Laboratory of Microbial Ecology & Technology

The research mission of the Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET) is to gain better insight in the microbial-ecological processes which occur in complex mixed microbial cultures and to understand how these processes can be managed, steered and applied in numerous environmental and industrial applications. In the specific field of gastrointestinal microbiology, LabMET developed the so-called Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME), a 5-step continuous reactor which simulates the different parts of the human gastrointestinal tract. By applying a combination of conventional and molecular microbial methods and physicochemical analyses with a number of bioassays, the use of this model allows to obtain a complete evaluation of the passage of food compounds, pharmaceuticals and contaminants though the gastrointestinal tract by means of characterization of the microbial community, their metabolic activity and their interaction with both the ingested compounds and with the human host. The intestinal research focuses on functional foods, eco-toxicology and the metabolic activation of biologically active molecules such as phytoestrogens. Moreover, LabMET is involved in the study of a number of specific disease states (e.g. obesity and Crohn's Disease) in which a disturbed bacteria-host cross-talk plays a crucial role.   

Keywords:

SHIME
Gastrointestinal Tract
Intestinal Microbiota
Functional Foods
Obesity
Food Contaminants
Microbe-Host Interactions
Phytoestrogens
Animal Feed