Examples of research - Natural Sciences, Aarhus University

The strong natural science research environments at Natural Sciences are nationally and internationally recognised for providing research of the highest quality. This research is supported by research funding from public and private foundations for the most talented researchers and the best and most visionary research projects.

We have collated a number of examples of research projects, research centres and other major research initiatives at units under Natural Sciences.

PhD project to improve antibodies for the pharmaceuticals of the future

PhD student and Novo Nordisk have joined forces to develop more specific and improved antibodies. In the long term, it is hoped the project will lead to fewer side effects and that less medicine will be discarded during development.

Facts

Subject area: Molecular biology and genetics

Purpose: To develop more specific and improved antibodies

Researcher: Nathalie Wyss, PhD student

Hundreds of war wrecks at the bottom of the North Sea

Wrecks from the world wars with dangerous goods pose a risk for pollution and for human activities in the North Sea. Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University participates in an EU project which investigates where the hazards are and how big a risk they pose.

Facts

Subject area: Geology

Purpose: To investigate war wrecks on the bottom of the North Sea and what potential dangers they pose.

Researchers: Associate Professor Katrine Juul Andresen

Research project aims to understand the clouds over Arctic

It is important that we examine and map the reasons behind climate change in the Arctic. So far, much research has focused on understanding the role of greenhouse gases in climate change. Now, with support from VILLUM FONDEN, ICARUS is looking towards the clouds.

Facts

Subject area: Microbiology

Purpose: To examine how specific microorganisms can affect formation of ice in clouds

Researchers: Assistant Professor Tina Šantl-Temkiv

Supported by: Villum Foundation

Machine learning to pave the way for converting CO2 into methanol

A new research project is using machine learning in an attempt to find materials that can convert CO2 into methanol, and thereby help tackle climate challenges. The research project has received a grant of DKK 7.9 million from the Villum Foundation.

Facts

Subject area: Physics, chemistry, computer science, machine learning

Purpose: To use machine learning to find new ways of converting CO₂into methanol

Researchers: Associate professor Mie Andersen

Supported by: Villum Foundation

Medicine of the future to bring together several drugs and functions in one treatment

With an economic injection from Novo Nordisk Foundation a team of researchers at AU work hard to find a new path to a drug that combines functions from more drugs and works for more patients.

Facts

Subject area: Chemistry, molecular biology and genetics

Purpose: Develop medicine that combines more functions in one drug

Researchers: professor Kurt Vesterager Gothelf, professor Jørgen Kjems and associate professor Ken Howard at CEMBID

Supported by: Novo Nordisk Foundation

Partners: The Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center

More food for people of the world

The climate changes affect the growth of plants and more and more people walks on Earth. Through new knowledge about the plants interaction with soil bacteria more food will grow and more mouths will be saturated.

Facts

Subject area: Plant Molecular Biology

Purpose: To grow more food to future generations by getting more knowledge about plants' interaction with soil bacteria.

Researcher: Professor Jens Stougaard

Supported by: The European Research Council

Partner: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

DANDRITE delves deep into the brain

The human brain's incomprehensible functions come under scrutiny at the interdisciplinary center DANDRITE. The research can be done due to the Lundbeck Foundation, which has invested a total of DKK 120 million. in the sharp brains.

Facts

Subject area: Neuroscience, molecular biology, genetics and biomedicine

Purpose: To understand how the brain works

Researchers: Professor Poul Nissen, Anne von Philipsborn, Duda Kvitsiani and Sadegh Nabavi and others

Supported by: Lundbeck Foundation

Partners: Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine and EMBL

Collaboration reaches higher levels

Aarhus University is in space. The satellite Delpini-1 is sent in orbit around Earth in 2019 and it has fed students and researchers with data from around the world ever since.

Facts

Subject area: Astronomy and information technology, geology

Purpose: Test nano satelittes' potential for scientific research in space

Researcher: Professor Hans Kjeldsen

Supported by: Aarhus University Research Foundation

Partners: GomSpace A/S and Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Engineering and Department of Geoscience

Company invested in PhD – and won patent and paradigm shift

RadiSurf in Risskov bet on an industrial PhD in collaboration with Aarhus University and that was a decision that paid of. RadiSurf won a patent and a chemical paradigm shift as a result of the industrial PhD.

Facts

Subject area: Chemistry

Purpose: To develop new methods to make adhesion between materials

Researcher: PhD student Stefan Urth Nielsen

Partner: RadiSurf

Giant magnet secures quality for the business community

Aarhus University has the biggest NMR spectrometer in Northern Europe. It can analyze food, medicine and materials down to atomic level for the benefit for companies.

Facts

Subject area: Nanoscience

Purpose: To give companies a more richly detailed image of their products than so far.

Researcher: Professor Thomas Vosegaard

Partner: Danish Center for Ultrahigh Field NMR Spectroscopy and iNano

Protocol helps in development of medicine

Development of medicine takes time. But with a protocol the pharmaceutical industry can work faster and in collaboration with industrial PhD and Aarhus University Novo Nordisk researches in making a protocol.

Facts

Subject area: Chemistry

Purpose: To develop a protocol for the pharmaceutical industry

Researcher: PhD student Lisbeth Ravnkilde Kjølbye

Partner: Novo Nordisk

Bacteria discovery changes our understanding

Danish National Research Foundation has invested DKK 56 millions in Center for Electromicrobiology at Aarhus University. The center will research the surprising, newly discovered organism called Cable bacteria.

Facts

Subject Area: Microbiology

Purpose: To research the new bacteria

Researcher: Professor Lars Peter Nielsen

Supported by: Danish National Research Foundation

Partner: Center for Electromicrobiology

Center wants to solve world crisis

In a world that changes constantly the ground's biodiversity is challenged. With DKK 40 million from VILLUM FONDEN a center at Aarhus University wants to solve the worldwide crisis of biodiversity.

Facts

Subject area: Biodiversity

Purpose: To monitor biodiversity to find solutions for the crisis of biodiversity.

Researcher: Professor Jens-Christian Svenning

Supported by: VILLUM FONDEN

Partner: BIOCHANGE

A new method to monitor replaces trap

A computer will monitor the nature in the future. Today, researchers gathers samples of nature in pitfall traps but an industrial PhD works hard to code a computer for monitoring.

Facts

Subject area: Ecoinformatics and biodiversity

Purpose: To develop a new method to monitor the nature

Researcher: PhD student Oskar Liset Pryds Hansen

Partner: Naturhistorisk Museum Aarhus

Faculty of Natural Sciences

Examples of research at Natural Sciences

PhD project to improve antibodies for the pharmaceuticals of the future

Facts

Hundreds of war wrecks at the bottom of the North Sea

Facts

Research project aims to understand the clouds over Arctic

Facts

Machine learning to pave the way for converting CO2 into methanol

Facts

Medicine of the future to bring together several drugs and functions in one treatment

Facts

More food for people of the world

Facts

DANDRITE delves deep into the brain

Facts

Collaboration reaches higher levels

Facts

Company invested in PhD – and won patent and paradigm shift

Facts

Giant magnet secures quality for the business community

Facts

Protocol helps in development of medicine

Facts

Bacteria discovery changes our understanding

Facts

Center wants to solve world crisis

Facts

A new method to monitor replaces trap

Facts