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Plant Biochemistry Research

A main research interest of mine within plant biochemistry is bio-active natural products. In particular, the focus of my research group is the biosynthesis, transport, storage and degradation of cyanogenic glucosides and elucidation of their role in the ability of plants to communicate with the environment and to defend themselves against attack from herbivores, pests and abiotic stresses.

Link to My Research Group 

Link to My Publication List

Synthetic Biology

A promising application of my lab's research involves engineering microalgae, mosses and plant cells into production units for high value natural products. Synthetic biology research is key in reaching this goal, so my engagement in this dynamic, crossdisciplinary field is a logical extension of my plant research activities. 

The work within Center for Synthetic Biology is targeted towards the formation of new combinations of membrane proteins. This approach holds numerous beneficial applications, e.g. enabling us to harvest the energy of sunlight for the synthesis of valuable natural products or to degrade toxic compounds in biological systems.

Read more about the Center’s research here: Synbio.ku.dk/research

Watch Birger Linberg Møller's TEDx talk on synthetic biology: "Plant Power - the Ultimate Way to Go Green" here

Vision: Crossdisciplinarity & Academic Leadership

When we need to develop knowledge-based solutions for complex problems such as energy supply, transition to green growth, or better medical solutions, it is necessary that we are able to collaborate across disciplines in new ways. It is paramount, however, that these collaborations are founded on each scientist’s disciplinary knowledge. New technologies cannot be developed without considering their acceptance, implementation and use in society – both short and long term. One researcher or one discipline cannot lift this task alone.

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CV

Plant Biochemistry Laboratory Department of Plant and Environmental Science (previously Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology), University of Copenhagen Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark Phone: +45 3533 3352

ACADEMIC DEGREES:    M. Sc. 1972; Ph.D. 1975; D. Sc. 1984; D. Sc. h. c.

EMPLOYMENT

• 2014-present: Director of the Carlsberg Laboratory
• 2013-present: Head of VILLUM Research Center for Plant Plasticity
• 2011-2013: Professor in Plant Biochemistry, Technical University of Denmark, 20% employment
• 2010-2013: Section Director of “Plant Pathway Discovery” in the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Bio-Sustainability
• 2010-present: Head of Center for Syntehtic Biology, one of four “centres of excellence” established in Denmark by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
• 2008-2013: Director of VILLUM Research Centre Pro-Active Plants.
• 1998-2008: Director, Centre of Molecular Plant Physiology (PlaCe), the “centre of excellence” in plant biology in Denmark. Total grant: 13 million €
• 1990-present: Professor in Plant Biochemistry, Plant Biochemistry Labora­tory, Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Copenhagen, LIFE, Copenhagen, 100% employment
• 1984-1990: Research Professor, Department of Plant Physiology, Royal Veterinary & Agricultural University, Copenhagen (now University of Copenhagen, SCIENCE). One among the first five “elite research professorships” established by the Danish Government.
• 1977-1983: Senior Research Scientist and Niels Bohr Fellow, Department of Physiology, Carlsberg Laboratory, Copenhagen
• 1975-1977:  Fulbright-Hays Act Fellow, Depart­ment of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California, Davis
• 1972-1975:    Ph.D. studies, Department of Organic Chemistry, Royal Veterinary & Agricultural University

ACADEMIC SOCIETIES

• 1994-present: Appointed member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
• 1993-present: Appointed member of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences
• 1993-present: Appointed member of the Danish Academy of Natural Sciences

RESEARCH AWARDS

• 2010-2013:   Invited Visiting Professor at University of Melbourne and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia during the month of May
• 2007:   Villum Kann Rasmussen Research Prize (2.5 mil DKK or 350.000 €). The largest Danish research award
• 2004:    The Academy of Future Research, “The Future Prize” (17.000 €)
• 2003:    Societas Physiologia Plantarum Scandinavica “Popularization Prize” (17.000 €)
• 1995:    Promoted by the Queen of Denmark asKnight of the Dannebrog
• 1994:    “Director Ib Henriksens Research Prize” (33.000 €)
• 1994:    Carlsberg Research Prize Award (18.000 €)
• 1991:   “Fabrikant Ulrik Brinch og hustru Marie Brinchs Legat” Technical University of Denmark(14.000 €)
• 1988:    Pedersholm Legat ( 36.000 €)
• 1985:    Hans Gram Medal, the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters

RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION

• 2012-present: Member of the ERAsynbio Scientific Committee for the establishment of an interdisciplinary workshop in the field of synthetic biology
• 2011-present: Member of the Danish Council for Research Policy
• 2011-present: Appointed by the Royal Danish Academy of Science and Letters as the Danish representative to the European Academies of Science Advisory Council
• 2009: Appointed Honorary Doctor at the University of Umeå, Sweden
• 1998-present: Member of the Board of the Pajbjerg Foundation and of the Advisory Board of Nordic Seed
• 2007-present: Elected member of the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies, Washington
• 2008-present: Member of the Advisory Board of the Max-Planck Institute of Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
• 1992-present: Member of the Danish Board of Appeal for Patents
• 1992-2012: Member of the Academic Council of KU-SCIENCE and vice-chairman of the Research Board
• 1992-2009: Chairman of the Federation Fellowships Selection Committee at the Australian Research Council (2007-2009) responsible for awarding annual grants totalling 25 million €
• 1998-2012: Member of the Leader Group of Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology
• 2006-2009: Coordinator of EEC research programs. Recipient of a prestigious grant from theHuman Frontier of Science Program
• 2001-2007: Co-founder of the Danish Biotech Company Poalis A/S, the pharma business of which was subsequently acquired by Evolva Biotech A/S
• 2006-2009: Member of the Research Advisory Board for the Danish Biotech Company Aresa, developing plants for the detection of land mines
• 2001-2009: Member of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria
• 2001-2008: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle, Germany
• 2001-2005: Appointed by the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries as Member of the Board of the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences

RECENT POSITIONS OF TRUST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN

• Appointed by the Deans of the Science, Life Science and Pharma Faculties of the University of Copenhagen as Member of a Research Committee to recommend how the University fusions in the Copenhagen area should be optimized across and within different disciplines. This work resulted in the influential report P. Krogsgaard-Larsen, B.L. Møller, E. H. Larsen, B. Vestergaard, C. Lunde and P. Stæhr: Synergies with the natural sciences at the University of Copenhagen - an interfaculty evaluation of barriers and opportunities to improve the quality of infrastructure, research and education.  ISBN 978-87-90655-79-2 (2009) 43 pp
• Appointed by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Copenhagen as Member of a Task Force to restructure collaboration between industrial partners and governmental institutions and the University of Copenhagen. This resulted in the report S.P. Olesen, H.Harmsen and B.L.Møller: The Recommendations of the Task Force regarding collaboration between Private Industries and the University of Copenhagen” (2009-2010), 57 pp

MENTORING

Main advisor of 43 PhD students (8 ongoing in Denmark and 3 in Australia) and of numerous BSc and MSc students. Mentor for biotechnology Bio-Hacker Spaces in Denmark and California. Talk at the TEDxCopenhagen event Sept. 18th 2012 on “Plant Power: the ultimate way to go green”. Numerous newspaper contributions on the importance of science and citizen engagement.

CURRENT FUNDING

• 2012: ARC Linkage Grants with Melbourne University and Monash University
• 2012: ERC Advanced Grant (2,5 million €)
• 2012: Villum Foundation Post Doc Block Stipend
• 2008-2012: Pro-Active Plants Villum Research Centre of Excellence: The total grant for the period 2008-2012 is 3.3 million €. My own research group receives 80.000 €/year from the centre grant for studies of cyanogenic glucoside metabolism in sorghum and cassava
• 2008-2012: UNIK Synthetic Biology: The total grant is 16 million € for the period. Of these 4.8 million € is assigned to projects, instrumentation and infrastructure within plant biology. My research group receives 90.000 €/year for studies on light driven hydroxylations obtained by linking Photosystem I to cytochrome P450 enzymes.

PREVIOUS GRANTING AGENCIES

The Danish Council for Independent Research, Human Frontier Science Programme, EU LifeSciHealth STREP, EU Marie Curie, Australian Research Council, Spanish Research Council, Carlsberg Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Danish National Research Foundation, Villum Kann Rasmussen Foundation, Danish Research Councils and DANIDA.

CV

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