Professor Henrik Toft Simonsen

PhD, MSc in Pharmacy

Laboratoire de Biotechnologies Végétales appliquées aux Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales

Department of Biology

Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Jean Monnet University

23 rue Dr Paul Michelon, 42023 Saint-Etienne Cedex 2

Office phone : xxx

Mobile phone : +33 (0) 6 10 01 79 34

henrik.toft.simonsen[at]univ-st-etienne.fr

Awards

Young Elite Researcher Award 2008. Prize: 240.000,- DKK, awarded by the Danish Councils for Independent Research.

research interest:

The aim of my research is to study the specific biosynthetic routes of terpenoids and production of these. We work on the production in plants, and specifically in moss. I am mainly interested in the specific biosynthesis of valuable sesquiterpenoids such as the fragrance patchoulol, medicinal compound thapsigargin and others. Especially the biosynthesis of fragrance compounds is of great interest.

For many years I have also been involved in the establishment of physcomitrella (moss) to produce high amount of our desired terpenoids, and this has led to study how we can enhance the use of green cells as chemical factories. This line of research led to the establishment of Mosspiration Biotech (now closed), but through a search to find new synthetic biology tools, I am also a co-founder of the DNA design company Tailwind Biotech (www.tailwindbiotech.com).
The research group is currently involved in several projects including https://modbioterp.univ-st-etienne.fr; www.mosstech.eu, Bryomolecules (Horizon Europe) and several projects with several partners (academic and industrial partners).

Keywords: Terpenoid biosynthesis, synthetic biology, bryophytes, Apiaceae, sesquiterpenoids, sesquiterpene lactones

Publications and social media:

All my publications can be found on: https://scholar.google.dk/citations?user=Jk3IrQgAAAAJ&hl=da

OrcID: https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0003-3070-807X

Research gate – if you have

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henriktoftsimonsen/

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/HTSBiotechMoss

BlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/htsbiotechmoss.bsky.social

teaching:

I am involved in teaching in metabolism/biochemistry, biosynthesis of natural products and course on drugs from nature.

Professional Career:

- Professor and Director of the Lab (since 1/1 – 2024). – October 2022 till Present

Laboratoire Biotechnologies Végétales plantes aromatiques et médicinales, Université Jean Monnet, Saint-Etienne, France

- VP of Business Development, Co-founder – November 2022 till present

Tailwind Biotech

- CSO, Co-founder – September 2021 till January 2024 - Patch Botanics, Oklahoma USA

- CEO, Founder – January 2016 till April 2024 - Mosspiration Biotech ApS, Denmark

- Associate Professor – January 2016 till September 2022 - Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark

- Associate Professor – 2008-2015 - Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Dept. of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

- Post doc. – January 2006 to January 2008 - Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Dept. of Plant Biology, University of Copenhagen.

- Visiting Scientist – Marts 2006 - Crop & Food Research, Canterbury Agriculture & Science Centre, Lincoln, New Zealand. At Graeme Coles Group.

- Lecturer – September 2005 to January 2006 and September 2004 to January 2005, The Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

- Post. doc. – June 2002 to August 2004, Dr. Leeper’s Group, Dept. of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK.

- Assistant lecturer – August 1998 to January 1999, Dept. of Medicinal Chemistry, The Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

PhD in Natural Product Chemistry – April 1999 to June 2002. The Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Master of Science in Pharmacy – August 1992 to August 1998. The Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences.