Fields of research:

• Biopolymer chemistry and bio-nanotechnology
• Genetics
• Determination of polysaccharide primary structure
• Enzymatic, chemical and physical modification of polysaccharides
• Determination of conformation in solution and gel phase
• Interactions between polysaccharides and ions, enzymes, antigens, DNA and RNA
• Non-viral gene delivery using chitosans
• Nanostructure, phase behaviour and rheology in biopolymer gels, films, emulsions and suspensions
• Alginate based capsule technology for treatment of diabetes
• New experimental methods for characterization of polysaccharides
• New biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of alginates, chitosans, gelatine, sphagnan, beta glucans, glycoproteins and proteoglycans
• Capsule- and gel technology applied in food

Marine biochemistry/mariculture:

• Production of fatty acids (DHA) in marine microorganisms
• Marine biopolymers – from raw material to biological applications
• Fish gelatins: Properties and modifications
• New antibiotics from marine bacteria
• Capsule- and gel technology in feed technology

Molecular genetics/Microbiology:

• Studies of the mechanism for plasmid replication, construction of cloning vectors and analysis of recombinant protein expression
• Genetic analysis of the production of antibiotics in bacteria
• Studies of molecular mechanisms for cellular osmoregulation
• The genetics of alginate biosynthesis and function studies of the enzyme structures
• Oil microbiology
• Development of new plasmid tools for use in bioprospecting
• Microbial producers of bioactive agents from the marine environment

Biochemical engineering:

• Production of secondary metabolites in bacteria
• Microbiological aspects in food science
• Microbial production of lysine from methanol

Food chemistry:

• Superchilling
• Utilization of Calanus
• Using NMR to study water and salt during salting of fish and meat
• Application of NMR for determination of food authenticity
• Lipid oxidation
• Ethical slaughtering of white fish
• Production of stable marine oils

Environmental biotechnology/Microbial ecology:

• Biofilm formation and biofouling
• Gel-immobilized microbial ecosystems
• Anaerobic fermentation of organic material
• Directing microbial environment in marine aquaculture
• Mechanisms for bacterial colonization and directing microbial environment in marine aquaculture
• Structure and stability in natural pelagic ecosystems

Subject Areas

A more detailed description of ongoing research activities at the department can be found at the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science