Thermal disinfection is probably the oldest water treatment method ever used. Similarly to other disinfection processes, it targets the inactivation of pathogenic (micro)organisms present in water, wastewater and other media. In this work, a pilot-scale continuous-flow thermal disinfection system was …

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) form a highly promising class of bioplastics for the transition from fossil fuel-based plastics to bio-renewable and biodegradable plastics. Mixed microbial consortia (MMC) are known to be able to produce PHAs from organic waste streams. Knowledge of key-microbes and their …

Due to the depletion of fossil fuel resources and concern about increasing atmospheric CO2 levels, the production of microbial oil as source for energy and chemicals is considered as a sustainable alternative. A promising candidate strain for the production of microbial oil is the oleaginous yeast Schwanniomyces …

Decomposition is an ecosystem process, mainly important in the carbon and nitrogen cycles. When looking at what drives decomposition, there are three major drivers. These are plant litter quality, microbes and soil animals (detritivores). A large problem in understanding the decomposition process is …

Fungal contaminations cause problems in different industries worldwide. One of these is the production of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) which are used as biological pesticides. How these contaminations occur is often unclear. Because the production and formulation process is done partly in the open …

The experimental fishing method of pulse trawling was initially developed to decrease fuel consumption rates of flatfish fisheries in the North Sea targeting common sole (Solea solea). By replacing tickler chains with electrodes, the targeted fish is immobilised until it enters the net by using electrical …

Corals harbor complex and diverse microbial communities that strongly impact host ftness and resistance to diseases, but these microbes themselves can be infuenced by stresses, like those caused by the presence of macroscopic symbionts. In addition to directly infuencing the host, symbionts may transmit …

Introduction: This prospective study aimed to study the composition and structure of the vaginal microbiota prior to Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Methods: A nested case-control study was performed in 122 women, half of which acquired C. trachomatis within a year after their first visit. At the first …

Climate change is a major contributor to the range shifts of several organisms such as plant species. A range is the geographical area where a species can be found and it is possible for plant species to undergo a range shift while still being present in their original one. These plants are called range-expanders. …

Accumulating evidence dismisses the idea that bacteria are solitary bugs, living a completely independent existence. Instead, this definition is being replaced by the notion that bacteria are intimately communicating organisms holding tight relations to one another. One such process through which this …