Last year, the Novo Nordisk Foundation granted DKK 392 million for three years for the establishment of the BioInnovation Institute (BII) with the aim of paving the way for more start-ups in life science in Denmark. BII supports talented entrepreneurs and researchers to further develop high-quality research into new products and solutions that can combat disease, improve health or conserve natural resources. The center offers grants in the form of funding, knowledge and advice.

Researchers and entrepreneurs from universities, hospitals, companies or from other national or international research and entrepreneurial environments can get help to develop and mature research projects until the moment when it is possible to attract funding on market terms. They can enter BII at all phases (discovery phase, transition phase, incubation phase and growth phase) depending on how far their research project is in the maturation process.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation has now set up two expert teams of outstanding life science scientists to help assess which of the projects have the greatest potential. Poul Nissen from DANDRITE/Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics has been selected for the panel, and he is honoured by this nomination.

In his daily basic research – and as Center Leader and Director of DANDRITE -  Poul Nissen himself focuses on what opportunities for new drugs his own research can bring, and he is therefore pleased that the universities now get a helping hand to test the proof of concept, and that he as a representative from Aarhus University can help conveying these opportunities.

For further information, please contact

Professor Poul Nissen
DANDRITE/Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Aarhus University, Denmark
pn@mbg.au.dk - +45 2899 2295