Congratulations Mads Emil!
On Dec 7th, DynaMo MSc student Mads Emil Larsen successfully defended his MSc thesis in Biology-Biotechnology in front of family, friends and colleagues on Zoom.
Mads Emil during the examination with his supervisors Barbara Ann Halkier, Deyang Xu and the external examinator censor Henrik Brinch-Pedersen, Aarhus University (not pictured)
In his project within agricultural biotechnology, Mads Emil worked towards the goal of increasing the value of seed meal of oilseed rape as plant-based protein for human consumption by removal of anti-nutritional factors. This will provide a sustainable, local-grown protein source to replace the import of soybean from North and South America. He used the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology that has revolutionized breeding efforts with its ability to precisely and effectively target specific sites in genomes. Today, the protein-rich seed meal in oil-producing Brassica crops is a by-product with limited use as protein source due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors. The emerging trends for plant-based proteins have potential to increase demand for seed meal from oil-producing Brassica crop. The quality of the amino acid profile is excellent – thus making the seed meal a potential very attractive alternative plant-based protein source.
The project is in line with the UN sustainable development of food for future world population (UN SDG 2), and climate challenges dictating a change towards plant-based rather than meat-based protein sources in human consumption.
Congratulations!