The Research Leader Programme that is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation aims to support research leader from a broad range of scientific disciplines, and Johan Larsbrink is one of the recipients in 2024 within Industrial Biotechnology and Environmental Biotechnology.
The grant amounts to 10 MDKK and lasts for 5 years, with the goal of the project to describe how bark can be degraded by various microorganisms and their enzymes.
“A grant like this gives us continuity in the project and a great opportunity to reach our scientific goals” says Johan Larsbrink to chalmers.se.
Tree bark is composed of regular wood polymers, but it is also enriched in various extractive compounds that protect the tree from microbial attack, and in the project especially these extractives will be in focus for future biological valorization or detoxification strategies.
“Everyone knows what bark is, down to a small child − but we know very little about how it is degraded in nature. I find that quite surprising.” says Johan Larsbrink.
