Contents Chapter 1 General introduction Chapter 2 Pulsed electric field for increasing intracellular trehalose content in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 Chapter 3 Reversibility of membrane permeabilization in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 after pulsed electric field treatment Chapter 4 Accumulation of intracellular trehalose and lactose in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 during pulsed electric field treatment and subsequent freeze and spray drying Chapter 5 Pulsed electric field pre-treatment for enhanced bacterial robustness during drying: Effect of carrier matrix and strain variability Chapter 6 Protective effect of carrier matrices on survival of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 during single droplet drying explained by particle morphology development