Helix Lab Fellows, Class of Spring 2026

Sidestream from SCP often contain valuable components such as protein, nucleic acid, and other nutrients. Fractionation of these streams can improve the value of Unibio's final product and enable recover of key components through valorisation.
Unibio has a single cell protein product from fermentation with Methylocuccus capsulatus which is high in protein (>70% protein content) with over 1500 different proteins expressed and a current untapped potential for improvement of current product lines and new products.

Enzymatic treatment using DNase, RNase, protease and a combination can offer a targeted, mild and potentially scalable approach to fractionate these sidestreams, reduce nucleic acid content in the product and release free amino acid and other nutrients. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of enzymatic treatments to release valuable components from Unibio's SCP sidestream.

Project description

Unibio’s project aims to transform fermentation monitoring by developing an ML-based soft sensor that replicates WTW probe measurements of NH4/NO3 in the fermentation broth. The sensor is designed to overcome challenges such as probe drift from fouling and downtime due to maintenance. Leveraging advanced deep learning techniques—including timeLLM and multimodal models—the solution will initially provide continuous, real-time measurements to ensure process stability. Subsequently, the model will evolve to forecast readings 30 minutes ahead, facilitating proactive process control and optimization. This Industry 4.0 approach integrates machine learning with process modeling to enhance fermentation efficiency and product quality. Students will manage the complete development cycle, from data collection and preprocessing to model creation and evaluation, ultimately supporting sustainable protein production by ensuring reliable monitoring even when physical sensors are offline or unreliable.

What was your motivation for becoming a Helix Lab Fellow?

My main motivation for becoming a Helix Lab Fellow is the opportunity to connect academic research with real industrial challenges in an environment that values innovation and collaboration. The program provides the ideal setting to apply the knowledge I have gained through my studies to practical problems, while learning from experienced professionals and fellow researchers. It is also the perfect environment to further challenge and develop my creative and innovative thinking.

Through this experience, I am gaining a versatile skill set that I can apply in many fields, from intelligent automation and system optimization to robotics, all of which are areas I am deeply passionate about. Beyond the technical aspects, being part of the Helix Lab community also allows me to grow personally and professionally in a dynamic and interdisciplinary setting.

What is the most exciting part of being a Helix Lab Fellow?

The most exciting part of being a Helix Lab Fellow is being part of a vibrant and diverse community where everyone supports and learns from each other. It is inspiring to work alongside people who share the same drive and ambitions, yet come from different academic backgrounds and perspectives. This creates an atmosphere rich in collaboration, creativity, and mutual development.

Beyond the academic and professional aspects, I also find it exciting to experience personal growth by adapting to new environments and challenges. As a philosophy, I like to continuously step outside my comfort zone and shake things up when needed, as that is where real learning and innovation happen. The fellowship fosters not only scientific curiosity but also resilience and openness to change, both of which are essential skills in life and in any future career.

What perspectives do you see for your future after being a Helix Lab Fellow?

I face the future with open arms and a willingness to take on new challenges. I would like to stay in Kalundborg if the right opportunity arises, but I am also ready to go wherever the wind takes me, and I will work hard to make the most of every path that opens ahead. However, my focus right now is on giving my best and delivering strong results during my time here, making sure I contribute meaningfully to the project and the Helix Lab community. Most importantly, whatever happens next, I will be proud to carry the Helix Lab name on my resume and to represent the experience and values it stands for.

Project description

At Novonesis, we produce a wide range of industrial enzymes and microorganisms based on fermentation technology. Besides the physical conditions as temperature, pH, stirring etc., many different factors contribute to the outcome of a fermentation. Some factors are related to the fermentation media such as level of nutrients and carbon source, while other factors are related to the biological process, e.g. accumulation of metabolic components, product formation and morphology.

The project proposal consists of an "Evaluation of Variation and Productivity of Alcalase II" using different measurements and technologies. The current process seems to be sensitive to media preparation and process conditions. The current process indicates a shift during the fed-batch phase, where productivity significantly changes. A deeper understanding of the variation and productivity, might lead to a more balanced culture, resulting in a more robust, predictable, cost effective and higher yielding process.

Project description

In the pharmaceutical industry, stainless steel welds must be flawless; yet, manual visual inspection suffers from significant subjective variation worldwide. To address this challenge, an ongoing project is developing an AI-based inspection system. By utilizing deep learning and Explainable AI (xAI), the project aims to create a digital assistant that not only evaluates a weld but transparently highlights the visual evidence behind its decisions. The primary objective is to keep the human inspector in the loop while minimizing subjective variation and ensuring strict compliance with rigorous ISO standards. Ultimately, this implementation will minimize delays and inconsistencies that cause production stops or, in the worst-case scenario, overlooked defects that threaten product safety and patient health. While the current development phase is specifically focused on pharmaceutical applications, the underlying technology is designed to be highly scalable. In the future, this solution can be adapted for other industries with zero-margin-for-error quality standards, such as offshore energy, biotechnology, and food production

Project description

This project explores the design and simulation of a quadruped-based deployment strategy for an aerial
inspection drone. The focus is on robotics and control, enabling the quadruped to safely transport and
deploy the drone in complex industrial environments. Simulation will be used to test mobility, stability, and
deployment strategies. Computer vision and potentially machine learning will complement these efforts by
estimating the 6D pose of the drone that allow the quadruped's robotic arm to precisely grasp, pick up, and
place the drone.

Project description

This project explores membrane-based separation to recover valuable nutrients from enzyme production residues. By efficiently recovering nutrients such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs), ammonium, and phosphorus, the process supports circular economy principles and reduces waste. In collaboration with Novonesis, the research focuses on optimizing VFA separation for biopolymer production while assessing broader nutrient recovery strategies for reuse in industry. The project demonstrates how advanced resource recovery can enhance sustainability and efficiency in industrial bioprocessing.

Project description

This project seeks to define the typicity of Danish Solaris wines via the lens of consumer expectations and perception. Through surveys and in-person tasting sessions at Dyrehøj Vingaard, the MSc student will investigate how domestic and international audiences view Danish Solaris wines, whether Dyrehøj has a distinctive identity, and how winery visits shape these perceptions. The findings will advance academic understanding of typicity while providing practical insights to strengthen the branding and marketing of Danish wines.

Project description

An API manufacturing process consists of three primary stages at a facility level: fermentation, recovery, and purification. The purification area comprises several process sections, including reaction and separation steps, with chromatography extensively used as a unit operation for separation.
For improvement and optimization projects, including troubleshooting and technology transfer, advanced process understanding of unit operations proves beneficial. However, unexpected behaviour can be seen when changes are applied to the upstream.
In this MSc thesis, we aim to expand knowledge in challenging separation schemes, such as capture chromatography, by an experimental approach to collect and evaluate generated data with new production conditions. Initially, baseline experiments will be performed to reproduce the current state in production. Subsequently, different process paramenters could be changed to evaluate the performance of different future states. 

Project description

At Novo Nordisk, ELISA is used to detect residual Host Cell Proteins (HCP) from the fermentation process. The project aims to develop a QC-friendly Near Infrared (NIR) method to measure water content in dried samples quickly and easily, improving the efficiency of ELISA analysis. This involves building a robust Partial Least Squares (PLS) model to correlate the NIR spectrum with water/protein content, accommodating all sample variations. The finalized NIR method will help ELISA technicians conduct analyses more efficiently.

What was your motivation for becoming a Helix Lab Fellow?

My motivation for becoming a Helix Lab Fellow is driven by the unique opportunity to bridge academic knowledge with real industrial applications. Coming from a background in biotechnology and chemical engineering, I am particularly inspired by Helix Lab’s focus on close collaboration between students, universities, and industry partners such as Novo Nordisk. This setting provides not only the chance to apply my technical skills in practice but also to learn how scientific innovation translates into real-world impact.

I am eager to challenge myself in this environment, contribute to meaningful research, and grow both professionally and personally as part of the Helix Lab community.

What is the most exciting part of being a Helix Lab Fellow?

For me, the most exciting part of being a Helix Lab Fellow is becoming part of a collaborative and inspiring community that extends beyond the laboratory. I look forward to exchanging ideas with other Fellows, learning from experienced scientists, and contributing to a culture built on curiosity and innovation.

What also excites me is the chance to experience Kalundborg’s rapidly growing biotechnology ecosystem — to witness how an entire city evolves around industrial biotechnology and sustainable production, while forming both professional and social connections along the way.

What perspectives do you see for your future after being a Helix Lab Fellow?

After completing my Fellowship — and thereby graduating from my Master’s degree — I hope to use this experience as a strong foundation for a confident transition into my professional career. The Fellowship provides firsthand insight into what it means to take responsibility as an engineer: working independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment, and building lasting connections within the biotechnology sector.

Looking ahead, I envision a career at the intersection of biotechnology and industrial innovation, where I can apply research to real-world challenges and continue to grow as both a scientist and an engineer. And who knows — perhaps my journey will continue in Kalundborg, whether through a PhD position or an industrial role within its rapidly evolving biotech community.

Project description

About 10% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the transportation sector are caused by the construction of roads. According to recent studies, this amounts to 5% of the total GHG emissions in the European Union and about twice as much as the aviation sector. Production of bitumen is one of the largest environmental burdens of asphalt and renewable alternatives such as the plant-based polymer lignin are therefore being explored.

A life cycle analysis revealed that the replacement of naphthenic bitumen with kraft lignin (lignin derived from the production pulp and paper from wood) could lower the climate change impact of asphalt with 30-70%.

This project aims to assess how lignin produced by Meliora Bio should be stored and handled for use in bitumen for asphalt applications.

Project description

This project investigates the use of tailored enzymes to streamline the CIP process for UF membranes. The current three-phase CIP is resource- and time-intensive. By integrating enzyme-based cleaning, we aim to reduce the process to two phases, decreasing water and chemical use while shortening cleaning time. The work will assess cleaning efficiency, membrane recovery, and operational feasibility under industrial conditions, with the goal of enabling a more sustainable and efficient UF operation.

Project description

Understanding bacterial responses to environmental changes is crucial for controlling growth and behavior. Mechanical forces influence cell membrane composition, stress regulation, and growth patterns. This project aims to develop a mechanobiological profiling approach using biomechanics, microbiology, and mass spectrometry techniques.

The objective of the project is to investigate how mechanical forces impact bacterial cultures under varying environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, pH) by characterizing cell membrane structure changes and analyzing protein profiles in response to chemical and mechanical stresses.

The expected outcomes is a comprehensive mechanobiological profiling approach to characterize bacterial cultures under varying environmental conditions.