The ProCure project runs from January 2016 till December 2019 and explores whether probiotics (beneficial microbes) can reduce infections of the ear-nose-throat cavity (ENT). ProCure is a large research project in which research groups of UAntwerpen, KU Leuven and UGent participate.
Together we design:
- platforms for the isolation and selection of novel probiotic strains,
- innovative processes for the formulation, upscaling and application of these novel strains in pharmaceutical formulations, food and feed, and other forms
- innovative assays based on cellular assays, more complex microbial models and microbiome analyses for the ENT cavity, which allow the assessment of the impact of probiotics, but also other food- and pharma related compounds on the ENT microbiome
This project is supported by the VLAIO (Vlaams Agentschap voor Innovatie en Ondernemen), through the channel for strategic basis research (SBO).
Objectives
- Generate knowledge about the ENT microbiome in healthy and diseased individuals with chronic rhinosinusitis (adults) and otitis media (children)
- Select and characterize potential probiotic strains after isolation from ENT cavities
- Design a dynamic model system for mechanistic research on host-microbe interactions in the upper respiratory tract and ENT cavities
- Design novel methods for the formulation and upscaling of probiotics for the upper respiratory tract
- Investigate the impact of probiotic interventions on the ENT microbiome