
Overview
Background
Professor Lars Nielsen is leading the development of experimental and computational tools to analyse and design complex biological systems. His expertise in metabolic modelling and flux analysis is available nowhere else in Australia – and in few labs across the world. Professor Nielsen’s studies of biological systems as diverse as bacteria, baker's yeast, sugarcane, insects and mammals has attracted industrial partnerships with companies including Dow, Metabolix, Amyris, LanzaTech, Boeing, Virgin Australia and GE. These metabolic engineering partnerships have focussed on developing new ways of producing aviation fuel, various materials and bioactives (antibiotics, biopesticides, monoclonal antibodies). Professor Nielsen is also applying system analysis and design approaches to tissue engineering including novel strategies for generating microtissues for drug screening and using stem cells to produce red and white blood cells for transfusion.
International links
Professor Nielsen collaborates with some of the world’s pre-eminent metabolic engineers. A joint project with Prof Sang Yup Lee (KAIST, Korea) enabled several extended mutual visits to explore use of sugar for higher value products. A separate project focused on producing synthetic aviation fuel based on isoprenoids involves Professor Nielsen collaborating with global synthetic biotechnology company Amyris and leading isoprenoid metabolic engineer Professor Jay Keasling, from UC Berkeley. Professor Nielsen has secured $8million since 2006 from industry through research grants with US, European, Japanese, Korean, New Zealand and Australian companies.
Availability
- Professor Lars Nielsen is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Masters (Coursework), Technical University of Denmark
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research impacts
Research
Systems and synthetic biology. Professor Nielsen is dedicated to both the advancement of bioengineering science and its application to specific problems. Using thermodynamic principles, novel approaches are developed for handling complex, transient dynamics in developing tissue as well as rational design of complex pathways. These novel approaches are used in the design of bioprocesses as diverse as the production of blood cells for transfusion and the production of industrial biopolymers.
Memberships, patents and funding
Professor Nielsen has been granted four patents – two in stem cells and another two in metabolic engineering. He is on the Scientific Advisory Board of InSphero (2009–), a Swiss company commercialising microtissue technology originating in the Nielsen laboratory. He is an editorial board member of ACS Synthetic Biology, Metabolic Engineering, Biotechnology Journal, Biotechnology and Bioengineering and Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering. Professor Nielsen formed and chaired the 2005 CRC SIIB Industrial Biotechnology Panel to develop an industrial biotechnology strategy for the Australian sugar industry. He successfully lobbied for the inclusion of Industrial Biotechnology in the Queensland Biotechnology Strategic Plan 2005-2015. Since then he has served as expert advisor to government, research bodies, domestic and major international companies such as Dow Chemical, DuPont and GS Caltex. In the past decade, he has been part of successful research grant applications totalling $56 million, with $31.2 million for his own systems and synthetic biology group at AIBN.
Awards and plenaries
Professor Nielsen has received the UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award; and the Australian Institute of Political Science Queensland Young Tall Poppy Award. He was invited to speak at the 2010 Science at the Shine Dome Symposium on Genomics & Mathematics, Canberra; and the Australian Academy of Technical Sciences & Engineering’s National Symposium on Future-Proofing Australia.
Works
Search Professor Lars Nielsen’s works on UQ eSpace
2007
Conference Publication
Sugarcane: A crop with the potential to function as both a biofactory producing industrial chemicals and as a large scale source of carbohydrates for future biorefineries
Brumbley, S. M., Purnell, M. P., Petrasovits, L. A., Anderson, D. A., McQualter, R. B., Chong, B. F. and Nielsen, L. K. (2007). Sugarcane: A crop with the potential to function as both a biofactory producing industrial chemicals and as a large scale source of carbohydrates for future biorefineries. 2nd EPOBIO Workshop: Products from Plants – from crops and forests to zero-waste biorefineries, Athens, Greece, 15-17 May 2007.
2007
Journal Article
Production of polyhydroxybutyrate in sugarcane
Petrasovits, L. A., Purnell, M. P., Nielsen, L. K. and Brumbley, S. M. (2007). Production of polyhydroxybutyrate in sugarcane. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 5 (1), 162-172. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2006.00229.x
2007
Conference Publication
Genome scale model of Streptococcus zooepidemicus: understanding hyaluronic acid production
Marcellin E, Archer C and Nielsen LK (2007). Genome scale model of Streptococcus zooepidemicus: understanding hyaluronic acid production. Bioinformatics Australia, Brisbane / Brisbane Convention Centre, 23-24 October.
2007
Conference Publication
Metabolic engineering of sugarcane for production of industrial chemicals
Brumbley, S. M., Petrasovits, L. A., Anderson, D., Purnell, M. P., Su, M. P., Su, A., Zhao, L. and Nielsen, L. K. (2007). Metabolic engineering of sugarcane for production of industrial chemicals. The Fourth Annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing, Florida, U.S.A., 21-24 March, 2007.
2007
Journal Article
Spatio-temporal characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate accumulation in sugarcane
Purnell, Matthew P., Petrasovits, Lars A., Nielsen, Lars K. and Brumbley, Stevens M. (2007). Spatio-temporal characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate accumulation in sugarcane. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 5 (1), 173-184. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2006.00230.x
2007
Conference Publication
Metabolic engineering of sugarcane for production of industrial chemicals
Brumbley, S.M., Petrasovits, L.A., Anderson, D., Purnell, M., Su, A., Zhao, L., Abeydeera P. and Nielsen L.K. (2007). Metabolic engineering of sugarcane for production of industrial chemicals. AusBioTech Biofutures Forum, Parliament House, Canberra, Australia, 14 June, 2007.
2007
Conference Publication
Genome scale model of a plant cell
Dal'Molin, Cristiana Gomes de Oliveria, Quek, Lake-Ee and Nielsen, Lars (2007). Genome scale model of a plant cell. Plant Metabolic Engineering Gordon Research Conference, Tilton School, U.S.A., 15-20 July 2007.
2006
Journal Article
Importance of virus–medium interactions on the biological activity of wild-type Heliothine nucleopolyhedroviruses propagated via suspension insect cell cultures
Pedrini, Márcia R. S., Christian, Peter, Nielsen, Lars K., Reid, Steven and Chan, Leslie C. L. (2006). Importance of virus–medium interactions on the biological activity of wild-type Heliothine nucleopolyhedroviruses propagated via suspension insect cell cultures. Journal of Virological Methods, 136 (1-2), 267-272. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2006.04.007
2006
Journal Article
The high-carb economy
Brumbley, S.M., Twine, Peter and Nielsen, Lars (2006). The high-carb economy. Australasian Science, 27 (6), 19-22.
2006
Conference Publication
Temperature and durability studies of lactic acid dehydration with inorganic membranes
Duke, M. C., Lim, A. and Nielsen, L. (2006). Temperature and durability studies of lactic acid dehydration with inorganic membranes. International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Brisbane Australia, Jul 03-07, 2006. NEW YORK: IEEE.
2006
Conference Publication
Spatio-Temporal characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate accumulation in sugarcane
Purnell, M. P., Petrasovits, L. A., Nielsen, L. K. and Brumbley, S. M. (2006). Spatio-Temporal characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate accumulation in sugarcane. International Society of Biological Polyesters (ISBP), Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA, 27 - 31 August 2006.
2006
Journal Article
Monocyte-derived DC primed with TLR agonists secrete IL-12p70 in a CD40-dependent manner under hyperthermic conditions
Peng, Judy C., Hyde, Claire, Pai, Saparna, O'Sullivan, Brendan J., Nielsen, Lars K. and Thomas, Ranjeny (2006). Monocyte-derived DC primed with TLR agonists secrete IL-12p70 in a CD40-dependent manner under hyperthermic conditions. Journal of Immunotherapy, 29 (6), 606-615. doi: 10.1097/01.cji.0000211308.82997.4e
2006
Conference Publication
Spatio-temporal characterisation of accumulation in sugarcane
Purnell, M. P., Petrasovits, L. A., Nielsen, L. K. and Brumbley, S. M. (2006). Spatio-temporal characterisation of accumulation in sugarcane. Tropical Crop Biotechnology Conference 2006, Cairns, Qld, Australia, 16-19 August, 2006.
2006
Conference Publication
High selectivity microporous silica membranes for lactic acid dehydration
Duke, M. C., Lim, A., Diniz da Costa, J. C. and Nielsen, L. (2006). High selectivity microporous silica membranes for lactic acid dehydration. 5th World Congress on Particle Technology, Orlando, FL, USA, 23-27 April, 2006. USA: AIChE.
2006
Conference Publication
Maximal expansion of erythroid progenitors is dependent on the cytokine cocktail
Athanasas-Platsis, S., Minchinton, R., Sparrow, R. and Nielsen, L. (2006). Maximal expansion of erythroid progenitors is dependent on the cytokine cocktail. The 2005 ISAC Samuel A. Latt conference, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, 6-9 November 2005. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley-Liss. doi: 10.1002/cyto.a.20264
2006
Conference Publication
Sugarcane: a versatile biofactory crop capable of sustaining the accumulation of high levels of heterologous products derived from a variety of precursors
Brumbley, S. M., Purnell, M. P, Petrasovits, L. A., Fong Chong, B., O'Neill, B. P. and Nielsen, L. K. (2006). Sugarcane: a versatile biofactory crop capable of sustaining the accumulation of high levels of heterologous products derived from a variety of precursors. Tropical Crops Biotechnology Conference, Cairns, Queensland Australia, 16-19 August 2006.
2006
Conference Publication
Production of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate in transgenic sugarcane
Brumbley, S. M., Nielsen, L. K., Petrasovits, L. A. and Purnell, M. P. (2006). Production of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate in transgenic sugarcane. Tropical Crops Biotechnology Conference, Cairns, Queensland Australia, 16-19 July, 2006.
2006
Journal Article
In vitro production of Helicoverpa armigera single-nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus
Da Silva Pedrini, M. R., Chan, L. C. L., Nielsen, L. K. and Reid, S. (2006). In vitro production of Helicoverpa armigera single-nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology: an international journal, 49 (SPEC. ISS.), 35-41.
2006
Conference Publication
Efficient targeting of green fluorescent protein to sugarcane peroxisomes
Gnanasambandam, A., Anderson, D., Williams, E., Nielsen, L. and Brumbley, S. (2006). Efficient targeting of green fluorescent protein to sugarcane peroxisomes. Tropical Crops Biotechnology Conference, Cairns, Australia, 16-19 August 2006.
2006
Conference Publication
Efficient targeting of green fluorescent protein to sugarcane peroxisomes
Gnanasambandam, A., Anderson, D. J., Williams, E., Nielsen, L. K. and Brumbley, S. M. (2006). Efficient targeting of green fluorescent protein to sugarcane peroxisomes. 28th Conference of the Australian Society of Sugarcane Technologists, Mackay, Qld, Australia, 2-5 May, 2006.
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Lars Nielsen is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
C1 Global Metabolic Atlas
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Biorecycyling carbon using acetogens
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gary Schenk, Dr Axa Gonzalez, Dr James Heffernan, Professor Esteban Marcellin
-
Doctor Philosophy
Biorecycyling carbon using acetogens
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gary Schenk, Dr Axa Gonzalez, Dr James Heffernan, Professor Esteban Marcellin
-
Doctor Philosophy
Biological CO2 and H2 utilization for sustainable animal feed production
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr James Heffernan, Professor Esteban Marcellin
-
Doctor Philosophy
Pathway engineering and systems biology for optimised isobutanol production in gas-fermenting acetogens: From strain isolation to metabolic limitations identification
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gary Schenk, Dr Axa Gonzalez, Dr James Heffernan, Professor Esteban Marcellin
Completed supervision
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating High Dimensional Alternative Splicing During Haematopoiesis.
Principal Advisor
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
A Bayesian framework for sampling the feasible kinetic behavior of metabolic reaction networks
Principal Advisor
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Unraveling metabolic flux control of the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway: a systems biology study
Principal Advisor
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Order from Noise: Modelling the Stochasticity of Lineage Commitment
Principal Advisor
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding CHO cells biology for enhanced biopharmaceutical production: a comparative transcriptomic and proteomic approach
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Esteban Marcellin, Professor Peter Gray
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
RNA CaptureSeq: Targeted Sequencing for Comprehensive Transcriptome Studies
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Timothy Mercer
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Quantitative bacterial phosphoproteomics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Esteban Marcellin
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Systems Level Signalling Analysis A Case Study of Growth Hormone Receptor Signalling
Principal Advisor
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding and overcoming monoterpene toxicity in Saccharomyces cerevisia for the production of sustainable jet fuels
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Gray
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Global metabolic effect of manipulating pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity in mammalian cells
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Gray
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Efficient production of a model designed peptide from sucrose in Escherichia coli
Principal Advisor
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Simulating Information Flow in Cellular Scale Models of Signal Transduction
Principal Advisor
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of the Saccharopolyspora erythraea metabolic switch: a systems approach
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Esteban Marcellin
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2014
Doctor Philosophy
Using network thermodynamics and metabolomics for the study of dynamic mammalian cell metabolism
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Gray
-
2013
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding phenotypic asymmetry in Escherichia coli: Development and characterization of multi-omics datasets to explain diversity amongst strains of E. coli
Principal Advisor
-
2012
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of mammalian cells during protein production - a systems biology approach
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Gray
-
-
2011
Doctor Philosophy
Carbon Mobilisation and Utilisation in the Sugarcane Biofactory
Principal Advisor
-
-
2010
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding molecular weight control of hyaluronic acid production in Streptococcus zooepidemicus: towards a systems approach
Principal Advisor
-
2010
Doctor Philosophy
System level assessment of mammalian cell metabolim for production of recombinant protein
Principal Advisor
-
2009
Doctor Philosophy
Directed differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells to haematopoietic lineages using EPL induction
Principal Advisor
-
2008
Doctor Philosophy
Self Assembled Nano-coats for Protection of Foreign Tissue Transplants
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Matt Trau
-
2006
Doctor Philosophy
HYALURONIC ACID PRODUCTION IN CONTINUOUS CULTURES OF STREPTOCOCCUS ZOOEPIDEMICUS
Principal Advisor
-
2005
Doctor Philosophy
OPTIMIZATION OF DENDRITIC CELLS FOR CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ranjeny Thomas
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2005
Doctor Philosophy
PRODUCTION OF POLY-HYDROXYALKANOATES IN SUGARCANE
Principal Advisor
-
2005
Doctor Philosophy
METABOLIC FLUX ANALYSIS OF EUKARYOTIC CELLS: A STUDY OF THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL FRAMEWORKS
Principal Advisor
-
2004
Doctor Philosophy
QUANTITATIVE ELUCIDATION OF THE PHENOMENOLOGICAL SELECTIVE ADVANTAGE OF THE FEW POLYHEDRA MUTANT STRAIN OF Helicoverpa armigera NUCLEOPOLYHEDROVIRUS UNDER in-vitro CONDITIONS
Principal Advisor
-
2004
Doctor Philosophy
EXTENDING THE THIRD DIMENSION: NOVEL METHODS AND APPLICATIONS FOR 3D MULTICELLULAR SPHEROIDS
Principal Advisor
-
2002
Doctor Philosophy
METABOLIC ENGINEERING OF HYALURONIC ACID PRODUCTION
Principal Advisor
-
2002
Doctor Philosophy
HYALURONIC ACID OVERPRODUCTION BY METABOLIC PATHWAY MANIPULATION
Principal Advisor
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Modelling and characterising life and death of mammalian suspension cultures
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Veronica Martinez Salazar, Dr Gert Talbo, Professor Esteban Marcellin
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Sustainable fuel and chemical production via Gas Fermentation: exploring CO2 metabolism by Clostridium autoethanogenum
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Axa Gonzalez, Professor Esteban Marcellin
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Insight into acetogens metabolism through the use of thermodynamic metabolic flux analysis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Esteban Marcellin
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding toxin production in Clostridium tetani: a systems approach
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Esteban Marcellin
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
From waste to chemicals: On the metabolism of Clostridium autoethanogenum and PHB production from gas fermentation
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Esteban Marcellin
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the metabolism of propionibacteria using genome-scale modelling
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Esteban Marcellin
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Modulating gene expression in yeast to optimize metabolic networks for sesquiterpene and monoterpene production
Associate Advisor
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Bioeroding sponges in a time of change: insights into the physiology and cell biology of a photosymbiotic coral-eroding sponge
Associate Advisor
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Metabolic Engineering of propionibacteria's Wood Werkman cycle in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mark Turner, Professor Esteban Marcellin
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding high propionic acid production in Propionibacterium
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Esteban Marcellin
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Novel Cell Engineering of the Unfolded Protein Response to Achieve Efficient Therapeutic Protein Production Cell Line
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Gray
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Separating Growth and Production Phases Using Synthetic Quorum Sensing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Associate Advisor
-
2013
Doctor Philosophy
Metabolic engineering for bio-production of industrial isoprenoids from sucrose using Escherichia coli
Associate Advisor
-
2010
Doctor Philosophy
A microfluidic platform for screening immobilised biomolecule mixtures
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Justin Cooper-White
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2008
Doctor Philosophy
Angular Momentum in Optical Tweezers
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Dr Timo Nieminen
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2003
Doctor Philosophy
STABILITY STUDIES OF WILD TYPE BACULOVIRUSES PRODUCED VIA FERMENTATION - HELIOTHIS AS A MODEL SYSTEM
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Lars Nielsen directly for media enquiries about:
- Engineering - biological
- Metabolic engineering
- Synthetic biology
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