Birger Lindberg Møller

Birger Lindberg Møller is a Professor in Plant Biochemistry at the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. He also serves as Director of the Carlsberg Laboratory (since 2014) and Head of the VILLUM Research Center for Plant Plasticity (since 2013). His research spans plant biochemistry, synthetic biology, and natural products chemistry with applications in sustainable production systems.

His educational background includes:

• M.Sc. (1972)
• Ph.D. (1975)
• D.Sc. (1984)
• D.Sc. h.c. (honoris causa)

Professor Møller's research focuses on bio-active natural products, particularly the biosynthesis, transport, storage and degradation of cyanogenic glucosides. His work elucidates how plants communicate with their environment and defend themselves against herbivores, pests and abiotic stresses. A promising application of his lab's research involves engineering microalgae, mosses and plant cells into production units for high value natural products. His engagement in synthetic biology represents a logical extension of his plant research activities, with work targeted towards forming new combinations of membrane proteins for harvesting sunlight energy to synthesize valuable natural products or degrade toxic compounds.

Analysis of Professor Møller's recent publications reveals a strong focus on plant specialized metabolism, particularly cyanogenic glucosides and related compounds. His work spans genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and synthetic biology approaches to understand plant defense mechanisms and engineer plants for improved traits. Key themes include sorghum and cassava metabolism, diterpenoid biosynthesis, and the application of synthetic biology for sustainable production of high-value compounds through photosynthetic systems.

His notable scientific awards include:

• Villum Kann Rasmussen Research Prize (2007) - Denmark's largest research award (2.5 mil DKK or 350,000 €)
• The Academy of Future Research's "The Future Prize" (2004)
• Societas Physiologia Plantarum Scandinavica "Popularization Prize" (2003)
• Knight of the Dannebrog (1995)
• Carlsberg Research Prize Award (1994)
• Hans Gram Medal from the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters (1985)
• Appointed Honorary Doctor at the University of Umeå, Sweden (2009)

Professor Møller has served as the main advisor for 43 PhD students (with 8 ongoing in Denmark and 3 in Australia) and numerous BSc and MSc students. He has secured significant research funding throughout his career, including an ERC Advanced Grant (2.5 million €), Villum Foundation grants, and participation in major research centers with multi-million euro budgets. His current funding includes projects related to synthetic biology, plant plasticity, and cyanogenic glucoside metabolism.

He leads the Plant Biochemistry Laboratory and is deeply involved with the Center for Synthetic Biology at the University of Copenhagen. His laboratory focuses on understanding plant specialized metabolism and applying this knowledge through synthetic biology approaches to engineer plants and microorganisms for sustainable production of high-value compounds. His team collaborates extensively with international partners across Europe, Australia, and beyond, and he actively promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration to address complex global challenges in energy, sustainability, and medicine.