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Author (down) Asapu, R.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Claes, N.; Blommaerts, N.; Minjauw, M.; Ahmad, T.; Dendooven, J.; Cool, P.; Bals, S.; Denys, S.; Detavernier, C.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Plasmonic Near-Field Localization of Silver Core–Shell Nanoparticle Assemblies via Wet Chemistry Nanogap Engineering Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication ACS applied materials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal Acs Appl Mater Inter  
  Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 41577-41585  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Silver nanoparticles are widely used in the field of plasmonics because of their unique optical properties. The wavelength-dependent surface plasmon resonance gives rise to a strongly enhanced electromagnetic field, especially at so-called hot spots located in the nanogap in-between metal nanoparticle assemblies. Therefore, the interparticle distance is a decisive factor in plasmonic applications, such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In this study, the aim is to engineer this interparticle distance for silver nanospheres using a convenient wet-chemical approach and to predict and quantify the corresponding enhancement factor using both theoretical and experimental tools. This was done by building a tunable ultrathin polymer shell around the nanoparticles using the layer-by-layer method, in which the polymer shell acts as the separating interparticle spacer layer. Comparison of different theoretical approaches and corroborating the results with SERS analytical experiments using silver and silver−polymer core−shell nanoparticle clusters as SERS substrates was also done. Herewith, an approach is provided to estimate the extent of plasmonic near-field enhancement both theoretically as well as experimentally.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000417005900057 Publication Date 2017-11-29  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1944-8244 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.504 Times cited 29 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes financial support through a research fellowship. C.D. wishes to thank the Hercules foundation for the financial support (SPINAL). P.C. and R.-G.C. acknowledge financial support by FWO Vlaanderen (project no. G038215N). N.C. and S.B. acknowledge the financial support from the European Research Council (ERC starting grant #335078-COLOURATOM). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 7.504  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147243 Serial 4804  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Asapu, R. url  openurl
  Title A study of plasmonic systems using Layer-by-Layer synthesized core-shell nanoparticles Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2018 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 142 p.  
  Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:153373 Serial 8603  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Anibas, C.; Schneidewind, U.; Vandersteen, G.; Joris, I.; Seuntjens, P.; Batelaan, O. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title From streambed temperature measurements to spatial-temporal flux quantification : using the LPML method to study groundwater-surface water interaction Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Hydrological processes Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 30 Issue 2 Pages 203-216  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Knowledge on groundwater-surface water interaction and especially on exchange fluxes between streams and aquifers is an important prerequisite for the study of transport and fate of contaminants and nutrients in the hyporheic zone. One possibility to quantify groundwater-surface water exchange fluxes is by using heat as an environmlental tracer. Modern field equipment including multilevel temperature sticks and the novel open-source analysis tool LPML make this technique ever more attractive. The recently developed LPML method solves the one-dimensional fluid flow and heat transport equation by combining a local polynomial method with a maximum likelihood estimator. In this study, we apply the LPML method on field data to quantify the spatial and temporal variability of vertical fluxes and their uncertainties from temperature-time series measured in a Belgian lowland stream. Over several months, temperature data were collected with multilevel temperature sticks at the streambed top and at six depths for a small stream section. Long-term estimates show a range from gaining fluxes of -291 mm day(-1) to loosing fluxes of 12 mm day(-1); average seasonal fluxes ranged from -138 mm day(-1) in winter to -16 mm day(-1) in summer. With our analyses, we could determine a high spatial and temporal variability of vertical exchange fluxes for the investigated stream section. Such spatial and temporal variability should be taken into account in biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nutrients and metals and in fate analysis of contaminant plumes. In general, the stream section was gaining during most of the observation period. Two short-term high stream stage events, seemingly caused by blockage of the stream outlet, led to a change in flow direction from gaining to losing conditions. We also found more discharge occurring at the outer stream bank than at the inner one indicating a local flow-through system. With the conducted analyses, we were able to advance our understanding of the regional groundwater flow system. Copyright (C) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000369164900004 Publication Date 2015-06-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0885-6087 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:131587 Serial 7986  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Alvarado-Alvarado, A.A.; Smets, W.; Irga, P.; Denys, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Engineering green wall botanical biofiltration to abate indoor volatile organic compounds : a review on mechanisms, phyllosphere bioaugmentation, and modeling Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication Journal of hazardous materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 465 Issue Pages 133491-16  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Indoor air pollution affects the global population, especially in developed countries where people spend around 90% of their time indoors. The recent pandemic exacerbated the exposure by relying on indoor spaces and a teleworking lifestyle. VOCs are a group of indoor air pollutants with harmful effects on human health at low concentrations. It is widespread that plants can remove indoor VOCs. To this day, research has combined principles of phytoremediation, biofiltration, and bioremediation into a holistic and sustainable technology called botanical biofiltration. Overall, it is sustained that its main advantage is the capacity to break down and biodegrade pollutants using low energy input. This differs from traditional systems that transfer VOCs to another phase. Furthermore, it offers additional benefits like decreased indoor air health costs, enhanced work productivity, and well-being. However, many disparities exist within the field regarding the role of plants, substrate, and phyllosphere bacteria. Yet their role has been theorized; its stability is poorly known for an engineering approach. Previous research has not addressed the bioaugmentation of the phyllosphere to increase the performance, which could boost the system. Moreover, most experiments have studied passive potted plant systems at a lab scale using small chambers, making it difficult to extrapolate findings into tangible parameters to engineer the technology. Active systems are believed to be more efficient yet require more maintenance and knowledge expertise; besides, the impact of the active flow on the long term is not fully understood. Besides, modeling the system has been oversimplified, limiting the understanding and optimization. This review sheds light on the field’s gains and gaps, like concepts, experiments, and modeling. We believe that embracing a multidisciplinary approach encompassing experiments, multiphysics modeling, microbial community analysis, and coworking with the indoor air sector will enable the optimization of the technology and facilitate its adoption.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2024-01-11  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3894 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor 13.6 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 13.6; 2024 IF: 6.065  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202311 Serial 9030  
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Author (down) Alvarado-Alvarado, A.A.; De Bock, A.; Ysebaert, T.; Belmans, B.; Denys, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Modeling the hygrothermal behavior of green walls in Comsol Multiphysics® : validation against measurements in a climate chamber Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Building and environment Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 238 Issue Pages 110377-12  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings  
  Abstract Green walls (GW) can diminish building's surface temperature through shading, insulation, and evapotranspiration mechanisms. These can be analyzed by computer models that account for heat and mass transfer phenomena. However, most previous models were one-dimensional thermal simulations in which boundary conditions (BC), like convective moisture transport, were not or only partly considered. The present work proposes a more comprehensive way to predict GW's hygrothermal behavior by integrating a 3D multiphysics model that couples heat and moisture transport in Comsol Multiphysics®. The air cavity that usually separates the GW from the building was also considered. Heat sink terms were added to represent plants' transpiration and substrates' evaporation, considering the leaf area density (LAD) and substrate's water saturation (Sr). The model was validated against experiments where four green wall-test panels (GW-TPs) were evaluated in a climate chamber under steady-state conditions. This provides a much sounder approach for validation than what currently exists (r = 0.97; RMSE = 0.33 °C). The four GW-TPs decreased the masonry's surface temperature in the range of 0.89–1.14 °C (0.97 ± 0.11 SD °C). The average contribution of the evapotranspiration effect was 30%, whereas the contribution of the air cavity was 60.7 ± 0.09%. The temperature at the substrate's rear was reduced on average by 0.57 ± 0.15 SD °C. When solar radiation was considered as a BC, the GW-TPs decreased the building's surface temperature by 10 °C. Lastly, high values of LAD and Sr translated into increased temperature reduction values.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001001412600001 Publication Date 2023-05-02  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0360-1323 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 7.4; 2023 IF: 4.053  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:196467 Serial 8899  
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Author (down) Alloul, A.; Wuyts, S.; Lebeer, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Volatile fatty acids impacting phototrophic growth kinetics of purple bacteria : paving the way for protein production on fermented wastewater Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Water research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 152 Issue Pages 138-147  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Nutrient losses in our food chain severely surpass our planetary boundaries. Resource recovery can contribute to mitigation, for instance through converting wastewater resources to microbial protein for animal feed. Wastewater typically holds a complex mixture of organics, posing a challenge to selectively produce heterotrophic biomass. Ensuring the product's quality could be achieved by anaerobic generation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) followed by photoheterotrophic production of purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) with infrared light. This study aimed to determine the most suitable PNSB culture for VFA conversion and map the effect of acetate, propionate, butyrate and a VFA mixture on growth and biomass yield. Six cultures were screened in batch: (i) Rhodopseudomonas palustris, (ii) Rhodobacter sphaeroides, (iii) Rhodospirillum rubrum, (iv) a 3-species synthetic community (i+ii+iii), (v) a community enriched on VFA holding Rb. capsulatus, and (vi) Rb. capsulatus (isolate v). The VFA mixture elevated growth rates with a factor 1.32.5 compared to individual VFA. Rb. capsulatus showed the highest growth rates: 1.82.2 d−1 (enriched) and 2.33.8 d−1 (isolated). In a photobioreactor (PBR) inoculated with the Rb. capsulatus enrichment, decreasing sludge retention time (SRT) yielded lower biomass concentrations, yet increased productivities, reaching 1.7 g dry weight (DW) L−1 d−1, the highest phototrophic rate reported thus far, and a growth rate of up to 5 d−1. PNSB represented 2657% of the community and the diversity index was low (37), with a dominance of Rhodopseudomonas at long SRT and Rhodobacter at short SRT. The biomass yield for all cultures, in batch and reactor cultivation, approached 1 g CODBiomass g−1 CODRemoved. An economic estimation for a two-stage approach on brewery wastewater (load 2427 kg COD d−1) showed that 0.5 d SRT allowed for the lowest production cost ( 10 kg−1 DW; equal shares for capex and opex). The findings strengthen the potential for a novel two-stage approach for resource recovery from industrial wastewater, enabling high-rate PNSB production.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000458223900013 Publication Date 2018-12-27  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:156462 Serial 8739  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Alloul, A.; Wille, M.; Lucenti, P.; Bossier, P.; Van Stappen, G.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Purple bacteria as added-value protein ingredient in shrimp feed : Penaeus vannamei growth performance, and tolerance against Vibrio and ammonia stress Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Aquaculture Abbreviated Journal Aquaculture  
  Volume 530 Issue Pages 735788  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Aquafeeds contain protein ingredients such as fishmeal and soybean meal, yet their production puts pressure on the environment. Finding novel protein sources such as dried microbial biomass produced on recovered or renewable resources, so-called single-cell protein or microbial protein, can contribute to a more sustainable aquaculture industry. New microbial protein sources are emerging with photoheterotrophic grown purple non‑sulfur bacteria (PNSB) showing high potential, yet research of PNSB as added-value protein ingredient is limited. This research studied their use as a protein source for the white leg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) and investigated the shrimp's tolerance against Vibrio and ammonia stress. A 28-day shrimp feeding trial was performed with a commercial formulation without PNSB as experimental control (diet i), two pure PNSB species, namely Rhodopseudomonas palustris (diets ii-iii), Rhodobacter capsulatus (diets iv-v) at two protein inclusion levels of 5 and 11 g PNSBprotein 100 g−1 feedprotein and a PNSB enriched culture at a protein inclusion level of 11 g PNSBprotein 100 g−1 feedprotein (diet vi). For the shrimp fed with Rb. capsulatus, 5–25% higher individual weights (p < .05) and better feed conversion ratios were observed relative to the commercial diet (1.3–1.4 vs. control 1.7 g feed g−1 biomass; p < .05). The diet containing Rps. palustris at 5 g PNSBprotein 100 g−1 feedprotein inclusion also showed higher individual weights (26%, p < .05) and a better feed conversion ratio compared to the commercial feed (1.3 vs. control 1.7 g feed g−1 biomass; p < .05). The challenge test subsequent to the feeding trial showed a higher tolerance against ammonia (3 mg N L−1) for shrimp fed with Rps. palustris (survival 63–75% vs. 8% commercial diet; p < .05). For a post-feeding challenge test with Vibrio parahaemolyticus TW01, mortality rates were equal among all treatments. Yet, in vitro tests in 96-Well plates and agar spot assays showed that the PNSB species (i) Rps. palustris, (ii) Rb. capsulatus, (iii) Rb. sphaeroides, (iv) Rhodospirillum rubrum and (v) Afifella marina suppressed the pathogens V. parahaemolyticus TW01 and V. campbellii LMG 21363. Overall, this study demonstrated the potential of PNSB as an added-value protein ingredient in shrimp nursery feed. This can contribute to a circular economy, as PNSB can be cultivated on recovered or renewable resources (e.g. wastewater).  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000582169700073 Publication Date 2020-08-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0044-8486 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.57 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.57  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:170549 Serial 8429  
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Author (down) Alloul, A.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  openurl
  Title Towards upgrading of wastewater resources to microbial protein : volatile fatty acids impacting growth kinetics and yield of purple bacteria Type P3 Proceeding
  Year 2017 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 2 p. T2 - 5th IWA Benelux Young Water Professional  
  Keywords P3 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:151115 Serial 8683  
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Author (down) Alloul, A.; Van Kampen, W.; Cerruti, M.; Wittouck, S.; Pabst, M.; Weissbrodt, D.G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Exploring the role of antimicrobials in the selective growth of purple phototrophic bacteria through genome mining and agar spot assays Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Letters in applied microbiology Abbreviated Journal Lett Appl Microbiol  
  Volume 75 Issue 5 Pages 1275-1285  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Purple non-sulphur bacteria (PNSB) are an emerging group of microbes attractive for applied microbiology applications such as wastewater treatment, plant biostimulants, microbial protein, polyhydroxyalkanoates and H-2 production. These photoorganoheterotrophic microbes have the unique ability to grow selectively on organic carbon in anaerobic photobioreactors. This so-called selectivity implies that the microbial community will have a low diversity and a high abundance of a particular PNSB species. Recently, it has been shown that certain PNSB strains can produce antimicrobials, yet it remains unclear whether these contribute to competitive inhibition. This research aimed to understand which type of antimicrobial PNSB produce and identify whether these compounds contribute to their selective growth. Mining 166 publicly-available PNSB genomes using the computational tool BAGEL showed that 59% contained antimicrobial encoding regions, more specifically biosynthetic clusters of bacteriocins and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases. Inter- and intra-species inhibition was observed in agar spot assays for Rhodobacter blasticus EBR2 and Rhodopseudomonas palustris EBE1 with inhibition zones of, respectively, 5.1 and 1.5-5.7 mm. Peptidomic analysis detected a peptide fragment in the supernatant (SVLQLLR) that had a 100% percentage identity match with a known non-ribosomal peptide synthetase with antimicrobial activity.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000837055500001 Publication Date 2022-07-29  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0266-8254 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 2.4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.4  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189519 Serial 7162  
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Author (down) Alloul, A.; Spanoghe, J.; Machado, D.; Vlaeminck, S.E. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Unlocking the genomic potential of aerobes and phototrophs for the production of nutritious and palatable microbial food without arable land or fossil fuels Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Microbial biotechnology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 6-12  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract The increasing world population and living standards urgently necessitate the transition towards a sustainable food system. One solution is microbial protein, i.e. using microbial biomass as alternative protein source for human nutrition, particularly based on renewable electron and carbon sources that do not require arable land. Upcoming green electrification and carbon capture initiatives enable this, yielding new routes to H2, CO2 and CO2-derived compounds like methane, methanol, formic- and acetic acid. Aerobic hydrogenotrophs, methylotrophs, acetotrophs and microalgae are the usual suspects for nutritious and palatable biomass production on these compounds. Interestingly, these compounds are largely un(der)explored for purple non-sulfur bacteria, even though these microbes may be suitable for growing aerobically and phototrophically on these substrates. Currently, selecting the best strains, metabolisms and cultivation conditions for nutritious and palatable microbial food mainly starts from empirical growth experiments, and mostly does not stretch beyond bulk protein. We propose a more target-driven and efficient approach starting from the genome-embedded potential to tuning towards, for instance, essential amino- and fatty acids, vitamins, taste,... Genome-scale metabolic models combined with flux balance analysis will facilitate this, narrowing down experimental variations and enabling to get the most out of the 'best' combinations of strain and electron and carbon sources.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000613868600001 Publication Date 2021-02-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1751-7915 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.7  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176174 Serial 7225  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Alloul, A.; Muys, M.; Hertoghs, N.; Kerckhof, F.-M.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Cocultivating aerobic heterotrophs and purple bacteria for microbial protein in sequential photo- and chemotrophic reactors Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Bioresource Technology Abbreviated Journal Bioresource Technol  
  Volume 319 Issue Pages 124192  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Aerobic heterotrophic bacteria (AHB) and purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) are typically explored as two separate types of microbial protein, yet their properties as respectively a bulk and added-value feed ingredient make them appealing for combined use. The feasibility of cocultivation in a sequential photo- and chemotrophic approach was investigated. First, mapping the chemotrophic growth kinetics for four Rhodobacter, Rhodopseudomonas and Rhodospirillum species on different carbon sources showed a preference for fructose (µmax 2.4–3.9 d−1 28 °C; protein 36–59%DW). Secondly, a continuous photobioreactor inoculated with Rhodobacter capsulatus (VFA as C-source) delivered the starter culture for an aerobic batch reactor (fructose as C-source). This two-stage system showed an improved nutritional quality compared to AHB production: higher protein content (45–71%DW), more attractive amino/fatty acid profile and contained up to 10% PNSB. The findings strengthen protein production with cocultures and might enable the implementation of the technology for resource recovery on streams such as wastewater.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000613136600013 Publication Date 2020-09-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0960-8524 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.651 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.651  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:171766 Serial 7677  
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Author (down) Alloul, A.; Moradvandi, A.; Puyol, D.; Molina, R.; Gardella, G.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; De Schutter, B.; Abraham, E.; Lindeboom, R.E.F.; Weissbrodt, D.G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A novel mechanistic modelling approach for microbial selection dynamics : towards improved design and control of raceway reactors for purple bacteria Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Bioresource technology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 390 Issue Pages 129844-129849  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) show an underexplored potential for resource recovery from wastewater. Raceway reactors offer a more affordable full-scale solution on wastewater and enable useful additional aerobic processes. Current mathematical models of PPB systems provide useful mechanistic insights, but do not represent the full metabolic versatility of PPB and thus require further advancement to simulate the process for technology development and control. In this study, a new modelling approach for PPB that integrates the photoheterotrophic, and both anaerobic and aerobic chemoheterotrophic metabolic pathways through an empirical parallel metabolic growth constant was proposed. It aimed the modelling of microbial selection dynamics in competition with aerobic and anaerobic microbial community under different operational scenarios. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to identify the most influential parameters within the model and calibrate them based on experimental data. Process perturbation scenarios were simulated, which showed a good performance of the model.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001094606700001 Publication Date 2023-10-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0960-8524 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 11.4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 11.4; 2023 IF: 5.651  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:200035 Serial 8905  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Alloul, A.; Ganigue, R.; Spiller, M.; Meerburg, F.; Cagnetta, C.; Rabaey, K.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Capture-ferment-upgrade : a three-step approach for the valorization of sewage organics as commodities Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Environmental science and technology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 52 Issue 12 Pages 6729-6742  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract This critical review outlines a roadmap for the conversion of chemical oxygen demand (COD) contained in sewage to commodities based on three-steps: capture COD as sludge, ferment it to volatile fatty acids (VFA), and upgrade VFA to products. The article analyzes the state-of-the-art of this three step approach and discusses the bottlenecks and challenges. The potential of this approach is illustrated for the European Union's 28 member states (EU-28) through Monte Carlo simulations. High-rate contact stabilization captures the highest amount of COD (66-86 g COD person equivalent(-1) day(-1) in 60% of the iterations). Combined with thermal hydrolysis, this would lead to a VFA-yield of 23-44 g COD person equivalent(-1) day(-1). Upgrading VFA generated by the EU-28 would allow, in 60% of the simulations, for a yearly production of 0.2-2.0 megatonnes of esters, 0.7-1.4 megatonnes of polyhydroxyalkanoates or 0.6-2.2 megatonnes of microbial protein substituting, respectively, 20-273%, 70-140% or 21-72% of their global counterparts (i.e., petrochemical-based esters, bioplastics or fishmeal). From these flows, we conclude that sewage has a strong potential as biorefinery feedstock, although research is needed to enhance capture, fermentation and upgrading efficiencies. These developments need to be supported by economic/environmental analyses and policies that incentivize a more sustainable management of our resources.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000436018900004 Publication Date 2018-05-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0013-936x; 1520-5851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:151968 Serial 7574  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Alloul, A.; Cerruti, M.; Adamczyk, D.; Weissbrodt, D.G.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Operational strategies to selectively produce purple bacteria for microbial protein in raceway reactors Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Environmental Science & Technology Abbreviated Journal Environ Sci Technol  
  Volume 55 Issue 12 Pages 8278-8286  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) show potential for microbial protein production on wastewater as animal feed. They offer good selectivity (i.e., low microbial diversity and high abundance of one species) when grown anaerobically in the light. However, the cost of closed anaerobic photobioreactors is prohibitive for protein production. Although open raceway reactors are cheaper, their feasibility to selectively grow PNSB is thus far unexplored. This study developed operational strategies to boost PNSB abundance in the biomass of a raceway reactor fed with volatile fatty acids. For a flask reactor run at a 2 day sludge retention time (SRT), matching the chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rate to the removal rate in the light period prevented substrate availability during the dark period and increased the PNSB abundance from 50-67 to 88-94%. A raceway reactor run at a 2 day SRT showed an increased PNSB abundance from 14 to 56% when oxygen supply was reduced (no stirring at night). The best performance was achieved at the highest surface-to-volume ratio (10 m(2) m(-3) increased light availability) showing productivities up to 0.2 g protein L-1 day(-1) and a PNSB abundance of 78%. This study pioneered in PNSB-based microbial protein production in raceway reactors, yielding high selectivity while avoiding the combined availability of oxygen, COD, and darkness.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000663939900051 Publication Date 2021-06-04  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0013-936x; 1520-5851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.198 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.198  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179768 Serial 8334  
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Author (down) Alloul, A.; Blansaer, N.; Cabecas Segura, P.; Wattiez, R.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Leroy, B. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Dehazing redox homeostasis to foster purple bacteria biotechnology Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Trends in biotechnology : regular edition Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 41 Issue 1 Pages 106-119  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) show great potential for environmental and industrial biotechnology, producing microbial protein, biohydrogen, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), pigments, etc. When grown photoheterotrophically, the carbon source is typically more reduced than the PNSB biomass, which leads to a redox imbalance. To mitigate the excess of electrons, PNSB can exhibit several ‘electron sinking’ strategies, such as CO2 fixation, N2 fixation, and H2 and PHA production. The lack of a comprehensive (over)view of these redox strategies is hindering the implementation of PNSB for biotechnology applications. This review aims to present the state of the art of redox homeostasis in phototrophically grown PNSB, presenting known and theoretically expected strategies, and discussing them from stoichiometric, thermodynamic, metabolic, and economic points of view.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000923198400001 Publication Date 2022-07-14  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1879-3096;0167-7799 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 17.3 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 17.3; 2023 IF: 11.126  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:192944 Serial 7294  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Alloul, A. isbn  openurl
  Title Purple bacteria as microbial protein source : technology development, community control, economic optimization and biomass valorization Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2019 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 212 p.  
  Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract ​Food production is a cornerstone in contemporary industrial societies. Its production requires land, water and enormous amounts of fertilizers. These precious fertilizers enter the linear food chain and suffer from a cascade of inefficiencies, resulting in detrimental effects to the environment. A radical transforming of the current food production chain is, therefore, essential to guarantee a sustainable future for humanity. ​This thesis has studied the production of microbial protein (i.e. single-cell protein), which is the use of microorganisms such as yeast, fungi, algae and bacteria as protein ingredient for animal feed. The type of microorganisms targeted in this thesis were purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB). These bacteria are an extremely heterogenic group that contain photosynthetic pigments and are able to perform anoxygenic photosynthesis. The core focus of the thesis was technology development for the production of PNSB as a source of microbial protein on wastewater and fresh fertilizers. In the final stage of this research, it was the objective to explore the potential of PNSB as a nutritious feed ingredient for shrimp. ​Overall, this work has provided the building blocks to transform the conventional food production chain. The findings show that PNSB production and biomass valorization is within reach. Further pilot implementation and cost reduction will facilitate the introduction of PNSB production in future’s wastewater treatment plants and the valorization of the biomass as nutritious animal feed ingredient.​  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN 978-90-5728-636-0 Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:164820 Serial 8430  
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Author (down) Alaerts, L.; Van Acker, K.; Rousseau, S.; De Jaeger, S.; Moraga, G.; Dewulf, J.; De Meester, S.; Van Passel, S.; Compernolle, T.; Bachus, K.; Vrancken, K.; Eyckmans, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Towards a more direct policy feedback in circular economy monitoring via a societal needs perspective Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Resources, conservation and recycling Abbreviated Journal Resour Conserv Recy  
  Volume 149 Issue 149 Pages 363-371  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract The increasing focus on circular economy at the level of governments and policy requires the development of appropriate indicators to effectively monitor the progress towards the circular economy. Currently two very different types of indicator areas are under development: (i) monitoring frameworks based on macro indicators that summarize the progress at (supra)national level, and (ii) micro indicators tailored towards assessing circularity at the level of products. It is not possible to obtain sufficiently direct feedback about the impact of policy interventions by either macro or micro indicators alone. In this paper, a conceptual approach is developed that aims to bridge the gap between the micro and macro level with meso level indicators, and thus ultimately deliver more direct feedback for policymakers, via the insertion of an extra level of meso indicators in between the macro and the micro level. These indicators have been extracted from a dedicated workshop that involved policy, sector and societal stakeholders. The aim of these indicators is to report on progress towards circular economy objectives based on the fulfillment of societal needs. In this way the consumption perspective is given a central position, and the role of circular business models is acknowledged. Following the development of the concept, the next steps towards tailored, flexible and agile monitoring frameworks for circular economy at (supra)national and regional level are outlined. The paper concludes with an illustrative example of the framework applied to the mobility system.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000483414300034 Publication Date 2019-06-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.313 Times cited 1 Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors are very grateful for financial support received from the Flemish administration via the Steunpunt Circulaire Economie (Policy Research Centre Circular Economy). This publication contains the opinions of the authors, not that of the Flemish administration. The Flemish administration will not carry any liability with respect to the use that can be made of the produced data or conclusions. The authors are also grateful to the numerous stakeholders for extended discussions and comments. ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.313  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:162774 Serial 6271  
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Author (down) Agrawal, S.; Weissbrodt, D.G.; Annavajhala, M.; Jensen, M.M.; Arroyo, J.M.C.; Wells, G.; Chandran, K.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Terada, A.; Smets, B.F.; Lackner, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Time to act–assessing variations in qPCR analyses in biological nitrogen removal with examples from partial nitritation/anammox systems Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Water Research Abbreviated Journal Water Res  
  Volume 190 Issue Pages 116604  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is broadly used as the gold standard to quantify microbial community fractions in environmental microbiology and biotechnology. Benchmarking efforts to ensure the comparability of qPCR data for environmental bioprocesses are still scarce. Also, for partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) systems systematic investigations are still missing, rendering meta-analysis of reported trends and generic insights potentially precarious. We report a baseline investigation of the variability of qPCR-based analyses for microbial communities applied to PN/A systems. Round-robin testing was performed for three PN/A biomass samples in six laboratories, using the respective in-house DNA extraction and qPCR protocols. The concentration of extracted DNA was significantly different between labs, ranged between 2.7 and 328 ng mg−1 wet biomass. The variability among the qPCR abundance data of different labs was very high (1−7 log fold) but differed for different target microbial guilds. DNA extraction caused maximum variation (3–7 log fold), followed by the primers (1–3 log fold). These insights will guide environmental scientists and engineers as well as treatment plant operators in the interpretation of qPCR data.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000632807700001 Publication Date 2020-11-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.942 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.942  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:173838 Serial 8672  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Agrawal, S.; Seuntjens, D.; De Cocker, P.; Lackner, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Success of mainstream partial nitritation/anammox demands integration of engineering, microbiome and modeling insights Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Current opinion in biotechnology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 50 Issue Pages 214-221  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Twenty years ago, mainstream partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) was conceptually proposed as pivotal for a more sustainable treatment of municipal wastewater. Its economic potential spurred research, yet practice awaits a comprehensive recipe for microbial resource management. Implementing mainstream PN/A requires transferable and operable ways to steer microbial competition as to meet discharge requirements on a year-round basis at satisfactory conversion rates. In essence, the competition for nitrogen, organic carbon and oxygen is grouped into ON/OFF (suppression/promotion) and IN/OUT (wash-out/retention and seeding) strategies, selecting for desirable conversions and microbes. Some insights need mechanistic understanding, while empirical observations suffice elsewhere. The provided methodological R&D framework integrates insights in engineering, microbiome and modeling. Such synergism should catalyze the implementation of energy-positive sewage treatment.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000430903400028 Publication Date 2018-02-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0958-1669 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:149977 Serial 8616  
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