Willy Verstraete (1946) graduated in 1968 from the Gent University as bio-engineer. He followed a summer course on Soil Microbiology at the Pasteur Institute of Paris. In 1971, he obtained a PhD degree in the field of microbiology at the Cornell University, Ithaca (USA).  Since 1971, he worked at the Gent University, first as assistant and since 1979 as professor and head of the Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET - Faculty of Bioscience Engineering). Since October 2011, he has become emeritus professor.

Willy Verstraete is an authority in the field of processes and applications of micro-organisms in soil, drinking water, waste, biofuel, water treatment and fermentation. The last years he has focused his research on the application of microbial processes in the circular economy. His research on microbial protein produced with recovered nutrients and CO2 is being cited more and more among researchers around the world.

Willy Verstraete is ranked in the list of Highly Cited Researchers since 2014, due to the fact that several of his papers belong to the top 1% most cited papers of his field . The whole of his scientific work totals at a h-index of 134 (Mendeley). The sum of his cited papers is more than 73 000 (October 2022).

W. Verstraete has been instrumental in the creation of several successful spin-offs, both in Belgium and abroad in the field of applied microbial ecology (environmental technology, health, food and feed).

Full biography CMET