Søren Bak

Søren Bak

Professor

Medlem af:

    ORCID: 0000-0003-4100-115X

    Research:

    The long term goals of the Molecular Evolution research group is to elucidate the impact of evolution of plant multigene families and their impact on plant genomes, natural products, natural variation and interactions with insects and microbes. Plants have evolved a refined and dynamic adaptation to abiotic and biotic stress based on the ability to synthesize a vast array of secondary metabolites/ natural products. Cytochromes P450 and family1 glycosyltransrerases are key multigene familes that constantly are being recruited for biosynthesis of natural product, while ß-glucosidases are important for the bioactivation of stored inactive defence compounds. To learn more about these three gene families, please visit our website www.p450.kvl.dk/ (The Arabidopsis P450, cytochrome b5, P450 reductase, and Glycosyltransferase Family 1 Site at PlaCe). To study the impact of these three key multigene families, we take a systems biology approach based on the following technical platform based on 1) metabolomics by LC-MS methods, 2) transcriptomics 3) metabolic engineering and molecular genetics, 4) molecular phylogeny and 5) homology modeling of enzymes combined with docking of substrates supported by biochemistry, 6) insects. For further information please visit Molecular evolution of specialized metabolism.

    Academic degrees: 1997: Ph.D., KVL. 1993: Cand. scient. University of Copenhagen.

    Employment: Present: Professor, Dept. of Plant Biology, LIFE, KU. 2000 - 2005 Assistant & Associate Prof. Dept. of Plant Biology, KVL. 1998 - 2000: Visiting Scientist. The University of Arizona, USA.

    Management Group leader for the Molecular Evolution Research Group. Study leader for the Biology and Biotechnology bachelor education at LIFE-KU Board member of Center for Applied Bioinformatics at LIFE, KU. Member of the International Scientific Organizing Committee for the International Symposium on Cytochromes P450 Biodiversity and Biotechnology. Course responsible for the course Bioinformatics 1 at LIFE-KU. Coordinator for Culture Night event " Planter der slår på tæven" 2006­-2008 Responsible for Bioinformatics website: "The Arabidopsis P450, UGT, cytochrome b5, and P450 Reductase Site at PlaCe". ( www.p450.kvl.dk). The website has more than 200,000 hits a year. Management committee member for the COST action TD0801 " StatSeq - Statistical challenges on the 1000€ genome sequences in plants ".

    Supervision Lecturer in B.Sc, M.Sc and PhD courses. Supervisor of several Post docs, BSc-, MSc- and 10 Ph.D. students. Scientific supervisor for five Assistant professors under pedagogical training: Referee on grant proposals including National Science foundation (NSF), USA, USDA´s National Research Initiative Competitive Grant Program, Research Grants Council, Hong Kong, and The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research Reviewer for a number of journals, including Plant Cell, Plant Journal, Plant Physiol, Plant Mol. Biology, Phytochemistry, Molecular Genetics and Genomics.

    Undervisnings- og vejledningsområder

    Bioinformatik  - LBIB10123

    Videregående plantebiologi - LPLB10333

    Plant genomics - LBIA10213

    ID: 4240264