Current research

I am microbial ecologist with a current focus on Plant-microbe interactions and soil microbiology.

My current research activities are: 

• Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI) and side effects on the soil microbial communities.

Research questions: How do BNI crops affect the soil and soil microbial communities? Are there any long term effects on succeeding crops grown in the soil? Could this have impact on human, environmental or soil health?

The reserach are carried out with in the CropSustaiN project.

Long term research questions:

• How do microbial communities assemble on plant roots?
• What are the role of seed bacteria during germination?
• Can we predict the rhizosphere microbiome based on soil history?
• How important is the rhizosphere microbiome for prediction of yield?
• How can we manage the soil to engineer the plant microbiome?
• How can we use microorganisms to improve soil health?

In addition, I am interested in cultivation of hitherto uncultivated bacterial taxa, in particular from the soil. 

I use a range of techniques, but my primary expertise is the use of amplicon and shotgun metagenomics sequencing, bioinformatics, and machine learning.

I have ongoing work with data scientists, mathematicians and soil scientists to include deep/machine learning in the analyses, develop new statistical tests and apply zymography in combination with molecular analyses.

In a previous project, INTERACT, we developed a synthetic community from wheat rhizosphere allowing us to study plant-microbe interactions in a low-complexity manner. 

If you are interested in working within these areas in a bachelor’s or master’s project, feel free to send me an e-mail.

CV

Positions

2023- present Assistant Professor, Section for Microbial Ecology and Biotechnology (UCPH)

2023-2025 Visiting researcher, Bioresources Unit, Austrian Institute of Technology AIT, Austria

2019-2023   Post-doc,  Section for Microbial Ecology and Biotechnology, University of Copenhagen 

Education

2016-2019 PhD Microbiology, University of Copenhagen (Denmark)

2011-2013 MSc Environmental Chemistry and Health, University of Copenhagen (Denmark)

2007-2011 BSc Environmental Chemistry, University of Copenhagen (Denmark)

Teaching activites

(2026) Microbiology (BSc course), (2025) Soil and Water Pollution experimental part (MSc), (2025) Soil and Water Pollution Theory (MSc), (2025) Advanced Microbiol Biotechnology (MSc), 

(2016-2023) Applied Microbiology (MSc Course), (2021) Project in Experimental Molecular Biology,  

Supervision

Co-supervisor of 2 PhD students. 1 MSc thesis, 4 Erasmus MSc internships students, 2 projects outside course scope (PUK)

Other activities

2024-2025 Editor BMC Microbiology

2019-2022 Appointed Post-doc member of the Department Research Committee. 

2019-2022 Member of Post-doc association in the Department.

Awards

Article of the year 2019 FEMS Microbiology Ecology