Prof. dr. ir. Tom Defoirdt
Education
- PhD in Applied Biological Sciences (UGent, 2007)
- Bio-engineer in cell and gene biotechnology (UGent, 2003)
Working experience
- Associate professor at CMET (UGent, 2017-present)
- Postdoctoral researcher at CMET (UGent, 2016-2017)
- Postdoctoral researcher at Lab of Aquaculture (UGent, 2014-2016)
- FWO postdoctoral fellow at Lab of Aquaculture & LabMET (UGent, 2007-2014)
- PhD researcher (IWT grant) at LabMET & Lab of Aquaculture (UGent, 2003-2007)
Research: Bacterial Activity Management (BAM!) group
Research topics
- Gene regulation in bacteria, bacterial signalling and detection systems (e.g. quorum sensing, sensing of host and environmental cues)
- Bacterial pathogens, virulence, virulence factors and virulence regulation, host-pathogen interactions
- Ecology and evolution of bacterial pathogens
- Management of bacterial activity, antivirulence therapy
- Aquatic (marine) microbiology, vibrios
- Blue biotechnology
Publications discussing our work (with links)
- Defoirdt T 2023. Indole signaling, an interesting target to control vibriosis in aquaculture. Aquaculture 574: 739692
- Zhang S, Yang Q, Eggermont M, Defoirdt T 2023. Quorum sensing interference in vibrios. Reviews in Aquaculture 15: 1452-1466
- Defoirdt T 2019. Amino-acid-derived quorum sensing molecules controlling the virulence of vibrios (and beyond). PLoS Pathogens 15: e1007815
- Defoirdt T 2018. Quorum-sensing systems as targets for antivirulence therapy. Trends in Microbiology 26: 313-328
- Defoirdt T 2016. Implications of ecological niche differentiaition in marine bacteria for microbial management in aquaculture to prevent bacterial diseases. PLoS Pathogens 12: e1005843
- Defoirdt T 2016. Specific antivirulence activity, a new concept for reliable screening of virulence inhibitors. Trends in Biotechnology 34: 527-529
- Defoirdt T 2014. Virulence mechanisms of bacterial aquaculture pathogens and antivirulence therapy for aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture 6: 100-114
- Natrah FMI, Bossier P, Sorgeloos P, Yusoff FM, Defoirdt T 2014. Significance of microalgal-bacterial interactions for aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture 6: 48-61
- Defoirdt T, Brackman G, Coenye T 2013. Quorum sensing inhibitors: how strong is the evidence? Trends in Microbiology 21: 619-624
- Defoirdt T 2013. Antivirulence therapy for animal production: filling an arsenal with novel weapons for sustainable disease control. PLOS Pathogens 9: e1003603
- Ruwandeepika HAD, Jayaweera TSP, Bhowmick PP, Karunasagar I, Bossier P, Defoirdt T 2012. Pathogenesis, virulence factors and virulence regulation of vibrios belonging to the Harveyi clade. Reviews in Aquaculture 4: 59-74
- Defoirdt T, Sorgeloos P, Bossier, P 2011. Alternatives to antibiotics for the control of bacterial disease in aquaculture. Current Opinion in Microbiology 14: 251-258
- Defoirdt T, Boon N, Bossier P 2010. Can bacteria evolve resistance to quorum sensing disruption? PLoS Pathogens 6: e100098
- Defoirdt T, Boon N, Sorgeloos P, Verstraete W, Bossier P 2009. Short-chain fatty acids and poly-β-hydroxyalkanoates: (new) biocontrol agents for a sustainable animal production. Biotechnology advances 27: 680-685
- Defoirdt T, Boon N, Sorgeloos P, Verstraete W, Bossier P 2008. Quorum sensing and quorum quenching in Vibrio harveyi: lessons learned from in vivo work. ISME Journal 2: 19-26
- Defoirdt T, Boon N, Sorgeloos P, Verstraete W, Bossier P 2007. Alternatives to antibiotics to control bacterial infections – luminescent vibriosis in aquaculture as an example. Trends in Biotechnology 25: 472-479
Services
- Determination of antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of test compounds or organisms
- Determination of quorum sensing inhibitory activity of test compounds or organisms (AHL, AI-2, CAI-1, indole)
- Determination of the capability of test compounds or organisms to inhibit virulence factors (flagellar motility, hemolytic activity, proteolytic activity)
- Toxicity tests (impact of test compounds on bacterial bioluminescence)
- Consultancy on microbial management in aquaculture
Web presence