About Irina Spacova

Prof. Spacova’s team investigates diverse microorganisms found at the interface between the human body and the environment, and how they can benefit human health. A key goal is to develop sustainable microbiome-based solutions for urban health challenges, including immune and viral diseases. Her team’s methodology involves citizen science projects such as the BUGS (Benefits of Urban Green Spaces) initiative (www.uantwerpen.be/bugs), clinical studies, immunological and microbiological assays on human samples and bacterial isolates, reporter cell lines, and fluorescence-based techniques.