Johan Larsbrink

Johan Larsbrink is an Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial Biotechnology at Chalmers University of Technology. He joined the university in 2015 after completing his PhD at KTH (2013) and postdoctoral studies at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. He is a member of a national research center focused on developing new materials from wood and has been recognized with awards including the Research Supervisor of the Year (Chalmers, 2019) and membership in the Young Academy of Sweden (2021).

His research focuses on microbial degradation of complex plant biomass, particularly carbohydrates and lignin-carbohydrate interactions. His group’s work is funded by the Swedish Research Council, Swedish Energy Agency, Formas, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. He teaches courses such as Molecular Biotechnology (KMB056), Biochemistry and Biotechnology (KBT016), and Sustainable Food Production (BBT050).

Key research interests include enzyme discovery (e.g., glucuronoyl esterases), biomass conversion technologies, and understanding microbial strategies for breaking down lignocellulosic materials. His projects often involve collaborations to develop novel enzymes for industrial applications and sustainable biorefinery processes.

Recent work includes studies on fungal and bacterial enzymes for bark degradation, structural analysis of carbohydrate-active proteins, and optimization of biocatalyst systems for biomass hydrolysis.