Structure elucidation of synthetic compounds and natural products by NMR and LC-NMR spectroscopy. University of Antwerp
Effect of meat physical structure and various cooking appliances on thermal inactivation of salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., verotoxin producing Escherichia coli and Liseria monocytogenes. Ghent University
Our study is to systematically gather information on inactivation kinetics for several strains of the "big four pathogens" in a variety of meat types and under a variety of cooking conditions to feed this in risk assessment studies needed bu meat processing businesses, food service operations and competent authorities.
The gut barrier as master regulator of microbiome-host interactions: exploring the structure and function of paracellular and transcellular transport in the large intestine. KU Leuven
Quantifying the distributiion and impact of alien fish species on ecosystem structure and functioning in surface waters. Ghent University
The distribution and impact of invasive fish species on ecosystem structure and functioning will be investigated. Detection will be done via environmental DNA monitoring. An integrated approach will be used, coupling existing data with data obtained from lab experiments and ecological models. Food web and functional response models will be developed to obtain insight into the ecology of invasive fishes.
Surface modification of plant protein based nanoparticles: a tool to improve their functional properties KU Leuven
Interest in replacing animal by plant proteins in food systems is increasing. For various reasons, such replacement is unfortunately not straightforward. A main hurdle in this regard is the often limited solubility of plant proteins in aqueous media, which notably reduces their applicability in many foods. A possible solution is to produce protein nanoparticles (NPs) that are colloidally stable in aqueous systems. The solubility profile of ...