We're hiring! www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo...

PhD in molecular bacteriology

Protein aggregation & dormancy

kuleuven.be

Happy to share our latest work published in PLoS Genetics! dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

Reprogramming the EnvZ-OmpR two-component system confers ethanol tolerance in Escherichia coli by stabilizing the outer membrane and altering ferric homeostasis

Author summary Ethanol is a versatile chemical with many applications, but producing it in high quantities remains a challenge. This is because Escherichia coli, a candidate ethanol production strain,...

dx.plos.org

At #Microbes25, @jorg-vogel-lab.bsky.social‬ showed how to silence phage genes with ASO tech — antisense RNA guided by a cell-penetrating protein. A clever new way to study (essential) phage genes. 🧬✨

At #Microbes25, Abram Aertsen showed how to program bacteria with a sense of timing — they can grow, produce, then self-lyse. ⏱️🧫 By breaking symmetry, he can even control which cells keep growing. Microbes with coordination — and attitude. ⚙️💡

@mpi-ce.bsky.social at #Microbes25: discovering plant biosynthetic genes (like those for strictosidine) and expressing them in new hosts 🌿🧬 Bringing plant chemistry to synthetic biology!

At #Microbes25, Huimin Zhao showed how AI + robotics + biology can supercharge biomanufacturing. From photobiocatalysis and directed evolution to AI-driven design loops, his team is evolving enzymes with new-to-nature reactivity — and getting top results after just 3 cycles! 💥

At #Microbes25, @tilmweber.bsky.social‬ showcased an impressive integrated approach to discovering and producing novel antibiotics. From sequencing new microorganisms to developing powerful tools like antiSMASH, his team mines genomic data for BGCs — then brings these hidden molecules to life!

At #Microbes25, @mcmasteruniversity.bsky.social presented a high-throughput screening platform that packages and stabilizes bacteriophage biobanks and integrates detection biochemistry. The result? Rapid, one-pot susceptibility profiling for bacterial isolates — delivering results in 30 minutes. ⚡

@colinhillucc.bsky.social kicked off #microbes25 His talk shed light on the overlooked faecal virome — the vast community of viruses that co-exist with our gut bacteria. Rather than constant conflict, Colin described a more elegant relationship: bacteria and phages don’t just fight… they dance. 💃🦠

Professor Tilmann Weber joins #Microbes25! He’ll share how cutting-edge molecular approaches are uncovering new natural products with big potential in medicine and biotechnology. 📅 Final registration deadline: 23 Oct 2025 🔗 vibbio.tech/Microbes25

At #Microbes25, we’re honored to host Professor Jörg Vogel, a leading voice in RNA biology and infection research. 📅 Early Bird Deadline: 25 September 2025 🔗 Full program & registration: vibbio.tech/Microbes25 Who are you most looking forward to hearing from at #Microbes25?

Proud to share our comprehensive literature review on application potential, chemical synthesis and microbial production of α-ketoglutaric acid @chemsocrev.rsc.org pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

α-Ketoglutaric acid as a promising platform chemical for sustainable bio-based industries

The chemical industry is gradually shifting from fossil-derived resources to more sustainable bio-based processes. Natural bio-molecules such as succinic, lactic, and itaconic acid are promising platf...

pubs.rsc.org

Do you know what microbes can do for you? At #Microbes25, Sarah O'Connor will dive into the potential of microbes as a factory of natural products derived from plants and insects. Abstract submissions are due September 4, 2025: lnkd.in/e4EGJcVR #MicrobialBiotech #microbes #VIBConf

Proud to share our latest work on constraint-based modeling in combination with Optknock to identify gene that improve C12 fatty acid production in E. coli rdcu.be/eljsg

We are looking for an enthusiastic PhD student to join our team! Info here www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo...

PhD in molecular microbiology

Jan Michiels is looking for a dynamic and highly motivated PhD student to develop a project aimed at unraveling mutational robustness and evolvability in bacteria.

kuleuven.be

Our colleague Lieze Agten contributed a piece on bacteria taking a nap to EOS. Full text (in Dutch): www.eoswetenschap.eu/gezondheid/s...

Slapende bacteriën: een wake-up call voor dokters!

Ziekmakende bacteriën worden niet alleen resistent tegen antibiotica, ze kunnen behandelingen ook overleven door in een soort slaapstand te gaan. Artsen best...

eoswetenschap.eu

🩸 From RNA-limited samples like blood & tissues to the identification relative abundance of RNA modifications in a short time - The EpiPlex assay, presented at #RNGS25 by Gudrun Stengel of Alida biosciences, makes use of proximity barcoding and engineered binders to specifically detect RNA mods. 🧬

Our conference stress melted away after an evening filled with a choco-lot of fun at the #RNGS25 social activity at the Chocolate Nation. 🍫

"Plants don't have specialized immune cells, but individual plant cells can flexibly turn into immune hotspots" - 🌱 @tatsuyanobori.bsky.social presented at #RNGS25 on combining single cell multiome data & spatial transcriptomics to study the genetic regulation of plant-microbe interactions.🧬🦠

Nanopore sequencing enables detection of DNA methylation profiles! 🧬 Mathilde Geysens showcased a powerful approach to identify episignatures of developmental disorders, offering deeper insights into methylation patterns and paving the way for future diagnostics. #RNGS25

Interesting poster by Genewiz showing all the complex multiomics info that can be gathered from a single patient sample. 🧬 Additionally, they explored the single cell transcriptome on FFPE tumor tissues and show that better insights in human health can even be obtained from minimal samples. #RNGS25

At #RNGS25, Kirsten Bos took us on a time travel journey by looking into the ancient DNA of infectious diseases. 🦠 Her talk highlights the importance of genomics to trace the evolution and spread of syphilis, revealing crucial insights to improve our understanding of contemporary diseases.

Nice overview of the Illumina technology roadmap by Jason Betley at #RNGS25. In his talk, he provided a great perspective on the different Illumina platforms and more specifically on their various innovative and easy-to-use sequencing assays. 🧬

"Biology is dynamic like a river, you cannot step into the same water twice." Great talk on unlocking high dimensional biology using evolved next-generation sequencing by Molly He of @elembio.bsky.social this morning at #RNGS25.

Fun & adventurous talk on microbial dark matter at #RNGS25. 🌋 @jimmysaw.bsky.social presented on harnessing long-read sequencing to enable reconstruction of geothermal bacterial genomes. 🧬 His groundbreaking work brings us one step closer to uncovering biological functions in early life on Earth.

I am very excited to be reporting on the groundbreaking talks at #RNGS25, together with @vanshikabidhan.bsky.social & @saraalidadiani.bsky.social. Follow me on X (@LabMichiels), LinkedIn (Lieze Agten) and here on bluesky to keep track of this revolutionizing conference! @vibtrainconf.bsky.social

New work in collaboration with Paul Cos (UAntwerp) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Widespread antibiotic heterotolerance in bacteria remains undetected by resistance assays

Despite global efforts, antimicrobial resistance persists. Mechanisms like heterotolerance further undermine antibiotic effectiveness. Testing >1,000 …

sciencedirect.com

We are searching for a postdoc in Marine Phytoplankton Metabolism and Carbon Storage! You'll get the chance to work in Belgium to combine high-throughput metabolomics and enzymes to study how microbes naturally sequester atmospheric carbon in organic marine molecules! t.co/orCCyZhzeh

🚨The final deadline to register for #RNGS25 is this Wednesday, March 5th!🚨 Make sure to register - You don’t want to miss Prof. Bernard Thienpont (@bernthie.bsky.social)'s fascinating talk on improving patient care by using cell-free DNA methylome analysis.🧬 www.vibconferences.be/events/revol...

🚨Don’t miss #RNGS25!🚨 🧬Prof. Jimmy Saw, who contributed to the discovery of the fascinating Asgard archaea, will explore how long-read sequencing unlocks microbial dark matter in geothermal habitats.🦠 📆Early bird registration deadline is February 5! www.vibconferences.be/events/revol...