As the leader of a research department within Global Research Technologies, I am responsible for overseeing early microbial and mammalian cultivation process development for the production of novel therapeutics. My department is comprised of 15 highly skilled technicians, 11 scientists, and 3 students who work on projects targeting various chronic diseases, including hemophilia, diabetes, and obesity.Our main responsibility is to produce proteins and peptides for pre-clinical evaluation and research purposes, which we do in close collaboration with molecular biologists and purification scientists. We are tasked with early process development of cultivation and clarification processes for preclinical research, and subsequently transferring these processes to our corresponding developmental organization to bring the projects into the clinical phase.To achieve these goals, we organize our work in multi-disciplinary project groups with representation from other research and development departments in the organization. Together, we mature the projects towards clinical trials and ensure that our department is delivering high-quality results that meet the needs of our partners and ultimately benefit patients.

I am leading a research department with responsibility for early microbial and mammalian cultivation process development for production of novel therapeutics within Global Research Technologies. The department consists of 12 highly skilled technicians, 9 scientists and 2 student working on projects targeting hemophilia, diabetes, obesity amongst other chronic diseases.The department is responsible for production of proteins and peptides for pre-clinical evaluation and research purposes in close collaboration with molecular biologists and purification scientists. The department is tasked with early process development of cultivation and clarification processes for preclinical research and subsequently transfer of the processes our corresponding developmental organisation bringing the projects into clinic. The work is organized in multi-disciplinary project groups with representation from other research and development departments in the organisation, that together matures the projects towards clinical trials.

I am leading a research department with responsibility for early microbial cultivation process development for production of novel therapeutics within Global Research Technologies. The department consists of 5 highly skilled technicians and 3 scientists working on projects targeting hemophilia, diabetes, obesity amongst other chronic diseases.The department is responsible for production of proteins and peptides for pre-clinical evaluation and research purposes in close collaboration with molecular biologists and purification scientists. The department is tasked with early process development of cultivation and clarification processes for preclinical research and subsequently transfer of the processes our corresponding developmental organisation bringing the projects into clinic. The work is organized in multi-disciplinary project groups with representation from other research and development departments in the organisation, that together matures the projects towards clinical trials.

he primary focus of my work is on upstream yeast fermentation process development with the main areas of responsibility divided into supply of product to a range of different pre-clinical projects, process developments and general fermentation optimisation. The work is carried out in close collaboration with a diverse group of stakeholders ranging from molecular biologist to downstream purification chemists.The outcome of this work is the transfer of initial cell clones to our corresponding CMC department as well as giving recommendations for fermentation approaches and conditions. Since most of this work is carried out in close collaboration with a subteam of two highly skilled laboratory technicians a certain portion of my time is dedicated to the coordination and delegation of experimental work.I further specialize in automatized high throughput cultivation systems as a means for improving throughput and data quality.

The primary focus of my work is on upstream yeast fermentation process development with the main areas of responsibility divided into supply of product to a range of different pre-clinical projects, process developments and general fermentation optimisation. The work is carried out in close collaboration with a diverse group of stakeholders ranging from molecular biologist to downstream purification chemists.The outcome of this work is the transfer of initial cell clones to our corresponding CMC department as well as giving recommendations for fermentation approaches and conditions. Since most of this work is carried out in close collaboration with a subteam of two highly skilled laboratory technicians a certain portion of my time is dedicated to the coordination and delegation of experimental work.I further specialize in automatized high throughput cultivation systems as a means for improving throughput and data quality.

Holds an advisory role in the commercialisation project VERIAN

Post Doc employment at DTU Systems biology, where I my work was been split into teaching the Bachelor courses “Introduction to Fermentation Technology” and “Practical exercises in Fermentation Technology” and a research project, where glycerol utilising Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains are characterised and developed using evolutionary engineering (part of the EU-project framework of IPCRES). The project was intended to last 2 years, but a good offer in the private sector had me terminate it after 6 months.

This project has, as is the nature of PhD projects, developed in a slightly different direction that was originally intended and has allowed me to employ many of the techniques acquired during several of the minor research projects that I have been affiliated with. Though the project has not actually deviated from the main focus of fermentation and fluxomics, the project has been more concentrated on the development of fermentation approaches. One of the main focus areas are the development of high throughput setups for the cultivating yeast in microtiter plates aiming at reaching similar growth rates and profiles to that of instrumented reactors. Furthermore, as the project is reaching its natural end, focus has shifted towards filamentous fungi and I have invested a great deal of energy in how to cultivate Aspergillus nidulans in chemostats.My interest in the cultivation of filamentous fungi was spiked by a minor collaboration project with a group of colleagues investigating a metabolic pathway by means of a feeding experiment. This was done by feeding a 13C labelled precursor metabolite to the organism in question and tracking the labelling pattern resulting. My contribution to this project was besides performing the antimicrobial screens, the production and purification of a key precursor metabolite, 6MSA, isotopically enriched with the stable isotope carbon 13. A bi-product of this project was a selection of recombinant Aspergillus nidulans strains, producing impressive amounts of 6-MSA vs the recombinant yeast strains that we had previously investigated. In an attempt to join the ends of the high throughput setup developed for yeast, we are currently trying to establish a similar setup for filamentous fungi. This project, all though not finished, shows great promise and we aim at publishing a manuscript describing the methodology for successfully cultivating filamentous fungi in microtiter plates with similar growth rates to that of stirred reactors.

Employed for a two month period, finally finishing my work started back in 2009 writing up my last contribution to a joint paper based on the previous mentioned CLL screening platform (see earlier employments).Work will be continued by two PhD students (one Danish and one German) hired for spin-off projects based on the research initiated during my Masters back in 2009.This research was funded by The Danish Cancer Society with a grant of 450.000 dkkr awarded the project in 2010.

Employed for a three month period to finish up and continue research on the previous established CLL platform (see earlier employments) designed to isolate compounds with activity towards CLL cells in the protective microenviroment of the bone marrow.This platform is being applied for isolating fungal extracts with activity towards CLL cells. The active principles of these extracts are subsequently isolated by applying preparative chromatographic techniques along with mass spectrometry linked with UV detectors for identification.This work was funded by The Danish Cancer Society.

Employed for a three month period to finish up and continue research on the previous established CLL platform (see earlier employments) designed to isolate compounds with activity towards CLL cells in the protective microenviroment of the bone marrow.This platform is being applied for isolating fungal extracts with activity towards CLL cells. The active principles of these extracts are subsequently isolated by applying preparative chromatographic techniques along with mass spectrometry linked with UV detectors for identification.This work was funded by The Danish Cancer Society.

Writing a "proof of concept" paper concerning a new methology for screening for potential drug candidates towards chronic lymphocytic leukemia.This work was funded by The Danish Cancer Society.

Implementing a new deriviatization procedure for quantification of primary metabolites by GC-MS.

Employed for a three month period to finish up research on a newly established CLL platform designed to isolate compounds with activity towards CLL cells in the protective microenviroment of the bone marrow. The platform was finally established during my final master thesis in collaboration with Dr. Martina Seiffert, and was proven effective for isolating fungal extracts with activity towards CLL cells. The active principles of these extracts were subsequently isolated by applying preparative chromatographic techniques along with mass spectrometry linked with UV detectors for identification. Results from these studies have been published under the title:"Chaetoglobosin A preferentially induces apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells by targeting the cytoskeleton" in the journal Leukemia and under the title: Bio-Activity Guided and Dereplication Based "Discovery of Ophiobolins and Other Fungal Secondary Metabolites Targeting Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells" in the journal Molecules.

Development of a trace analytical method for detection and quantification of fumonisins in retail rasins. Fumonisins consists of a range of related mycotoxins, produced by Aspergillus niger among others, that are associated with high incidence of esophageal and liver cancer along with neural tube defects. This project aimed at establishing a method by which fumonisins may be extracted from raisins and quantified using LC-MS/MS. The purpose was to establish whether fumonisins are present in retail raisins and at what concentration, with the ultimative goal of establishing if there are any health risk involved with the consumption hereof.Publications:"Fumonisin from Aspergillus niger in grapes and derived products"Jesper M. Mogensen, Peter B. Knudsen, Jens C. Frisvad, Thomas O. Larsen, Kristian F. Nielsen.Poster at the 32nd mycotoxin workshop, 14-16. June, lyngby Denmark.

LC-MS/MS method development for detection of alcohols produced by varaities of yeasts applied in the dairy industry. These alcohols were monitored in series of different cultivation experiments due to their role in Qourum Sensing and consequently relevance in respect to various dairy products.Publications:"Production of alcohol-based quorum sensing molecules and their role in biofilm formation and sliding motility of the dairy-important yeast Debaryomyces hansenii"Klaus Gori, Peter Boldsen Knudsen, Kristian Fog Nielsen, Nils Arneborg and Lene JespersenPoster at The 4th Conference on Physiology of Yeast and Filamentous Fungi, June 1- 4, 2010, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

CMC Biopharmaceuticals A/S (CMC) is a Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) located in Copenhagen, Medicon Valley, Denmark.CMC offers wide and integrated cGMP manufacturing services using microbial fermentation and mammalian cell culture processes.

Boardmember at Institute Study Board at research center Biocentrum, DTU.The Institute Study Board is an organ that connects the students with the employees of the university, designed to be capable of processing, discussing and resolving educational initiatives and complaints.