Projects
Bioprocess Modelling and Control by Constraint-based Optimization Methods KU Leuven
A recent trend for bioprocess modelling consist of using more complex models to better capture the metabolic behavior of micro-organisms.
In this work, dynamic enzyme-cost flux balance analysis (deFBA), a resource allocation model, is used as framework to describe biotechnological processes.
In addition to making a distinction for multiple biomass components, this method explicitly accounts for a limited enzyme capacity.
The ...
Complex microbial ecosystems multiscale modelling: mechanistic and data driven approaches integration. KU Leuven
European dairy industry is an important agri-food sector; it represents more than 300,000 jobs and 10 billion € positive trade balance. Five out of the ten top global dairy companies are European and more than 80% of European companies are SMEs. More than 300 cheeses and dairy products are sold all over the world and are protected as geographical indications or traditional specialties. Mastering cheese-ripening processes to avoid sanitary ...
COSMMOS: Characterising and Optimising the production flux of Secondary Metabolites in Clostridia using a hybrid Mechanistic machine learning multi-OmicS pipeline KU Leuven
The aim of this project is to predict the production flux of heterologously synthesised bioactive natural products in Clostridium strains using a supervised multi-omics inference pipeline harnessing both mechanistic and machine learning concepts.
Natural products (NPs) are compounds synthesised through a non-growth-associated metabolic process encoded within a biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). NP families like polyketides and ...
In silico microbial community model simulating oral multi-species biofilms linked to periodontitis KU Leuven
Computational models can be powerful tools to simulate and understand responses of biological systems. In this project, we construct such an in silico model to describe and predict the dynamicsof oral biofilms associated with periodontitis. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory and destructive disease of the tooth supporting tissue, and often associates with a disturbance of the
tooth biofilm causing outgrowth of pathogens. Previous ...
Characterization of a thermophilic acidogenic microbial community treating organic waste and producing the high commodity chemical n-caproate using a combination of culturomics and meta-omics KU Leuven
Proposed outline of the dissertation: This research aims to develop a biological model that explains the metabolic interactions in the biological anaerobic waste digestion reactor C1 of the MELiSSA system. This system, based on a lake ecosystem, aims at recycling waste by mainly microbial reactions, during long term space missions. Four main activities are performed to obtain a validated biological metabolic model of the complex microbial ...
Biology driven Complexity Reduction of Individual based Models KU Leuven
Preclinical concept validation of tumor endothelial cell metabolism for novel anti-angiogenic therapy KU Leuven
MAIN GOAL: To characterize the metabolic changes, fuelling growth of tumor endothelial cells (TECs) versus normal healthy endothelial cells (NECs), and identify & validate metabolic genes, deregulated in TECs, as targets for anti-angiogenic cancer therapy.
BACKGROUND & RATIONALE: Tumors stimulate blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) to nourish cancer cells, but current anti-angiogenic treatments lack sufficient efficacy. NECs ...