Leise Riber

Leise Riber is an Associate Professor in Molecular Microbiology at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, where she leads research on microbial ecology and biotechnology. She is affiliated with the Prof. Lars Hestbjerg Hansen Lab and has been with the University of Copenhagen since 2010, progressing from Post-doctoral Fellow to her current position as Associate Professor since 2024.

Dr. Riber received her PhD in Molecular Microbiology from Roskilde University (2003-2007) and her Cand. Polyt. in Chemistry and Biotechnology from the Technical University of Denmark (1996-2003).

Her primary research focuses on molecular microbiology, bacterial genetics, and the biology of mobile genetic elements such as plasmids and bacteriophages. She investigates the complex interactions between plasmids, phages, and their bacterial hosts, with particular interest in defense and anti-defense mechanisms. Her work also explores phage epigenomics through long-read sequencing to detect nucleotide modifications on phage genomes. Additionally, she isolates and characterizes novel phages from the wheat phyllosphere, examining their potential as biocontrol agents for modulating microbial communities. Previous research included strategies to limit plasmid-borne antimicrobial resistance spread and elucidating molecular mechanisms of bacterial chromosome replication.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on nucleotide modifications in bacteria and phages, phage genomics in the wheat phyllosphere environment, and the role of mobile genetic elements in antimicrobial resistance. Her work bridges fundamental molecular microbiology with practical applications in environmental and agricultural contexts.

Dr. Riber has received significant research funding including grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation (DEFENSEBOOST project), Lundbeck Foundation, and multiple Danish foundations for her innovative work on bacterial immunity, epigenetic markers, and antimicrobial compounds.

She has supervised 11 bachelor students, 12 master's students (1 ongoing), 4 international PhD students (1 ongoing), and 4 postdocs (1 ongoing). She has taught various BSc and MSc courses since 2010 and served as a censor for Biology education since 2018. With 37 peer-reviewed publications totaling 1,629 citations and an H-index of 20, her research has made significant contributions to molecular microbiology and microbial ecology.