UNLOCK Microbial Potential

Let's Talk About UNLOCK 🔑   Have you heard about UNLOCK? We're excited to share our story with you!   UNLOCK is a pioneering research infrastructure, funded by the Dutch National Science Foundation, Wageningen University & Research and Delft University of Technology.   🔍 But what is UNLOCK, exactly? Let's take a step back and explore.   Over the past three and a half billion years, Earth's evolution has produced an astonishing microbial diversity. It's often compared to the number of stars in the universe - that's how vast it is! Microorganisms hold incredible potential, but their complexity presents challenges.   Currently, microorganisms are mainly used in biotechnology as single organisms in simple processes that don't harness their full potential. The way we study microbial communities is also complex.   At Wageningen Campus, we excel in culturing various microorganisms, from gut bacteria to those in rivers and soil. We're masters at growing and analyzing these communities, generating a wealth of data.   However, efficiently combining all this expertise has been a challenge... until now 💡.   UNLOCK is here to bridge the gaps and bring together the diverse aspects of growing and understanding microbes, placing them in bioreactors, and putting them to work for society's benefit.   UNLOCK is uniquely positioned to tackle a wide range of applications for microbial communities. From improving our health to environmental cleanup, and from producing bio-based products, chemicals, polymers, to bioplastics - we're on a mission to make it all more efficient.   And here's the exciting part 🎉 - UNLOCK doors are now open to external researchers. You, too, can access the cutting-edge infrastructure and expertise we have here in the Netherlands, in Wageningen and Delft!   🤝 Join us on this incredible journey as we unlock the limitless potential of microorganisms for a better future.   #UNLOCK #UNLOCKMicrobialPotential #Microorganisms #ResearchInfrastructure #ScienceForSociety #Innovation #TeamPlayIsKey

🔬 Discover our Microbioreactor Unit within the Biodiscovery platform! Features: - Propagates single cells and combinations from environmental samples - Operates up to 48 cells in batch mode, 36 cells in fed-batch mode - Monitors parameters: pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, growth rates, fluorescence - Screens operational and environmental conditions in high throughput Visit our website to #unlock more about our equipment! 🔗 https://m-unlock.nl/ #Microbioreactor #Biodiscovery #HighThroughput

🔬 Publication Highlight! We are excited to showcase the article: "Dynamic genome-scale modeling of Saccharomyces cerevisiae unravels mechanisms for ester formation during alcoholic fermentation." Here are the key highlights: The study presents a model capable of predicting ester formation pathways during wine fermentation for different commercial yeast strains, emphasizing the dependence of ester formation on intracellular acetyl-CoA/CoA levels. Insights into metabolic routes for key ester formation were gained, paving the way for future metabolic engineering strategies to control ester content in alcoholic fermentations through genetic modifications and substrate composition variations. The research demonstrates the utility of dynamic genome-scale modeling in predicting various aspects of enological fermentations, including the production of primary metabolites, biomass, and key aromas like esters, providing valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms responsible for observed phenotypic behavior. These findings advance our understanding of ester formation mechanisms in yeast fermentation and have significant industrial implications. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eAfaYGEB Visit our website to #unlock more of our publications: https://lnkd.in/dQi5mPnD #UNLOCKMicrobialPotential #MicrobialResearch #WineFermentation #YeastModeling #MetabolicEngineering #EsterFormation #Innovation #IndustrialBiotechnology

🔬 Explore our Parallel Cultivation platform with the standard experimental set-up (30 units)! Features: - On-line analytical equipment: pH, Dissolved Oxygen, ORP, and ion specific electrode measurements, - Off-gas analysis with a multi-channel Mass Spectrometer (MS), - Fully automated control system for precise medium dosing and biomass removal, - Enables low-maintenance, long-term experiments (1 to 12 months), - Tracks microbial community development over multiple generations. Visit our website to #unlock more about our equipment! 🔗 https://m-unlock.nl/ #ParallelCultivation #MicrobialResearch #ExperimentalSetup

📰 Publication Highlight! We’re excited to showcase the research article: "Biobased short chain fatty acid production - Exploring microbial community dynamics and metabolic networks through kinetic and microbial modeling approaches". Here are the key highlights: 1) The study provides a detailed examination of the microbial community dynamics involved in the bioconversion process of food waste into volatile fatty acids (VFAs), offering insights into the key microbial players and their interactions. 2) The research underscores the significant influence of pH levels and retention time on the bioconversion of food waste to VFAs, highlighting the crucial role these factors play in optimizing VFA production. 3) The article discusses the application of advanced -omics technologies, such as metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, to unravel microbial dynamics and metabolic pathways in VFA production. These cutting-edge technologies enable the development of kinetic and microbial community models, enhancing our understanding of the bioconversion process. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dq8zjN9e Visit our website to #unlock more publications: https://lnkd.in/dQi5mPnD #UNLOCKMicrobialPotential #MicrobialResearch #Bioconversion #FoodWaste #MicrobialCommunity #VFA #Omics #Sustainability #Bioenergy #Innovation

🌿 Discover our Constructed Wetlands (CW) on our Modular Bioreactor platform! Features: - Three 12 m³ CW units, - Cost-effective, sustainable wastewater treatment, - Utilizes natural processes with plants and soil, - Adaptable filling materials, - Fed with municipal wastewater from Bennekom, - Equipped with autosampler and sensors for precise monitoring. Modular Bioreactor platform manager: David Strik Visit our website to #unlock more about our equipment! 🌱 🔗 m-unlock.nl #UNLOCKMicrobialPotential #ConstructedWetlands #ModularBioreactor #Bioreactor #EnvironmentalEngineering

At the Biodiscovery Platform of #UNLOCK, Christiaan van der Welle worked on the optimization of protocols for mapping deuterium-labeled bacteria using micro-Raman spectroscopy during his bachelor thesis. The optimized protocols have been instrumental in producing Raman maps of deuterated E-Coli. The map shows the distribution of C-H, and C-D modes in green and blue colors, respectively. As Christiaan puts it, "This optimization paves a smoother road towards sorting metabolically active cells within microbial cultures in the future!". #UNLOCKMicrobialPotential #RamanSpectroscopy #Innovation #Biodiscovery #MicrobialResearch

🔬 Explore the High Throughput Sample Processing Unit, a key component of our Biodiscovery platform! This unit: 1️⃣ Handles diverse sample types: fecal, soil, sediment, water, bioreactor 2️⃣ Processes 144 samples/day 3️⃣ Automates extraction: DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites 4️⃣ Enables cryopreservation & biobanking Biodiscovery platform manager: Hauke Smidt Visit our website to #unlock more about our equipment! 🌱 🔗 m-unlock.nl #UNLOCKMicrobialPotential #Biodiscovery #ResearchTools #SampleProcessing

Celebrating World Microbiome Day at UNLOCK! 🔬 The theme for World Microbiome Day 2024 is "Feed your microbes - How diet shapes your gut microbiome." To mark this occasion, we are highlighting a project hosted by UNLOCK Microbial Potential involving human #gut microbes. Nancy (Athanasia) Ioannou and Maryse Berkhout grew synthetic microbial communities in bioreactors to study the ecology of glycan degradation. Nancy's focus is on breastfeeding's impact on infant gut health, while Maryse delves into the microbial dynamics within the gut mucus layer. Let's celebrate World Microbiome Day together! Are you involved in microbial research? Share your insights in the comments below! 🔗 Visit our website: https://m-unlock.nl/ #WorldMicrobiomeDay #UNLOCKMicrobialPotential #GutHealth #Microbiome #MicrobialResearch

On June 20th, we had the pleasure of hosting the NWO (Dutch Research Council) Permanent Committee for Large-Scale Research Infrastructure at UNLOCK Microbial Potential! Established by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, this committee fosters a sustainable ecosystem of Large-Scale Research Infrastructures (LRI) in the Netherlands. As one of these #LRIs, UNLOCK was thrilled to give the committee members a comprehensive tour of our cutting-edge facilities. The members were keen to learn more about the groundbreaking research happening here at #UNLOCK, and we were equally excited to share our insights and innovations. Thank you to the committee for their visit and their continued support in advancing research infrastructure in the Netherlands! #UNLOCKMicrobialPotential #Research #Innovation #Sustainability