Projects
Reuse of phosphorus from organic waste streams in agriculture - an experimental analysis of the sustainability KU Leuven
Decades of excessive use of phosphorus (P) fertilisers in agriculture resulted in large soil P reserves in arable soils. This historical over-fertilisation contrasts with the impending scarcity of natural mineral P resources and with the adverse environmental effects due to losses of P to the natural environment; for these reasons, the reservoirs of soil P are often denoted as the legacy P. To reduce these environmental effects, ...
Boosting the production of innovative bola amphiphiles by applying integrated omics analyses. Ghent University
Bio-degradable and bio-based surface-active agents are a renewable and environmentally friendly
alternative to petroleum derived or oleochemical surfactants. I will conduct research on the
innovative bola amphiphilic sophorolipids (bola SL) produced by Starmerella bombicola. These
molecules can be applied in cosmetics, pharma, nanotechnology,... Recent EU-funded research
(IB2market)
demonstrated that there is a ...
Characterization of the ecological and biogeochemical functionality of microbial community structures via compound-specific isotope analyses Ghent University
This project aims to test and validate the use of selected biomarkers as indicators for the variation in the active microbial community structure in grassland soils via compound-specific stable isotope analyses. This will lead to new insights regarding the role of microbial communities in C and N cycling in grassland soils and how this varies with land-use and climate change (i.e. increased greenhouse gas concentrations).
Private standards as a market-based sustainability institution in global food systems KU Leuven
Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) cover a large number of products and are important in global markets. Yet, their actual impact on sustainability is unclear. This PhD project aims to evaluate the efficacy of VSS to contribute to increased trade revenues for low- and middle-income countries and improved incomes and socio-economic wellbeing of smallholder producers in these countries. The PhD research entails a comparative approach with ...
The role of competences for sustainable development in higher education: implications for curriculum, research competences and policy development. University of Antwerp
Numerical and Experimental Study of Various Innovative Jet Mixing Ventilation Concepts for Improved Ventilation Efficiency KU Leuven
Ventilation has an important impact on the quality of indoor environments, regarding e.g. the air quality or thermal comfort, but may contribute considerably to the energy use as well. In particular in airplane cabins, ventilation is indispensable due to the high occupant density within a confined air volume. Typically, the cabin main air distribution system supplies fresh (conditioned) ventilation air above the passenger zone (mixing ...
The impact of "degrowth" and market economies on welfare and sustainability: a historical exploration. University of Antwerp
PetSect: Edible insects as a novel protein source for pet food Ghent University
Edible insects are one of the solutions for Europe’s growing dependency on imported protein. Because of their ability to convert organic lowgrade residual streams into a nutritional rich product they can be used as a sustainable and locally produced high quality protein source.
Despite the legal approval, the use of edible insects is almost nonexistent in food for dogs and cats. The implementations of edible insects are fairly new in ...