Staff

In this edition, we spoke with Weishen Zeng, whose research focuses on the biological recycling of biodegradable plastic waste through anaerobic fermentation. Using the UNLOCK Modular Bioreactor, Biodiscovery and FAIR Data Platforms, the research investigates how biodegradable plastics can be converted into valuable carboxylic acids, while exploring the microbial communities involved and how the fermentation process can be monitored and better controlled.

In this edition, we spoke with Emmelie Joe Freudenberg Rasmussen, whose research focuses on understanding microbial interactions in the gut microbiome. Using the UNLOCK Biodiscovery platform, the study investigates how riboflavin supplied by an overproducing 𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘴 strain can support the growth of riboflavin-dependent 𝘍𝘢𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮, providing new insights into microbial cross-feeding under oxygenated gut conditions.

In this edition, we spoke with Silvana Inés Quiton Tapia, whose research investigates how dissolved organic carbon (DOC) influences microbial activity in groundwater. Using the UNLOCK Modular Bioreactor Platform, the study explores how DOC conditions shape metabolic strategies and micropollutant biotransformation.

In this feature, we spoke with Natalia Nadal Alemany, whose research explores the metabolic flexibility of the fermentative microorganism Clostridium pasteurianum. Using the UNLOCK Parallel Cultivation Platform, the study examines metabolic adaptation to iron limitation during anaerobic fermentation.

As part of our ongoing series showcasing researchers using UNLOCK’s research facilities, we spoke with Jinsong, a researcher conducting bioreactor-based research on microbial enrichment for biopolymer production using the UNLOCK Parallel Cultivation Platform.

As part of our series highlighting users of UNLOCK’s research facilities, we spoke with Banchiamlak, a PhD researcher studying how chemical stressors and temperature change shape freshwater ecosystems. Her work combines whole-ecosystem experimentation with in-depth molecular analysis, made possible through the UNLOCK Biodiscovery and FAIR Data Platforms.