Microbiology
Emerging Applications of Microbes (3rd edition)
6-7 November 2025, Leuven, Belgium
Emerging Applications of Microbes (3rd edition)
Emerging Applications of Microbes (3rd edition)
Keep me postedAdd to calendar
Irina Borodina
Nico Callewaert
Rob Lavigne
Joleen Masschelein
Jeroen Raes
Han Remaut
Kevin Verstrepen
Evy Vierstraete
After two successful editions VIB is proud to present the 3rd edition of Emerging Applications in Microbiology.
Microbiology is at the forefront of scientific and technological advancements, offering innovative solutions to global challenges. This conference will delve into cutting-edge applications, from sustainable agriculture and bioremediation to breakthroughs in human and animal health, circular economy innovations, and next-generation food technologies. We will also spotlight microbial cell factories, synthetic biology, and microbial engineering as key drivers of progress in industrial and applied microbiology.
This international gathering will bring together leading experts, researchers, and innovators to present the transformative potential of microbes across diverse fields:
- Applications in human & animal health
- Applications in agriculture & bioremediation
- Microbial cell factories
- Circular economy
- Synthetic Biology and microbial engineering
- Food technology
Join us to exchange ideas, foster collaborations, and explore how microbes are shaping the future of science and industry.
Abstracts & travel grants
Submit your abstract for a poster and/or oral presentation before the deadline of 4 September 2025. All accepted poster submissions will have a chance to win the Nature Microbiology Poster Prize.
We offer travel grants to international junior scientists, which will reimburse travel costs up to 400 Euros. The deadline to participate is 13 August 2025.
Confirmed speakers
Karel De Winter
Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, BE
Fernando Rivero-Pino
Fernando Rivero-Pino
Regulatory Scientist & Toxicologist at ATOVA Regulatory Consulting, ES
Program
Day 1 - Thursday, 06 November, 2025
08:30
08:50
Welcome coffee & registration
08:50
09:00
Welcome words
by Kevin Verstrepen
09:00
10:45
Plenary session 1: Applications in human & animal health
Chair: Joleen Masschelein
09:00
09:30
What role do phage play in microbiome composition and functionality?
Colin Hill
University College Cork, IE
09:30
10:00
Enabling phage therapy with bioengineering
Zeinab Hosseinidoust
McMaster University, CA
10:00
10:30
The molecular treasure hunt for novel bioactives
Tilmann Weber
Technical University of Denmark, DK
10:30
10:45
Towards Real-Time In-Vivo Monitoring of Microbiome Activity
Arjan Tibbe
imec-OnePlanet, NL
Selected from abstracts
10:45
11:15
Coffee break
11:15
12:35
Plenary session 2: Applications in agriculture & bioremediation
Chair: Sarah Lebeer
11:15
11:45
Adapting Microbial Cell Factories to Explore Phytohormone Metabolism
Yanran Li
UCSD, US
11:45
12:15
An integrated technology pipeline for the development of superior agricultural biologicals
Steven Vandenabeele
Chief Technology Officer at Aphea.Bio, BE
12:15
12:30
From Cell to Community: Unlocking Microbial Diversity with Single-Cell Genomics
Linas Tamosaitis
Atrandi Biosciences, LT
Selected from abstracts
12:30
12:35
A brief introduction to the funding opportunities by the European Research Council (ERC)
Alessandra Ferrari
European Research Council, BE
12:35
13:20
Lunch
13:20
14:10
Poster session 1
14:10
16:10
Plenary session 3: Microbial cell factories
Chair: Han Remaut
14:10
14:40
Discovery and engineered biosynthesis of novel bioactives from human mouth
Wenjun Zhang
University of California Berkeley, US
14:40
15:10
Rational and evolutionary engineering of one-carbon assimilation and bioproduction in bacteria
Pablo Ivan Nikel
Technical University of Denmark, DK
15:10
15:40
Transforming C1 Feedstocks into Biomaterials: Microbial innovation for a sustainable future
Karel De Winter
Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, BE
15:40
15:55
Metabolic engineering to enhance production of the underexplored antimalarial premarineosin A
Filipa Pereira
University of Michigan, US
Selected from abstracts
15:55
16:10
Establishing a Scalable Platform Process for VHH-Fc Antibody Manufacturing in Pichia pastoris
Semiramis Yilmaz
VIB - Center for Medical Biotechnology, BE; Ghent University, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, BE
Selected from abstracts
16:10
16:40
Coffee break
16:40
17:55
Plenary session 4: Circular economy
Chair: Han Remaut
16:40
16:55
Charting the biosynthetic landscape of a novel class of bioactive specialized lipids
Fatima El Arnouki Belhaji
Laboratory for Biomolecular Discovery and Engineering, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, BE; VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, BE
Selected from abstracts
16:55
17:25
Mycelium-based material applications with filamentous fungi: connecting fungal biology to material properties
Eveline Peeters
VUB, BE
17:25
17:55
Yeast as polyphosphate catalysts - contributions to a circular phosphate economy
Lars Blank
RWTH Aachen University, DE
18:00
19:00
Reception
19:00
22:00
Social activity & conference dinner
Day 2 - Friday, 07 November, 2025
08:30
09:00
Welcome coffee
09:00
12:45
Plenary session 5: Synthetic Biology and microbial engineering
Chair: Rob Lavigne
09:00
09:30
Coordination of metabolism through metabolite-protein interactions
Uwe Sauer
ETH Zurich, CH
09:30
10:00
Microbial synthesis of value-added products
Huimin Zhao
University of Illinois, US
10:00
10:30
Harnessing the Chemistry of Natural Products
Sarah O'Connor
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, DE
10:30
10:45
Beyond model organisms: creating the framework to correctly annotate the function of microbial proteins using Pseudomonas putida KT2440 as a case study
Valérie de Crécy-Lagard
University of Florida, US
Selected from abstracts
10:45
11:15
Coffee break
11:15
11:45
Programming bacterial populations by breaking symmetry
Abram Aertsen
KU Leuven, BE
11:45
12:15
Programmable RNA antibiotics reveal essential genes in phage-host interplay
Jörg Vogel
Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, DE
12:15
12:30
A bacterial discovery platform uncovers small cyclic peptides with the ability to effectively disaggregate human patient-derived tau fibrils and fully rescue cognitive function in small animal models of Alzheimer’s disease
Georgios Skretas
National Hellenic Research Foundation, GR
Selected from abstracts
12:30
12:45
Microbiome-driven production of specialized peptides from vaginal Lactobacillus crispatus for targeted live biotherapeutic applications
Jelle Dillen
Laboratory of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, BE
Selected from abstracts
12:45
13:30
Lunch
13:30
14:20
Poster session 2
14:20
17:25
Plenary session 6: Food technology
Chair: Jeroen Raes
14:20
14:50
“Inside out”: The implications of bacterial immune systems in start culture development
Jennifer Mahony
University College Cork, IE
14:50
15:10
Rewriting the story of meat: Myoglobin, from strain to product
Ben Souffriau
Chief Innovation Officer at Paleo, BE
15:10
15:30
Food and food ingredients of microbial origin – Safety risk assessment in Europe
Ana Afonso
Nutrition & Food Innovation Head of Unit at EFSA, IT
15:30
15:50
Panel discussion: The approval procedure for food produced through precision fermentation in the EU (moderator: Kevin Verstrepen)
Ana Afonso
Nutrition & Food Innovation Head of Unit at EFSA, IT
Fernando Rivero-Pino
Regulatory Scientist & Toxicologist at ATOVA Regulatory Consulting, ES
Wim Soetaert
Founder at InBio.be, BE
Ben Souffriau
Chief Innovation Officer at Paleo, BE
Moderator: Kevin Verstrepen
15:50
16:25
Coffee break
16:25
16:55
From lab to table: harnessing fungi for sustainable and delicious foods
Vayu Hill-Maini
Stanford University, US
16:55
17:25
Mapping fermented food biodiversity for discovery of novel microbial cultures and products
Nicholas Bokulich
ETH Zurich, CH
17:25
17:35
Closing words
by Joleen Masschelein
Organizing committee
Irina Borodina
DTU BIOSUSTAIN, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, DK
Nico Callewaert
VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, BE
Rob Lavigne
Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, BE
Sarah Lebeer
Antwerp University, BE
Joleen Masschelein
VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, BE
Jeroen Raes
VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, BE
Han Remaut
VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, BE
Kevin Verstrepen
VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, BE
Evy Vierstraete
VIB Training & Conferences, BE
Abstracts
Poster information
The format for your poster should be: A0 (841 x 1189 mm / 33.1 x 46.8 in), portrait orientation. All accepted poster submissions will have a chance to win the Nature Microbiology Poster Prize!
The full list of abstracts will be available on 23-10-2025 until 07-02-2026
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
Attendees
The full list of attendees will be available on 23-10-2025 until 07-02-2026
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
Sponsors
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