Lene Jespersen (LJ) is professor in Microbial Ecology and Food Fermentation at the Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen (KU). LJ (born 1962) is educated at The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (MSc, Food Science 1989) and Industrial PhD Fellow (1994) based on collaboration between Alfred Jørgensen Laboratory Ltd., The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, and The Danish Academy of Technical Sciences. In her PhD, focuswas on flow cytometric analysis for determination of single cell variability of brewing yeasts. In 1996 LJ joint KU and was in 2008 appointed as professor. Her research focuses on indigenous food products, food security, biotechnology, food microbiology, fermentation, microbial biodiversity as well as interactions within the human GI tract. Within these areas her main interests are within yeast taxonomy, yeast physiology and functionality as well as yeast interactions. LJ has headed several international, EU and national research projects as well as several research projects with the private sector. She has additionally worked with capacity building in developing countries for more than 25 years, primarily in Africa where her focus has been on up-grading the West African food sector focusing on food security and safety as well as education and private sector involvement. She has supervised more than 30 PhD students. Her dissemination output accounts >130 scientific publications and book chapters, >70 proceedings and >30 oral presentations at international and national scientific conferences.