Department of Applied Engineering Sciences (INWE)
Campus Schoonmeersen
Schoonmeersstraat 52
B-9000 Ghent
Belgium
www.hogent.be/INWE
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The laboratory of Biochemistry focuses on industrial applications of microbial and enzymatic biotechnology: fermentations, saccharides in industrial processes and isolation and characterisation of enzymes. Both, industrial important enzymes acting on polysaccharides and their reaction products are studied.
Research is performed on the industrial use of carbohydrases. Through collaborations with UGent research groups, enzymes involved in the degradation of biomass and the glycosylation of industrial important proteins are studied.
Techniques are investigated to monitor and analyse saccharide profiles. These are applied in industrial processes: (enzymatic) hydrolysis of biomass and fermentations (e.g. the brewing process).
The research group has also years of expertise in the field of yeast microbiology and fermentation processes. The laboratory has an automated pilot brewery of 60 liters, fermentors and the infrastructure essential for the processing and analysis of beer and its raw materials. The laboratory is involved in contract research with industrial partners to study fermentation processes.
The laboratory is a member of Food2Know Centre of Excellence and a member of Flanders’ Food (member cat. 2).