Student to secure sustainable potato production - 11.02.2008

Student of Biology-Biotechnology Morten Emil Eldrup from Faculty of Life Sciences at Copenhagen University has been granted one of the prestigious research scholarships from Novo Nordisk/Novozymes for research in sustainable production of potatoes. The object is to reduce the global use of pesticides and at the same time increase the potato production yield.

Biotechnology for sustainability: The scholarship enables MSc student Morten Emil Eldrup to conduct research in sustainable potato production. He will test a new method for protecting potatoes against attack by means of so-called glucosinolates, natural substances known from, for instance, the pungent taste of mustard.

- The project holds very interesting perspectives for the world’s food production. In future, we will be able to contribute to a sustainable potato production with larger yield and reduced use of pesticides by means of plant biotechnology, says his project supervisor Barbara Ann Halkier, Associate Professor of Plant Biology at Faculty of Life Sciences. – At the same time, we at the Faculty of Life Sciences are both proud and happy that thanks to this scholarship, Morten Emil Eldrup will now be able to concentrate fully on his project, she continues.

For further information, please contact Morten Emil Eldrup at or Barbara Ann Halkier at or by tel 353 33342.