Niels Agerbirk

Niels Agerbirk is an Associate Professor in the Section for Plant Biochemistry at the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen. With over two decades of academic experience, he focuses on plant biochemistry and chemical ecology, particularly the study of plant secondary metabolites and their role in defense mechanisms against insects and diseases. His research centers on glucosinolates in cruciferous plants like mustard, cabbage, and wintercress.

Dr. Agerbirk earned his Cand. scient. in Biology from Aarhus University in 1994, followed by a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in 1997. His doctoral research examined the myrosinase-catalyzed hydrolysis of glucosinolates in Brassica vegetables.

His research interests span plant secondary metabolism, with particular emphasis on the glucosinolate-myrosinase system and non-glucosinolate defenses in crucifers. Approximately half of his work focuses on pure plant biochemistry, while the other half explores ecological interactions between plants and pests like diamondback moths and cabbage butterflies. His investigations range from molecular structure elucidation and biochemical pathway analysis to ecological and evolutionary studies, with the goal of describing new molecules and reactions that might inform plant breeding strategies.

Dr. Agerbirk's recent publications reveal a sustained focus on glucosinolate diversity across plant families, evolutionary patterns in biosynthetic pathways, and the role of these compounds in plant defense mechanisms. His work integrates analytical chemistry, evolutionary biology, and agricultural science to understand plant-insect interactions at the molecular level. His research often involves sophisticated chemical analysis techniques, including HPLC-MS/MS, to characterize plant metabolites and their transformations.

• Blokkens Underviser award from natural resources students (2013)
• Nominated for University of Copenhagen teaching prize 'Årets Harald' (2015, 2016, 2018)

Dr. Agerbirk has extensive experience supervising students at all levels, having served as co-supervisor for PhD students Pernille Østerbye Erthmann (2014-2017) and Davide Mancinotti (2018-2021). He has also reviewed numerous PhD theses from other institutions. His teaching portfolio includes introductory chemistry courses for biological sciences students as well as advanced biochemistry courses.

He is affiliated with the Copenhagen Plant Science Center as a member of Fernando Geu-Flores' research group, where he contributes to projects focused on glucosinolate diversity. His laboratory work involves chemical analysis of plant metabolites, enzyme characterization, and studies of plant-insect interactions, with applications in understanding agricultural pest resistance mechanisms.