News
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Hydrogen-powered bacteria enhance organic micropollutant degradation under starvation conditions
READ MORE: Hydrogen-powered bacteria enhance organic micropollutant degradation under starvation conditionsOrganic micropollutants (OMPs) occur in natural aquatic environments at trace concentrations with suspected adverse effects on the ecosystem and human health. Microbial biodegradation plays a crucial role in OMP-elimination from drinking water resources. However, long-term OMP-biodegradation remains challenging since the metabolic activity of degrading strains is restricted by energy-limited conditions in treatment systems. Molecular hydrogen…
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Membrane filtration reduces nutrient availability and invasion potential in drinking water systems, without affecting mature biofilms
READ MORE: Membrane filtration reduces nutrient availability and invasion potential in drinking water systems, without affecting mature biofilmsWe are proud to share Fien Waegenaar & Thomas Pluym‘s latest article in Frontiers in Microbiology in which we evaluate the impact of nutrient limitation on general drinking water microbiology, the biofilm and the invasion potential of unwanted microorganisms. This publication is another great example of the co-operation between multiple research groups within the framework…
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Unlocking the Potential of Thermophilic Fermentation for Food Waste Valorization
READ MORE: Unlocking the Potential of Thermophilic Fermentation for Food Waste ValorizationFood waste is a rising environmental problem, with around 58 million tons of food waste produced yearly in the European Union. In the context of circular bioeconomy, food waste valorization has emerged as a critical strategy for environmental management and resource recovery. Rich in readily biodegradable material, food waste offers significant potential for the production…
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Turning up the heat on granulation and nitrogen removal: High-rate granular thermophilic anammox process at 50⁰C
READ MORE: Turning up the heat on granulation and nitrogen removal: High-rate granular thermophilic anammox process at 50⁰CThermophilic anaerobic digestors treating sewage sludge and other industrial processes produce warm nitrogen-rich wastewaters (>45⁰C) that are currently being treated by cooling to mesophilic temperatures. This approach presents major operational challenges, increasing the treatment costs and compromising the sustainability of the treatment plant. While the anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation) process-carried out by a group of…
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24/06: Public defence of the doctoral dissertation of Franco Grosso Giordano
READ MORE: 24/06: Public defence of the doctoral dissertation of Franco Grosso GiordanoCMET and dissertation supervisors Prof. Nico Boon (CMET) and Prof. Nele De Belie (Faculty of Engineering) present the public defence of the doctoral dissertation of Franco Grosso Giordano. The public defence, “Towards Advanced Lime-Based Mortars: Exploring Microbial Self-healing and Carbonation Strategies” , will take place on the 24th of June 2025 at 16:00 in the…
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UPDATE: Second Emerging Microbial Technologies conference
READ MORE: UPDATE: Second Emerging Microbial Technologies conferenceTHANK YOU! What an inspiring day full of science, high-quality presentations, and engaging discussions! A heartfelt thank you to:🔬 All the participants who brought their passion, curiosity, and cutting-edge research to the stage and poster sessions.🎤 Our keynote speakers, who challenged and inspired us with their visionary talks: Tomasz Calikowski (European Commission), Sarah Lebeer (University of Antwerp), and Yuemei…
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13/05: Public defence of the doctoral dissertation of Inez Roegiers
READ MORE: 13/05: Public defence of the doctoral dissertation of Inez RoegiersThe public defence, “Modelling host-microbe interactions in the small intestinal microenvironment“, will take place on the 13th of May 2025 at 17:00 in the Auditorium E1 Oehoe at Campus Coupure, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent. Abstract of the doctoral research Host-microbe interactions in the small intestine play a fundamental role in human health, yet are…
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Microbial protein from biogas: Nerdland Festival
READ MORE: Microbial protein from biogas: Nerdland FestivalWill we soon be eating a bacteria sandwich? Our planet has 8.2 billion people, millions of whom are malnourished. Soy seems like a promising solution, but still has a strong ecological impact. Can bacteria play a role in this? Can they convert waste into sustainable food? How does that work exactly, and what does it…
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Biogas can be more than just energy – (update)
READ MORE: Biogas can be more than just energy – (update)Biogas is a widely available but often underused resource. Can we do more with it than just burn it for energy? A recent study, led by Dr. Patricia Ruiz Ruiz, PhD student Patricia Mohedano Caballero, and Prof. Jo De Vrieze, explores how methalgae—a special mix of methane-eating bacteria and algae—can turn biogas into valuable biochemicals.…
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Is it safe to re-wear underwear? Dr. Yorick Minnebo Investigates on Factcheckers
READ MORE: Is it safe to re-wear underwear? Dr. Yorick Minnebo Investigates on FactcheckersThe editors of Factcheckers approached us at CMET with an intriguing question: Is it harmful to wear underwear more than once? To find out, we conducted an analysis on some worn (and quite sweaty) underwear. Our findings were fascinating! The most important result was the significant differences between the samples. Participants who performed a spinning…