Research Group: Synthetic Biology
Our aim is to develop solar driven production of many high-value, structurally complex compounds wanted by society.
We achieve this by using combinatorial biochemistry and the plasticity of natural systems to transfer the production modules into the chloroplast – i.e. the light-driven powerhouse of the plant cell – and thereby reaching higher yields of the desired compound.
This involves a wide palette of expertise; e.g. plant pathway discovery, metabolon assembly, single molecule studies, structural analysis via scattering, mass spectrometry-based gas-phase structural biology and much more.
Our synthetic biology approach integrates legal studies, bioethics and communication to equip society and scientists to constructive dialogues on new technologies and Responsible Research and Innovation.
- Plant pathway discovery of interesting high-value natural products including diterpenoids, vanillin and derivatives, carminic acid and related compounds, and cannabinoids
- Transfer of entire biosynthetic pathways to the chloroplast to obtain light driven synthesis of high-value products with carbon dioxide from the air as the sole carbon source
- Cyanogenic glucosides as a model system for studying metabolic channeling
- Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents as liquid crystals for high-density storage of bioactive natural products in soluble form in living cells without auto-toxicity effects
- The linkage between lysine metabolism and systemic acquired resistance (SAR)
- The role of N-hydroxy amino acids in biology
- The establishing of a C-glucosyl transferase platform
- Wild crop relatives in breading crops for the future with focus on wild Sorghums from Australia
- The koala microbiome and detoxification of toxic metabolites in eucalypts
- Ethics, communication and legal aspects related to synthetic biology such as gene editing technologies
For students wishing to work within these topics, M.Sc. and B.Sc. projects are currently available. Please contact blm@plen.ku.dk
- Lundbeck Foundation: “Brewing Diterpenoids” with focus on diterpenoids as drug leads for treatment of movement related diseases as Parkinson´s and Alzheimer´s
- Novo Nordisk Foundation: “Desert-loving Therapeutics” with focus on identification of diterpenoids with interesting therapeutic properties within Eremophila species in the Western Australian desert
- Australian Research Council:
- Australia’s native sorghums: discovering new wild crop relatives
- Light-driven P450: Using Photosynthesis to Power Fine Chemical Production
- Evolution of the marsupial gut microbiome and adaptation to eucalypt toxins
- NNF – Distinguished – The Black Holes in the Plant Universe with focus on how plants store high-value compounds in dense bio-condensates
- VILLUM Experiment – Plants’ Black Diamonds with focus on a possible role of natural deep eutectic solvents in plants
Are you interested in doing a project? Read more about your options in the project database:
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences have various bachelor and master programmes:
- The interaction of many different types of researchers in this group results in a highly interdisciplinary and active research environment. In addition to the basic research that we do, we like to see our research applied and therefore we collaborate with many different types of industries. Below you will find a selection of our network.
Australia |
University of Queensland: Phil Hugenholtz (koala microbiome), Ben Hankamer (light driven P450s), Elizabeth Gillam (ancestral sequence reconstruction). Currently funded by Australian Research Council University of Melbourne: Ian Woodrow (eucalypt terpenoids), Mike Bayly (plant systematics, chloroplast genome sequencing) University of South Australia: Susan Semple (natural products chemistry and aboriginal contact person) University of Perth: Bevan Buirchell (botanist) |
Faculty of Science |
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences: Department of Chemistry Niels Bohr Institute |
Faculty of Health |
Søren Balling Engelsen (FOOD, Chemometrics) Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology |
Faculty of Humanities |
Department of Media, Cognition and Communication |
Faculty of Law |
Center for Information and Innovation Law |
Others |
Evolva biotech, Chr. Hansen, River Stone We have a large number of important additional collaborators who may be identified from our joint publications. |
Group members
Name | Title | Phone | |
---|---|---|---|
Birger Lindberg Møller | Professor | +4535333352 | |
Johan Andersen-Ranberg | Assistant Professor | +4535337788 | |
Mette Sørensen | Assistant Professor | +4535331101 | |
Mohammed Saddik Motawie | Associate Professor | ||
Nanna Heinz | Centre Coordinator | +4550831884 |
Contact research group leader
Birger Lindberg Møller
Professor
M: blm@plen.ku.dk
Ph: +45 35 33 33 52