Research Interests
My research focuses on elucidating the role of chemical metabolites (natural chemical substances) from plants in ecological interactions, as well as their fate in the environment. Specifically, I am interested in chemical signalling in ecological relationships, including plant-pest interactions, microbial communication, and chemical defences in various species, that combines analytical chemistry (targeted and untargeted metabolomics), molecular biology, and field studies.
I am intersted in studying allelopathy and the transfer of plant metabolites between plants to enhance plant performance and resilience.
We also isolate and characterise biological nitrification inhibitor (BNI) compounds in cereal isogenic lines. By linking BNI metabolite profiles with microbial activity and nitrogen transformations, we aim to enhance nitrogen-use efficiency and reduce nitrogen losses in agricultural systems.
We investigate benzoxazinoids, bioactive natural compounds primarily produced in cereals and some dicotyledonous plants, to assess their potential impacts in agricultural systems.
We have established state-of-the-art chemical analytical methods to analyse various phytochemical classes abundant in crop species, utilising LC-MS/MS, LC-QTRAP, and high-resolution LC-Orbitrap MS instruments.
Collaboration
We actively collaborate with researchers across the world on projects that advance ecological sustainability and highlight the vital role of chemical ecology in solving global challenges.
We are open to new collaborations and joint research initiatives. Please feel free to reach out if our interests align or if you would like to explore the collaboration.
MSc and Bsc Projects
We are continuously looking for motivated MSc students from agrobiology, food science, chemistry, biotechnology, bioinformatics, and molecular biology at Aarhus University to join our research group. We have opportunities for short-term projects (20-30 ECTS) as well as MSc thesis projects (45-60 ECTS).
Examples of available projects can be found in the thesis catalogue.
We also welcome international exchange and ERASMUS+ students, for research stays.
We also offer several BSc projects that focus on chemical ecology and utilize plant chemistry to enhance plant health and performance.
