Micro4Food is a microbial and food proteomics platform that enables innovations using a biotechnological “supply chain” approach, including in the area of food sustainability and authentication. Work is undertaken in the laboratory to control the transformation process in foodstuffs, to modernise this process, to improve its sustainability, to exploit its waste and to improve its physiologically nutritional and functional properties.

This is covered in two main research areas: 1. Fermentations in the food sector ‑ with the aim of developing new products with special functional properties; 2. Human-food axis, in particular food intake/food conversion and the microbiome in the intestinal tract.

The Micro4Food platform offers six interconnected laboratories that complement each other with their available equipment. The advanced “Omics” laboratories (Phenomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics) occupy an area of approximately 450 m² and are equipped with instruments for chromatography and mass spectrometry, microbiology and biotechnology as well as food technology. Also available are pilot and semi-industrial facilities for the production of fermented foods and microbial biomass in an area measuring approx. 150 m².

Microbiological laboratories

Safety cabinet, autoclaves, freezers, refrigerators, stoves, centrifuges, CO2 and non-CO2 incubators, agitators, thermostatically controlled baths, spectral photometers, microscopes, magnetic stirrers.

Molecular biological laboratories

Safety cabinet, PCR, Real-time PCR, MultiNA Microchip Electrophoresis System, UviTEC Gel Documentation System, isolation and purification system for nucleic acids and proteins, electrophoresis apparatus (nucleic acids), NanoDrop, refrigerated centrifuges.

“Omics” labs

Ultra high pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with mass spectrometer, ÄKTA ™ Purification System for purification of proteins, peptides and nucleic acids, OmniLog® Phenotype Microarray (Biolog), gel-free proteomics platform, Orbitrap Model Q-Exactive high resolution spectrometer coupled with U3000 Nano RSLCnano System for EASY-Spray, gel-based proteomics platform (one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis systems) combined with Image Lab densitometer software.

Microscopy Laboratory

Optical, fluorescence and confocal microscopy

Human-nutrition axis laboratory

Simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem (SHIME®).

Semi-industrial pilot facilities

- for the manufacture of bakery products: “Bakery Inspirience” and measuring instruments for the rheological characterisation of yeast bakery products, OXITEST as well as the extraction and digestion system of soluble and insoluble fibres
- for the production of dairy products
- for the production of microbial biomass and the fermentation of plant matrices

Go to Website