Interactions of bacterial communities and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes in natural environments. Molecular mechanisms involved in spread and acquisition of antibiotics resistance through horizontal gene transfer among bacterial populations. Dynamics of plasmid transfer and stability within bacterial species in complex environments. Transfer frequencies and host range of various conjugative plasmids are studied by a cultivation independent single cell based transfer-reporter gene approach using the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) together with Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).

Molecular microbiology; Construction and optimization of molecular methods for tagging plasmids and bacterial chromosomes for use in the transfer-reporter gene based system when studying horizontal gene transfer on a single cell level.

Plasmid biology; Studying and characterizing environmental conjugative plasmids with respect to finding gene determinants involved in plasmid dependent regulation of biofilm formation and plasmid transfer.

• Molecular characterization of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) focusing on plasmids and bacteriophages as well as their dynamics and interactions with their bacterial hosts. 
• Identification and characterization of novel defense- and anti-defense systems between bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts. 
• Occurrence and description of bacteriophages isolated from natural environments focusing on the wheat phyllosphere. 
• The role of bacteriophages as potential biocontrol agents in modulating the structure of microbial communities associated with the wheat phyllosphere.
• Epigenetics of bacterial persisters and bacteriophages. 
• Construction of transposon-based bacterial reporter systems and knock-outs. 

Research interests

My main focus is on molecular microbiology, bacterial genetics as well as the biology and dynamics of mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids and bacteriophages (short; phages). In particular, I find it quite fascinating to learn more about how plasmids and phages interact with each other as well as with their bacterial hosts. A key element of this research involves the finding and characterization of novel molecular mechanisms underlying this complex, but highly exciting, network of defense and anti-defense interactions/strategies taking place between phages and their bacterial hosts. Phage epigenomics (i.e. detection of nucleotide modifications on phage genomes), as studied by long-read sequencing, has recently been integrated into this research.

In addition, I have a keen interest in isolating and characterizing novel phages from natural environments, in particular from the phyllosphere of wheat plants, a complex and highly diverse plant surface. Adding to our current understanding of how phages interact with- and impact on the microbial communities inhabiting this environment might help us to explore their potential as future biocontrol agents. 

Previously, I have been engaged in finding novel strategies to limit the occurrence of plasmid-borne spread of antimicrobial resistance mediated through horizontal gene transfer. Additionally, I have been engaged in elucidating some of the molecular mechanisms that regulate initiation of bacterial chromosome replication using Escherichia coli as model organism. In particular, adding a more bacterial stress survival/response angle in the sense of bacterial persistence was of interest.    

Education

2003-2007  Ph.D., (Molecular Microbiology). Roskilde University, Roskilde.

1996-2003  Cand. Polyt., (Chemistry, Biotechnology). Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby.

Employment

2024-            Associate Professor, (Molecular Microbiology). University of Copenhagen, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen, Prof. Lars Hestbjerg Hansen Lab.  

2020-2024    Assistant Professor, (Molecular Microbiology). University of Copenhagen, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen, Prof. Lars Hestbjerg Hansen Lab.   

2016-2020    Assistant Professor, (Molecular Microbiology). BASP, University of Copenhagen, Department of Biology, Copenhagen, Prof. Anders Løbner-Olesen Lab. 

2012-2016    Assistant Professor, (Molecular Microbiology). University of Copenhagen, Department of Biology, KU-SCIENCE, Copenhagen, Prof. Søren J. Sørensen Lab.

2010-2012    Post-doctoral Fellow, (Molecular Microbiology). University of Copenhagen, Department of Biology, KU-SCIENCE, Copenhagen, Prof. Søren J. Sørensen Lab.

2008-2010    Post-doctoral Fellow, (Molecular Microbiology and Food Microbiology). National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DTU-FOOD, Mørkhøj.

2006-2007    Post-doctoral Fellow, (Molecular Microbiology). Roskilde University, Roskilde.

Academic Awards and Grants

2023-2026     Novo Nordisk Foundation, NNF; Granted 1.992.638 DKK for project entitled “DEFENSEBOOST: Boosting bacterial immunity through rational engineering of antiviral defense strategies”.

2019-2022     Lundbeck Foundation Experiment; Granted 1.983.129 DKK for project entitled “Identification of epigenetic markers promoting bacterial persistence as targets in drug discovery”.

2018-2019     A.P. Møller Lægefonden, Torben og Alice Frimodts Fond, Brødrene Hartmanns Fond, Aase og Ejnar Danielsens Fond, and Knud og Edith Eriksens Mindefond; In total granted 320.000 DKK for project entitled “Identification and characterization of novel antimicrobial compounds with replication inhibiting effect in S. aureus”.

2002             The Carlsbergs Mindelegat for Brygger J.C.Jacobsen Scholarship. Copenhagen.

Supervision/Teaching activities

2018-ongoing   Appointed censor (‘Censorkorpset for Biologi’) for the BSc and MSc Biology education.

2014-2016       Course responsible; graduate course Emerging Molecular Techniques in Microbiology, UCPH.

2010-ongoing   Teaching (lectures, lab exercises, group classes, exams) on various BSc and MSc courses.

2005-ongoing   Supervision of 11 bachelor (BSc) and 12 master (MSc; 1 ongoing) students in molecular microbiology. Supervision of 4 international PhD students (1 ongoing) and 4 postdocs (1 ongoing).