Exploration du potentiel bioindustriel des cultures pures ou mixtes de bactéries pourpres non sulfureuse en conditions photohétérotrophiques

Purple non-sulfur bacteria are well known for their metabolic versatility as they can grow under both auto-and heterotrophic conditions, phototrophically or not. Moreover, they are able to assimilate a broad range of carbon sources notably volatile fatty acids (VFAs, C1-C5) but also sugars. The PROTMIC lab (UMONS) developed a tremendous expertise in the understanding of metabolic pathways used by PNSB, and more precisely Rhodospirillum rubrum, to assimilate VFAs either pure (one source of carbon) or in mix (several source of carbon). This expertise allowed us to decipher the photoheterotrophic assimilation of different VFAs such as acetic acid, butyric acid or valeric acid. In that context, our lab investigated the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate by pure culture of Rhodospirillum rubrum cultivated under photoheterotrophic conditions using acetic acid or valeric acid as source of carbon. More precisely we studied the photoheterotrophic metabolism of Rs. rubrum in the here above-mentioned conditions in order to find some tracks for PHA production optimization. More recently, our lab started analysing the production of protein-rich purple bacteria biomass using bioindustrial co-products as source of carbon. We investigate, currently, at the fundamental (e.g. metabolic pathway, interaction,…) and applied (e.g. protein content, protein quality, productivity,…) point of view the assimilation of molasses by either pure or mix culture of purple bacteria and the impact of different consortia on productivity. Since more than ten years, PNSB are extensively studied for their bioindustrial applications (e.g. Pigment, PHAs, hydrogen, protein-rich edible biomass, wastewater treatment, …). However, in order for the different bioprocesses to be economically feasible, major optimization are still needed. In that context, two schools of thought are commonly found in the literature, the first one stating that the use of pure culture allows higher process optimization thanks to a better understanding whiled the second one arguing that the use of mix culture brings synergic effects that are a key parameter in process improvement. Here, we present examples of the application of these two different strategies to increase bioindustrial productivity of PNSB based bioprocesses. First, using pure culture of Rs. rubrum, we succeeded in increasing PHA production in the presence of acetic and valeric acid thanks to a fundamental knowledge-based approach (e.g. literature reviewing, proteomic analyses, growth under different conditions; Figures 1 and 2). Secondly, we observed recently an increased productivity and substrate assimilation efficiency by switching from pure (e.g. Rs rubrum) to mix (Rs.rubrum and Rh. capsulatus) culture (Figure 3)

Two years of genomic surveillance in Belgium during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to attain country-wide coverage and monitor the introduction and spread of emerging variants

An adequate SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance strategy has proven to be essential for countries to obtain a thorough understanding of the variants and lineages being imported and successfully established within their borders. During 2020, genomic surveillance in Belgium was not structurally implemented but performed by individual research laboratories that had to acquire the necessary funds themselves to perform this important task. At the start of 2021, a nationwide genomic surveillance consortium was established in Belgium to markedly increase the country’s genomic sequencing efforts (both in terms of intensity and representativeness), to perform quality control among participating laboratories, and to enable coordination and collaboration of research projects and publications. We here discuss the genomic surveillance efforts in Belgium before and after the establishment of its genomic sequencing consortium, provide an overview of the specifics of the consortium, and explore more details regarding the scientific studies that have been published as a result of the increased number of Belgian SARS-CoV-2 genomes that have become available

Two years of genomic surveillance in Belgium during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to attain country-wide coverage and monitor the introduction and spread of emerging variants

An adequate SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance strategy has proven to be essential for countries to obtain a thorough understanding of the variants and lineages being imported and successfully established within their borders. During 2020, genomic surveillance in Belgium was not structurally implemented but performed by individual research laboratories that had to acquire the necessary funds themselves to perform this important task. At the start of 2021, a nationwide genomic surveillance consortium was established in Belgium to markedly increase the country’s genomic sequencing efforts (both in terms of intensity and representativeness), to perform quality control among participating laboratories, and to enable coordination and collaboration of research projects and publications. We here discuss the genomic surveillance efforts in Belgium before and after the establishment of its genomic sequencing consortium, provide an overview of the specifics of the consortium, and explore more details regarding the scientific studies that have been published as a result of the increased number of Belgian SARS-CoV-2 genomes that have become available

Two Years of Genomic Surveillance in Belgium during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic to Attain Country-Wide Coverage and Monitor the Introduction and Spread of Emerging Variants.

peer reviewedAn adequate SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance strategy has proven to be essential for countries to obtain a thorough understanding of the variants and lineages being imported and successfully established within their borders. During 2020, genomic surveillance in Belgium was not structurally implemented but performed by individual research laboratories that had to acquire the necessary funds themselves to perform this important task. At the start of 2021, a nationwide genomic surveillance consortium was established in Belgium to markedly increase the country's genomic sequencing efforts (both in terms of intensity and representativeness), to perform quality control among participating laboratories, and to enable coordination and collaboration of research projects and publications. We here discuss the genomic surveillance efforts in Belgium before and after the establishment of its genomic sequencing consortium, provide an overview of the specifics of the consortium, and explore more details regarding the scientific studies that have been published as a result of the increased number of Belgian SARS-CoV-2 genomes that have become available

Nationwide quality assurance of high-throughput diagnostic molecular testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic : role of the Belgian National Reference Centre

Abstract: Since the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Belgium, UZ/KU Leuven has played a crucial role as the National Reference Centre (NRC) for respiratory pathogens, to be the first Belgian laboratory to develop and implement laboratory developed diagnostic assays for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and later to assess the quality of commercial kits. To meet the growing demand for decentralised testing, both clinical laboratories and government-supported high-throughput platforms were gradually deployed across Belgium. Consequently, the role of the NRC transitioned from a specialised testing laboratory to strengthening capacity and coordinating quality assurance. Here, we outline the measures taken by the NRC, the national public health institute Sciensano and the executing clinical laboratories to ensure effective quality management of molecular testing throughout the initial two years of the pandemic (March 2020 to March 2022)