Highlights 2024

2024 was like previous years very productive for CeMiSt with new results, publications, conferences and PhD candidates.

• CeMiSt showed that microbial secondary metabolites are part of a network of communication between bacteria, and one metabolite from one bacterium can induce or suppress the expression of biosynthetic genes in other bacteria.
• At the same time, a chemical turnover of these metabolites occurs in microbiomes; a turnover that can either function as “detoxification” or as a means to create completely new chemistry. Such interactions are seen not only in bacterial communities but also between moulds and between bacteria and moulds.

CeMiSt published 21 scientific articles in 2024 and was again on the Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher list with Professor Tilmann Weber. Four CeMiSt researchers (Jens Frisvad, Tilmann Weber, Lone Gram and Thomas Larsen) were on the Stanford list of the 2% most cited researchers. Two PhD students handed in their theses in 2024.

CeMiSt researchers gave invited lectures and participated with posters at several conferences, and many CeMiSt participants received supplementary grants, including from the Independent Research Fund Denmark, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the EU and the Villum Foundation. Assistant Professor Shengda Zhang was granted a Sapere Aude 2 project by the Independent Research Fund Denmark and postdoc Carlos Neftaly Lozano Andrade was granted a 3-year postdoc fellowship by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Nathalie Henriksen, who has been a PhD and postdoc at CeMiSt, won this year's PhD Cup.

In June, CeMiSt held its 3rd international conference, "Microbial Secondary Metabolites in Microbiomes 2024" (MSMM 2024) thanks to a grant of ½ million DKK from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. A record number of registered participants (>150) participated in the 2½ days of lectures, poster sessions and discussions. There were participants from institutions in 15 countries.

CeMiSt had its 6th visiting professor, Professor Bradley Moore, from Scripps Institution of Oceanography / UC San Diego, visit for 3 months. CeMiSt participated with the other research centers at DTU in the Day of Research and held the annual 2-day retreat at Rungstedlund, with presentations from all PhD students and postdocs at the center. From April 1, 2024, CeMiSt has rolled out its four-year extension with the employment of 7-8 new PhD students in 2024 and two tenure track researchers. Finally, CeMiSt has inspired the artwork “Living Earth” (https://www.instagram.com/levende__jord/) that is being executed at Viborg Gymnasium.