معرفی
Mihaela Bejenari serves as a Researcher at Aalborg University's Department of Chemistry and Bioscience within the Faculty of Engineering and Science, specializing in fungal metabolic engineering and polyketide biosynthesis. Her research bridges microbiology, biochemistry, and sustainable biotechnology through innovative work with Yarrowia lipolytica as a chassis organism.
Her research focuses on heterologous biosynthesis pathways for valuable metabolites, particularly examining how 6-methylsalicylic acid (6-MSA) functions as a distribution hub for diverse fungal secondary metabolites including mycotoxins and polyketides. She investigates horizontal gene transfer mechanisms in fungal evolution and develops sustainable approaches for producing electrolytes in oleaginous yeasts for energy storage applications.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals strong thematic continuity in fungal polyketide engineering, with increasing emphasis on practical applications for sustainable chemistry and energy storage. Her work demonstrates sophisticated manipulation of fungal metabolic pathways while maintaining relevance to industrial biotechnology challenges.
Awarded a Tuition Fee award in November 2024, her scholarly impact is reflected in citations across her publications, with particular recognition for her educational contributions to molecular microbiology pedagogy.
Bejenari actively contributes to academic discourse through conference presentations at major international forums including the European Conference on Fungal Genetics (2025), International Mycological Congress (2024), and Synthetic Biology Australasia Conference (2023), where she presented her work on heterologous production of fungal polyketides.
