Research Projects
- Home
- Research Projects
Our projects
Immupromat
SunUp
PorcBiota
Pro Immunitum
Biotech4Food
Project
Immupromat - Win2Wal 2019
- The description of the patent can be summarized as follows: Probiotics for the prevention or treatment of viral respiratory infections.
- Patent Filing number PCT/EP2023/061384
- Publication number WO 2023/209224
- Academic partners
- ULB / IMI – Institut d’Immunologie Médicale, Prof. Véronique Flamand (Coordinator)
- ULB / Pharma – Département de Pharmacothérapie et de Pharmacie Galénique, Prof. David Vermijlen (Lecturer)
- UCL / LDRI – Louvain Drug Research Intitute, Prof. Amandine Everard
|
|
Project
SuNup - Wagralim cluster project call n°30
Project title: ‘Optimisation of fermentation and drying conditions for micro-organisms with the aim of developing dry and active sourdoughs, starters and probiotics’.
Context: Generally speaking, today’s major consumer trends are focused on naturalness, craftsmanship and maintaining good health. Puratos and Vésale Pharma, the two industrial partners in the SuNuP project, are responding to the criteria sought by today’s consumers by offering sourdough, an ancestral bakery ingredient, and probiotics, recognised for their positive effects on health.
Objective: The SuNuP project aims to understand the different mechanisms involved in the resistance of micro-organisms to drying using an integrated analytical approach: from the cultivation stage at laboratory level in a mini-bioreactor to drying on a pilot scale. The overall objective will be to find the best compromise, within the spectrum of drying techniques available, between product quality and the energy efficiency of the process.
To achieve this objective, three academic partners have joined the consortium, namely ULB’s Transferts, Interfaces et Procédés (TIPS) laboratory, the Biosystems Modeling and Control (3BIO-BioControl) laboratory and the Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI) laboratory, whose respective areas of expertise are characterisation and modelling of the phenomena involved in drying, the modelling and parametric estimation of biological systems in order to optimise and regulate these systems, and the ‘single cell’ analysis of microbial populations and the conduct of culture in reactors.
Vésale Pharma has in-depth expertise in the encapsulation of micro-organisms, which it will use in the SuNuP project. Puratos has expertise in yeast and sourdough fermentation. In addition, he will take on the role of coordinator, a role he has already played with the Aliferm, VOCALisE and Single Cell projects.
Partnership and references:
- Consortium
The research activities of the SunUp project have received financial support from Wallonia as part of call for projects n°30 organized by the Wagralim Cluster.
 |  |
Project
PorcBiota - Wagralim cluster project call n°19
Project title: ‘Development of a ‘synbiotic*’ formula as a feed additive to modulate the proper functioning of the pig’s immune system from birth to adulthood’.
Context: In pig production, the most critical period is piglet weaning. At this point, around 3 to 4 weeks old, the animal undergoes a radical change of diet and is exposed to numerous bacterial infections. For this reason, antibiotics (AB) are widely used around weaning.
Following an increase in cases of bacterial resistance to ABs in humans and animals, the authorities have set the target of reducing their use by at least 50% by 2020.
Objective: The Porcbiota project aims to provide a real alternative in the form of a synbiotic, made up of innovative pre- and probiotics, and administered via the feed around the time when piglets are born. The result will be early modulation of the piglets’ intestinal microbiota and immune system, enabling the use of ABs to be reduced or even eliminated, while ensuring the performance and welfare of the animals and the profitability of the farm.
* The synbiotic effect has been defined as the synergy of the effect of the probiotic and the prebiotic (1+1=3).
Patent: The project was completed in 2022 and led to a patent application.
- The description of the patent and its fields of application can be summarized as follows:
- The present patent invention relates to a symbiotic composition administrable to animals, in particular mammals, in particular pigs, preferably pregnant animals and newborns, in particular piglets.
- The composition comprises at least one probiotic and at least one prebiotic for the treatment or prevention of intestinal dysbiosis (imbalance), said composition being administered with the aim of improving the health conditions of the piglet.
- Patent Filing number PCT/EP2021/081889
- Publication number WO 2022/10155
Partnership and references:
- Consortium
 |  |  |  |  |
The PorcBiota project’s research activities received financial support from Wallonia under call for projects n°19 organized by the Wagralim Cluster.
| |
Project
Pro Immunitum - Wagralim cluster project call n°42
The Pro Immunitum project is a multi-disciplinary project that is part of a preventive approach to the development of an effective immune system, which is an important societal consequence of the Covid19 pandemic.
During the course of the project, a pilot study to measure the effects of the probiotic strain Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Imupronat® on the development of good immunity will be carried out by ULB’s Laboratory of Experimental Medicine.
The ULB Institute of Medical Immunology and the UMONS Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry will study the impact of this probiotic on specific markers of immunity and metabolism, using samples taken from mothers and their children.
Superbiotics will develop production processes that preserve the long-term metabolic stability of the probiotic strain, as well as an innovative formulation that can be easily industrialized. The new product will enable Superbiotics to expand its commercial activities in the growing segment of high value-added dietary supplements. Progenus will develop innovative and specific molecular methods, faster than the microbiological enumeration methods currently used.
Partnership and references:
- Academic partners
- ULB / LME – Laboratoire de médecine expérimentale, Prof. Karim Zouaoui Boudjeltia
- ULB / IMI – Institut d’Immunologie Médicale, Prof. Véronique Flamand
- UMONS / LBMM – Laboratoire de Biochimie Métabolique et Moléculaire, Prof. Anne-Émilie Declèves
|  |
- Industrial partners
- Superbiotics, Adrien Berger & France Fannes
- Progenus, Bénédicte Renaville & Prof. Céline Muys
|  |
Project
Biotech4Food
Objective : The Biotech4Food project aims to facilitate investment & innovation in new value chains between biotechnologies and the agro-food industry, thanks to interregional cooperation.The objectives are to make the agri-food industry more sustainable, with more circular efficient use of biomass resources, better adapted to consumer demands, and more responsive to nutrition, protein requirements, responding to nutrition, protein and health challenges for a sustainable agri-food system.
By bringing together and actively involving the ecosystems of the agri-food industry (mostly SMEs) and the biotechnology sector and by facilitating a co-creative process, research results can be implemented and valorised, and in the end lead to practical applications, new value chains, business and investments in the agri-food industry. In this way the Biotech4Food project will contribute to the development of a sustainable and resilient European food system as foreseen in the Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy.
Partnership and references:
Partners – I4CE – Ingredients for a Circular economy
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/biotech4food/
Website : https://i4ce.eu/biotech4food/
Contact us
If you are an agent, distributor or want to promote our products internationally.
