News
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Marie-Laure Machiels wins Water Technology Award
READ MORE: Marie-Laure Machiels wins Water Technology Award“I’m very happy and honoured to share that earlier this week I received the Water Technology Award 🏆 for my MSc thesis during the Academia Meets Industry (AMI) event, organised by watercircle.be , B-IWA (Belgian-International Water Association) and Cluster H2O at VIVAQUA. This event highlights people who make an impact in the water sector, so…
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2/12: Public defence of the doctoral dissertation of Eng. Brecht Delmoitié
READ MORE: 2/12: Public defence of the doctoral dissertation of Eng. Brecht DelmoitiéThe title of the doctoral dissertation is “Cheese whey permeate as a feedstock for microbial protein: from process development to techno-economic and environmental assessment” The public defence will take place on Tuesday 2 December 2025 at 17:00 in the Auditorium E2 at Campus Coupure, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent A short abstract of the doctoral…
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16/10: Public defence of the doctoral dissertation of ir. Fien Waegenaar
READ MORE: 16/10: Public defence of the doctoral dissertation of ir. Fien WaegenaarThe title of the doctoral dissertation is “Biostability in drinking water distribution systems: impact of environmental factors and operational management.” The public defense took place on the 16th of October 2025 at 17:00 in the Feestzaal, Auditorium A.1 at Campus Coupure, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent. A short abstract of the doctoral research The drinking…
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Three new FWO mandates starting at CMET
READ MORE: Three new FWO mandates starting at CMETHannah De Sutter Aquaculture loses billions annually due to bacterial diseases, with Vibrio species from the Harveyi clade among the most harmful pathogens. As antibiotics resistance increases, alternative approaches are being investigated, including antivirulence therapy: a strategy that disarms pathogens instead of killing them. My research focuses on the ToxR regulon, a virulence regulatory system in Vibrio spp. By using small-molecule…
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Impact of temperature on butyric and caproic acid production in lactic acid chain elongation
READ MORE: Impact of temperature on butyric and caproic acid production in lactic acid chain elongationThe latest article by Dr. Kevin Sabbe is out in Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering! We demonstrate how temperature steers butyric vs. caproic acid production, and reshapes the microbiome in lactic-acid chain elongation. These insights support the design of more sustainable, economically viable bioprocesses 🌱 🔗 50-day free access This work was performed at CMET…
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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…