Mario Vaneechoutte lab

Prof. Dr. Mario Vaneechoutte

Tel: +32 9 332 36 92
Email: Mario.Vaneechoutte@UGent.be

Research topic

The Laboratory for Bacteriology Research (LBR), Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences (director Mario Vaneechoutte) is located in the Medical Research Building II, campus Ghent University Hospital. Research activities at the LBR are focused on the development and application of molecular methods to diagnose microbial acute and chronic infections, to monitor hospital epidemiology and to characterize the complex microbiomes of the human intestine, airways and vagina in health and disease. In addition, special interest goes to bacteriophage therapy.
Together with Alexander Swidsinski (Charité Hospital, Berlin, Germany), it was shown how the viscosity gradient within the mucus layer determines the spatial organization of the intestinal microbiota. At present, the LBR (PhD research of Tessa Gryp) is involved in the FWO-project, entitled “The gut-renal axis: link between plasma levels of intestinally generated uraemic toxins and gut microbiome profiles in consecutive stages of chronic kidney disease”, together with Griet Glorieux (UGent) and Jeroen Raes, Marie Joossens and Geert Huys (KULeuven). The LBR is equipped to culture (aerobically and anaerobically), to quantify (qPCR) and to visualize (FISH) specific bacterial and fungal species in the original context of the clinical sample, assisting the MIIT lab (Lars Vereecke) for the anaerobic culture of bacterial isolates for their application in gnotobiotic mice.

Selected publications

  1. Gryp, T., R. Vanholder, M. Vaneechoutte, and G. Glorieux. 2017. p-Cresyl sulfate. Toxins 9: 52.
  2. Heytens, S., A. De Sutter, L. Coorevits, P. Cools, J. Boelens, L. Van Simaey, T. Christiaens, M. Vaneechoutte, and G. Claeys. 2017. Women with symptoms of a urinary tract infection but a negative urine culture: PCR-based quantification of Escherichia coli suggests infection in most cases. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 23: 647-652.
  3. Tilley, L., K. Keppens, A. Kushiro, T. Takada, T. Sakai, M. Vaneechoutte, and B. Degeest. 2014. A probiotic fermented milk drink containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota improves stool consistency of subjects with hard stools. Int. J. Probiotics Prebiotics 9: 23-30.
  4. Wauters, G., and M. Vaneechoutte. 2014. Approaches to the identification of aerobic Gram-negative bacteria. Chapter 33. In: Manual Clinical Microbiology 11th Ed. Versalovic, J., K. A. Carroll, G. Funke, J. H. Jorgensen, M. L. Landry, and D. W. Warnock (Eds.). ASM Press, Washington DC.
  5. Merabishvili, M., D. De Vos, G. Verbeken, A.M. Kropinski, D. Vandenheuvel, R. Lavigne, P. Wattiau, J. Mast, C. Ragimbeau, J. Mossong, J. Scheres, N. Chanishvili, M. Vaneechoutte, and J.-P. Pirnay. 2012. Selection and characterization of a candidate therapeutic bacteriophage that lyses the Escherichia coli O104: H4 strain from the 2011 outbreak in Germany. PLoS ONE 7: e52709.
  6. Deschaght, P., M. Janssens, M. Vaneechoutte, and G. Wauters. 2012. Psychrobacter isolates of human origin, other than Psychrobacter phenylpyruvicus, are predominantly Psychrobacter faecalis and Psychrobacter pulmonis, with emended description of P. faecalis. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 62: 671-674.
  7. El Aila, N., I. Tency, B. Saerens, E. De Backer, P. Cools, G. dos Santos Santiago Lopes, H. Verstraelen, R. Verhelst, M. Temmerman, M. Vaneechoutte. 2011. Strong correspondence in bacterial loads between the vagina and rectum of pregnant women. Res. Microbiol. 162: 506-513.
  8. Swidsinski, A., V. Loening-Baucke, M. Vaneechoutte, and Y. Doerffel. 2008. Active Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis can be specifically diagnosed and monitored based on the biostructure of the fecal flora. Inflamm. Bowel Dis. 14: 147-161.
  9. Swidsinski, A., B. C. Sydora, Y. Doerffel, V. Loening-Baucke, M. Vaneechoutte, M. Lupicki, J. Scholze, H. Lochs, and L. A. Dieleman. 2007. Viscosity gradient within the mucus layer determines the mucosal barrier function and the spatial organization of the intestinal microbiota. Inflamm. Bowel Dis. 13: 963-970.
  10. Lenoir-Wijnkoop, I., M. E. Sanders, M. D. Cabana, E. Caglar, G. Corthier, N. Rayes, P. M. Sherman, H. M. Timmerman, M. Vaneechoutte, J. Van Loo, and D. A. W. Wolvers. 2007. Probiotic and prebiotic influence beyond the intestinal tract. Nutr. Rev: 65: 469-489.
  11. Verthé, K., S. Possemiers, M. Vaneechoutte, N. Boon, and W. Verstraete. 2006. Factors controlling the activity of bacteriophage UZ1 against Enterobacter aerogenes strain BE1 under simulated intestinal conditions. Eng. Life Sci. 6: 501-507.

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