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Knowledge of microorganisms connecting culture and sustainability

Impact: Green impact, Cultural impact, Other impact

Description of impact

Microflora Danica is a national research project that, with the world’s first country‑wide atlas of its kind, has mapped Denmark’s 140,000 microorganisms, more than 80 percent of which are new to science. The project, led by Mads Albertsen and Per Halkjær Nielsen from the Department of Chemistry and Bioscience at Aalborg University, was based on 10,683 soil samples collected across the country and analysed using metagenomic DNA sequencing. The results have attracted international attention and were described by Ingeniøren as the most important Danish research achievement in science and technology in 2025.

The project has a green impact because the new knowledge about microorganisms provides a solid foundation for more sustainable soil management and nutrient handling. The microbial composition in soil and aquatic environments can be used to assess environmental conditions in lakes, streams and wastewater treatment plants, and the results also open up opportunities within climate action, food production and biotechnology.

The project also has a cultural dimension, as it draws on the tradition of Flora Danica and makes microbial life part of a Danish natural‑historical narrative. Naming newly identified microorganisms after Danish places creates a link between modern research and local identity, and local media have noted that towns such as Haderslev and Jammerbugt are thereby “immortalised”.

Finally, the project has a public‑education impact. The open dataset allows schools, journalists and citizens to explore the microscopic environment around them and makes advanced research accessible to a broad audience.
Category of impactGreen impact, Cultural impact, Other impact

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