Beneficial Microorganisms in Agriculture, Food and the Environment: Safety Assessment and Regulation

Professor of Ecological MicrobiologyCareer to date (brief summary): Bachelor in Chemistry, Biology and Geology, Uppsala University 1983. PhD in Limnology, Uppsala University, 1991. Associate professor (Docent) in Microbiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 1997. Professor of Ecological Microbiology, SLU, 2008.Research experience: Carbon cycling in the pelagic zone of lakes, especially interactions between phytoplankton and bacteria; Methane oxidising bacteria, their ecology and role in the global methane cycle; Microbial ecology of composting and anaerobic digestion; Studies of microbial community dynamics in complex ecosystems (e.g. biogas reactors, composts, soil ecosystems) by analyses with molecular methods; Safety assessment and regulation of microorganisms used in beneficial applications, e.g. biological pest control and bioremediation of polluted soil.Other: Led the development of a 10 week advanced level course, ''Microbial Environmental Biotechnology'' at the Dept. of Microbiology, SLU, and was course leader five times 1998-2002. Coordinator of SLU:s strategic research programme ''PROWARR'' (Organic Waste - Resource or Risk in Sustainable Agriculture) during 2001-2003. SLU:s funding was 3 000 000 SEK per year. Invited to EFSA:s (European Food Safety Authority) Colloquium ''QPS - Qualified Presumption of Safety of Microorganisms in Food and Feed'', December 13-14, 2004, Brussels, Belgium. Member of the Swedish Chemicals Agencys? external expert network on microorganisms, 2006-present. Member of External Expert Group on Microbials for EU policy support action REBECA (Regulation of Biological Control Agents), 2006-2007. Led the arrangements of ''Microbes and the Law - Setting the Limits for Practical Use'', an international course and a mini-symposium, Uppsala, Sweden, 5-9 October 2008. Leading the ''Safety and regulation'' group in the research programme DOM - Domestication of Microorganisms (www.mistra.org/dom). Since 2006 editor for DOM:s annual reports in English. Main or assisting supervisor for seven PhD students, of which five have graduated Career to date (brief summary): 1992: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark1994: Master of Science in Human Biology, University of Copenhagen2000: PhD in molecular microbiology, University of Copenhagen2000-2006: Post.doc, Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research 2006: Senior Scientist, National Food Institute, Technical University of DenmarkResearch: " Bacillus thuringiensis/Bacillus cereus: plasmids, ecology, enterotoxin genes, fate and effect in the intestine, horizontal DNA transfer." Microbial intestinal ecology: horizontal DNA transfer, effect of dietary components, including bacteria on the microbiota in the intestine." Lactic acid bacteria: antibiotic resistance genes, horizontal DNA transfer." Genetically modified organisms: transfer of resistance genes from plants to bacteria, survival of plant DNA in the intestinal tract." WP-leader for the EU-project ACE-ART (Assessment and Critical Evaluation of Antibiotic Resistance Transferability in Food Chain), 2005-2007Counselling: " Risk assessment of the health effects of microbial plant protection agents for the Danish Environmental Protection Agency.Others:" Supervisor for 4 Bachelor-, 3 Master and 4 PhD students." Reviewer for e.g. Applied and Environmental Mirobiology, Archives of Microbiology, Avian Pathology, Canadian Journal of Microbiology, FEMS Microbiology Letters, Food and Chemical Toxicology, Food Microbiology, Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, Research in Microbiology, Process Biochemistry." Assessment of research application for the Norwegian Research Council and Food Standard Agency (UK).