Biomass Science and Technology – University of Copenhagen

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Biomass Science and Technology

Our aim is to contribute to the development of biomass knowledge and technology providing the highest level of sustainability in terms of optimized use of our land- and biomass resources with the lowest possible environmental impact.

Biomass Science and Technology



Biomass and bioenergy

The research group Biomass Science and Technologys research is focused on both fundamental and applied aspects of biomass and bioenergy.
This includes a fundamental understanding of the chemistry and physical properties of the plant cell wall and how it interacts with chemicals, catalysts and water during processing. It also includes studies of molecular level interactions between plant cell wall polymers and enzymes, water and chemical reagents.

Advanced biofuels

On the applied side of our research you will find large scale biochemical conversion of biomass to advanced biofuels (bioethanol and marine shipping fuels), the use of enzymes for processing of waste to energy and the production of nano-materials from biopolymers.

Biomass on land use and agricultural production

A spin off from the large-scale projects has been that we started to study the impact of technologies once they move from the lab- to the large-scale. This includes among other the impact the use of biomass on land use and agricultural production.

Major research projects

  • ENACT - Enzymes and electrons at work; dual processing of carbohydrates and lignin producing prebiotic oligosaccharides and bioactive lignins (Innovations Fonden, 2018 - 2020). Contact: Claus Felby
  • HOPE - Harnessing the oxidative power of enzymes (NovoNordisk Foundation, Grant number NNF17SA0027704, 2017-2022). Contact: Katja Salomon Johansen
  • Harnessing the Energy of the Sun for Biomass Conversion (Interdisciplinary Synergy Programme, NovoNordisk Foundation, 2017-2019). Contact: Claus Felby
  • Extreme resolution Raman-AFM bioimaging of wood under decay - learning wood preservation from trees (Villum Fonden, 2016-2019) Contact: Lisbeth Thygesen.
  • Alcohol based process for wood furfurylation (Oslofjordfondet, 2017-2020). Contact: Lisbeth Thygesen.
  • Demonstration of 2G ethanol production in full scale. Collaboration between KU, DTU, Novozymes and Maarbjerg Energy Center, about optimizing 2G bioethanol production. (2016-2019) Contact: Sune Tjalfe Thomsen.
  • MainCoat: New innovative coating system for maintenance and renovation of exterior wood. (Innovation Fund Denmark, 2017-2019). Contact: Emil Engelund Thybring.
  • The role of water in plant cell wall decomposition: from biorefining to wood protection. (Villum Fonden postdoc-programme, 2015-2017). Contact: Emil Engelund Thybring.
  • The threat of wood degrading fungi to Greenland’s cultural heritage (The Carlsberg Foundation, 2015-2018). Contact: Nanna Bjerregaard Pedersen.
  • The structure and interaction of silica in plant cell walls. (The Danish Council for Independent Research, 2015-2017). Contact: Yohanna Cabrera Orozco.
  • Centre for Development and Implementation of Biotechnology for Bioenergy (Bio4Bio)
  • Kalundborg Cellulosic Ethanol Project (KACELLE)International network IEA Bioenergy Task 39 and 42
  • High Gravity Hydrolysis and Fermentation of  Lignocellulosic Material for Production of Biofuels
  • Wood-polymer composites for use in marine environments
  • Superior Biobased Coating System for Exterior Wood Applications
  • Increasing the Biomass Resource, its Quality and Sustainability (BIORESOURCE)

Members of the research group

PhD students