Kunihiko Kaneko is a Professor at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, with a distinguished career in theoretical biophysics and complex systems. He received his PhD and MSc in Physics from the University of Tokyo, and has held leadership roles at the Universal Biology Institute and Center for Complex Systems Biology. PhD Physics, 1984 - University of Tokyo MSc Physics, 1981 - University of Tokyo His research spans five primary areas: Universal Biology, Evolutionary Constraints, Ecosystem Dynamics, Neural Cognition, and Universal Anthropology. He has published extensively on multi-level consistency principles, dimensional reduction in biological systems, and reciprocity between robustness and plasticity across scales. Recent publications show strong focus on microbial ecosystems (2025), evolutionary game theory (2025), neural modular architectures (2024), and dimensional reduction in cellular systems (2024). His work bridges physics and biology through dynamical systems theory applied to diverse phenomena from protocells to human societies.
Bernhard Palsson is the Scientific Director at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain), Technical University of Denmark (DTU). His research focuses on systems biology, metabolic engineering, and computational modeling in microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Yarrowia lipolytica . Key roles : Scientific Director, Researcher, PhD Supervisor SDG contributions : Biosustainability, Antibiotic Discovery, Climate Action Research Interests : Palsson's work spans metabolic pathways , regulatory networks , and genome-scale modeling . He explores chemical stress tolerance mechanisms, pangenome structures, and integrates machine learning with transcriptomic data to advance biosynthetic applications. His projects include antibiotic discovery via computational resources and metabolic model reconstruction for Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli species. Recent Article Trends : His 2025 submissions highlight interdisciplinary approaches combining machine learning and experimental evolution to enhance biochemical production and address antibiotic resistance. Topics include transcriptional network analysis , pangenome decomposition , and metabologenomic modeling , emphasizing scalability and data-driven methodologies. Supervision & Collaboration : Palsson mentors PhD students like Omid Ardalani and collaborates on projects such as iimena (Integration of Informatics and Metabolic Engineering for Novel Antibiotics) and pangenome metabolic model reconstruction. His team includes researchers from DTU and international institutions. Projects : iimena: Novel Antibiotic Discovery (2017–2023) Lactobacillus Pangenome Modeling (2021–2025) Networks : Collaborated with institutions in 12+ countries Co-authorships in Escherichia coli and Yarrowia lipolytica studies
Ling Ding is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, and a key member of the DTU Microbes Initiative and Center for Microbial Secondary Metabolites. Their research focuses on microbial ecology, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and antifungal compound discovery. Recent work involves genome mining in Streptomyces species, NMR spectroscopy, and studying microbial interactions such as actinobacterial and Pseudomonas fluorescens systems. Projects explore bioactive phosphorus-containing molecules, in situ detection of metabolites, and data-driven biosynthesis mechanisms. Their research contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to health and environmental sustainability, with publications spanning microbial chemistry, drug discovery, and synthetic biology. Supervised PhD projects include omics-driven antifungal metabolite discovery and microbial interaction studies. Key publication trends include Streptomyces-derived bioactive compounds (e.g., lydicamycins, alligamycin), azoxy/polyketide metabolites, and computational approaches for fungal interaction classification. Methodologies emphasize NMR, genome mining, and deep learning models. Advising: PhD students: M. Haahr, A. Kostoglou, D. J. Otto, A. Svetlova, A. Kaltenyte Projects: Active roles in omics-driven antifungal metabolite discovery, phosphorus-containing molecule mining, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis mechanisms.
Bitten Aagaard Jensen serves as a Leading Senior Physician (Ledende overlæge) at Aalborg University Hospital within The Faculty of Medicine's Department of Clinical Immunology. She maintains an active research profile with 48 publications documented through 2025 and has contributed to 6 significant datasets, particularly related to SARS-CoV-2 antibody research. Her research interests span Clinical Immunology, Blood Donation Research, Infectious Diseases, and Inflammatory Diseases. She has been particularly active in studying blood donor health, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in vulnerable populations, and genetic associations with immunological conditions. Her work often involves large-scale epidemiological studies with thousands of participants. Dr. Jensen's publication record shows consistent productivity, with 17 publications in 2025 alone (as of the data collection), 10 in 2024, 4 in 2023, and 8 in 2022. Her research frequently appears in high-impact journals including Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Scientific Reports, European Journal of Epidemiology, Clinical Microbiology and Infection, and BMJ Open Gastroenterology. Extensive work on SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence in vulnerable populations including social housing residents and homeless individuals Research on blood donor health parameters and safety Genetic studies related to inflammatory conditions Investigations into infectious disease markers and immune responses Her media presence includes coverage in 6 news outlets regarding blood donor coronavirus testing in 2020, demonstrating her engagement with public health communication. She collaborates extensively with researchers across Denmark, particularly with colleagues at blood banks, university hospitals, and epidemiological research centers.
Rasmus Waagepetersen is a Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Aalborg University, affiliated with The Faculty of Engineering and Science. His research focuses on spatial statistics, quantitative genetics, and statistical methodology for spatial point processes. He leads and participates in interdisciplinary projects such as urbanLab (spatial data analysis for urban planning) and studies on microbiome interactions in agricultural systems. Key research areas include spatial point processes, Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, and statistical inference for complex ecological and biomedical data. His work frequently involves collaborations with environmental and biological scientists, as seen in projects analyzing root microbiota assemblies in legumes and climate data for building simulations. Waagepetersen has contributed to methodological advancements in spatial statistics, including goodness-of-fit tests, likelihood-based inference for log Gaussian Cox processes, and quasi-likelihood approaches for case-control point pattern data. His research has been supported by grants from institutions like the Villum Foundation. Key Projects: urbanLab, Klimadata til fugtsimuleringer, Nod factor signaling in plant microbiota. Grants: Multiple projects funded by the Villum Foundation and Danish research councils. His recent publications address topics such as space-time point processes, microbiome data analysis, and statistical modeling in education. Waagepetersen maintains an active research group and collaborates internationally on both theoretical and applied statistical problems.
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.
Anniek Frederike Lubberding serves as a Tenure Track Assistant Professor and Postdoc at the Department of Biomedical Sciences , University of Copenhagen. Her research focuses on immuno-endocrinology , particularly diabetes-related cardiovascular complications, ion channel mechanisms, and circadian rhythm interactions with metabolic pathways. Keywords: Diabetes, Cardiovascular Research, Ion Channels, Inflammation, Metabolism, Circadian Rhythms Recent studies explore GLP-1 receptor agonists in cardiometabolic therapy, salivary biomarkers for type-2 diabetes, and cross-disciplinary links between cardiac ion channels (Kv7.1/Kv11.1) and pancreatic beta cell dysfunction. She has published 19 research outputs since 2022. Key Collaborations: Acta Physiologica, Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Cardiovascular Research Contact: alubberding@sund.ku.dk | Phone: +4535328260
Jonathan Asmund Arnesen is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), specializing in Computational Protein Engineering. His work focuses on metabolic engineering and synthetic biology applications in yeast systems. Research Areas: Metabolic Engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica for terpenoid production Genetic Engineering of microbial pathways Genome Editing techniques in eukaryotic organisms Publication Trends : His recent work involves engineering yeast for biosynthesis of plant-derived triterpenoids (e.g., hernandulcin, asiatic acid) and optimizing sterol production pathways. Key methods include CRISPR-Cas9 and metabolic flux engineering. Professional Activities : Organizer of major conferences including the European Summit of Industrial Biotechnology (2019) and the 7th Conference on Physiology of Yeasts and Filamentous Fungi (2019).
Namiko Mitarai is an Associate Professor in the Biocomplexity group at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, where she has been employed since 2009. She is also affiliated with CMoL (Center for Models of Life) and focuses on theoretical approaches to complex biological systems across multiple scales. University of Copenhagen, Niels Bohr Institute (2009-Present) Guest Professor, Department of Physics, Kyoto University (2022-2023) Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Kyushu University (2007-2009) Her research interests span bacterial physiology and persistence, phage-bacteria interactions in spatial contexts, species competition and diversity, and complex systems in statistical physics. She employs theoretical methods from physics including dynamical systems, stochastic processes, and individual-based models to investigate complex living systems. Her recent publications (2023-2024) demonstrate strong focus on microbial dynamics, particularly examining phage-bacteria interactions, bacterial persistence mechanisms, and spatial organization in microbial communities. Her work bridges physics and biology through quantitative modeling approaches that reveal fundamental principles in complex biological systems. The Young Scientists' Prize from the Japanese Minister of Education (2015) Young Scientist Award of the Physical Society of Japan (2008) Jens Martin Knudsen Prize (2024) Mitarai actively contributes to the academic community through numerous invited talks and presentations, with scheduled appearances through 2025. She teaches courses including 'Dynamical Models in Molecular Biology' and 'Diffusive and Stochastic Processes,' which are recommended for students interested in conducting research in her lab.
Abdulkadir Celikkanat is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Aalborg University, Denmark. He is affiliated with The Technical Faculty of IT and Design and the Data, Knowledge and Web Engineering research group. His research focuses on graph representation learning, network analysis, bioinformatics, and machine learning applications in dynamic systems. Key projects include the Villum Foundation-funded 'DarkScience: Illuminating microbial dark matter through data science,' which explores metagenomic binning and microbial ecology using advanced data science techniques. He has been recognized with the Best Paper Award (2023) for contributions to temporal graph analysis and modeling. His work spans continuous-time dynamic node representations, scalable genome profiling, and polarization detection in social networks. Celikkanat collaborates widely, contributing to interdisciplinary research at the intersection of computer science, biology, and environmental science. Recent publications highlight innovations in graph embeddings, citation network modeling, and hybrid membership latent distance models. His research addresses challenges in low-dimensional graph representations, efficient kernel methods, and integrating biological networks for protein analysis.
Jakob Møller-Jensen is an Associate Professor and Head of Department at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark. With a PhD in his field, he maintains an active research program with 67 publications to date and leads departmental operations. His research focuses on molecular microbiology with emphasis on host-pathogen interactions and pathogenic bacteria. His work primarily investigates Escherichia coli and uropathogenic strains, examining their behavior in urinary tract infections, plasmid dynamics, and bacterial morphology changes during infection processes. His research fingerprint shows strong expertise in Escherichia coli (100%), Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli (95%), Urinary Tract infections (43%), Plasmid biology (43%), RNA mechanisms (31%), Fimbria (31%), Gene Expression (29%), and Caenorhabditis Elegans models (27%). Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on bacterial pathogenesis mechanisms, particularly how E. coli adapts to host environments, with special attention to urinary tract infections, bacterial morphology changes, and antibiotic resistance mechanisms. His work bridges fundamental molecular microbiology with clinical implications for infection treatment. Dr. Møller-Jensen has been involved in teaching Chemistry, Biology and Molecular Biology courses from 2009-2019, and has participated in numerous academic activities including conferences, workshops, and seminars. His collaborative network spans multiple countries and research institutions. His current research projects include significant funding from Lundbeckfonden on cellular senescence in cancer (2024-2029), NANOCHEM for ultrahigh resolution chemical characterization (2022-2028), metabolic regulation of mammalian DNA replication (2021-2026), and gut bacteria as biomarkers for colorectal cancer (2023-2025).
Sonia Coriani is a Professor in Physical Chemistry at DTU Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, since 2017. She leads a research group focused on theoretical chemistry and computational spectroscopy. Her academic journey includes a PhD from Aarhus University (2000), a permanent research scientist position at the University of Trieste (1999-2014), and associate professorship there since 2014. She held an adjunct associate professor position at the Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry in Oslo (2007-2011) and was a Marie Curie IEF fellow (2010-2012) and AIAS-COFUND senior fellow (2015-2016). Education: Chemistry, University of Modena (1993) PhD in Theoretical Chemistry, Aarhus University (2000) Her research centers on developing quantum-chemical methodologies for static and dynamic molecular properties, particularly for systems with high dimensionality, complex environments, or novel spectroscopic phenomena. Key areas include non-linear optical experiments, magnetic circular dichroism, X-ray spectroscopies, and quantum computing applications in chemistry. Her recent publications highlight advancements in quantum linear response theory, polarizable embedding environments, X-ray absorption in water, and quantum algorithms for molecular properties. Collaborative work spans interdisciplinary projects with experimentalists, covering gas-phase molecules to biomolecular systems. Scientific Awards: Marie Curie IEF fellowship AIAS-COFUND senior fellowship Her work addresses challenges in ultrafast dynamics, photoionization, and the intersection of chemistry with physics and computational science, emphasizing accuracy and novel experimental guidance.
Søren Rosendahl is a Professor in Ecology and Evolution at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. He holds a PhD and has been recognized as a Knight (Ridder af Dannebrog) for his contributions to science. His academic career spans over three decades at the University of Copenhagen, where he served as Assistant Professor (1991), Associate Professor (1994), and Professor (2000) in the Department of Mycology, which later became part of the Department of Biology. From 2010-2019, he served as Deputy Head of the Department of Biology. Education: 1984: Master of Science (Cand.scient.) in biology, University of Copenhagen 1985: Practical and theoretical training as high school teacher in biology 1989: Ph.D. (Lic.scient) at Institut for Sporeplanter Professor Rosendahl specializes in molecular ecology, population genetics, and evolution of fungi, with particular emphasis on biotrophic symbionts and parasites. His research encompasses Fusarium, Penicillium, Oomycota (Peronosporamycota), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in Glomales, and fungi associated with insects. He employs advanced genomic techniques including rad-sequencing, microsatellites, SNPs, and DNA sequencing to study fungal diversity and distribution patterns. His BioMark project applies population genomics to predict emerging epidemics of Phytophthora infestans (Potato late blight). He also investigates molecular diversity of AMF fungi in agricultural and natural environments using evolutionary and demographic models based on coalescence and MCMC Bayesian statistics. Analysis of Professor Rosendahl's recent publications reveals a strong interdisciplinary focus spanning fungal ecology, medical microbiology, and agricultural science. His work demonstrates consistent application of molecular genetic approaches to understanding fungal community dynamics across diverse ecosystems - from soil microbial communities to human gut microbiomes. The trend shows increasing integration of computational approaches including hierarchical joint species modeling and co-occurrence networks for microbial community data analysis. His research bridges fundamental fungal biology with practical applications in agriculture, medicine, and environmental science. Scientific Recognition: Knight (Ridder af Dannebrog) Throughout his career, Professor Rosendahl has held numerous leadership and advisory positions. He served as Head of the Department of Mycology (1998-2001), Coordinator for the Bachelor degree in Industrial Science (2002-2005), and Head of the Study Board for Biology (2005-2007). He has represented Danish higher education on the Biology/Biotechnology board in the Ministry of Education since 2010 and has consulted for international organizations including the EC Commission, Norwegian Ministry for Education, and European Baccalaureate Unit. His external collaborations include significant work with Novozymes Biologicals and Thomsen BioScience A/S. Professor Rosendahl maintains active research collaborations through his membership in the European culture collection (BEG - Bank of European Glomales) and has served as Danish representative in multiple COST actions. His research group appears to focus on fungal population genetics with applications spanning agricultural systems, natural ecosystems, and medical contexts.
Barth F. Smets is a Professor in the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University, specializing in the intersection of Environmental Engineering and Life Sciences. His work focuses on bioprocess development for water and environmental applications, with a particular emphasis on microbial ecology and antimicrobial resistance management. He has led multidisciplinary research groups across Europe, the USA, and Asia, coordinating large-scale projects in sustainable biotechnology and environmental engineering. Education: Trained at the interface of Engineering (Environmental & Biochemical) and Life Sciences (Microbiology & Agronomic Sciences). Experience: Over 20 years of managing multi-institutional R&D projects and leading international research teams. Skills: Expertise in project management, innovation facilitation, and translational research. His research interests center on solving environmental challenges through mission-oriented R&D, including wastewater treatment optimization, microbial biotechnology for sustainability, and understanding resistance gene transfer dynamics in engineered systems. He actively promotes collaborative, purpose-driven research environments. Key research trends in his publications include antimicrobial resistance in wastewater systems, nitrogen cycle dynamics in engineered environments, and novel methods for quantifying gene transfer mechanisms. He emphasizes practical applications of fundamental science to achieve planetary and human benefits. Awards: No explicit awards listed, but his work has been recognized through peer-reviewed publications in top journals like Environmental Science & Technology and ACS ES&T Engineering . He advises on staff development and project management strategies, fostering professional growth aligned with organizational goals. His current focus includes advancing sustainable bioprocess technologies and improving emission monitoring in wastewater treatment plants. He is affiliated with AU Engineering at Aarhus University and has contributed to initiatives at the intersection of environmental engineering and microbial systems biology.
Sheila Ingemann Jensen is a Senior Researcher at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), specializing in Sustainable Microbial Applications. Her work integrates synthetic biology and metabolic engineering to develop efficient microbial cell factories for sustainable bioproduction. Research Interests: Her expertise lies in synthetic biology, microbial consortia, CRISPRi-based metabolic control, and two-stage fermentation processes. She focuses on optimizing microbial systems such as Pseudomonas putida and Escherichia coli for the production of biochemicals from renewable feedstocks. The recent publications highlight a strong trend toward integrating mathematical modeling with experimental validation to improve bioprocess efficiency, particularly in trans-cinnamic acid production and dynamic metabolic switching. Her work is aligned with sustainable development goals, especially in green chemistry and resource-efficient manufacturing. Scientific Awards: Jorck's Foundation Research Award (2019) Advising and Grants: She serves as main supervisor or co-supervisor for multiple PhD projects funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and other research councils. Her projects include development of broad-host-range genetic tools, lignocellulosic biomass valorization, and modeling-driven bioprocess optimization. Labs and Teams: She is actively involved in the DTU Microbes Initiative and collaborates within interdisciplinary teams focusing on systems and synthetic biology for industrial applications.
