Monitoring of microbial climate
by SCK CEN x Puratos
Understand microbial interactions under strict conditions
SCK CEN and Puratos will monitor the microbial populations in the closed atmosphere and within the product (intermediates). These results will help to understand the microbial interactions under the strict conditions of the closed biosphere. This information will be key to ensure safe operation and guide the selection of the appropriate microbial community to optimize the sourdough production. Puratos will subsequently optimize the processing parameters, as well as adding inclusions of different plant species, to obtain sourdough bread with excellent sensory quality and nutritional profiles.
Task 1 - Microbial monitoring of the air and water
To understand the microbial dynamics in the closed loop system it is very important to monitor them regularly. To detect and identify the presence of microorganism will play crucial role to maintain the quality and safety of the whole process including plant growth till baking bread. Proactive steps to maintain the microbial dynamics in favor of efficient, safe and healthy food production will be the top priority of SCK CEN.
Task 2 - Wheat grain microbiome
Wheat grain microbiome is often suggested to determine the overall performance of wheat plants. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to understand how will they change over time while growing in a closed loop system. Long flight to Mars will already expose the grains to radiation and microgravity. Apart from that, the grains that will grow in a closed system needs to be used as seeds for next generation. These long transitions will have considerable effect on the microbiome of the seeds and rhizosphere. SCK CEN team will analyze the microbiome of the grains in different condition and in different generation. This will allow us to understand the impact of space travel and growth condition on these tiny but very important members of our planet.
Meet the SCK CEN expert team
Natalie Leys, PhD
Natalie Leys, is bio-engineer, radiation microbiologist and space researcher at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN, where she is heading the Microbiology research unit and coordinating the Space Life Science research program. She investigates the biological impact of ionizing radiation, and the role of microbes in radiation exposure conditions, such as in nuclear installations, in the radioactive contaminated water and soil, in the human body during radiotherapy health, and in space missions exposed to cosmic radiations. She has been active in space research programs for the past 18 years, and is member of the international MELiSSA program consortium, developing the MELiSSA Biological Life Support System for ESA. She conducted 10 microbial space flight experiments on ISS and FOTON, coordinated and participated in several international research projects and expert groups for EC and ESA, and has several close collaborations with space scientists from Canada, Russia, US, Japan and China. She has authored and co-authored a significant amount of international scientific papers, book chapters, and research reports (h-index 24), and her research has been presented several times in the media.
Prof dr. Nele Horemans
Nele Horemans obtained her PhD in Sciences (Biology) in March 1997 on “Ascorbate-mediated functions at the plasma membrane of higher plants”. Between 1997 and 2008 she was involved in different research projects from studying the response of plants to metals like Cd and Zn or to pollutants like ozone. In 2008 she obtained a position as researcher in the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN) within the unit Biosphere Impact Studies (BIS) focusing her research at mechanistic understanding of the response of plants to radiation or radionuclides at different levels of biological complexity from individual to molecular responses including the response to multiple stressors. For this she performs both controlled lab experiments as field studies in nuclear accident affected areas. In 2012 Nele Horemans was appointed guest docent to the University of Hasselt teaching a course on eco- and radiotoxicity to first year Master students of Biomedical sciences and in September 2015 she became head of the Unit Biosphere Impact Studies.
Whereas SCK CEN has a longstanding expertise in Space Research especially from the microbiological as well as the human point of view, these topics have only over the last 3 years been implemented within the plant oriented team of Nele Horemans. The space related research includes studying the effects of adverse space conditions (radiation and microgravity) on the plant growth and on their nutritional value to explore the use of plants as astronauts food. Nele Horemans is active in international networks like the ALLIANCE platform for radioecology and the ESA working group looking at the Biolab plant facility requirements. She has guided multiple PhD, master and bachelor students and is (co)author of over 90 peer-reviewed papers.
Rob Van Houdt - Senior Scientist
Dr. Ir. Rob Van Houdt is member of SCK CEN’s Microbiology unit. He joined the group in 2006 after his Ph.D. in Applied Biosciences and Engineering (KU Leuven, 2005) and one year as a post-doc fellow at the Centre of Food and Microbial Technology (KU Leuven). His research activities are focused on dissecting bacterial contamination and its effects in space-related environments, and the response and adaptation of bacteria to stressors. He has been active in numerous projects that analyzed the microbial contamination in confined environments such as the Antarctic research station Concordia, ISS and the MELiSSA pilot plant (see e.g. BIOSIS and BIOSMHARS). He has authored and co-authored about 80 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and several books, book chapters, conference contributions and other scientific publications (h-index 29).
Md Muntasir Ali, Ph.D.
Md Muntasir Ali works as a Scientific Researcher at SCK CEN and holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering sciences from Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He also obtained his Master's in Molecular Biology from KU Leuven under prestigious VLIR-UOS scholarship. His research expertise encompasses molecular understanding of microbial and plant processes in various stress conditions.
He studied the metal resistance mechanism of a specific bacteria found in International Space Station (ISS) during his PhD. Prior to that he was part of various research projects investigating ways to improve stress tolerance in plants and to understand the mechanism of plants stress response. Currently, his research focuses on microbial dynamics in different environments, plant-microbe interaction and enhancement of plant performance in resource limited conditions.
Ufuatiliaji wa hali ya hewa ya microbial na SCK-Puratos: Kuelewa mwingiliano wa microbial chini ya hali kali SCK-Puratos itafuatilia idadi ya microbial katika anga iliyofungwa na ndani ya bidhaa (vitu vya kati). Matokeo haya yatasaidia kuelewa mwingiliano wa vimelea chini ya hali kali ya biosphere iliyofungwa. Taarifa hii itakuwa muhimu kuhakikisha operesheni salama na kuongoza uteuzi wa jamii sahihi microbial kuboresha uzalishaji sourdough. Puratos baadaye itaboresha vigezo vya usindikaji, na pia kuongeza viingizo vya spishi tofauti za mimea, kupata mkate wa sourdough na ubora bora wa hisia na maelezo ya lishe. Kazi ya kwanza: Ufuatiliaji wa viini vya hewa na maji: Ili kuelewa mienendo ya viini katika mfumo wa mzunguko uliofungwa, ni muhimu sana kufuatilia mara kwa mara. Kugundua na kutambua uwepo wa viumbe vidogo itakuwa na jukumu muhimu katika kudumisha ubora na usalama wa mchakato mzima, pamoja na ukuaji wa mmea hadi kuoka mkate. Hatua za kuendeleza utendaji wa viini kwa ajili ya uzalishaji wa chakula bora, salama na afya itakuwa kipaumbele cha juu cha SCK-CEN. Microbiome ya nafaka ya ngano (Which Microbiome) ni moja ya mifumo ya msingi ya microbiome ya nafaka ya ngano. Kwa hiyo, ni muhimu sana kuelewa jinsi watakavyobadilika kwa muda wakati wa kukua katika mfumo wa mzunguko uliofungwa. Safari ndefu ya kwenda Mars tayari itafunua nafaka kwa mnururisho na microgravity. Mbali na hilo, nafaka ambayo itakua katika mfumo uliofungwa inahitaji kutumiwa kama mbegu kwa kizazi kijacho. Mabadiliko haya marefu yatakuwa na athari kubwa juu ya microbiome ya mbegu na rhizosphere. Timu ya SCKEN itachambua microbiome ya nafaka katika hali tofauti na katika kizazi tofauti. Hii itatuwezesha kuelewa athari za safari za angani na hali ya ukuaji kwenye wanachama hawa wadogo lakini muhimu sana wa sayari yetu. "Natalie Leys, PhD, ni mhandisi wa bio, microbiologist ya mionzi na mtafiti wa anga katika Kituo cha Utafiti wa Nyuklia cha Ubelgiji (SCN), ambapo anaongoza kitengo cha utafiti wa ""Microbiology"" na kuratibu programu ya utafiti wa Sayansi ya Maisha ya Anga." Anachunguza athari za kibiolojia za mnururisho wa ionizing, na jukumu la vimelea katika hali ya mfiduo wa mnururisho, kama vile katika mitambo ya nyuklia, katika maji na udongo wenye uchafuzi wa mnururisho, katika mwili wa binadamu wakati wa matibabu ya mnururisho, na katika misheni ya anga iliyofunuliwa kwa mnururisho wa cosmic. Miongoni mwa kazi zake za utafiti wa anga za juu ni pamoja na kuanzisha MELISA Biological Life Support System kwa ajili ya ESA. Alifanya majaribio kumi ya ndege za anga za anga za ISS na Foton, alishiriki katika miradi kadhaa ya utafiti wa kimataifa na makundi ya wataalam kwa EC na ESA, na ana ushirikiano wa karibu na wanasayansi wa anga kutoka Canada, Urusi, Marekani, Japan na China. Yeye ni mwandishi na mwandishi mwenza wa idadi kubwa ya karatasi za kisayansi za kimataifa, sura za vitabu, na ripoti za utafiti (H-index 24), na utafiti wake umewasilishwa mara kadhaa katika vyombo vya habari. Prof. Nele Horemans alipata PhD yake katika Sayansi (Biolojia) mnamo Machi 1997 juu ya kazi za Ascorbate kwenye utando wa plasma wa mimea ya juu. Tangu mwaka 1997 hadi mwaka 2008 amekuwa akifanya kazi katika miradi mbalimbali ya utafiti, kuanzia kuchunguza jinsi mimea inavyoitikia metali kama vile Cd na Zn, hadi kuchunguza uchafuzi wa mazingira kama vile ozoni. Katika mwaka wa 2008, alipata nafasi ya mtafiti katika Kituo cha Utafiti wa Nyuklia cha Ubelgiji (SCN) ndani ya kitengo cha Biosphere Impact Studies (BIS), akizingatia utafiti wake katika uelewa wa utaratibu wa majibu ya mimea kwa mionzi au radionuclides katika viwango tofauti vya utata wa kibiolojia kutoka kwa majibu ya mtu binafsi hadi molekuli. Kwa ajili ya hili yeye hufanya majaribio ya maabara kudhibitiwa kama masomo ya shamba katika maeneo yaliyoathiriwa na ajali ya nyuklia. Mnamo 2012, Nele Horemans aliteuliwa kuwa mwalimu mgeni katika Chuo Kikuu cha Hasselt, akifundisha kozi ya eco- na radiotoxicity kwa wanafunzi wa mwaka wa kwanza wa Biomedical Sciences, na mnamo Septemba 2015 akawa mkuu wa Kitengo cha Biosphere Impact Studies. Ingawa SCK CEN ina uzoefu wa muda mrefu katika Utafiti wa Anga, hasa kutoka kwa mtazamo wa microbiological na binadamu, mada hizi zimekuwa tu katika miaka mitatu iliyopita kutekelezwa ndani ya timu ya mmea ya Nele Horemans. Utafiti unaohusiana na anga unajumuisha kusoma athari za hali mbaya za anga (mionzi na microgravity) juu ya ukuaji wa mimea na thamani yao ya lishe, kugundua matumizi ya mimea kama chakula cha wanaanga. Nele Horemans ni mtendaji katika mitandao ya kimataifa kama vile jukwaa la ALLIANCE kwa radioecology na kikundi cha kazi cha ESA kinachoangalia mahitaji ya kituo cha Biolab. Ameongoza wanafunzi wengi wa PhD, Mwalimu na Baccalaureate na ni mwandishi wa karatasi zaidi ya 90 zilizochunguzwa na wenzao. Rob Van Houdt - Mwanasayansi Mkuu Dakt. Ir. Rob Van Houdt ni mwanachama wa SCK CEN's Microbiology kitengo. Alijiunga na kikundi hicho mnamo 2006 baada ya Ph.D. katika Biosciences na Uhandisi (KU Leuven, 2005) na mwaka mmoja kama mwanachama wa postdoc katika Kituo cha Chakula na Teknolojia ya Microbial (KU Leuven). Utafiti wake unazingatia kuchunguza uchafuzi wa bakteria na athari zake katika mazingira yanayohusiana na nafasi, na majibu na marekebisho ya bakteria kwa mkazo. Alishiriki katika miradi kadhaa ya kuchunguza uchafuzi wa microbial katika mazingira ya ndani kama vile kituo cha utafiti wa Antarctic Concordia, ISS na kiwanda cha majaribio cha MELISA. BIOS na BIOSMHARS). Yeye ni mwandishi na mwandishi mwenza wa makala 80 katika majarida ya kisayansi na vitabu kadhaa, sura za vitabu, michango ya mkutano na machapisho mengine ya kisayansi (h-index 29). Md Muntasir Ali, PhD, anafanya kazi kama Mtafiti wa Sayansi katika SCK CEN na ana Ph.D. katika Sayansi ya Bioengineering kutoka Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Alipata shahada ya uzamili katika Biolojia ya Molekuli kutoka KU Leuven chini ya udhamini wa VLIR-UOS. Utaalam wake wa utafiti unatia ndani uelewa wa molekuli wa michakato ya vimelea na mimea katika hali mbalimbali za mkazo. Alijifunza utaratibu wa upinzani wa chuma wa bakteria maalum iliyopatikana katika Kituo cha Angani cha Kimataifa (ISS) wakati wa PhD yake. Kabla ya hapo alikuwa sehemu ya miradi mbalimbali ya utafiti kuchunguza njia ya kuboresha uvumilivu wa mkazo katika mimea na kuelewa utaratibu wa mimea majibu ya mkazo. Hivi sasa, utafiti wake unazingatia mienendo ya vimelea katika mazingira tofauti, mwingiliano wa mmea na vimelea na kuboresha utendaji wa mmea katika hali ya rasilimali ndogo.