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Professors
De Vos Paul
Huys Geert
Vandamme Peter
Willems Anne
 
 
Huys Geert
Address: K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35
                9000 Gent
                Belgium

Email: Geert.Huys@UGent.be
Tel : (+32) 9 264.51.31
Fax: (+32) 9 264.50.92
Research activities :

The research interests of G. Huys mainly center around taxonomic and functional diversity of intestinal microbiota in humans and animals .

Specific research topics include:

  • Identification and detection of microbial determinants of intestinal dysbiosis in specific patient groups such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cystic fibrosis (CF) patients
  • Probiotics for human use: identification, typing, detection, biosafety and characterization of health-promoting properties
  • Molecular ecology of antibiotic resistances in intestinal ecosystems
  • Relation between diet and intestinal functional diversity in captive carnivores
    • Projects :

    1. Probiotic administration as add-on therapy in ulcerative colitis and pouchitis (IWT-TBM)

    2. Study of the dominant colon microbiota with cystic fibrosis patients (BOF-UGent)

    3. Diversity and nutritional modulation of fecal microbiota in the captive cheetah (BOF-UGent en MAF)

    4. Microstructural and sensorial effects of the functional components milk fat globule membrane-fragments and natural antioxidants in fermented milk products (BOF-UGent)

    5. Classification and source tracking of psychrotrophic bacteria isolated from packed food products (Bilateral collaboration in the frame of GOA project)

    Teaching :

    Molecular Microbial Ecology
    Course titular and principal lecturer, for students of Master 1 Biochemistry and Biotechnology, focus Microbial Biotechnology (with co-lecturers Dr. Lothar Steidler [Actogenix] and Prof. Jeroen Raes [VIB-VUB])

    Aquatic Microbial Ecology
    Course titular and principal lecturer, for students of Master of Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management (with co-lecturers Prof. W. Vyverman, Prof. K. Sabbe en Prof. J. Raes)

    Biotechnology of Bacteria
    Co-lecturer, course for students of Master 2 Biochemistry and Biotechnology, focus Microbial Biotechnology (titular: Prof. A. Willems)
    Curriculum :

    Employment


    2010-present: Part-time professor (senior lecturer) in LM-UGent

    2009-present: Senior postdoctoral scientist in BCCM/LMG Bacteria Collection, UGent

    2001-2009: Postdoctoral research fellow (F.W.O. Vlaanderen) in LM-UGent

    1997-2001: Postdoctoral scientist (EU-5FP, ABOS) in LM-UGent

    1992-1997: PhD student (I.W.ON.L. Vlaanderen, I.W.T. Vlaanderen, BCCM/LMG) in LM-UGent


    Education


    2006-2007: Management course ‘Fundamental Skills in Technology Transfer’, UGent & Vlerick Management School

    2006: Two month stay as visiting scientist at RIKILT, Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen University Research Center, Wageningen, the Netherlands

    1997: PhD in Sciences, major Biotechnology, UGent Title dissertation: Classification and identification of mesophilic Aeromonas species

    1992: Master in Chemical Sciences, major Biotechnology, UGent
    Selected papers :

    1. Huys, G., Vancanneyt, M., D'Haene, K., Vankerckhoven, V., Goossens, H. & Swings, J. (2006). Accuracy of species identity of commercial bacterial cultures intended for probiotic or nutritional use. Res Microbiol 157, 803-810.

    2. Vanhoutte, T., De Preter, V., De Brandt, E., Verbeke, K., Swings, J. & Huys, G. (2006). Molecular monitoring of the fecal microbiota of healthy human subjects during administration of lactulose and Saccharomyces boulardii. Appl Environ Microbiol 72, 5990-5997.

    3. Masco, L., Van Hoorde, K., De Brandt, E., Swings, J. & Huys, G. (2006). Antimicrobial susceptibility of Bifidobacterium strains from humans, animals and probiotic products. J Antimicrob Chemother 58, 85-94.

    4. Huys, G., D'Haene, K. & Swings, J. (2006). Genetic basis of tetracycline and minocycline resistance in the potentially probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum strain CCUG 43738. Antimicrob Agent Chemother 50, 1550-1551.

    5. Vaerewijck, M.J.M., Huys, G., Palomino, J.C., Swings, J. & Portaels, F. (2005). Mycobacteria in drinking water distribution systems: ecology and significance for human health. FEMS Microbiol Rev 29, 911-934.

    6. Huys, G., Cnockaert, M., Nemec, A. & Swings, J. (2005). Sequence-based typing of adeB as a potential tool to identify intraspecific groups among clinical strains of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. J Clin Microbiol 43, 5327-5331.

    7. Huys, G., Cnockaert, M., Vaneechoutte, M., Woodford, N., Nemec, A., Dijkshoorn, L. & Swings, J. (2005). Distribution of tetracycline resistance genes in genotypically related and unrelated multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains from different European hospitals. Res Microbiol 156, 348-355.

    8. Huys, G., D'Haene, K., Van Eldere, J., von Holy, A. & Swings, J. (2005). Molecular diversity and characterization of tetracycline-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from a poultry processing plant. Appl Environ Microbiol 71, 574-579.

    9. Huys, G., D'Haene, K., Collard, J.-M. & Swings, J. (2004). Prevalence and molecular characterization of tetracycline resistance in Enterococcus isolates from food. Appl Environ Microbiol 70, 1555-1562.

    10. Huys, G., Cnockaert, M., Janda, J.M. & Swings, J. (2003). Escherichia albertii sp. nov., a diarrhoeagenic member of the genus Escherichia isolated from stool specimens of Bangladeshi children. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 53, 807-810.

    11. Gevers, D., Huys, G. & Swings, J. (2001). Applicability of rep-PCR fingerprinting for identification of Lactobacillus species. FEMS Microbiol Lett 205, 31-36.

    12. Huys, G., Rigouts, L., Chemlal, K., Portaels, F. & Swings, J. (2000). Evaluation of Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis for inter- and intraspecific differentiation of Mycobacterium bovis, M. tuberculosis, and M. ulcerans. J Clin Microbiol 38, 3675-3680.

    13. Huys, G. & Swings, J. (1999). Evaluation of a fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (FAFLP) methodology for the genotypic discrimination of Aeromonas taxa. FEMS Microbiol Lett 177, 83-92.

    14. Janssen, P., Coopman, R., Huys, G., Swings, J., Bleeker, M., Vos, P., Zabeau, M. & Kersters, K. (1996). Evaluation of the DNA fingerprinting method AFLP as a new tool in bacterial taxonomy. Microbiol 142, 1881-1893.

    15. Huys, G., Coopman, R., Janssen, P. & Kersters, K. (1996). High-resolution genotypic analysis of the genus Aeromonas by AFLP fingerprinting. Int J Syst Bacteriol 46, 572-580.
     last updated Tue 8 Nov 2011 11:03:00