Our team, from North to South

Our lab is located in the Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), a Top 100 global leading university located in the town of Lyngby with 55,000 residents, 10 km north of Copenhagen. The lab has people from several different countries, and we welcome new members from all around the world. Variety is not only represented among countries, but also among research and educational backgrounds. There is one common key: We are all passionate and hard-working scientists with an entrepreneurial mindset that strive to use science to create societal impact.

Current members

Andreas H. Laustsen-Kiel

Professor

He is specialized in antibody discovery and toxinology. Co-founded: Biosyntia, Antag Therapeutics, Chromologics, Bactolife, and VenomAid.

Anne Ljungars

Senior Researcher

Anne is working on discovery of broadly neutralizing antibodies against snake venom toxins.

Klas Ola Blixt

Senior Researcher

Ola has over 20 years of experience within the fields of chemical biology, glycosciences, monoclonal antibodies and biomarkers.

Timothy Jenkins

Assistant Professor

H.C. Ørsted fellow working on droplet microfluidic and bioinformatic approaches to discover non-antibody (DARPin) antitoxins.

Esperanza Rivera de Torre

Assistant Professor

Esperanza is working on the discovery of broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against funnel-web spider venom

Shirin Ahmadi

Postdoc

Shirin is working on the discovery of broadly neutralizing recombinant human monoclonal antibodies against cobra cytotoxins.

Arijit Paul

Postdoc

Arijit is working on the development of nanobodies and nanobody constructs targeting virulence factors from pathogenic E. coli.

Christoffer Sørensen

Postdoc

Chris is working on the development of a rapid next-generation sequencing analysis pipeline for in vitro antibody discovery campaigns

Josefine Kofoed Corneliussen

Postdoc

Josefine is working on the development of an mRNA-vaccine against allergies.

Thomas Fryer

Industrial Postdoc

Thomas is an Innovationsfonden Industrial Postdoc working on the discovery and development of non-antibody scaffolds for enzyme inhibition

Melisa Benard Valle

Visiting Postdoc

Melisa is a biologist with experience in venom composition analysis, working on the discovery of antibodies against coral snake neurotoxins.

Suthimon Thumtecho, MD

Visiting researcher

She is working on developing recombinant antivenoms and diagnostics.

Monica Fernández-Quintero

Visiting Researcher

Monica is focusing on understanding structural determinants of antigen recognition using molecular dynamics simulations and cryo-EM.

Darian Wolff

Industrial PhD student (Novozymes)

Darian will be focusing on discovering and rationally engineering nanobodies against high-value industrial enzymes, as well as characterisin

Max Overath

PhD Student

Combining high-throughput in vitro technologies with next-generation sequencing and machine learning to tackle snakebite.

Nick Burlet

PHD student

Nick is working on the discovery of broadly binding nanobodies for recombinant antivenoms.

Jonas Jürgensen

Entrepreneur-in-house

M.Sc. in Molecular Biomedicine. He works on commercializing a diagnostic test for stratification of snakebites.

Tasja Wainani Ebersole

Laboratory Technician

Tasja assists with research in broadly neutralizing antibodies against snake venoms as well as with overall lab management

Camilla Holst Dahl

Laboratory Technician

Camilla is a Laboratory Technician with interest and experience in protein chemistry, molecular biology and immunology

Emily Urvi Glegg-Sørensen

Laboratory technician

Emily is a laboratory technician working and assisting with expression in Pichia pastoris and protein purification.

Mark von Bülow Møiniche

Research Assistant

Mark is working on identification of nanobodies for detection of serine proteases from specific snake species.

Tom Jansen

Research Assistant

Tom is working on the development of nanobodies for the neutralization of virulence factors in E. Coli.

Simone Mammen Larsen

Master student

Master student in Pharmaceutical design and Engineering. Simone is investigating antibodies in camel milk in collaboration with Bactolife.

Anne Glavind

Master Student

Anne is establishing purification procedures for non-tagged bispecific antibodies in collaboration with the biotech company Symphogen.

Emil Storm Elmose

Master Student

Emil is working on the construction of a naïve phage display library, to be validated against snake toxins.

Helena Højsted Eriksen

MSc Special Project

Master student in Pharmaceutical design and Engineering. Helena is working on expression and characterization of cross-reactive allergens.

Mathias Bonde Sørensen

Bachelor student

Empowering de novo sequencing through deep learning algorithms for peptide assembling. Developing proteomic machine learning models.

Oliver Sonne Buch

Bachelor Student

Oliver is working on an automated pH adjustment workflow for formulation development in a collaboration with Novo Nordisk.

Joep Lurvink

MSc Intern

Joep’s project is on the development of nanobodies and nanobody constructs targeting virulence factors from pathogenic E. coli.

João Costa Alves

MSc Intern

João is working on the discovery of nanobodies against neurotoxins found in elapid snakes.

Silvia Colocucci

Erasmus Intern

M.Sc in Health Biology. Silvia is working on the discovery of neutralizing antibodies against snake venom.

Iben Nordentoft Sommerand

Student assistant

B.Sc. student in Biotechnology at DTU. Assists with daily laboratory tasks.

Alumni

Giang Thi Tuyet Nguyen

Postdoc

She is working on the development of advanced antibodies against snake venom toxins.

Jann Ledergerber

Master student

Machine learning guided de novo design of next generation antivenoms

Anna Damsbo Jensen

PhD student

B.Sc. and M.Sc. in biochemistry. She works on broadly neutralizing antibodies against snake toxins and recombinant expressed toxins.

Lise-Lotte L. Benten

Master Student

Lise-Lotte has a special project at CAT.

Anna Mayilyan

Erasmus + Intern

Optimization of snake venom serine protease-inhibiting nanobodies

Yessica Wouters

Postdoc

Yessica is working on the development of broadly neutralizing nanobodies against snake venom toxins

Weiqiao Rao

PHDC

PhDc at DTU. Working on the project of unlocking the toxic arsenal of bioactive proteins from snake venoms for biotherapeutic applications.

Jesper Kildemand

Master student

Pharmaceutical design and Engineering. Jesper is working on a broad spectrum allergy treatment based on designed allergens.

Emelie N. S Riis

Bachelor student

Bachelor student of Biochemistry at KU. Emelie is working with the technique of phage display on snakes with neurotoxic venom.

Evangelia Manousaki

Erasmus + intern

Evangelia is working on the characterization and purification of nanobodies that bind to toxins found in snake venoms.

Charlotte Rimbault

Postdoc

Charlotte is working on developing broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against snake venom toxins

Casey Xiangyou Meng

Master student

Casey has helped write a series of popular scientific articles on venomous snakes for the Danish popular science news media, videnskab.dk.

Alex Gallissà Calzado

Research Assistant

Alex is working on the discovery of broadly neutralizing nanobodies against snake venom toxins.

Emilie Sølling Henriksen

Master student

Master student in Pharmaceutical Design & Engineering. Emilie is working on finding DARPins able to neutralize Indian snake venom toxins.

Anastasia Aslanoglou

Erasmus+ Intern

Anastasia works on discovery of neutralizing antibodies against venomous animals from tropical regions.

Stefanos Lampadariou

Erasmus+ Intern

B.Sc. in Pharmacy. Stefanos works on discovery of broadly neutralizing antibodies against scorpions and loxosceles in the MENA region.

Pelle Degnegaard Knudsen

Master student

Master student in Biotechnology. He is working on designing snake consensus toxins to obtain broadly-neutralizing antivenoms.

Lorenzo Seneci

Visiting scientist

Lorenzo is a herpetologist specializing in the evolutionary history and clinical implications of snake venom.

Andreas Sixten Hallstein Rygaard

Bachelor student

Visiting bachelor student from KU investigating the use of different display techniques for the development of DARPins as snake Antivenoms.

Cecilie Knudsen

Industrial PhD

Cecilie works on developing diagnostic and therapeutic antibodies against snake venom toxins

Helena Højsted Eriksen

Bachelor student

Bachelor student at Human Life Science Engineering. Helena is working on identification and analysis of antibodies against snake venoms.

Line Ledsgaard

PHD

B.Sc. and M.Sc.Eng. Biotechnology. She is developing antibodies with special binding characteristics using phage display technology.

Frederikke Alexandra Jeppesen

Bachelor student

Bachelor student of Human Life Science Engineering, DTU. Frederikke is working on identification of antibodies against snake venom antigens.

Spiros Pachis

Postdoc

Spiros is working on the discovery of novel antibodies and nanobodies with toxin-neutralizing properties.

Helen Wildenauer

Master Student

M.Sc. in Biochemistry at Freie Universität Berlin. Interested in cross-reactive antibodies against alpha-Cobratoxin and alpha-Bungarotoxin.

Cecilie L. Clausen

Laboratory trainee

Cecilie is a lab tech student learning about TPL’s method and work.

Katrine Jertrum Hansen

Research Assistant

Katrine is working on expression of funnel-web spider toxins in yeast.

Mie Demant Björk

Special Course Student

Master student in Quantitative Biology and Disease Modelling. Mie is working with nanobodies, conjugation, and impedance flow cytometry.

Christin Kossmann

Industrial Postdoc

Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her research is focused on developing novel peptide therapeutics using phage display

Sune Zoëga Andreasen

Postdoc

MSc and PhD in Physics & Nanotechnology. Sune is working on developing nanobody-based biosensor(s).

Emma Jappe

M.Sc.Eng.

2014 | Minor Project: Discovery of peptide-based antitoxins against neurotoxins from green and black mamba Dendroaspis genus.

Trenton Stewart

Master student

M.Sc. in Biology at Lund University. Discovery of a DARPin-based antitoxin against long chain α-cobratoxins.

Henrik Flindt

M.Sc.

2016 | Master Thesis: Uncovering the interactions between a peptide antitoxin and cobratoxin using H/D exchange.

Katrine Ledsgaard Jensen

Student helper

Bachelor student of biotechnology engineering

Felipe A. Cerni

Visiting Postdoc

Posdoc of University of São Paulo, Brazil. He works with antivenom production, isolation, and structural characterization of toxins.

Søren Helweg Dam

Student

Stud.M.Sc.Eng. Bioinformatics and System Biology (DTU). Developer of Venomics Display and a diagnostic kit for stratification of snakebites.

Sofie Føns

STUDENT

B.Sc. Molecular Biomedicine and M.Sc. cand. at the University of Copenhagen.

Aleksander Haack

student

B.Sc. Human Life Science Engineering (DTU). Development of a point of care diagnostic test against Brazilian snakes.

Mikkel Rank

M.Sc.Eng.

2015 | Master thesis: Cloning, heterologous expression, and analysis of disulfide-rich snake venom proteins.

Anna SD Deleuran

Master student

B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering. Discover single-domain antibodies targeting P. Aeruginosa LasB for infection diagnostics.

Manuela B. Pucca

Visiting Professor

Professor at the Medical School of the University of Roraima, Brazil. She works with antivenom production and venom-based drug discovery.

Jonas Johannesen

M.Sc.

2014 | Master thesis: Discovery of peptide binders of α-cobratoxin from Naja kaouthia using phage display.

Andreas Munk

M.Sc.

2015-2014 | Minor Project: Discovery of peptide-based antitoxins against Myotoxin II (Bothrops asper) and neurotoxins (Dendroaspis genus).

Eva Filippa Scott Johansen

Bachelor student

Bachelor student of Chemistry and Technology at DTU.

Christina Milbo

M.Sc.Eng.

2014 – 2015 | Master thesis: Discovery of binders of toxins from Dendroaspis polylepis using phage display.

Mie Fabricius Pedersen

Industrial Post Doc

PhD in the molecular pharmacology of GPCRs. She works with phage display to identify novel peptides against therapeutically relevant receptors

Johanna Bjärtun

M.Sc.

2015 – 2016 | Semester Project: Discovery of Inhibitory peptides against Myotoxin II from Fer-de-Lance Bothrops asper.

Martin Jespersen

M.Sc.Eng.

2015 – 2016 | Minor Project: Epitopic profiling of antibody response against neurotoxins from the Dendroaspis polylepis.

Line P. Lauridsen

M.Sc.Eng.

2016 | Master thesis · 2015 – 2016 | Minor Project: Venomics analyses of the venoms of Dendroaspis angusticeps and Naja melanoleuca.

Astrid Filt

Student helper

Bachelor student of Human Life Science Engineering with an interest in bioinformatics and immunology

Søren D. Petersen

M.Sc.Eng.

2016 | Minor Project: New display of snake venom proteomes.

Majken L. Olesen

M.Sc.

2016 | Minor Project: Assessment of human scFvs targeting snake venom neurotoxins.

Karoline Skree-Lassen

Student helper

Bachelor student of Human Life Science Engineering.

Laura B. Møller

M.Sc.Eng.

2016 | Minor Project: Discovery of human antibodies against Naja nigricollis.

Mireia S. Colom

M.Sc.Eng.

2015 – 2016 | Minor Project: Optimization of peptide-based inhibitors on α-cobratoxin from Naja kaouthia.

Queralt C. Serra

M.Sc.Eng.

2016 | Minor Project: Discovery of human antibodies against green mamba toxins.

Charlotte Frydenlund Michelsen

Entrepreneur-In-House

MBA and PhD in biotechnology. She works on commercializing a diagnostic test for infectious diseases in farm animals.

Sandra W. Thrane

PhD

2016 | Collaboration: Black mamba genome assembly.

Kristoffer Haurum

PhDc

2016 | Collaboration: Analysis of future manufacturing costs for recombinant antivenoms.

Urska Pus

M. Sc.

2018 | Master thesis: Developing IgGs against toxins from several elapids.

Saioa Oscoz Cob

M.Sc. Eng.

2016 | Master thesis: Discovery of the inhibitory action of several synthetic molecules agains snake bite.

Mikael Engmark

PhD

2017 | PhD: investigating antibody cross-reactivity and toxin expression.

Erick Bermúdez Méndez

Affiliated researcher

B.Sc. Pharmacy and M.Sc. cand. working on the discovery of human antibodies against toxins from the Central American coral snake.

Rasmus Dehli

Student

B.Sc. cand. in Life Human Sciences. He is conducting his bachelor thesis developing human recombinant antivenom against spitting cobra.

Kamille Elvstrøm Krause

Research Assistant

Worked with peptide microarray data. She analyzed the cross-reactivity of antibodies in snake antivenoms.

Carina Skaarup

Research assistant

Worked with peptide microarray data. She analyzed the cross-reactivity of antibodies in different snake antivenoms.

Mia Øhlenschlæger

M.Sc.Eng.

2017 | Master thesis: Discovery of antitoxins for snake toxins.

Rahel Janke

Intern

B.Sc. in Biology at the University of Basel

Andrea Martos Esteban

Research Assistant

B.Sc. in Biochemistry and M.Sc.Eng. in Pharmaceutical Engineering.

Malte B. Hallgren

B.Sc.

2016 | Minor project: Fab-based antitoxins design against SVMPs from Bothrops asper.

Manon K. Chevalier

Bachelor thesis student

B.Sc. at Maastricht University. Discovery of human antibodies against alpha-latrotoxin from the Mediterranean widow spider.

Julius Knerr

Master student

Discovery of human antibodies against Phospholipases A2 from cobra venoms.

Lídia Argemí Muntadas

Intern

MSc. graduate in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University

Albert F. Madsen

STUDENT

B.Sc. in Biotechnology and M.Sc.cand. in Biochemistry at KU. Working on cross-reactivity studies for neurotoxins from cobras and mambas.

Signe Lund Neergaard

Bachelor student

She is working on the expression and purification of recombinant snake toxins and their effect on antibody binding.

Michal Bartczak

Erasmus + Intern

B.Sc. in Biotechnology, M.Sc. in Medicinal Chemistry. Michal works on discovery of broadly neutralizing antibodies against spider venom.

Line Damgaard Henriksen

Student helper

Bachelor student of Human Life Science Engineering.

Rasmus Wied Pedersen

Student

M.Sc. Honours student in Biotechnology (DTU). He works on the prototyping of a nanobody-based diagnostic device

Isabel Campos Pinto

Postdoc

Isabel is working on the discovery of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against snake venom toxins.

Rasmus U. W. Friis

Student

B.Sc. Human Life Science Engineering. He is collaborating on the design of Fab-based antitoxins against SVMPs from Bothrops asper.

Selma Belfakir

Master Student

Master student in Biotechnology. Selma is working on developing diagnostic antibodies against scorpion venom toxins.

Oliver Morell

Bachelor Student

Multi Objective Bayesian Optimization of cross binding antibody affinity maturation. Development of Machine Learning models in proteomics.

Ida Bisbo

Master Student

Ida uses phage display to discover broadly neutralizing antibodies against snake venoms.

Abril Diosdado Hernandez

Master Student

Implementation of computational approaches for in silico maturation of existing antibodies against long neurotoxins from snakes.

Vlad Rosca

Master Student

Design of de novo protein binders against snake venom toxins through hallucination and diffusion models

Mathieu Roumet

Intern

Mathieu is working on discovering nanobodies against coral snake venom neurotoxins.

Robert Friis-Møller

Student assistant

B.Sc. student in Biotechnology at DTU. Assists with daily laboratory tasks, including venom fractionation via HPLC.

Nils Hofmann

Student Assistant

Nils studies Bioinformatics in his Masters and besides his studies he assists in the laboratory.

Simone Mammen Larsen

Master student

Master student in Pharmaceutical design and Engineering. Simone is investigating antibodies in camel milk in collaboration with Bactolife.

Christian Peder Jacobsen

Master Student

Master student in Bioinformatics. Christian is investigating nanobodies for distinguishing serine proteases from different snake species.

Markus-Frederik Bohn

Associate Professor

Markus is working on novel approaches to generate recombinant antivenoms

Tulika

Postdoc

B.Sc. and Msc. Biotechnology. She works on developing advanced antibodies through phage display technology against venom toxins

Jack Wade

Postdoc

Jack is an expert on structural biology and is working on several different in vitro and in silico protein structure projects

Laura-Christine Astrupgaard

Bachelor Student

Laura works on discovery of neutralizing antibodies against black widow toxins using designed antigens.

Charlotte Risager Christensen

MSc Special Project

Charlotte's project will investigate the potential of hallucinating CDRH3 sequences against small plant toxins.

Carol O’Brien

Postdoc

Carol is working on the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies against snake venom toxins.

Isadora Sousa De Oliveira

Guest Postdoc Researcher

Isadora is a Postdoc Researcher at FCFRP-USP (Brazil), and now she is doing part of her research with us.

Nynne Skok Ladegaard

Laboratory Trainee

Nynne is a lab tech trainee learning about TPL’s method and work.

Jennifer Sørensen

Bachelor student

Jennifer works on structural determinants of cross-reactive and pH-sensitive antibody fragments against α-neurotoxins.

Emil Victor Solvang Lundquist

Bachelor Student

Emil works on structural determinants of cross-reactive and pH-sensitive antibody fragments against alpha-neurotoxins.

Ana Paula Rodríguez del Moral

BSc Intern

Biotechnology Engineering student from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico City. Currently part of the Digital Biotechnology Lab.

César Noé Villalobos Carrizosa

BSc Intern

Bachelor student working in screening and characterization of nanobodies for neurotoxin neutralization.

Ximena Melgar Feregrino

BSc Intern

Ximena is currently working on toxin expression optimization in Pichia pastoris and enzymatic assays to asses toxin neutralization.