Michael James Texada serves as an Assistant Professor in the Cell and Neurobiology section of the Department of Biology at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Science. His research program focuses on the intersection of endocrinology, metabolism, and neurobiology, primarily utilizing Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism to investigate fundamental biological processes. His research interests center on hormone signaling pathways that regulate metabolism, food choice, and developmental processes. Dr. Texada's work particularly examines gut-derived hormones such as tachykinin, allatostatin, and somatostatin analogs, exploring how these signaling molecules influence nutritional decisions, metabolic homeostasis, and lifespan. His laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms through which organisms sense nutrients and translate that information into physiological and behavioral responses. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on the endocrine regulation of metabolism and development, with significant contributions to understanding how hormonal signaling pathways integrate nutritional information to control food choice, energy balance, and developmental timing. His work spans multiple model systems including Drosophila and ants, demonstrating expertise in comparative endocrinology and evolutionary developmental biology. Dr. Texada maintains an active research program with publications in high-impact journals including Nature Metabolism , Nature Communications , and Nature Ecology and Evolution , demonstrating the significance and interdisciplinary nature of his research contributions.
Henrik Hjarvard de Fine Licht is an Associate Professor in the Section for Organismal Biology at the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. His research focuses on the evolution and molecular mechanisms behind pathogenic host specificity, disease emergence following pathogenic host shifts, and parasitic control of host behavior, primarily using fungal interactions with insects and plants as model systems. Dr. de Fine Licht earned his B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Copenhagen in 2002, followed by an M.Sc. in Biology in 2006 with thesis titled "Symbiont transmission, specificity and its consequences in two species of fungus-growing termites." He completed his Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology in 2009 with dissertation on "Substrate use and enzyme activity in fungus-growing ants." B.Sc. in Biology (2002), University of Copenhagen M.Sc. in Biology (2006), University of Copenhagen Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology (2009), University of Copenhagen His research program examines how insect pathogenic fungi adapt to multiple or single host insects using experimental evolution, molecular biology, and bioinformatics techniques. Dr. de Fine Licht employs diverse methodologies including microscopy, in-situ hybridization, PCR and sequencing, and gene expression analysis to investigate host-pathogen co-evolution. His work bridges evolutionary theory with practical applications for understanding disease emergence and biological control mechanisms. Current projects include "From plants to animals - understanding inter-kingdom host-shifts of fungal pathogens" and "Elucidating the evolutionary consequences of cryptic genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity for fungal host-shifts." His recent publications demonstrate growing sophistication in genomic approaches to study host-pathogen interactions across multiple fungal systems. The research shows increasing integration of high-throughput sequencing data with experimental evolution approaches, revealing molecular mechanisms underlying host specificity and adaptation. His work spans fundamental evolutionary questions while maintaining relevance to practical concerns in disease management and biological control. Dr. de Fine Licht's scientific contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards: Carlsberg Foundation Young Researcher Fellowship (DKK 4,000,000, 2020) Sapere Aude | DFF-Starting grant (DKK 5,900,000, 2018) Villum Young Investigator grant (DKK 3,900,000, 2014) Carlsberg foundation postdoctoral fellowship (DKK 1,109,642, 2012) First prize, post-doc. poster award from SMBE (2012) Dr. de Fine Licht actively mentors students and has supervised multiple M.Sc. projects on fungal-insect interactions. He serves as course responsible for "Big Data in Biotechnology" and teaches "Animal and plant diversity." His research is supported by significant grants totaling over DKK 14 million, including the Carlsberg Foundation Young Researcher Fellowship and Sapere Aude | DFF-Starting grant. He has organized Ph.D. courses and serves on the editorial board of Fungal Ecology while reviewing for numerous high-impact journals. He leads research within the Applied Evolutionary Ecology group at the University of Copenhagen, which focuses on co-evolution in mutualistic and parasitic interactions. His laboratory combines molecular genetic techniques with ecological and evolutionary approaches, featuring specialized equipment for fungal cultivation, molecular analysis, and behavioral assays with insect hosts. The research environment fosters international collaboration with institutions across Europe and the Americas.
Meaghan Mackie serves as a Guest Researcher at the University of Copenhagen's Globe Institute, specifically within the Section for Geogenetics. She previously held the position of Palaeoproteomics Technician at the same institute until 2022, working with the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research. Currently, she is pursuing a dual PhD candidacy at University College Dublin and University of Turin while maintaining her research position at Copenhagen. Her research focuses on bioarchaeology and palaeoproteomics, specializing in the analysis of ancient proteins from archaeological, paleontological, and historical sources. With expertise in dental calculus proteomics, she has expanded her work to include diverse materials such as fossil hominins, ancient art conservation layers, and historical insect specimens. Her academic background includes BAs in Archaeology and Social/Cultural Anthropology from the University of Calgary, Canada, and an MSc in Bioarchaeology from the University of York, UK, where her thesis examined dental calculus proteomics from Roman sites in the UK and Italy. Analysis of her recent publication record reveals a strong focus on methodological advances in ancient protein identification alongside significant contributions to human evolutionary studies. Her work bridges multiple disciplines including archaeology, anthropology, molecular biology, and conservation science, with particular emphasis on developing robust techniques for analyzing degraded proteins from ancient samples. This interdisciplinary approach has led to high-impact publications in journals such as Science, Nature, and Angewandte Chemie. Her research has garnered significant attention across academic and public spheres, with multiple papers receiving extensive citation counts and media coverage. One publication was highlighted by 191 news outlets and referenced in 12 Wikipedia pages, demonstrating the broad impact of her work beyond traditional academic circles. As a researcher who has conducted fieldwork in Canada and the UK before establishing herself in Denmark, Mackie demonstrates a strong international research profile with collaborative projects spanning multiple continents. Her technical expertise in mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and protein analysis has positioned her at the forefront of methodological development in palaeoproteomics.
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.
