Faculty of Science

Climate changes

08.10.2025

Heatwaves at Sea May Force the Ocean to Release More CO2

We already know that marine heatwaves can harm the ocean’s animals and reefs. Now, a new study reveals that marine heatwaves may also weaken the oceans’ ability to store carbon

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Evolution

02.10.2025

Why Women Live Longer Than Men – and Why They Will Continue to Do So

Researchers have studied the lifespans of 1,176 animal species. Among mammals, females usually live the longest – including humans – and scientists believe this pattern will continue.

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Grants

02.10.2025

Villum Experiment Grants Awarded to Two NAT Researchers

Molecular biologist Narcis-Adrian Petriman and chemist Mathias Lander Skavenborg have both received a Villum Experiment grant, awarded to unconventional research projects.

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Researcher Q&A

29.09.2025

Music and Physics Have Much in Common

Physicist Francesco Sannino almost always works with classical music in the background – often Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Rachmaninov, or Shostakovich. The structure and rhythm of the music help him think.

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Greenhouse gas

16.09.2025

Sandy Seafloors: An Overlooked Source of Greenhouse Gas

A new study reveals that methane can form in the upper layers of sandy seabeds — something that has taken scientists by surprise. Special microorganisms are at work, and the phenomenon may be happening along coastlines all over the world.

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Scientist Q&A

12.09.2025

What We Prove Mathematically Today Will be Just as True in 100 Years

As a child, Professor David Kyed dreamed of becoming an archaeologist. But when it came time to choose his path, mathematics captured his interest. Today he is a researcher and dedicated to exploring the theoretical frontiers of mathematics.

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Scientist Q&A

05.09.2025

I am Captivated by the Universe's Most Fundamental Questions

Something doesn’t add up in our understanding of the universe. Physicists agree on that—but what’s missing from our picture? Martin S. Sloth believes the answer may lie in a new phase of dark energy.

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Grant

05.09.2025

ERC Starting Grant of DKK 11 million to computer scientist Lars Rohwedder

With this grant from European Research Council, Lars Rohwedder will now establish his own research group

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Protein Research

21.08.2025

How Science Helped Archaeologists Determine the Sex of Medieval Children

Between the years 1150 and 1450, more than 100 children were buried in a churchyard near Silkeborg. Just a tiny fragment of their tooth enamel is enough to reveal their sex—and that’s exactly what researchers at SDU have now done.

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Deep-Sea Trenches

20.08.2025

Completely New Ecosystem Discovered at 9,500 Meters Depth

When a research team reached the bottom of a deep-sea trench, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by thousands of unusual animals thriving in the cold, dark deep.

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Interview

10.07.2025

After 50 Expeditions, Ronnie N. Glud is Rewriting Deep-Sea Science

Professor. Deep-sea explorer. Adventurer in the ”dark”. Ronnie N. Glud has explored some of the most remote and deepest parts of the ocean. He now knows that the dark, cold depths are far less barren and isolated than we once imagined.

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Pollution

08.07.2025

Phosphorus is Destroying our Lakes – Could LakeBots and Hemp help?

Only very few of Denmark’s lakes are in good ecological condition. Biologist Kasper Reitzel wants to change that. His idea: Use LakeBots to vacuum phosphorus-rich sediment from the lakebed, clean it with hemp, and return it to the fields as fertilizer.

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biology

18.06.2025

Bogong Moths Use the Night Sky to Navigate up to 1000 Kilometres

A new study reveals that the Australian Bogong moth uses stars, the Milky Way, and Earth’s magnetic field to navigate — making it the first known invertebrate to travel long distances using a stellar compass.

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Methane emissions

10.06.2025

Are We Forcing Seabed Microbes to Produce More Greenhouse Gases?

Every day, coastal seabed microbes are exposed to pollution from wastewater containing organic pollutants from drug residues, personal care products, etc. This may be triggering them to produce more methane, warns environmental chemist Tetyana Gilevska.

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Archaeometry

04.06.2025

First Editions of the Bible Discovered by Artificial Intelligence and Chemistry

AI and chemistry break with tradition and reveal surprising early dates for the world’s oldest biblical manuscripts; the Dead Sea Scrolls

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Deep Sea

23.05.2025

The Seabed is Breathing. If We Listen, We Can Learn About the Future’s Climate

At the bottom of the world’s deep oceans, the sediments breathe — a quiet yet vital process that shapes everything from climate to biodiversity. Wenjie Xiao is working to understand how this affects our planet — and what it might reveal about the climate of the future.

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Grant

12.05.2025

Cracking the Code of Rare Diseases

Blindness, obesity, infertility, extra fingers, kidney problems and more: the rare ciliopathic diseases are serious. Scientists know about 35 of them, but there is still no cure. SDU researcher Narcis-Adrian Petriman wants to change that, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation is supporting him with DKK 11.4 million.

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DARA

01.05.2025

Managing Director of the Danish Advanced Research Academy found

Philip Hallenborg was part of the team behind the grant application. Now he will head the national PhD academy funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation to bring universities together to develop Danish research talent.

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Interview

01.05.2025

Symmetry in the Quantum World – Where Mathematics and Physics Meet

How do quantum particles organize themselves – and how can advanced mathematics help us understand nature’s deepest patterns? Apoorv Tiwari explores the invisible and the complex structures of nature itself.

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Basic Research

29.04.2025

A Passion for Chaotic Proteins

Many serious diseases occur because the body’s proteins malfunction. Neurological disorders, for example, can develop when proteins begin to clump together. Cagla Sahin is fascinated by the steps leading to the formation of these protein clumps — because if we can understand that, we might be able to prevent the diseases altogether.

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Interview

29.04.2025

The Silent Engine Behind Modern Medicine: Computational Science

Behind every medical breakthrough lies an unsung hero: algorithms. Join SDUs expert in bioinformatics, Veit Schwämmle, on this visit to the world of computational science, where big data and bioinformatics are quietly shaping the future of healthcare.

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Scientist Q&A

24.04.2025

Decoding Tomorrow: The Push to Simplify Quantum Computing

Not so long ago, computer programming was reserved for a small group of specialists—but today, anyone can learn it relatively quickly. Robin Kaarsgaard wants the same to be true for quantum computer programming.

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22.04.2025

Creating the Brains of Tomorrow’s Robots

Big robots, small robots, household robots, surgical robots. Size and function don’t really matter—what matters to Melih Kandemir is developing algorithms that can make robots more precise and safer than they are today.

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Scientist Q&A

09.04.2025

Molecular Machines: The Technology of the Future?

Jan Oskar Jeppesen builds machines out of molecules. His vision is that one day they could be used in technologies we can currently only dream of—like tiny computers with immense storage capacity or small nanomotors.

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Scientist Q&A

03.04.2025

The amazing feeling of finally solving a problem

Being an intern at some of the big tech companies in Silicon Valley was fascinating. But Lars Rohwedder decided to come back to Europe for his master’s and has since built an academic career here. He hopes that his research can help improve the algorithms we all live with.

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Biogeochemistry

24.03.2025

Scientists Uncover Hidden Process Behind Nitrous Oxide Formation

A newly discovered chemical reaction sheds light on an unexpected source of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, in both marine and freshwater environments.

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Brain Research

19.03.2025

Lab-Grown Nerve Tissue: A Key to Understanding Parkinson’s Disease

There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, and researchers are still far from fully understanding the factors that trigger it. Helle Bogetofte Barnkob is determined to shed light on the disease by cultivating and studying nerve tissue in the lab.

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04.03.2025

New Mouse Study: How to Trick the Body's Metabolism

SDU researchers have discovered a new way in which the liver regulates its consumption of sugar and fat. This could potentially increase the effectiveness of weight-loss and diabetes medication.

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Profile

20.02.2025

Hunting Dark Matter Particles in the University Basement

Manuel Meyer's mission is to understand the universe's mysterious dark matter. To him, hunting for dark matter is hunting for the fundamental constituents of what everything is made of

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20.02.2025

Danish and Swiss researchers achieve a breakthrough in ultra-fast holographic 3D fabrication

Biofabrication is a key part of our future. 3D-printed tissue can revolutionize medicine, from drug testing and organ cultivation to producing T-bone steaks for dinner. In close collaboration with Swiss researchers Jesper Glückstad and Andreas Gejl Madsen from SDU Centre for Photonics Engineering have achieved a groundbreaking advancement in the speed and precision of bioprinting.

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Profile

17.02.2025

A Chemist with a Mission: The Chemical Industry Must Become Much More Sustainable

The chemical industry cannot continue to overconsume energy and produce polluting waste, says Changzhu Wu, who has dedicated his research career to developing more sustainable chemistry by using enzymes and whole cells to produce chemicals.

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Sustainable AI

05.02.2025

Are You Wasting Chatbot Energy Without Thinking About It?

Chatbots consume enormous amounts of energy, both when being developed and when we use them. Researchers now aim to create more sustainable chatbots, so we can search with a better conscience.

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PhD Dissertation

22.01.2025

Unlocking the Secrets of Liver Cells

Liver cells may look identical under the microscope, but they perform vastly different tasks. Understanding this phenomenon drives the research of Nicolaj Ibsgaard Toft, who recently completed his Ph.D. on the activity of liver cells.

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Grant

22.01.2025

New national PhD academy is an investment in future research talents

The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) has received a grant of DKK 500 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to establish a national PhD academy focusing on talent development and researcher education. The academy will be located at SDU, and the activities are for PhD students broadly within the Danish university sector.

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Grant

21.01.2025

New EU Project to Investigate the Health Effects of Noise and Ultrafine Particles

An EU-funded research project aims to address a growing concern: the combined health effects of noise pollution and ultrafine particles, which are present in urban environments across the globe.

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Grant

10.01.2025

New Project to Enhance Students' Well-being, Learning, and Completion Rates

6,2 million DKK from Novo Nordisk Foundation to ensure that all students at the Faculty of Science can build a digital competence portfolio, increasing awareness of their own skills.

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Research

07.01.2025

Can carrots be used to treat diabetes?

Current research from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) reveals that carrots may help regulate blood sugar and improve gut flora – a combination that could potentially benefit individuals with type 2 diabetes.

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Grants

17.12.2024

Eight NAT Researchers Receive Funding from the Carlsberg Foundation

Approximately DKK 20 million for eight different research projects has been awarded to the Faculty of Science from the Carlsberg Foundation. Among them are two Semper Ardens: Accelerate grants of DKK 7 million each.

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Industrial chemistry

11.12.2024

"Superman" Bacteria Offer a Sustainable Boost to Chemical Production

The industry—particularly the pharmaceutical industry—is deeply reliant on bacteria in their production. Now, researchers present a “superman suit” to put on the bacteria, so that they can produce chemicals with less energy, fewer solvents, and reduced waste.

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Nature Restoration

05.12.2024

New Stone Reefs in Odense Fjord Aim to Boost Biodiversity

Stone reefs are important habitats for aquatic animals. Now, two new reefs are being created in Odense Fjord, and the partners behind the project hope for improved biodiversity.

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interview

22.11.2024

From Molecule to Health: Unraveling the Mysteries of Fat

Lipids are fat molecules, and our body is home for thousands of different lipids. Some are essential for the body to work while others are harmful. Nils J. Færgeman aims to understand how lipids function at the molecular and cellular level, so that we can hopefully one day become better at treating cardiometabolic diseases like diabetes.

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Citizen Science

21.11.2024

Owl Pellets and Bite Marks on Nuts: Take a Walk in the Forest and Help Researchers Track Dormice

The hazel dormouse is rare in Denmark. It is found ion Funen and Zealand, and it was recently spotted in Jutland. Now, a biologist from SDU and Naturama is asking for help to determine where it lives by looking for signs such as owl pellets and bite marks on nuts.

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Novo Nordisk Grant

12.11.2024

Exploring Earth-abundant manganese’s potential to replace rare and expensive metals

With a DKK 16.5 million grant, chemist Christina Wegeberg sets out to explore the potential of the Earth-abundant metal manganese to harvest sunlight. If she succeeds, manganese may serve as an alternative to the rare and expensive noble metals used today.

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Research infrastructure

08.11.2024

Hunting for high-value substances in biowaste

Every year, the EU countries dispose of 118-138 million tons of biowaste such as garden waste, food waste and waste from food production. Along with this waste, valuable substances are thrown away, which could be extracted and repurposed by pharmaceutical and food companies for new products.

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Ocean Resarch

05.11.2024

73 Million DKK to Improve Understanding of the Ocean's Nitrogen Cycle and Its Impact on Climate

Professor Bo Thamdrup from the Department of Biology is part of a new international research collaboration that has received approximately 73 million DKK from the EU. This project aims to investigate how large quantities of nitrogen are lost from certain low-oxygen regions in the oceans.

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Microbiology

23.10.2024

Microbes Feed on Iron: New Study Reveals How They Do It

Corroding microbes are a costly menace for industries relying on hidden and underground iron structures like sprinklers and oil pipelines. A recent study by researchers from the University of Southern Denmark sheds light on the mechanisms behind microbial-induced corrosion (MIC), offering insights that could help prevent damage.

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Working in science

21.10.2024

Making data digestible: A journey into Data Science

David Nhan Thien Nguyen has always been intrigued by the challenge of turning raw information into something meaningful. Today, with a Master’s degree in Data Science, he’s found a role that fits perfectly.

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PhD Dissertation

10.10.2024

What Happens When We Develop Type 2 Diabetes?

In her PhD project, Isabell Victoria Strandby Ernst focused on beta cells, which are responsible for producing insulin.

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Nano and  microplastic

07.10.2024

Can Plants Remove Micro- and Nanoplastics from the Environment?

The ability of plants to absorb micro- and nanoplastics from the environment has long been a concern. But researchers are now asking: Why not turn this concern into an advantage? Why not cultivate plants specifically to remove plastic particles from the environment?

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Dolphins

10.09.2024

Aggressive dolphins attack porpoises in Danish waters

Broken bones and punctured organs: It is a violent affair when dolphins attack and kill porpoises in Denmark. SDU's biologists are monitoring whether porpoises risk being displaced by aggressive dolphins.

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Quantum Communication

21.08.2024

Denmark’s new quantum-secure network starts in a forest

Researchers and technicians are laying a cornerstone to secure Denmark’s leadership in quantum communication while also protecting against the threat posed by quantum computers in the wrong hands.

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Achaeometry

25.07.2024

Chemical Analyses Find Hidden Elements from Renaissance Astronomer Tycho Brahe’s Alchemy Laboratory

Tycho Brahe was most famous for his contributions to astronomy. However, he also had a well-equipped alchemical laboratory where he produced secret medicines for Europe’s elite.

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Microbiology

01.07.2024

Researchers thwart resistant bacteria’s strategy

Bacteria are experts at evolving resistance to antibiotics. One resistance strategy is to cover their cell walls in sticky and gooey biofilm that antibiotics cannot penetrate. A new discovery could put a stop to this strategy.

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Grant

20.06.2024

Sapere Aude grant to Konstantin Wernli

Konstantin Wernli from Centre for Quantum Mathematics, IMADA, has received DKK 6,2 million from Independent Research Fund Denmark to start his own research group.

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Oxygen on Earth

13.06.2024

Primitive Oceans and Atmosphere Pulsed in Sync for 200 Million Years

Researchers have mapped out when Earth's oceans transitioned from being oxygen-free to oxygen-rich. This transition occurred over many millions of years, during which the oxygen levels in the oceans rose or fell - always in close sync with the oxygen levels in the atmosphere.

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Ocean research

06.06.2024

Scientists Discover Oxygen in Ocean areas where no Oxygen has Previously been Found

Oxygen is vital for most life forms. So, it draws attention when a new technique, developed at SDU, finds tiny concentrations of oxygen in the Southeast Pacific, where oxygen has never been detected before.

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Grant

23.05.2024

10 million DKK for research on zombie cells

Panos Galanos has received support to establish his own research group at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The group will work on the bizarre zombie like senescent cells: On one hand, they can inhibit the division of cancer cells and, on the other hand, promote it.

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Research

02.05.2024

Launch of the Translational Cancer Hub

The Translational Cancer Hub (TCH) in Odense, is a unique initiative that aims to significantly advance and bridge clinical and basic cancer research.

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New study:

30.04.2024

Data shortage makes it difficult to identify hormone-disrupting substances

A lack of data from the chemical industry in the EU makes it impossible to determine whether substances, used in consumer products, are hormone-disrupting. Researchers from DTU Food Institute and SDU recommend that the information requirements in EU legislation be updated and simultaneously suggest methods for assessing chemical substances so that available information is utilized to the fullest.

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Obesity

29.04.2024

Can Brown Fat Help in the Fight Against Obesity?

Unlike the body’s white fat, brown fat is considered healthy because it helps us burn calories. As a consequence, research interest in brown fat is significant, and now a Danish-German research team reports a new discovery.

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Reproduction

03.04.2024

Sex is Evolution's Greatest Success

The ability to reproduce is considered as evolution's greatest success. But why does it have to be so complicated, exhausting, and sometimes even life-threatening to reproduce? And do virgin births actually exist?

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Reproduction

22.03.2024

Global warming: Animals mate more in warmer weather

Do climate changes make it easier or harder for animals and plants to reproduce? There is no simple answer, but several studies suggest that animals mate more frequently in warmer weather. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they have more offspring, or that the offspring's chances of survival are good. How does that add up?

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Proteomics

11.03.2024

New study: How Proteins Control Genes to Prevent our Cells from Maldeveloping

If our cells would replicate 100% accurately when they need replacing, we would be without a wide range of diseases. However, they don’t; errors occur during replication, leading to illness. A new study takes us deep into the cell's machinery, where the genes in our DNA are regulated.

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Cancer

07.03.2024

New insights into the growth and spread of cancer cells

In most cancer patients, there is an overactivity of the protein MYC in cancer cells. Now, a Danish research team has discovered an unnoticed function of MYC that could potentially be inhibited to weaken cancer cells

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New study

05.03.2024

A Larger Area of Arctic Seafloor is Exposed to Sunlight

Most of the sunlight reaching the Arctic Ocean is reflected by sea ice, shielding ocean ecosystems from light. As Arctic sea ice continues to melt, larger areas of the ocean and seafloor become exposed to sunlight, potentially allowing more photosynthesis to occur and making the Arctic Ocean more productive. However, this does not seem to be occurring uniformly across the Arctic Ocean.

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Obesity

26.02.2024

True and false about obesity

Professor Jan-Wilhelm Kornfeld is an expert on the molecular biology of obesity. Here are his answers to five common obesity statements

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Obesity

26.02.2024

Researchers move obesity up into the brain

As the world becomes more and more obese, research increasingly suggests that obesity can be a result of activity in the brain's reward centers, leading to satisfaction through eating palatable foods. These are the same reward centers activated by substances of abuse like cocaine and amphetamines.

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Honours

26.02.2024

Elite Research Award for SDU researcher with a penchant for microbes

Amelia-Elena Rotaru, professor at the Department of Biology, SDU, is one of five young researchers of outstanding international repute to receive the prestigious Elite Research Award from the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

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Whale song 

21.02.2024

Baleen whales evolved a unique larynx to communicate but cannot escape human noise

The iconic baleen whales, such as the blue, gray and humpback whale, depend on sound for communication in the vast marine environment where they live. Now researchers have for the first time found that baleen whales evolved novel structures in their larynx to make their vast array of underwater songs.

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Beaked whales

09.02.2024

Surprising behaviour in one of the least studied mammals in the world

Beaked whales are among the least studied mammals in the world. Now, a new study reveals surprising information about the Baird's beaked whale species.

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EU grant

06.02.2024

Collaboration on Odense Fjord and Funen to inspire other EU countries

Several researchers from SDU are involved in a new EU project seeking effective solutions for improving water quality and climate adaptation across Europe.

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Astrophysics

18.01.2024

A new image of a black hole captivates astrophysicists

In 2019, the world saw the first-ever image of a black hole. Now, researchers present a new image of the same black hole, and they are thrilled to observe the similarities between the images.

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Archaeometry

16.01.2024

Despite intensive scientific analyses, this head remains a mystery

For almost 200 years, archaeologists have been puzzled by a mysterious brown stain on the ancient Greek Parthenon temple in Greece. Now, researchers from SDU have conducted new scientific analyses, and their verdict is clear: The mystery remains.

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Medicinal Chemistry

09.01.2024

The search for a good match

New drugs, like good partnerships, are built on a good match. Finding a good match between chemical substances and their targets is a typical starting point in the development of new drugs. Stefan Vogel aims to accelerate this development with a NERD grant of DKK 14 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

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Fasting

02.01.2024

Intermittent fasting itself will not make your extra kilos disappear

Intermittent fasting is popular. However, you should not expect to lose weight unless you also restrict your caloric intake. But there are still many important health benefits to intermittent fasting.

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Med Naturvidenskab på job

01.01.0001

Jeg ville bare ikke være gymnasielærer

Hvad gør man, når man gerne vil læse matematik, men virkelig ikke har lyst til at blive gymnasielærer bagefter? Ninas gymnasielærer pegede hende i retning af Anvendt Matematik, og i dag arbejder Nina som data engineer på TV 2.

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Antibiotic Resistance

01.01.0001

We are losing the battle against resistant bacteria

The World Health Organization (WHO) has just released an updated list of the world's most dangerous bacteria. Unsurprisingly, the list is again topped by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As a microbiologist and head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at SDU, I am concerned that we are on the verge of losing control over resistant bacteria, posing a potential threat to all population groups.

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