Veronica Marie Sinotte

Veronica Marie Sinotte holds dual academic positions as a Postdoc at the Globe Institute's Section for Hologenomics and Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen, specializing in Food Microbiology, Gut Health, and Fermentation. Her interdisciplinary research integrates natural history, hologenomics, and ethnographic knowledge to investigate microbial ecology in fermented foods and insect symbioses.

Her research program centers on three pillars:

• Elucidating origins and ecologies of microbes in fermented foods
• Studying microbial symbioses of animals/plants in fermentation practices
• Using immersive storytelling to translate scientific knowledge to the public

Current projects extend her PhD work on evolutionary relationships between microbes and social insect hosts (ants, termites, bees) to explore traditional fermentation practices involving insects or plants.

Analysis of her 9 recent publications (2020-2025) reveals a research trajectory evolving from foundational studies on termite gut microbiomes and social insect symbiosis toward applied food microbiology. Key themes include microbial transmission mechanisms, host-microbe coevolution, and microbiome responses to environmental stressors, with increasing focus on fermented food systems and public science communication through initiatives like the Microbial Connections Podcast.

Her collaborative network includes prominent researchers such as Rob Dunn (North Carolina State University), Sandra Breum Andersen (University of Copenhagen), and international partners across Germany and Denmark. Current projects involve the Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics and Novo Nordisk Center for Biosustainability.