Microbial biotechnology

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Biotechnologies and lignocellulosic biorefineries are at the forefront of addressing global challenges linked to climate change, resource scarcity, and the transition to a circular bioeconomy. Despite their potential to replace fossil-based processes, significant hurdles remain in optimizing microbial processes, enhancing the efficiency of bioreactors, and developing cost-effective strategies for wastewater treatment, resource recovery, and waste valorization. Equally critical is understanding and engineering microbial communities to improve biopolymer degradability and enable precision fermentation for high-value products. In this context, our expertise in anaerobic digestion, microbial community characterization, and precision fermentation offers valuable insights into overcoming bottlenecks in process design, environmental sustainability, and the development of innovative biobased solutions.

Mission

The mission of the Microbial Biotechnology group is to advance sustainable biotechnological solutions by bridging fundamental microbial research with applied process development. By integrating expertise in anaerobic digestion, wastewater treatment, microbial community characterization, precision fermentation, carbohydrate enzyme production, and biopolymer degradability assessment, the group aims to design innovative strategies that enable the efficient conversion of waste and renewable resources into valuable products. Particular emphasis is placed on developing microbial and enzymatic processes with applications in the energy, food and feed sectors, as well as in broader industrial domains, while also delivering innovative solutions for the wastewater sector, including resource recovery, water reuse, and contaminant removal. Through interdisciplinary approaches and data-driven methodologies, the group seeks to contribute to the development of resilient, resource-efficient, and environmentally friendly bioprocesses that support the global transition toward a circular and low-carbon bioeconomy.

To date, our team has collaborated with numerous academic and industrial partners through both national and international projects. Key academic collaborators include the University of Luxembourg, University of Liège, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Ghent University, University of Porto, Université de Lorraine, University of Gdańsk, Catholic University of Louvain, University of California, Santa Barbara, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, among others. Our industrial partners include BIOROCK and CONVIS.

We also work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture to create closed-loop systems that integrate animal nutrition, biowaste valorization, energy production, and nutrient recovery. These efforts focus on returning valuable resources to agricultural fields in the form of anaerobic digestion residues while supporting soil health and microbiological balance.

Scope of expertise

The group develops advanced anaerobic digestion strategies for efficient energy recovery from organic waste streams, supported by pilot-scale reactors including continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs), anaerobic baffled reactors (ABRs), and methanation reactors equipped with a proprietary patented gas-injection module. Expertise includes process design, scale-up, monitoring, and optimization to maximize biomethane yield and ensure operational stability. These capabilities enable the development of custom solutions for both industrial-scale biogas production and specialized applications, bridging fundamental research with real-world deployment.

The group develops strategies to valorize residues from anaerobic digestion, transforming them into nutrient-rich biofertilizers that can be returned to agricultural fields. These approaches close the nutrient loop by recycling organic matter, contributing to soil health and fertility. Research demonstrates that the use of such biofertilizers provides tangible environmental benefits, including reduced nitrate leaching, enhanced soil carbon sequestration, and overall improvement of ecosystem sustainability, supporting circular and low-impact agricultural practices.

Research addresses pressing challenges in the wastewater sector by combining biological and biotechnological approaches for enhanced treatment efficiency. Beyond conventional pollutant removal, the group focuses on micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals and emerging contaminants, as well as nutrient recovery and water reuse. These efforts contribute to circular economy strategies that transform wastewater from a burden into a valuable resource.

The group employs state-of-the-art molecular and computational tools to unravel the complexity of microbial communities. By integrating multi-omics (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, metabolomics) with bioinformatics, the research provides insights into microbial interactions, metabolic potential, and system resilience. This knowledge informs the design of optimized bioprocesses, supports environmental monitoring, and enables microbial resource management across diverse ecosystems. To date, we have characterized microbiomes from a variety of environments, including anaerobic digestion systems, termite guts, soil, rumen, cave deposits, and plastic-associated communities.

Expertise extends to developing microbial and fungal fermentation processes for the sustainable production of enzymes, metabolites, and other high-value biomolecules. A particular focus is placed on carbohydrate-active enzymes with applications in the food and feed sectors, as well as in bio-based industries. Precision fermentation approaches enable the design of targeted bioprocesses that generate tailored products for industrial, environmental, and health-related applications.

The group investigates the environmental fate and biodegradability of a wide range of natural and synthetic polymers. Combining laboratory testing with microbial community analysis, the research identifies pathways and microbial consortia involved in polymer breakdown. This work supports the development of sustainable biomaterials and provides tools to evaluate their life cycle impacts, thereby guiding innovation in packaging, textiles, and other sectors toward more sustainable solutions.