Ole G. Mouritsen

Short presentation

Ole G. Mouritsen PhD DSc is a physicist and professor of gastrophysics and culinary food innovation at the University of Copenhagen. He has a background in physical chemistry, interfacial science, and membrane biophysics. He is the author of several scientific books and about 400 scientific papers and reports, in addition to being recipient of a number of prestigious science and science communication prizes, most recently the DuPont Nutrition & Health Science Medal for Excellence in Food Science (2016).  In 2016 he was appointed Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. He is currently president of the Danish Gastronomical Academy and director of the Danish national research- and communication center Taste for Life. 

In his spare time, he cooks, collaborates with chefs, furthers his knowledge of all aspects of food, and writes articles and books about the science of food and taste, including Sushi: Food for The Eye, the Body, and the Soul (2009), Seaweeds: Edible, Available & Sustainable (2014), Umami: Unlocking the Secrets of the Fifth Taste (2014), Life – As a Matter of Fat (2015), Mouthfeel: How Texture Makes Taste (2017), as well as the Danish books Smagen af Jul, Tsukemono-sprøde grøntsager på japansk (2017), and Blæksprutterne kommer-spis dem! (2018). 

Currently he works on projects involving the gastrophysics of umami, foods from seaweeds and cephalopods, as well vegetables.

E-mail: [email protected]

URL: https://food.ku.dk/english/staff/?pure=en/persons/19897

CV

Short CV for Ole G. Mouritsen

Education: MSc. in physics and chemistry (Aarhus University, 1976), PhD (Aarhus University 1980), DSc (Aarhus University, 1984).

Positions and affiliations: Junior and senior researcher at Aarhus University (1976-1985). Minister appointed research professor at The Technical University of Denmark (1985-1990). Appointed chair in physical chemistry at The Technical University of Denmark (1990-2001). Associate fellow at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (1991-2000). Adjoint professor at Aalto University (1998-). Appointed chair in theoretical biophysics at The University of Southern Denmark (2001-2017). Director of the Danish Basic Research Foundation’s Center of Excellence MEMPHYS − Center for Membrane Biophysics (2001-2012). Director of the Nordea-foundation’s national research and communication center Taste for Life(2014-2021). Appointed full professor in gastrophysics and culinary food innovation at the University of Copenhagen (2017-).

Research areas: Statistical physics, physical chemistry, interface and colloid chemistry, lipid and membrane biophysics, drug delivery, gastrophysics, taste and mouthfeel, macroalgae, cephalopods, vegetables.

Most important scientific contributions:1) Formulation of a quantitative, mechanistic model for lipid-protein interactions in membranes (the mattress model); 2) proposal of and characterization of the liquid-ordered phasein membranes and its key importance for understanding the effect of sterols on plasma membranes; 3) Quantitative description of lipid domains in membranes; 4) proposal, design, and construction of special liposomes (LiPlasomes) for drug delivery in cancer therapy using an endogenous, enzymatically controlled delivery mechanism; 5) Theoretical description of the glutamate-nucleotide synergy behind the molecular mechanism of the umami receptor.

Elected member of: The Academy of Technical Sciences(1991-2019), The Royal Danish Academy of Science and Letters (1994), The Danish Natural Science Academy (2000), The Danish Gastronomical Academy (2007, president from 2015), Sigma Xi (2014), Gastronomische Academie Deutchlands (2019).

Awards and prizes hædersbevisninger: Aarhus University Gold Medal in Chemistry (1975), A/S De Danske Spritfabrikker's Centennial Anniversary Award (1981), Kirstine Meyer født Bjerrums Mindelegat (1984), Villum Kann Rasmussens Årslegat til Teknisk Forskning (1990), NKT Research Prize (1998),  Hasselblad-foundation Research Award (1998), National Danish Research Communication Prize (2007), University of Southern Denmark  Research Communication Prize (2007), Royal Society of Chemistry Bourke Award and Silver Medal (2008), Gourmand Best in the World Award (2009, 2011, 2015, books nominated in four categories), European Lipid Science Award (2011), Knighted to the Order Dannebrogsordenen (2012), Food+Media Prize for Academic Food Communication (2013), Chevalier de Cordon Bleu du Grand Esprit (2014), Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador appointment by The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (2016), DuPont Nutrition & Health Science Medal for Excellence in Food Science (2016), Commander of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays With Neck Ribbon, Kyokujitsu chujusho旭日中綬(2017).

Publications: Published about 400 scientific papers and reports within physics, chemistry, biophysics, biochemistry, drug delivery, materials science, food science, and gastrophysics. Editor of five books on molecular biophysics. Co-inventor on four patents within liposomal drug delivery. Author of two scientific monographs in computational physics and membrane biophysics [Computer Studies of Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena (1984); Life-As a Matter of Fat (2005, 2016)]. Published several popular science books on food and taste in Danish [Sushi: Videnskab, lidenskab og sundhed; Tang: Grøntsager fra havet; Umami: Gourmetaben og den femte smag; Fornemmelse for smag; Smagen af jul; Tsukemono-sprøde grøntsager på japansk; Blæksprutterne kommer-spis dem!, several of them also been translated and published in English, German, French, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. [Sushi: Food for the Eye, the Body & the Soul(2009); Seaweeds: Edible, Available & Sustainable(2013); Umami: Unlocking the Secrets of the Fifth Taste(2014); Mouthfeel: How Texture Makes Taste(2017)]. 

Citations: (June 2019) About 14.000 with an h-index of 61 (Web of Science).

Selected board and advisory board memberships: Danish Chemical Society (1990-1993), Danish Physical Society (1996-2001), IUPAP Commission on Computational Physics (1996-1999), IUPAP Commission on Statistical Physics (1997-1998), Danish National Committee for Theoretical and Applied Biophysics (1996-2001), EU TMR-Physics Panel (1995-1998), Academy Council ATV (1995-1999), Graduate School of Molecular Biophysics (1998-2015), Centre for Drug Design and Transport (1998-2002), Sci. Adv. Board Finnish Acad. Ctr. of Excellence (2000-2005), LiPlasome Pharma A/S (2001-2009), BIONET-Danish Center for Biophysics (2004-2009), Hartmann Prize Committee (2001-2002), Carlsbergs Mindelegat for Brygger Jacobsen (2003-2012), DCSC-Danish Center for Scientific Computing (2007-2011), IUPAP Commission on Biophysics (2008-2011), Palsgaard Gods A/S (2008-), Nordic Food Lab (2009-), Carlsberg’s Chemistry Prize Committee (2004-2012), Villum-foundation Prize Committee (2005-2011), Hans Christian Andersen Academy (2001-2011), Schou-foundation (2010-), Nexus A/S (2010-), Nordic Taste and Flavour Center (2014-), Taste for Life (2014-2021), Food Fyn (2016-2019), The Flavour Institute (2016-), The Seaweed Health Foundation (2017-).

E-mail: [email protected]

URL: https://food.ku.dk/english/staff/?pure=en/persons/19897