John M. Woodley

John M. Woodley is a distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), where he leads research at the PROSYS - Process and Systems Engineering Centre and contributes to the DTU Microbes Initiative. With over 30 years of experience, he has established himself as a leading expert in biocatalysis and bioprocess engineering, with research spanning both theoretical and experimental work across multiple scales.

His primary research interests focus on the interface of bioprocess engineering, process chemistry, and reaction engineering. Dr. Woodley's work encompasses multi-step biocatalysis (including systems biocatalysis and flow chemistry), downstream processing from biocatalytic reactors and fermentations (including ISPR), modeling tools for bioprocess assessment (thermodynamics, kinetics, process simulation, economic evaluation), and bio-oxidations (including oxygen supply methods). His enzymatic investigations particularly target alcohol oxidases, carbohydrate oxidases, cytochrome P450s, Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases, and transaminases.

His research portfolio demonstrates consistent innovation in sustainable chemical production, with particular emphasis on enzymatic synthesis of pharmaceuticals and chemicals from renewable resources. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on overcoming industrial implementation challenges, particularly regarding enzyme stability in various reactor environments, optimization of multi-enzyme systems, and scale-up methodologies for biocatalytic processes.

Dr. Woodley actively supervises multiple PhD students and leads several significant research projects, including 'P450-based biocatalytic processes for the pharmaceutical industry' (2025-2028), 'Integrated model for up- and downstream bioprocess intensification' (2024-2027), and 'ENFACE: A tool for prediction of enzyme stability at gas-liquid interfaces' (2024-2027). His work has resulted in an impressive publication record of 781 research outputs across various formats, including journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings.

His research group operates within the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at DTU, utilizing advanced facilities for biocatalysis research, including specialized reactor systems for studying gas-liquid interfaces, computational modeling resources, and laboratories for enzyme characterization and bioprocess development. Through his leadership in the PROSYS center, he contributes to DTU's strategic focus on sustainable process technologies and systems engineering.