Biotechnology in Belgium

Laboratory of Systematic Mycology

and Mycological Collection of the UCL (MUCL)

 

Address

Prof. Anne-Marie COLSON-CORBISIER
Laboratory of Systematic Mycology and Mycological Collection of the UCL (MUCL)
Catholic University of Louvain (UCL)
Bātiment Kellner D1
Place croix du Sud 3 Bte 6
B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)
Tel.: +32-10- 47 37 42
Fax: +32-10- 45 15 01
Email: BCCM-MUCL@mbla.ucl.ac.be

Biotechnological sectors: agriculture, agro-food, environment, forestry.

Keywords: biodeterioration, food, fungi, mycology, taxonomy, yeast.

 

Major research topics in biotechnology

Taxonomy and nomenclature of the filamentous and yeast fungi, based on a culture collection of 25.000 strains

1. Systematic Mycology

• Collect and isolation of fungi in unexplored sites and substrates throughout the world, particularly in extreme habitat conditions or on specific substrates, and all kinds of industrial products and residues.
• Taxonomy and nomenclature of filamentous fungi and yeasts.
• Morphology and morphogenesis of sexual and asexual reproduction.
• Physiological and biochemical characterization of moulds and yeasts: assimilation, fermentation, nutritional requirements, enzymatic activities and other biomolecular characteristics.
• Ecology of fungi in their habitat.
• Studies on primary and secondary metabolites such as proteins, polysaccharides and enzymes for chemiotaxonomy and biotechnology.
• Biomolecular characterization of the fungal genome for taxonomic purposes and strain differentiation using mapping techniques such as RFLP and RAPD, and sequencing of rDNA genes.

2. Applied Mycology

• Fermentation abilities of filamentous fungi and yeasts in food production such as cheeses, kefirs, tempeh and production of starters.
• Industrial, agricultural and domestic waste biodegradation, composting or recycling.
• Characterization of decaying fungi in wood, wood products, papers, paints, fabrics, textiles, plastics, electronics and fuels.
• Fungus resistance testing of products and materials, according to national and international standards, bioassays of fungicides and fungistatic additives, diagnoses in industries and buildings.
• Monitoring of product contamination in industrial environments and improvement of production conditions nd stock preservation.
• Cultivation of edible mushrooms, production of spawn, improvement of production conditions and quality.
• Characterization of mycorhizal fungi, production of mycorhizae in controlled conditions.
• Development of improved techniques in lyophilization and cryopreservation of fungal strains.

 

Main collaborators: C. Moulliard, C. Decock, V. Robert, S. Vanhulle, D. Gouliamova & K. Tshinyangu

 

Selected publications

to be completed

 

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