Projects

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an important pathogen of swine. This research project aims to analyze the nature of the virus-linked glycans and the influence of PRRSV infection on cellular glycosylation. Furthermore, the interaction of these glycans with sialic acid-binding immune system lectins will be analyzed, as these are often crucial in regulation of immune responses.

The role of different siglec receptors for viral infection of macrophages and the potential role of siglec-specific virus internatlization for immune evasion will be studied.

The interest in the production of 1,3-butadiene these days is increasing in both academic and industrial research. Researchers are looking for alternative on-purpose production routes to replace the current 1,3-butadiene supply as byproduct in the naphtha steam crackers, for ethylene production, to disconnect the supply and price from the ethylene demand. Different routes are available for such on-purpose production of 1,3‑butadiene, like the ...

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for all living organisms. Currently, P used in fertilizers and animal feed is largely extracted from non-renewable phosphate rock of which reserves are depleting. The European Union (EU) considers both P and phosphate rock as critical raw materials because of their strategic importance and the economic dependence on a limited number of non-EU suppliers. In this regard, it is important to recover P from ...

The proposed research plan focuses on high-performance material synthesis, in the context of catalysis. The largest, core part of this material research program is dedicated to the synthesis of microporous tetrahedral oxides, mostly zeolites and zeotypes, for use as catalysts in sustainable chemistry. This part is entitled ZEOSYNTHECA - zeolite synthesis for enhanced catalytic action. Specifically we focus on catalytic processes and materials ...

Inorganic polymers made by alkali-activation, aka geopolymers (when Al-silicate), are novel materials often used in construction that are more sustainable than ordinary Portland cement and can deliver exceptional properties (high-temperature and acids/alkalis resistance among others). The relation between structure and function requires in-depth characterization using preferably non-invasive approaches capable to probe the bulk of the ...

The identification of novel primary sequences in the protein universe is expanding at an increasing rate. However, eludication of the three dimensional protein structure and function is seriously running behind. Because of the high complexity and the large size of these biomolecules, most of the currently used approaches for unraveling their structure and function of require protein hydrolysis into more manageable peptide fragments. ...

The organellar P2-type Ca2+-transport ATPases, namely Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) and Secretory Pathway Ca²⁺ ATPase (SPCA), are essential to maintain a low resting cytosolic Ca2+ level. At the same time they load respectively the intracellular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi stores with Ca2+. This allows Ca2+ signaling to occur and it supports several organellar processes such as protein folding and maturation. ...

A major challenge in fruit production nowadays is to limit losses due to postharvest diseases. Despite optimized storage conditions and the application of fungicides, postharvest fungal pathogens are still responsible for considerable losses. The postharvest pathogen Colletotrichum is a recent problem on apple fruits and information is still limited. This pathogen is not visible at harvest due to a quiescent phase. It is only during ...