The project investigates nitrogen (N) losses (ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching) following the application of liquid animal manure (slurry) to grass fields.

In Denmark, grass is a primary feed source for cattle, with 24% of slurry volume being applied to grassland. Following slurry application, three key N loss pathways—ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions, and nitrate leaching—pose significant negative impacts on the climate and environment. The extent of these N losses are influenced by factors such as soil type, precipitation, temperature, and the techniques used in slurry application. Therefore, a comprehensive investigation that considers all N loss pathways with environmental factors is essential to find the optimal management practice.

Our project lies at the intersection of the Departments of Biological and Chemical Engineering and Agroecology, with the goal of producing a unique, state-of-the-art dataset on N losses. Through a series of field campaigns, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of the uncertainties related to management practices across different soil types and their impact on N loss mitigation or exacerbation. Additionally, we seek to broaden the applicability and relevance of this knowledge by employing a variety of modeling approaches contributing to more sustainable environment.

The project regards optimizing the metabolism of an organism, Bacillus methanolicus, to prevent CO₂ loss during growth on the alcohol methanol. B. methanolicus is a promising candidate to become an industrial workhorse for methanol-based production of value-added compounds. However, it was previously observed that a large proportion of carbon is lost as CO₂ when the bacteria grow on methanol. Thus, I will identify the major contributors to CO₂ loss in B. methanolicus and we will implement necessary changes in its genome to prevent it. This way, we will create a microbial strain that can be used for establishing efficient methanol-based bioproduction processes, solving an urgent issue of raw materials scarcity. The strain characterization will include analysis of the different chemicals produced during growth in collaboration with an international partner and an evaluation of the feasibility for production of value-added compounds.

Fermented dairy products are regularly consumed worldwide and most often contain lactose and the fermentation product lactate. Upon ingestion, they reach the small intestine, which is colonized by a significant number of bacteria. Here, undigested lactose can be transformed to lactate, and some specialist bacteria may transform lactate to short chain fatty acids, small molecules which are considered beneficial for health. Due to difficulties in obtaining samples from the small intestine, only little is known about the interplay between lactose, lactate and the intestinal bacteria and the effect on human health.

In this project we will establish an in vitro Small Intestinal MICrobiota model (SIMIC) to characterize lactose/lactate dependent interactions of the small intestinal microbial community. This will be done by assembling different consortia of representative bacterial species of the small intestine microbiota to then assess the effect that lactose/lactate has on them.

Furthermore, in collaboration with the LAMETA project, we will assess the possible relation between increased dosage of dietary lactate and higher short chain fatty acid level in humans ‘stool samples.

Considering both of its parts, this project will enable the study of the effect of oral lactose/lactate on the intestinal microbial community and the fermentation profile of these metabolites in different districts of the human gut.

Efficient catalysts are essential for the development of chemical processes, including the production of plastics, fertilizers, and pharmaceuticals. Conventionally, chemical processes get their energy input from heat. However, there is a strong focus on developing sustainable processes powered by light or electricity. Sunlight drives photosynthesis, where green plants convert CO₂ and water into oxygen and biomass. The plants' chlorophyll harvests the energy from the light and is thus a so-called photocatalyst for the process. Likewise, sunlight has been a crucial factor in the production of plant chlorophyll in the first place. The aim of the Light-SCREEN project is to develop new catalysts for water purification where light is used for both (i) catalyst production, (ii) water purification, and (iii) degradation of the catalysts when they are no longer effective, so that the metals in the catalysts can be used in new materials. The project has a strong focus on the development of low temperature green processes with minimal consumption of organic solvents, while LED technology will be used as light sources. Specifically, the project will develop a new type of hybrid catalysts consisting of gold and so-called bismuth oxyhalides. Various compounds will be produced and investigated with a focus on water purification and minimizing metal content. At the end of the project, the process will be scaled up in collaboration with Dechema in Frankfurt.

Our project aims to innovate in the field of plastic recycling by leveraging the capabilities of Cytochrome P450 enzymes for the bioconversion of recycled hydrocarbons into biodegradable plastic substitutes. Here's an overview of our approach:

Screening and characterization of CYP153 orthologs capable of hydroxylating and oxidizing medium length alkanes into α, ω-diols and diacids.

Protein engineering of selected CYP153 enzymes to fine-tune their specificity and activity towards targeted substrates through computational methods and machine learning algorithms, to predict and implement beneficial mutations.

Scale-up of CYP153 is conducted in large-scale bioreactors, with a focus on enhancing efficiency, cofactor regeneration, and fine-tuning reaction conditions to maximize yields.

Our project stands at the intersection of biotechnology and environmental engineering, aiming to establish a scalable, efficient pathway for converting plastic waste into valuable biodegradable materials. Through collaboration with industrial partners, we seek to bring this technology to a level where it can make a significant impact on waste management and recycling practices, contributing to a more sustainable circular economy.

Carbon fixation by autotrophs is the major biochemical gateway to the organic world. The utilization of one-carbon compounds such as CO₂ and methane (accounting for 76% and 16% of total GHG emission), have been recently drawing attention as a low-cost, abundant feedstock for biochemical production. The project aims to create a synthetic autotroph Saccharomyces cerevisiae, allowing it to utilize methanol and CO₂ for biochemical synthesis of alka(e)nes, reducing dependence on traditional feedstocks like sugars. This not only addresses climate change by transforming CO₂ but also enhances sustainability by repurposing one-carbon compounds.  Our objectives include engineering S. cerevisiae into a more sustainable platform where the recombinant S. cerevisiae can use methanol as ATP and reducing power source, and CO₂ as carbon source for biomass production. The new CO₂-pixation pathway should enable S. cerevisiae to grow with CO₂ as sole carbon source, and further provide flux of acetyl-CoA for source for fatty acids and alkanes synthesis as useful products.

I have a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology and a master’s degree in Biological and Chemical Engineering from Aarhus University (2018-2023). I did my master thesis and my bachelor project in Prof. Zheng Guo’s group where I cloned and characterized a novel bacterial laccase and proved its ability to degrade PE plastic and various textile dyes.  

Reducing emissions in aviation is unavoidable in order to reach the Paris goals and can be supported by e. g. sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a thermochemical processing technology that has been receiving increased interest to produce sustainable fuels from biomass. HTL bio‑crude is the desired product which can be upgraded and therefore be used as drop‑in fuel or SAF. The ambition of the Horizon Europe project CIRCULAIR is to produce carbon negative aviation fuels from manure and straw. A potential treatment method for the HTL process water (PW) is Wet Oxidation (WO) –suitable for wastewater streams with high organic load at similar process conditions like HTL. During the oxidation of the soluble organics in PW, CO₂ is formed which can be combined with the CO₂ stream produced in the main HTL process. The current PhD project has a key role in the overall CIRCULAIR process chain by investigating the WO process of HTL‑PW in continuous flow reactor in detail. The focus will be on heat integration of HTL and WO, sustaining both systems in autothermal mode with the excess oxidation reaction heat. Furthermore, HTL‑WO gas phase composition will be analyzed to utilize it with hydrogen from electrolysis for methanol synthesis.

Livestock manure methane emissions account for roughly 20% of the agricultural sector's CO2 emissions. Current estimation methods, based on simple calculations involving volatile solids and temperature, work well for regional and average assessments but prove inadequate at the farm level due to variations in manure management and local conditions. Recent observations have highlighted significant emission differences even among seemingly similar pig farms, revealing gaps in our understanding of the factors affecting methane emissions. Microbiological activity and organic matter degradability are considered crucial, raising concerns about emission inventory accuracy. The Anaerobic Biodegradation Model (ABM) aims to predict farm-specific methane emissions by considering evolving methanogen populations and manure characteristics. However, the model's effectiveness relies on accurate input parameters, particularly the dynamic methanogen population and organic matter hydrolysis rates. Therefore, it is essential to measure these properties and establish correlations with methane emissions and farm management practices to refine ABM's algorithms and parameterization.

My task is: i): Methods for degradation measurement developed. ii): Degradation rates determined iii): Feed correlation analysis completed.

Recent research has revealed that cells are affected by their surroundings and structural changes around them. However, it is not completely understood how this plays out. This project intends to delve into the intricate interaction between cellular response and mechanical cues.

Utilizing Jens Vinge Nygaard's biomaterial, the project examines the impact of structural alterations on cell behavior. Mathematical models, acting as blueprints, are being developed to digitally represent these environments, aiding predictions of cell behavior through computational models. 3D and 2D images are used to create these blueprints. Techniques such as stereology, stochastic geometry, and biomechanics are integrated to identify the biomaterial traits. This approach not only seeks to validate existing theories but also push the boundaries of understanding how cells react to their mechanical surroundings, which is of high importance in stem cell engineering.

This project focuses on understanding and interfering with the molecular events in immunological diseases. Several immune-mediated diseases are triggered or fueled by molecules which are recognized by the adaptive or innate immune system and thereby induce strong, potentially harmful responses.
The use of therapeutic antibodies has been a game changer in manifold diseases and has the potential to address future societal needs for healthy living. Molecular synergism might improve performance and broaden the scope of the concept.
In this interdisciplinary project, I will explore novel and unorthodox prevention and treatment strategies based on bi- and multi-specific molecular engagers that enable efficient trapping of target molecules and allow for inhibiting immediate immune reactions. In recent years, the concept of using single domain antibodies (nanobodies) as therapeutic building blocks has gained ground. Hence, I will develop and characterize novel nanobodies and use them for the design of advanced, multi-specific formats that have the capability for ultra-high blocking activity combined with enhanced effector functions compared to conventional antibodies. These formats might enable overcoming the risk of severe immune reactions in the individual patient.

Ammonia is an important chemical raw material and the main hydrogen energy carrier. It is synthetized by the reaction between H₂ and N₂. However, presently, most H₂ used in ammonia production comes from fossil fuels through steam reforming, leading to a substantial carbon footprint. The electrolysis of water using the excess energy of renewable sources, such as wind or solar, has been known to be a promising route to produce “renewable” or “green” H₂, and therefore, green ammonia. However, the fluctuations of the renewable power sources pose a significant intermittency and instability to the green ammonia production process. Studying the transient behavior of the process variables is essential to maintain a stable and safe operation. In this thesis, the dynamic modelling of the latest generation of high-temperature pressurized solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) reactor integrated with the dynamic simulation of the green ammonia process plant will be conducted. Firstly, a dynamic reactor model will be developed for the new emerging SOEC technology in Aspen Custom Modeler, as a standalone block, to account for the dynamics of electrochemistry, energy, and mass balance of the working fluids in the SOEC reactor. The SOEC reactor model will be verified against the experimental data. The verified SOEC reactor model will then be integrated into a dynamic ammonia production (Haber-Bosch) process model in Aspen Plus to study the detailed transient operation of the green ammonia process plant. Additionally, optimization will be conducted on the plant components capacity and configuration including H₂ storage, batteries, thermal storage, air separation, and thermal integration of the exchangers network with high-temperature SOEC reactor with the aim of a more stable ammonia production. It is hopefully expected that the current research can put a step forward to a better understanding of the dynamic operation bottlenecks and basic design of the dynamic renewable-energy-powered ammonia process plant integrated with the developing SOEC technology and can significantly contribute to the systems level techno-economic analysis by giving clear insights on the process plant flexibility assumptions and estimations.

Project is related to research in a radically new energy conversion and storage concept that combines water electrolysis and battery storage into one single hybrid technology using soluble redox mediators as storage vectors. The ultimate goal of the project is to solve some of the fundamental challenges of the technology, make lab-scale proof-of-concept demonstration and pave the way for future upscaling/realisation of the technology. If successful the project is a potential game-changer within cost-efficient electricity storage and hydrogen production.

My research focus is enhanced biogas production from lignocellulosic compounds in a methanogenic-aerobic-methanogenic (MAMB) switching system which poses a part of BioMan project titled Enhanced biogas production and antimicrobial removal from manure. It is claimed that the anaerobic-aerobic-anaerobic switch involving a shift from suspended methanogenic biomass to aerobic biofilm might be favorable for biogas production and will lead to increased biological hydrolysis of recalcitrant lignocellulosic material and make that available for biogas production.

During my project I will work to estimate an optimal operational parameters of biogas production e.g. reactor temperature, hydraulic residence time and aeration rate as well as lab digester type to create the most optimal conditions for enhanced biogas production. The appropriate combination of parameters will support aerobic transfer of cellulose and lignin as a recalcitrant material to short fatty acids (SCFA) for utilization for successive methane production in MAMB switching system. The best combination of the parameters will be selected and implicated into the project. Additionally, the gas composition in the aerobic steps will be investigated for nitrogen emission monitoring.

As a part of my project is an external stay and cooperation with Gent University in Belgium. During my stay, it is planned to work about advanced nitrogen management and ammonia stripping as well as to explore the processes in aerobic steps in terms of N₂O production and impact on greenhouse gasses.

All these efforts will support the green transition by enhance regenerative economy by green energy production from wastes and reducing greenhouse gas emission to the atmosphere.

The project will be supervised by Senior Researcher Henrik Bjarne Møller and co-supervised by Professor Kai Bester.

Today’s ammonia production consumes approximately 1.2% of the world’s energy supply. The climate benefit of a green production path is therefore immense. Ammonia is simultaneously showing promising results as a Power-to-X product with an energy density 70% higher than hydrogen.

It is believed that electrochemical synthesis of ammonia can prove a green alternative to the Haber-Bosch process, especially in smaller production plants. The electrochemical synthesis is well studies in theory but struggles to transfer into experimental results. This project aims to aid that transformation by looking into materials and the synthesis of electrodes and electrolytes.

The instability and low solubility of ozone (O₃) molecule in liquid phase limit the effective contact between micropollutants and O₃/hydroxyl radicals (^•OH) in water. Thus, the uncompleted utilization of ozone molecule is largely prevalent in O₃-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). This project hopes to promote O₃ utilization by extending the O₃ retention time in the liquid phase and enhancing the contact between micropollutants and oxidants. In particular, we will synthesize a uniquely hydrophobic adsorbent with pine-needle-like hierarchical nanostructures that can simultaneously capture O₃ molecules and micropollutants. We will later load a catalyst on the surface of pre-prepared adsorbent to realize the efficient oxidative degradation of micropollutants on the surface of this composite. To investigate the performance of the prepared material, we will select herbicide glyphosate (Gly, N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine) as a model micropollutant and study the degradation pathway.    

Microbial electrosynthesis is a novel biotechnological process for the conversion of electricity and CO₂ into biofuels or other organic compounds. Microbial electrosynthesis could in the future contribute to the desired lowering of CO₂ emissions, while at the same time storing excess renewable energy and producing sustainable biochemicals.

Microbial electrosynthesis is carried out by acetogenic bacteria (e.g. Sporomusa ovata), which are capable of reducing CO₂ to organic compounds, using an electrode as the electron donor. One of the major obstacles that limits the rate of microbial electrosynthesis, and hence its upscaling beyond lab-scale, is the low number of cells that attach to the electrode. Currently, very little is known about attachment and biofilm formation by S. ovata. The goal of this project is to increase the cell numbers of S. ovata on the electrode, using two different strategies. First, natural biofilm formation will be stimulated and investigated. Second, artificial biofilms will be created by immobilizing cells in polymeric matrices. The different types of biofilm will be characterized using state-of-the art techniques (microsensors, confocal microscopy, etc.) and the effect of increased cell numbers on the electrode on microbial electrosynthesis rates will be investigated.