Research Group: Cell Wall Biology and Bioengineering

The research is contributing to our basic understanding of cell wall structure, architecture and function. Annotating glycosyltransferases (GTs) involved in cell wall biosynthesis and understanding their evolutionary history plays a major role.

Understanding the function involves investigating the role of plant hormones in cell wall dynamics as well as the biophysical properties of cell walls. Cell wall architecture and polysaccharide biosynthesis are key topics for industrial exploitation of the plant cell wall.

A wide range of applications are pursued: Cell wall engineering for use as feedstock for biological jet fuel; development of new nano-materials inspired by cell wall architecture; use of algal oligo- and polysaccharides for anti-inflammatory agents, laundry detergent additives and new, functional food ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

Flabbergast, Innovationfoundation: FLABBERGAST A will focus on biological production of long chain alcohols from engineered lignocellulosic biomass. The goal is to develop a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and the project will work with established cell factories such as baker’s yeast and lactic acid bacteria, to achieve this aim.

ASSEMBLY, Innovationfoundation: Developing environmentally friendly methods for the from agricultural wastestream production and utilization of nano-cellulose.

Instant architect of the wall:  Investigating our hypothesis about extracellular activity of the plant hormone auxin directly in the cell wall

Glycaptamers: Developing state-of-the-art DNA-based probes (aptamers) specific for plant glycans and elaborate molecular structures occurring in the plant cell wall.

TIPorNOT: The project aims to develop new imaging techniques to prove that delocalised cell wall formation patterns contribute significantly to the polar growth of root hairs.

XYLAN-2.0: Plant biomass is an important renewable resource. Elucidating its compositional complexity imposes a fundamental limit to its application. Our research shows that cellulose organization in the secondary cell wall is governed by the xylan component far more than currently thought. Determining the full function of xylan in cellulosic material is the challenge addressed by this project.

GræsProteinFoder: This project will focus on improving protein products by designing enzymatisk treatment of the plantmaterial to increase the digestability.

Elucidation of a novel regulatory circuit that controls photosynthetic light acclimation: This project will uncover a novel genetic circuit controlling the light acclimation process, which could be exploited to enhance crop productivity and light-driven synthesis of bioproducts.

PhD project: Characterisation of leaf succulence, CAM performance and xeromorphic adaptations across Crassula species from southern Africa and interpret them from an evolutionary and ecological perspective.

PhD project: Plant cell wall adaptive responses: evolution and defense.

PhD project: Production of cellulose nanofiber from vegatable waste using cell wall modulating proteins.

PhD project: Elucidating sugar metabolism in plants. Invertases and modulating starch is the target

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group members

Name Title Phone E-mail
Petersen, Bent L Associate Professor +4535333379 E-mail
Jørgensen, Bodil Associate Professor +4535333466 E-mail
Engquist, Ellen PhD Fellow +4535320428 E-mail
Johansen, Emilie Louise PhD Fellow +4535337054 E-mail
Carlsen, Frida Meijer Guest Researcher +4535334073 E-mail
Westberg, Ida PhD Fellow +4535325457 E-mail
Ørnslund, Kathrine Victoria Industrial PhD E-mail
Ulvskov, Peter Professor +4535332580 E-mail
Chen, Yongxian PhD Student E-mail

Master Students

  • Magnus Mustafa Fazli
  • Victor Koch Olsen

Bachelor Students

  • Sigrid Heegaard

Contact research group leader

Peter Ulvskov
Professor
M: ulvskov@plen.ku.dk
Ph: +45 35 33 25 80