Jakob Blæsbjerg Hoof, Associate Professor at DTU Bioengineering, is dedicated to uncovering the secrets of fungi and sharing their importance with students and the wider public. He highlights that fungi are more closely related to humans than plants, absorbing nutrients from their surroundings and often living in symbiosis with other organisms.
His research draws on DTU’s IBT Culture Collection, which contains around 39,000 mould isolates stored under controlled conditions. These samples provide valuable insights into beneficial properties, such as producing bioactive compounds for food and medicine, as well as harmful traits like toxin production.
Hoof envisions creating a cross-university master’s programme in fungi, offering students from Denmark and abroad the chance to specialise in this diverse field. He also notes that fungal behaviour, like that seen in pop culture depictions, has real-life parallels, such as fungi that can control insect behaviour.
Source: Technical University of Denmark
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