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PROVAXS is the coordinating center of a network of laboratories of the University of Ghent that unite their expertise in the development of veterinary and human vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics
PROVAXS focuses on those projects and research results that respond to an urgent need in society or in the market and can lead to industrial applications. We can therefore rely on specific funds for valorization that are available at our University and on the continuous support of Technology Transfer, the central department at the University of Ghent that assists in the protection and licensing of our intellectual property and helps to build strategic alliances.
PROVAXS wants to facilitate the transfer of new technologies in the domain of veterinary and human vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics that result from multidisciplinary research to a practical and/or industrial application, thus realising a return to fundamental research.
PROVAXS is an interface that, with attention for the quality of high-end scientific research, is open for the needs and demands of our industrial partners and offers them solutions and opportunities in a pro-active way.
PROVAXS offers a multidisciplinary environment for research and development directed towards technologies with practical applications in industry
PROVAXS offers expertise in mucosal immunology, pathogen-host interactions of viruses and parasites, biomarkers of infections, immune response and immune diseases, related diagnostics, formulations for drugs and vaccines
PROVAXS can be your gateway to participation in a network of high-quality R&D in various research programs at national and international level
Via partnering PROVAXS can offer you access to gap-funding, an extra tool to stimulate and accelerate valorization of new technologies
PROVAXS joins the forces of laboratories of four different faculties of the University of Ghent
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine : Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Laboratory of Bacteriology
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences : Centre for Vaccinology, Department of Rheumatology, Centre for Cllinical Immunology and Allergy
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering : Laboratory for Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Laboratory for Biochemistry and Molecular Cytology
Faculty of Pharmacy : Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy
In the Laboratory of Virology, the research is focused on the animal, cellular and molecular pathogenesis of viruses, with a special emphasis on viruses that have developed strategies to escape from the host's immune response.
Projects are focused on the following topics :
Website
The Center for Vaccinology (CEVAC) conducts research on the improvement of existing and the development of new vaccines. In it’s 20 year history, CEVAC has participated in more than 50 clinical vaccine evaluations. In this way, CEVAC has been involved in the development and evaluation of vaccines against hepatitis B, the first combined hepatitis A-B vaccine, a therapeutic vaccine against hepatitis C, vaccines against cervical cancer, herpes simplex, HIV and tuberculosis.
Before a new vaccine appears on the market, it has to undergo numerous strictly controlled phases. This begins with a non-clinical research phase, followed by a clinical research phase.
The Center for Vaccinology is as equally involved with the non-clinical as it is with the clinical research phase. The clinical studies that we conduct in collaboration with, and on request of, different sponsors are mainly phase I and II studies.
A vaccine has to stimulate our immune system to produce, amongst others, antibodies which protect the individual against infection with a certain germ or infecting agent (e.g. a virus or bacteria). For this reason, research is first conducted on the immune defence mechanisms of the human body against a certain infecting agent. A candidate vaccine may only be further developed from this stage after approval by the government and medical Ethics Committee.
Scientists then test different preparations on cells, tissues and animal models. These experiments are used to determine whether a vaccine causes any serious side effects. Once the results look promising, the clinical phase begins.
At this phase of study, hundreds of healthy volunteers receive the vaccine. Here the emphasis is on safety of the product and possible short term side effects. The effect that vaccination has on the immune system is also evaluated by measuring the amount of antibodies produced in the blood. At this phase of study the ideal dose of vaccine is also determined.
The purpose of this phase of study is to prove that administration of a vaccine is able to fight the virus or bacteria in an efficient and safe manner. Between hundreds and thousands of volunteers participate in this phase of a study.
If a vaccine is found safe and efficient, a licence is requested by an authorized governmental institution. It is only once a vaccine is registered that it can be sold by a pharmacy.
Since 14th November 2005, CEVAC has been based in a new, modern and stylish location on the Ghent University Hospital campus.
CEVAC laboratories is providing central lab services to both industrial and academic research communities. Not limited to, but mainly services are provided in the field of (pre) clinical vaccine evaluation.
Cellular Immune Response measurement is becoming of higher interest now vaccines are designed for diseases where antibody eliciting vaccines are not providing the needed protection (HIV, HCV, Tuberculosis,…).
15 years ago CEVAC laboratories was involved in the design of these initial Cell Mediated Immunity tests. The build-up of expertise through the years have led to a knowledge base providing continuous improvement of these CMI test and a laboratory specially designed, staffed and equipped for performing these Measurements of Antigen Specific Immune Responses at high pace and with excellent quality.
As new compounds are introduced into vaccines no appropriate lab tools are available for quantifying or detecting this vaccine response. Therefore CEVAC designed special lab ‘formats’ that can be rapidly modified in order to obtain a specific lab tool of high quality. The latter reducing the development and validation time of these crucial lab assay and speeds up the whole new drug development process.
Recently highly specialised models have been added to our portfolio permitting the culture of viral organisms (HBV, HCV, HIV,…) in humanised systems. These systems are enormously valuable for the evaluation of antiviral compounds.
All services provided by CEVAC labs are within the scope of a Quality Assessment system that is challenged by both national and international organisations.
Website
www.cevac.be
Besides routine DNA typing for the department of justice, our lab performs research in the field of DNA fingerprinting for optimising and improvement of the procedures. We created already our own multiplex of four STR loci and investigated the influence of dactyloscopic powders on DNA analysis.
At this moment we are investigating the use of immunomagnetic beads to purify and isolate specific cell types from mixed forensic samples. This way sperm cells could be isolated before DNA extraction avoiding time-consuming differential DNA extraction. Forensic mixtures in general can be avoided when this mixed sample consists of different cell types.
Proteomics is defined as the large-scale characterisation of the entire protein complement of a cell line, tissue and organism. It provides us with a more global and integrated view of biology by studying all the proteins of a cell rather than each one individually. With the completion of the sequencing of several genomes it became clear that a lot of information could not be obtained by studying genes alone. It is impossible to elucidate mechanisms of disease, ageing and effects of the environment solely by studying the genome. Proteomics can provide us with a powerful tool for studying and understanding disease mechanisms and can actively contribute to the search for new drug targets.
Because of their nature of pathology, rheumatoid diseases have and are still extensively studied and looked at from an immunological point of view. However, proteomics is catching up with them! We are currently looking at the proteome of several rheumatoid tissues of different rheumatoid diseases in order to find differences in the expressed protein patterns. This study will provide us a better insight in the pathology of these diseases.
The Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy hosts the Ghent Research Group on Nanopharmacy (GRCN).
Nanopharmacy aims at applying nanotechnology in drug therapy and medical diagnostics. Advanced drug delivery and medical diagnostics constitute the core disciplines of GRCN. Advanced drug delivery systems are nano-/micrometre sized delivery systems for biological therapeutic agents (like nucleic acids and proteins) which are much larger than classical drugs like for example aspirin.
The GRCN is a multidisciplinary research environment, including pharmacists, material engineers, cellular biologists and biophysics who build scientific and technical expertise between "nano" and pharmacy.
Our expertise focuses on the following areas :
With regard to DNA therapy the Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy evaluates the use of non viral carriers for DNA delivery. Such 'DNA particles' (which are between 50 and 500 nm in size) consist of DNA and cationic polymers or cationic lipids.
Our DNA delivery research is especially focused on the mobility and the stability of non-viral DNA particles in the extra- and intracellular matrix.
To better understand the cellular behavior of non viral gene DNA complexes, we evaluate the potentials of new biophysical (microscopy) techniques like fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching,...
We believe that, in order to obtain real breakthroughs in the design and the understanding of the behavior of the DNA particles in cells, there is an urgent need for advanced biophysical methods which allow to characterize the critical steps in cells that govern gene transfection.
By modern biophysical methods we study e.g. the intracellular release of the DNA from the carriers, the intracellular degradation of DNA, the mobility of naked DNA and DNA particles in the cytosol, the uptake of DNA by the nuclei,...
Pharmaceutical research aims to design drug delivery systems that respond to therapeutic needs. To correlate with our biological needs, precisely timed drug delivery is required. Precisely timed therapy could be improved by the use of 'programmable dosage forms' which deliver the drug at well defined times after e.g. intramuscular or subcutaneous injection.
The Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy aims to design 'exploding particles' for pulsed release of macromolecular therapeutics. The pulsed delivery concept we are investigating is based on the use of degradable hydrogels. A degradable gel is encapsulated in the interior of a micron sized capsule along with the drug of interest . At the time the polymer gel becomes a polymer solution the swelling pressure suddenly increases inside the capsule. This results in a rupture of the capsule followed by drug release.
The Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy is officially approved to perform analysis of pharmaceutical enzymes on behalf of the Belgian Ministry of Health.
The laboratory is also a member of the European Network of Official Medicines Control Laboratories (OMCL). It also performs analysis of pharmaceutical enzymes ordered by the pharmaceutical industry.
Our contract work especially deals with the physicochemical characterization of solutions and solids like:
Website
www.ugent.be/fw/biofys
To be updated
To be updated
The mission of the Laboratory of Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology is to promote knowledge on veterinary bacteriology and mycology through education, research and public services.
The main research interests of the laboratory are :
1) host-pathogen interactions of veterinary and / or zoonotically important bacteria and fungi.
2) antimicrobial resistance in veterinary and / or zoonotically important bacteria and fungi.
Animal species used for research purposes: Pigs, poultry, pigeons, mice, gerbils, reptiles, amphibians.
The laboratory is approved for research activities with these animal species, meeting both ethical and biosafety requirements to perform infection experiments up to an L2 level, including GMOs. All infection experiments are carried out in A2 stables, adapted to meet all ethical and biosafety requirements.
Microorganisms:
1) Host-pathogen interaction studies: Salmonella (several serovars), Campylobacter jejuni, Helicobacter (several gastric and enterohepatic species), Clostridium perfringens, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Aspergillus fumigatus, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus
2) Antimicrobial resistance: bacteria of veterinary and / or zoonotic importance (please inquire for specific taxa)
In vitro models:
1) Adhesion, invasion and cytotoxicity assays using several cell lines and primary cell cultures.
2) Determination of Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) for various veterinary and / or zoonotically important bacteria.
3) Virulence gene expression of Salmonella.
In vivo models:
Pigs Salmonella:
Several infection models are used, inoculating 3 to 4 week-old piglets either with a single Salmonella strain or with multiple strains (mixed infection):
Poultry Salmonella:
Poultry Campylobacter jejuni:
Poultry Clostridium perfringens: reproduction of necrotic enteritis lesions
Pigeons Salmonella Typhimurium: reproduction of pigeon paratyphoid
Pigeons Aspergillus fumigatus: reproduction of avian aspergillosis
Gerbils and mice gastric Helicobacter species: reproduction of gastric lesions
Pigs Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae: reproduction of enzootic pneumonia
Reptiles Salmonella: persistent colonization
Pigs Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
Rabbits Staphylococcus aureus
PROVAXS wants to facilitate knowledge transfer activities and research collaboration with other research institutes and industrial companies.
Our Technology Offers describe technologies with clear practical applications that are part of our IP-portfolio.
R&D projects are an invitation to join us in early stage development programs that already showed a proof of concept but need some further exploratory research in order to define clear target applications in the market.
We also offer Tools and Test Models that you can use for screening and testing of the biological activity of your material.
We kindly invite you to examine if our technologies can match your company strategy and market needs and can be converted into useful products or services.
• The PRRS-virus can infect the cells via the natural route due to the presence of both sialoadhesin and CD163, the two receptors that are essential for binding, internalization and multiplication
• On average Sn+CD163 cells can produce PRRSV at titers of 1 log higher than in MARC-cells
• Multiple PRRSV-strains can be grown on the Sn+CD163 cells which offers flexibility in production (e.g. for multistrain registration)
• The cells can be used for QC or in a potency test to demonstrate structural and functional integrity of the PRRSV as long as it can bind and internalize
• Since the PRRS-virus can follow its natural route of infection no or little virus adaptation is expected
You can download a Technology Offer here.
Our technology enables you to check the antigenicity (efficacy) and safety of your inactivated viral vaccine in vitro
A quick and safe way to develop safe and effective viral vaccines against emerging diseases or new aggressive strains
Fully documented proof-of-concept study on a PRRSV-vaccine, that is capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies upon vaccination and protection upon challenge with live virus
Complete toolkit for the production of an inactivated PRRSV-vaccine including
Please download the Technology Offer for more information.
Our invention describes a way to obtain higher titers of Porcine Circovirus 2 in cell cultures for the production of vaccines.
We can increase PCV2 production in cell culture with 2 log10 TCID50/10e5 cells.
Please download the Technology Offer for more information.
We describe monoclonal antibodies that can be used to identify antigenic differences between PCV2 strains.
Based on this identification the strains can be assigned to clusters with varying virulence.
The technology can thus be used for diagnosis and for selection of strains that should be included in a vaccine to obtain a broad protection against PCV2.
The monoclonal antibodies are described by Lefebvre et al. in Journal of General Virology 2008, 89, 177-187.
Please download the Technology Offer for more information.
Ostertagia ostertagi is one of the most important gastrointestinal nematodes for cattle worldwide. As Ostertagia ostertagi is present on pasture, all grazing cattle in temperate climate regions are exposed to the parasite.
Nematode infestations in adult cows are predominantly subclinical, but may lead to a decrease in milk production. The screening for Ostertagia ostertagi antibodies in cattle milk samples is a promising tool to follow the infestation level, thus becoming an instrument to determine the need for anthelmintic control.
Our Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has developed an O. ostertagi-Ab ELISA to detect Ostertagia ostertagi specific antibodies in milk. The test is commercialised by Svanova. (www.svanova.com/inside.asp)
Our technology enables controlled transfer of biological compounds through the intestinal (mucosal) barrier
Via selective transcytosis through the intestinal barrier various functions at the level of the intestinal epithelium and beyond can be modulated
Blocking the gateway through the intestinal barrier can reduce the colonisation of and passage through the intestinal epithelium by bacteria, more specifically by E. coli (F4 or K88 positive) , well known for causing diarrhoea in animals and man.
Please download the Technology Offer for more information.
We have developed a codon-optimized, MOMP-based DNA vaccine that significantly protects birds (Psittaciformes) against a high challenge with the zoonotic pathogen Chlamydophila psittaci (Cp psittaci).
The vaccine
The vaccine can significantly reduce the infection of people that are in contact with Psittaciformes like breeders, veterinarians, pet bird owners but also the public at large.
We formulated a powder vaccine for aerosol vaccination of poultry.
The vaccine is produced in a one-step spray drying process and is stable during 10 months of storage (tested for a Newcastle disease vaccine).
More information on the powder vaccine is available in the publication that you can download here and in WO 2007/104562.
We have identified a set of 3 biomarkers of phenotypic stability and biological activity of chondrocytes in cell culture. One of the markers can be measured in the culture medium. Moreover, this marker is also a growth factor that stimulates cartilage matrix production by the chondrocytes.
The level of expression of the markers can be used as a quality standard for chondrocyte cultures and to optimize the culture conditions.
The growth factor can control the phenotypic stability or differentiation of chondrocytes and stimulate or maintain the cell’s capacity to produce cartilage matrix.
You can find more information on the markers and the growth factor in the Technology Offer that you can download on this page.
In a traditional vaccination, protein becomes or live attenuated bacteria or viruses are administered which can cause allergies, fever or other symptoms as side reactions. DNA vaccinatie, vaccinatie with genes, does not have these disadvantages and can lead to the same immune response.
However, while results of DNA vaccination are very positive in mice, immune responses are still too weak in larger animals and man. In het PhD work, Dr. Vesna Melkebeek made major steps to increase the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines. She obtained high antibody titres in pigs after only one vaccination.
We are now looking for partners that want to cooperate to futher develop these research findings to practical applications of DNA vaccination.
The main objective of our C. trachomatis research is to develop a candidate vaccine against genital Chlamydia (C.) trachomatis infections in females. The vaccine should generate and sustain an adequate protective immune response at the mucosal surface and should also offer protection against all genital serovars of C. trachomatis. Adequacy and efficacy of the candidate vaccine should be measurable by either complete prevention of infection or restriction of infection and prevention of complications.
The main purpose of our research is developing new molecular diagnostic methods for identifying and typing the bacterium as well as studying the bacterium host cell interaction in order to develop innovative prophylactic measurements like for instance recombinant protein and DNA vaccination. Antigenic proteins and their B and T cell epitopes have already been identified. Vaccines are being evaluated in experimental infection models using both turkeys and budgerigars.
The first goal of this project is to develop a fast and sensitive immunological screening and detection test by studying the immune response against different virulence factors of E. coli O157:H7. Since some toxins of EHEC are capable of suppressing lymphocytes, the study of systemic and mucosal immune responses may provide information about the rise of persistently infected animals.
The second goal is the study of systemic and mucosal immune responses.
The third goal is to inhibit excretion/contamination. In this aspect, the development of a vaccine is a long-term strategy. The effect of mucosal administration of lactoferrin on colonisation and excretion will also be investigated.
Vaccines that can be delivered via the mucosal route could boost the control of many infectious diseases both in human and in animals. The most practical application would be via the oral route.
However, the number of available mucosal vaccines is very limited which is due to important difficulties as compared to systemic vaccination. Some of these difficulties can maybe be overcome by the use of mucosal adjuvants. You can find an overview of candidate adjuvants in the document that you can download here.
We offer in vivo and in vitro models in which we can evaluate the effect of candidate adjuvants on the generation of a mucosal immune response.
PROVAXS will partcitipate at the conference Modern Mucosal Vaccines, Adjuvants & Microbicides with the following contributions (oral
presentation) :
'Prophylactic use of transferrins against chlamydiosis.
Daisy Vanrompay, Delphine S.A. Beeckman and Caroline Van Droogenbroeck (Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium)
'The food contaminant fumonisin B1 reduces the maturation odf porcine CD11R1+intestinal antigen presenting cells and antigen-specific immune respnses, leading to a prolonged intestinal ETEC infection.''
Bart Devriendt, Melanie Gallois, Frank Verdonck, Yann Wache, Diane Bimczok, Isabelle P. Oswald, Bruno M. Goddeeris and Eric Cox (University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium)
'Maltose-binding protein (MPD) is a potential carrier for oral immunizations'.
Philippe Bellot, Petra Tiels, Frank Verdonck, Vesna Melkebeek, Bruno M. Goddeeris and Eric Cox (University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium)
You can download a brochure of the conference in attachment
Sven Arnouts (Business Developer PROVAXS) will participate at
from April 27-29, 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany
If you would like to meet him there please contact him at
sven.arnouts@ugent.be or +32 495 707 334
On February 12, 2010 Kalina Atanasova will defend her PhD thesis on
You are kindly invited to attend the defence at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke (start 16.00pm, auditorium Hoogbouw)
You can download an invitation to the PhD defence
On February 11, 2010 An Garmyn will defend her PhD thesis on
Challenging the prescribed enrofloxacin treatment regimen of bacterial respiratory disease caused by Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale and Escherichia coli in turkeys
You are kindly invited to attend the defence at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke (start 17.00pm, auditorium D)
You can download an invitation to the PhD defence (Dutch)
Hierbij nodigen wij u van harte uit op het
Wetenschapscafé op dinsdag 9 februari 2010 van 19.45u tot 21.45u met als thema :
Sprekers : prof. Geert Leroux-Roes, prof. Hans Nauwynck
Moderator : Joël De Ceulaer
Lokatie : Zebrastraat NV, Zebrastraat 32, 9000 Gent (in buurt van Decascoop)
www.wetenschapscafegent.be/cafe/1265760000
The Lab for Parasitology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has officially been recognized by the WHO (World Health Organization) as the 'Collaboration Centre for the monitoring of anthelminitic drug efficacy for soiltransmitted helminths'.
The lab is therefore responsible for the follow-up of the research on the efficacy of anti-helminthics for humans. Worm infections are the most occurring disease for humans and animals.
Worldwilde, about 1,2 billion of people are contaminated. The disease occurs mostly in the tropics.
Professor Jozef Vercruysse, Lab for Parasitology, Department Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, +32 9 264 73 90, Jozef.Vercruysse@UGent.be
On December 16, 2009 Annebel De Vleeschauwer will defend her PhD thesis on
You are kindly invited to attend the defence at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke (start 16.00pm, auditorium D)
You can download an invitation to the PhD defence (Dutch)
On Tuesday, December 1st, at 3pm, Dr Greg Smith from Northwestern University in Chicago will give aseminar on
in Auditorium D, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine ,Ghent University
You are all very welcome to attend this seminar.
From 25 to 27 Octobre 2009 IABS, in collaboration with IFAH, organises a workshop on
in Annecy, France.
You can find more information and register on www.viral-safety-2009.com.
On October 21, 2009 Filip Barbé will defend his PhD thesis on :
You are kindly invited to attend the defence at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke (start at 4.30 pm, auditorium Hoogbouw)
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
On 17 September 2009 Evelien Van Hamme will defend her PhD thesis on :
You are kindly invited to attend the defence at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke (start at 4:30pm ; aud Hoogbouw).
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
On 16 September 2009 Leen Timbermont will defend her PhD thesis on :
You are kindly invited to attend the defence at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke (start at 5pm ; aud D).
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
Vesna Melkebeek will give a lecture on
at the conference Vaccines for Enteric Diseases, 9-11 September, Malaga Spain.
You can download the programme of the conference from this page.
On 26 June 2009 Constantinos Kyriakis will defend his PhD thesis on :
You are kindly invited to attend the defence at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke (start at 4pm ; Auditorium D).
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
Sven Arnouts (Business Developer PROVAXS) and Peter Delputte (Technology Developer PROVAXS) will participate at
from 22 to 24 June 2009 in Barcelona Spain.
I you would like to meet us there please contact us at :
Sven.Arnouts@UGent.be or +32 495 707 334
Peter.Delputte@UGent.be or +32 477 420 383
You can find more information on the conference at www.phacilitate.co.uk/barcelona or download the brochure of the event here.
Peter Delputte will attend the 8th International Congress on
from 16 to 18 June 2009 in Cologne, Germany.
You can download the program of the congress on this page.
Annelies De Paepe will present a poster on
at the third international conference on Plant-bades vaccines and antibodies in Verona, Italy (15-17 June 2009).
She will present a technology to produce recombinant proteins in Arabidopsis seeds that can also be used for the production of viral antigens.
For more information you can go to www.meetingmanagement.com/pbva_2009 or download the brochure of the event here.
On 11 June 2009 Annelies Van Zeveren will defend her PhD thesis on :
You are kindly invited to attend the defence at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke (start at 4pm ; aud Hoogbouw).
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
Professor Dirk Elewaut will give a lecture on
at the Scientific day 2009 of Miltenyi Biotec on Cross talk between innate and adaptive cells in Brussels (9 June 2006).
You can find more information on the event in the program that you can download here.
Professor Bart Lambrecht and Professor Dirk Elewaut together with Abcam organize the
Allergy & Asthma Symposium : Bridging Innate and Adaptive Immunity
May 28-29, 2009 Bruges, Belgium
You can download a draft program here and find more information on
www.abcam.com/conferencecalendar
On 27 May 2009 Els Cornelissen will defend her PhD thesis on :
You are kindly invited to attend the defence at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke (start at 4:30pm ; aud Hoogbouw).
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
On 15 May 2009 Delphine Beeckman will defend her PhD thesis on :
You are kindly invited to attend the defence at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent (start at 4pm ; room A0.030).
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
As part of the programme to celebrate its 75th anniversary, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Ghent honours Dr. Peter Doherty with a doctorate Honoris Causa on 20 March 2009.
This doctorate Honoris Causa is preceeded by a scientific symposium on T-cell regulation.
You can find the programme of the symposium and more information on www.ugent.be/di/nl/agenda/symposium.htm
We kindly invite you to "Creatief valoriseren" on 17 March. During this seminar UGent will present her new assets to make our university a cradle for new start-up companies, to stimulate entrepreneurship and to still improve the relations with our industrial partners.
Concrete examples will show how interactions and collaborations between university and industry can be supported by IOF, UGent and GentBC.
The way how PROVAXS is working in this new environment will also be presented.
Please link to www.techtransfer.ugent.be for more information and to subscribe for this event.
On 10 March 2009 Ann Desplanques will defend her PhD thesis on :
See also : www.ugent.be/di/nl/onderzoek/verdedigingen
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
The Laboratory of Virology is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to support their research on new applications of macrophage targeting in the framework of an IWT SBO-project.
You can find more information in the document that you can download here or by contacting Dr. Peter Delputte (Peter.Geldhof@UGent.be).
On 12 February 2009 Nynke Deckers will defend her PhD- thesis on
See also : www.ugent.be/di/nl/onderzoek/verdedigingen
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
Two new programs are open to stimulate collaboration between Flemish universities and companies :
PROVAXS is open for collaboration with industrial partners in each program and to contribute in this way to innovation and the implementation of new technologies in our field of expertise and know how.
You can find more information in the document that you can download here or you can contact Sven Arnouts at Sven.Arnouts@UGent.be or +32 495 707 334.
On 20 January 2009 Inne Gantois will defend her PhD- thesis on
See also : www.ugent.be/di/nl/onderzoek/verdedigingen
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
On 13 January 2009 Stefaan Derveaux will defend his PhD thesis on :
You are kindly invited to attend the public defense that will start at 17:30h in "Het Pand", Zaal Rector Blanquaert, Onderbergen 1, 9000 Gent.
PROVAXS is certified as Service Provider or Center of Expertise for the SME- portfolio of the Flemish Government. In this position PROVAXS can assist SME's in Flanders in feasability or pilot studies to explore new technonogies or to start a proces of innovation.
With the SME -portfolio SME's can get upto 15.000€ funding anualy for education, exploration of technology or innovation.
You can find more information on www.kmo-portefeuille.be.
The certificate can be downloaded from this page.
On 8 January 2009 David Lefebvre will defend his PhD- thesis on
See also : www.ugent.be/di/nl/onderzoek/verdedigingen
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
On 6 January 2009 Sarah Glorieux will defend her PhD- thesis on
See also : www.ugent.be/di/nl/onderzoek/verdedigingen
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
On 19 December 2008 Kristel Verminnen will defend her PhD- thesis on
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
Dr. Nadia Jessel will give a presentation on
December 12th, 2008 at 11h00 in Seminar Room 4 at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical sciences, Harelbekestraat 72, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
More information is available in the invitation that you can download here.
On 11 December 2008 Mss. Farzaneh Fayazpour will defend her PhD on
Exploring new applications for photophysically encoded microcarriers
You are kindly invited to attend the defence that will start at 4pm in Aud I of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Dr. Vesna Melkebeek (Laboratory of Immunology) will present the poster entitled
Priming of mucosal response following parenteral DNA vaccination in pigs?
at the 2nd Vaccine Global Congress in Boston, USA from 7 to 9 December 2009.
On Friday 5 December 2008 Professor Bart Lambrecht will give a lecture on
Targeting dendritic cells in inflammatory diseases
during the FWO-minisymposium on New targets in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (Leuven, Belgium).
You can download the program of the minisymposium here.
PROVAXS will be present at Vaccines Europe, three parallel conferences on
Vaccine Discovery and Development
Vaccine Characterisation and Quality Control
Vaccine Scale-Up and Manufacturing
Several posters are submitted that illustrate recent advances in our technologies.
Vaccines Europe, 2-3 December 2008, Brussels Belgium
www.informa-ls.com/vaccines
On 1 December 2008, Professor Dr. John Nicholls of the Department of Pathology, University of Hong Kong will give a lecture on
Influenza receptor and seeds of confusion
Since the outbreak of H5N1 John Nicholls studies the pathology of infections of avian influenza in man. Currently, his research focuses on influenza receptors in the human respiratory tract that determine the sensitivity to avian influenzaviruses.
Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, auditorium D, 11:30am.
Professor Herman Favoreel will give an oral presentation on
Alphaherpesviruses and the immune system : a delicate balance
at the Annual Meeting of the Belgian Immunological Society on Friday 28 November 2008.
On 27 November 2008 Yves Meyvis will defend his PhD- thesis on
Isolation and characterization of antigens present in the protective ES-thiol fraction of Ostertagia ostertagi and their evaluation as vaccine candidate
See also : www.ugent.be/di/nl/onderzoek/verdedigingen
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
On 25 November 2008 Sarah Costers will defend her PhD- thesis on
Strategies exhibited by PRRSV allowing evasion of immune detection and/or clearance in the infected pig
See also : www.ugent.be/di/nl/onderzoek/verdedigingen
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
The Laboratory for Parasitology is looking for a Postdoctoral Scientist to support their research on the role of the gastrointestinal mucus layer in the infection process of gastrointestinal pathogens.
You can find more information in the document that you can download here or by contacting Dr. Peter Geldhof (Peter.Geldhof@UGent.be).
On 15 Octobre 2008, starting at 11am, Professor Susann Teneberg will give a lecture on
"The complex carbohydrate recognition by Helicobacter pylori"
University of Ghent, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Auditorium D
On 15 October 2008 Annelies Coddens will defend her PhD- thesis on
Expression and Molecular Characterization of the Receptor for F18+ Escherichia coli in Pigs
See also : www.techtransfer.ugent.be/detail_news.asp
You can download an invitation to the PhD defense (Dutch).
We kindly invite you to the presentation of Hugo J. Bellen on "Probing the mechanisms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis".
Hugo J Bellen, DVM, PhD
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX, USA
The ALS story is a beautiful example of how basic science mixes with clinical issues with a high impact.
University of Ghent, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, auditorium B. You can confirm your participation on http://www.doodle.ch/grar5esftg73w3fk.
Sven Arnouts will participate at EuroBio 2008 on 8 Octobre. We also participate in the partnering program.
On 3 October 2008 Barbara Garré will defend her PhD thesis on
Pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy of acyclovir in the treatment of equine herpes virus type 1 infections
You can download an invitation (Dutch) for the defense.
The identification of the receptors of F4 and F18 E coli opens new ways for (preventive) treatment of post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) and edema disease (ED).
PWD is a multifactorial disease caused by both F4+ and F18+ enterotoxigenic E. coli and affects piglets in the first two weeks after weaning. ED is caused by infection with F18+ verotoxigenic E. coli. Antibiotics are extensively used to treat and prevent these diseases, even though this can lead to multiple antibiotic resistant strains and to the spread of antibiotic residues in the environment.
At the Laboratory of Immunology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (member of PROVAXS) we therefore focus on other prophylactic measures against PWD and ED. We already demonstrated that oral vaccination of piglets with F4 fimbriae protects them against an F4+ enterotoxigenic E. coli infection. Our recent discovery of a new F4 receptor (patent pending) opens new ways to improve the efficiency of oral vaccines, not only against F4 but also against other pathogens by targeting this F4 receptor.
Oral vaccination with F18 fimbriae does not result in protection. Therefore we had to develop alternative strategies to control F18+ E. coli. Annelies Coddens (Laboratory of Immunology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine) in cooperation with Susann Teneberg (Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology Institute of Biomedicine at University of Gotheborg, Sweden) identified the F18 receptor (patent pending). This finding opens new opportunities for the development of antibiotic-free treatments that interfere with the colonisation of the pig intestine by F18+ E. coli. Annelies will defend her PhD thesis on the F18 receptor on 15 October at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
For more information you can contact Professor Eric Cox (Eric.Cox@UGent.be ; +32 9 264 73 96) or Dr. Sven Arnouts, Business Developer of PROVAXS (Sven.Arnouts@UGent.be ; +32 495 707 334).
On 25 September 2008 Aline Visser defended her PhD thesis on
Characterisation of activationassociated secreted proteins (ASP) in the bovine abomasal nematode Ostertagia ostertagi
You can download a summary of the thesis (Dutch).
On 20 June 2008 Taher Harkinezhad defended his PhD thesis on
Molecular epidemiology of Chlamydophila psittaci in psittacine birds and humans and prevention by DNA vaccination
You can download 2 publications related to this thesis.
On 5 June 2008 Heidi Saverwijns defended her PhD thesis on
Study of Ostertagia ostertagi excretory-secretory products
You can download the thesis here.
On 2 June 2008 Hannah Dewerchin defended her PhD thesis on
Characterisation of potential immuno-evasion mechanisms of the feline infectious peritonitis virus
On 25 April 2008 Kristien Rasschaert defended her PhD thesis on
Identification of a novel F4 receptor involved in endocytosis and transcytosis.
The Tech Transfer Newsletter GazeTTe! April 2008 includes an article on the genesis of the PROVAXS consortium. You can download this article here.
Dr. ir. Sven Arnouts
Business Developer
Center for Strategic Prophylaxis and Vaccine Development - PROVAXS
Ghent University
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology
Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
Tel. : +32 495.707.334
Fax : +32 9 264.74.96
Sven.Arnouts@UGent.be