The Bioprocess Engineering for a Sustainable Society (BEASTIES) group develops novel microbial technologies to support a more sustainable, prosperous and just society. Prof. Ramon Ganigué spearheads a diverse, passionate and vibrant group of early career researchers (ca. 5 postdocs, 10 PhD students) who are leading the charge on biotechnology for sustainability, supported by fundamental & applied national (FWO, VLAIO) and international (EU project, ESA) projects.
The BEASTIES group tackles the challenge of developing novel bioprocess by integrated and multidisciplinary top-down and bottom-up community engineering approaches. Through deeper understanding of microbial physiology & metabolism and the comprehension of microbial interactions, the group strives to engineer better bioprocesses. In parallel, it also considers how choices in bioprocess design impact the ecology and microbial functions. The group works at the interface of the classic grey and white biotechnology branches, and draws from both domains to deal with societal challenges. This branch-agnostic approach ensures for breakthroughs and deeper insights that propel the field forward.
Besides, the group has a strong commitment to education, training and personal growth. BEASTIES contributes to several Ghent University courses, such as “Resource Recovery Technology”, “Technology for the Circular Economy” and “Bioresource recovery processes & engineering: case studies”, which every year educate ca. 300 students on topics related to the principles & engineering of microbial technologies for resource recovery. The group hosts every year 5-10 MSc students and international interns, who are trained through research-based instruction. Finally, the group supports open education and has for instance been involved in the creation of several MOOC modules on bioconversions, and contributed to the IWA award-winning open textbook “Resource Recovery from Water: Principles and Application”.
Through excellent & rigorous curiosity-driven science and by training the next generations of biotechnologists and bioengineers, the group strives to contribute towards a more sustainable future.
