Rate My Professor Bert Devriendt

Bert Devriendt is an associate professor at Ghent University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, where he is affiliated with the Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health and the Laboratory of Immunology. He holds the BOF-TT-professorship in mucosal immunology (2020–2025). His research specializations encompass mucosal immunology, vaccinology, innate and adaptive immunity, and veterinary microbiology, with a particular emphasis on host-pathogen interactions at the intestinal mucosa, especially those involving enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and other gut pathogens in pigs and other veterinary species. Devriendt’s group develops innovative oral vaccine strategies, targeting epithelial receptors like aminopeptidase N to elicit protective secretory IgA responses and switch intestinal tolerance to immunity.

As principal investigator and promotor-spokesperson, he directs multiple externally funded projects, including the FWO-funded “Aminopeptidase N-driven activation of the small intestinal epithelium as a cornerstone of gut immunity” (2023–2026), the IWT/VLAIO “MucoVac – An oral vaccination platform based on APN targeting” (2025–2027), the Industrial Research Fund-supported “PROVAXS” (2019–2026) and “RIP: Receptors Imitators to prevent infections with enteric Pathogens” (2024–2026), as well as initiatives on synthetic biology for immunomodulatory carbohydrates, lactoferrin delivery against bacterial infections, and ETEC interactions with intestinal stem cells.

Bert Devriendt’s scholarly impact is substantial, with over 4,300 citations on Google Scholar. Key publications include “Spatial proteogenomics reveals distinct and evolutionarily conserved hepatic macrophage niches” (2022, 940 citations), “Vaccines as alternatives to antibiotics for food producing animals. Part 2: new approaches and potential solutions” (2018, 287 citations), “Heat-Stable Enterotoxins of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Their Impact on Host Immunity” (2019, 137 citations), “Crossing the barrier: Targeting epithelial receptors for enhanced oral vaccine delivery” (2012, 124 citations), and “Advances in oral subunit vaccine design” (Vaccines, 2021).