Functional starter cultures: predictive modelling

The research group of Industrial Microbiology and Food Biotechnology (IMDO) has been established in October 1994. IMDO's central research mission is 'Research and Development for a Healthy Diet' through the study of the whole of microbial factors that influence (fermented) food quality, in particular with respect to starter cultures (and adjunct- or co-cultures, bioprotective cultures, and other functional starter cultures) and gut health.

The three major research lines are:

- Food fermentation processes: ecosystem analysis (Prof. Dr ir. Luc De Vuyst)
- Functional starter cultures: predictive modelling (Prof. Dr. ir. Frédéric Leroy)
- Food fermentation processes: (meta)genomics and microarray analysis (Dr. Stefan Weckx).

The main research objective of 'Functional starter cultures: predictive modelling' is a mathematical description of the behaviour (growth and product formation), functionality, interactions, and competitiveness of functional starter cultures (lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and/or staphylococci) and bioprotective cultures of lactic acid bacteria (positive predictive modelling) in simulated food fermentations (milk, meat, cereals, cocoa) and/or modified-atmoshpere-packaged meat products.