Welcome to the Laboratory of Gene Technology
As part of the Department of Biosystems (Divsion of Gene Technology), our lab focuses its research towards(comparative) genomics and proteome analysis on a variety of biological systems, primarily focused towards micro-organisms and bacteriophage biology at this time.
We are continuously looking for collaborations with labs worldwide, for students interested in making internships (Erasmus, Masters thesis),their PhD or for visiting scholars at the postdoctoral level.
Within the faculty of Bioscience engineering, we contribute to classes involving Bioinformatics & Genome technology, Gene and protein technology and Applied biotechnology.
The importance of viruses as model organisms is well-established in molecular biology and Max Delbrück's phage group set standards in the DNA phage field. RNA phages, discovered in the 1960s, were also instrumental in the making of molecular biology. As part of experimental systems, RNA phages stood for messenger RNA (mRNA), genes and genome. This paper by Jérôme Pierrel focuses on Walter Fiers' laboratory and their work on the RNA phage MS2.
Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, bus 2462
3001 Leuven (Heverlee)
fax: +32 (0)16/32.19.65
Belgium
Research Updates
We investigated the influence of minor genomic deletions and insertions on various phenotypic and serological properties of ten different isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophage phiKMV. These phages display a surprisingly large variation in latent period and host range despite the strong genome similarity while point mutations in tail and spike proteins were sufficient to evade neutralization by phage-specific antisera. These properties are useful elements for the application of these phages in phage therapy. Virology Journal
A review by Callewaert et al., published in Current opinion in Biotechnology, focuses on the (potential) applications of bacterial cell wall hydrolases in food industry, to detect and combat foodborne pathogens.
The use of bacteriophage-derived endolysins against Gram-negative bacteria was assessed using a combination of lysins and outer membrane permeabilizing agents, proving to be active against P. aeruginosa in an in vitro setting. These data are being published in Journal of Applied Microbiology.
The present opinion paper, published in Pharmaceutical research, summarizes the views and discussion of an intenational consortium of phage researchers. It focuses on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats concerning the use of bacteriophage therapy as an antibacterial treatment method.