Mathias Middelboe

Mathias Middelboe is a Professor at the Marine Biological Section (MBS) of the Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, where he leads a research group focused on marine viral ecology and bacteriophage applications. His primary research activities center on virus-host interactions, microbial ecology in marine environments, and the development of phage-based solutions for disease control in aquaculture. With over 120 peer-reviewed publications and an H-index of 50, his work has significantly contributed to our understanding of viral roles in microbial diversity, evolution, and biogeochemical cycling.

Dr. Middelboe's research spans multiple environments from shallow coastal waters to the deepest hadal trenches (6,000+ meters depth). His current research interests include marine microbial ecology, virus-host interactions, prophage-mediated virulence transfer, and bacteriophage therapy applications for aquaculture disease control. He leads or participates in several major research projects including AQUAPHAGE (developing phage-based solutions for rainbow trout aquaculture), HADAL (Danish Center for Hadal Research), and Cure4Aqua (an EU Horizon project enhancing aquaculture resilience).

His laboratory's recent publications demonstrate significant contributions to understanding phage-host dynamics in diverse contexts, from deep-sea chitin degradation systems to phage therapy applications against fish pathogens. The research group has documented elevated virus densities in hadal trenches and explored prophage-encoded genes that enhance bacterial survival in extreme environments. Recent work also examines how commensal bacteria and phages interact to suppress pathogenic Vibrio colonization and how biofilm populations evolve resistance to repeated phage exposures.

Dr. Middelboe has secured substantial funding from multiple sources including Innovation Fund Denmark (AQUAPHAGE: 22 million DKK), Danish National Research Foundation (HADAL: 54 million DKK), Horizon Europe (Cure4Aqua: 5.5 million Euro), and the Novo Nordic Foundation. His research has practical applications in developing sustainable alternatives to antibiotics in aquaculture, addressing a critical industry challenge.

As an educator, Dr. Middelboe teaches courses in General Ecology, Marine Biology, Marine Microbiology and Virology, and Advanced Bacteriology. He has supervised 15 PhD students and 7 postdocs throughout his career, contributing significantly to the next generation of marine microbiologists. His laboratory maintains active collaborations with institutions across Europe, North America, and Antarctica, reflecting the international scope of his research endeavors.