VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology

Want to join us at #Microbes25, but worried about travel costs? We’ve got you covered.
Next week is your last chance to apply for a travel grant. Don’t let this opportunity slip away.
🛬Final boarding call for a front row seat, apply here: vibbio.tech/40Rno8b #MicrobialBiotech #microbes #VIBConf

Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for co-production of ethanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol from sugarcane molasses 3-Methyl-1-butanol (3MB) is a promising renewable solvent, drop-in fuel, and precursor for various industrial products, including flavors, fragrances, and surfactants. Due to the myriad of intertwined...

🚀📄 Our lab is making the most of summer—another paper published! In this one, Sasha and the team managed to valorize a byproduct stream in bioethanol fermentation, laying the groundwork toward sustainable, high-value bioproduction.
Read all about it here👇: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

Postdoctoral position in human gut microbiome and bioinformatics - VIB About the Lab Thelab of JeroenRaes(VIB, KU Leuven) is home to a vibrant, dynamic and international group of researchers in the field of gut microbial ecology and its

We're hiring a postdoc!🚨

Study human-associated microbial communities in health & disease.

🔬Requirements:
- PhD in bioinformatics, microbiology, or related field
- Expertise in omics data analysis
- Micro & molecular bio techniques are a plus!

Apply now!🌟
jobs.vib.be/j/119682/pos...

🚨 We're hiring at the Vonesch lab!
Excited about CRISPR technology development, HT genetic screens, and exploring fundamental questions in genetics? Apply here!

🔬 Postdoctoral Researcher
jobs.vib.be/j/117184/pos...
🧪 Research Technician
jobs.vib.be/j/117186/res...

Metabolic engineering and adaptive laboratory evolution of Kluyveromyces Marxianus for lactic acid production - Microbial Cell Factories Background Poly lactic acid (PLA) is one of the most promising bioplastics due to its interesting mechanical and physical properties, low carbon footprint, and biodegradability. PLA is produced from l...

📃🥳 Excited to share our new paper! Jolien and colleagues highlight the power of combining biodiversity with precision metabolic engineering for sustainable microbial bioproduction.
Read all about it 👇: microbialcellfactories.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
#Kluyveromyces #LacticAcid #Bioplastics

Dietary convergence induces individual responses in faecal microbiome composition Background Dietary variation has been identified as a key contributor to microbiome diversification. However, assessing its true impact in a cross-sectional setting is complicated by biological confou...

📄 New collaborative publication:

"Dietary convergence induces individual responses in faecal microbiome composition"
Astrid Vermeulen et al., now in eGastroenterology.
🔗 egastroenterology.bmj.com/content/3/2/...
1/5🧵

🎉 Proud to announce that Doris van Bergeijk, postdoctoral researcher at @raeslab.org ( @kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social, @viblifesciences.bsky.social), has been awarded a Junior Postdoctoral Fellowship by @fwovlaanderen.bsky.social, to study how the gut microbiome can shape our mental health. 🧠🦠

💩🦠 Happy to present our paper on the engraftment of the enteric #virome in #UC patients receiving an #FMT-> temporal (~5 weeks) virome shift towards the healthy donor, primarily driven by #microviruses. @daanjansen.bsky.social @raeslab.org
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40371968/

Beyond CEN.PK - parallel engineering of selected S. cerevisiae strains reveals that superior chassis strains require different engineering approaches for limonene production Genetically engineered microbes are increasingly utilized to produce a broad range of high-value compounds. However, most studies start with only a ve…

📃🥳 Proud to share the latest research from our lab! Yanmei and colleagues used high-throughput screening and parallel metabolic engineering to optimize S. cerevisiae chassis strains for the production of limonene 🍋. You can read all about it here 👇: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Excited to welcome our new Agilent Revident Q-TOF! We’re developing new approaches combining mass spectrometry and enzyme assays to study microbial interactions and carbon sequestration. We're hiring postdocs — reach out if interested!

pontrellilab.sites.vib.be/en

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.

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

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

Want to learn more about Joleen's research? Listen to @viblifesciences.bsky.social's new podcast, Called to Science, where she talks about hunting microbes, being proactive, and the thrill of discovery. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Youtube! 🎧

🥳 Huge congratulations to Prof. Joleen Masschelein (@masscheleinlab.bsky.social, @viblifesciences.bsky.social, @kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social) for being awarded the 2025 EFMC Academia Prize!

🦠 Microbes are everywhere and changing the world. The 3rd edition of #Microbes25 is here for it. From the lab to real-world impact, don’t miss the opportunity to explore the latest in #microbiology. Join us in Leuven, Nov 6-7, 2025, vibbio.tech/4lGy968
#MicrobialBiotech #microbes #MicrobialEcology

PhD Position in AI in Microbiology - VIB About the labThe lab of Jeroen Raes (VIB, KU Leuven) is home to a vibrant, dynamic and international group of researchers in the field of gut microbial ecology and its clinical applications. In additi...

🚨PhD position in AI in Microbiology!

We’re looking for a PhD researcher passionate about developing automated systems for microbiological research.

🌍 More info & apply:
jobs.vib.be/j/109363/phd...
@vibmicrobes.bsky.social @vibai.bsky.social

Pontrelli lab Welcome to the lab of microbial metabolic and environmental interactions. We study how microbes capture carbon dioxide and sequester it in the ocean.

🎉 Huge congratulations to @sammy-pontrelli.bsky.social for obtaining a prestigious FWO Odysseus grant! 🎉

Sammy's research will investigate how microbes make "mistakes" to create accidental, long-lived molecules from carbon dioxide! Find out more here:
pontrellilab.sites.vib.be/en

home.vib.be#/news/feed/m...
pers.vlaamsbrabant.be/provincie-ze...

🥳 The province Vlaams-Brabant has invested in the innovative MicrobeSpotter project of @michielslab.bsky.social (in collab with @viblifesciences.bsky.social, @kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social, Imec and Comate) aiming to revolutionize UTI treatment with faster diagnosis & reduced antibiotic use!

Pontrelli lab Welcome to the lab of microbial metabolic and environmental interactions. We study how microbes capture carbon dioxide and sequester it in the ocean.

We're a starting lab at KU Leuven and VIB (@vibmicrobes.bsky.social @viblifesciences.bsky.social) with our own mass specs and microbiology setups that you can use at your heart's delight!

pontrellilab.sites.vib.be/en

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

Postdoctoral position in bioinformatics of the human gut microbiome - VIB About the Lab Thelab of JeroenRaes(VIB, KU Leuven) is home to a vibrant, dynamic and international group of researchers in the field of gut microbial ecology and its clinical applications

We're hiring a postdoc!🚨

Study human-associated microbial communities in health & disease.

🔬Requirements:
- PhD in bioinformatics, microbiology, or related field
- Expertise in omics
- Strong publication record

Apply now!🌟 jobs.vib.be/j/69697/post...
@vibmicrobes.bsky.social

Meet Sammy Pontrelli, who looks at marine microbes to learn about carbon sequestration Sammy Pontrelli joins the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology as group leader and KU Leuven as Assistant Professor

🌊 Marine microbes can not only capture carbon from the atmosphere but also integrate this carbon into stable, persistent molecules. New PI Sammy Pontrelli joined our center (@viblifesciences.bsky.social, @kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social) to unravel these microbes' secrets. 🤩 Read more: prez.ly/xCcd

Systematic mapping of antibiotic cross-resistance and collateral sensitivity with chemical genetics Nature Microbiology - Resistance to one antibiotic can make bacteria resistant or sensitive to another antibiotic, opening paths for combinatorial treatments. This study presents an approach to...

Thrilled to start our Bluesky journey by sharing this exciting work on mapping of antibiotic cross-resistance and collateral sensitivity
@typaslab.bsky.social @nazgulsakenova.bsky.social

rdcu.be/d2gwr

Composition and liquid-to-solid maturation of protein aggregates contribute to bacterial dormancy development and recovery Nature Communications - Recalcitrant infections are often caused by dormant bacteria, including persisters and viable but nonculturable cells. Here, the authors explore how composition and...

Proud to present our latest model of aggregation-induced dormancy, published in #NatureComms @liselotdewachter.bsky.social

rdcu.be/d7EcI

🔬 New research by @michielslab.bsky.social @liselotdewachter.bsky.social @vibmicrobes.bsky.social in @naturecomms.bsky.social shows how protein 'clumps' drive bacteria into a state of dormancy, with implications for antibiotic resistance. ➡️ Read here vibbio.tech/40Qxc2M
🙌 FWO Vlaanderen - KU Leuven

🍺 This month, the Verstrepen lab has been featured in 2 international podcasts on their non-alcoholic beer research! ✨
Listen to them here: cfm.sites.vib.be/en/news#/new...

Management / Executive Assistant - VIB Who we are The VIB – KU Leuven Center for Microbiology is part of KU Leuven and VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology). We have a long-standing and successful history of translating scientific bre...

📣We are looking for an ✨executive admin✨to ensure that our center (@vibmicrobes.bsky.social) and lab keeps running strong 💪
Want to join a young, dynamic and international team of scientists and admins? See and apply here 👇
jobs.vib.be/j/100273/man...

🚀 Today is the launch of the exciting #PerPrevCID project, in which the @raeslab.org is collaborating!
Its mission is to optimise patient outcomes for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Curious to know more? 🔗 www.perprev-cid.eu
#EUfunded #RA #IBD

Postdoctoral position in bioinformatics of the human gut microbiome - VIB About the Lab Thelab of JeroenRaes(VIB, KU Leuven) is home to a vibrant, dynamic and international group of researchers in the field of gut microbial ecology and its clinical applications

🚨 We're hiring a postdoc! 🚨

Study human-associated microbial communities in health & disease.

🔬 Requirements:

PhD in bioinformatics, microbiology, or related field
Expertise in omics
Strong publication record

jobs.vib.be/j/69697/post...
Apply now! 🌟 @vibmicrobes.bsky.social