Aarhus University Seal

Molecular Biology and Genetics researchers awarded considerable strategic funds

In the latest appropriation round, researchers at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics were awarded no fewer than three out of ten grants by the Programme Committee for Health, Food and Welfare under the Danish Council for Strategic Research (DSF).

The Programme Committee for Health, Food and Welfare under the Danish Council for Strategic Research (DSF) is administered by the Innovation Fund Denmark, which gives grants for strategic research that helps to ensure a sustainable and competitive production of healthy food for the consumers.

No less than three researchers from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics managed to get funding for their research as Assistant Professor Stig Uggerhøj Andersen from the Section of Plant Molecular Biology was awarded DKK 17 million to increase the amount of natural nitrogen in organic farming, Associate Professor Henrik Brinch-Pedersen from the Section of Crop Genetics and Biotechnology, (from Flakkebjerg) got just over DKK 12 million to develop natural dyes in food, while Associate Professor Anders Olsen from the Section of Molecular Intervention received DKK 10 million to find out why some bacteria are healthy and some harmful.

Head of Department Erik Østergaard Jensen is very proud of the fact that the department’s staff managed to attract such a large percentage of the programme’s grants. “We’ve been focusing for a long time on attracting grants from foundations with a strategic aim, so it’s great to achieve such success now,” he says.

“Researchers at the department have been awarded approximately DKK 39 million out of a pool of DKK 177 million, and this is really impressive. At the same time, it’s great recognition of the high quality of research at the department, as well as our ability to transfer this research to strategic projects,” adds Dr Jensen.

Read more about the three researchers projects: