The August Krogh Section for Molecular Physiology

The section conducts research in order to obtain in-depth knowledge about the regulation of metabolism in relation to physical activity, nutrition and its role in health and disease.

Research is carried out from ‘molecule to man’, and uses molecular biological techniques, genetically modified animals and healthy and health-compromised people in the research. The vision is that observations based on experiments conducted in people can be explained at the molecular level, and similarly that mechanistic basic research in the laboratory can lead to new findings, that can be transferred to the human organism and the population.

In this connection, the section focuses in particular on the molecular mechanisms that regulate carbohydrate and fat metabolism during exercise. The section also investigates the regulation of insulin sensitivity after physical activity and inactivity, and the role played by ingested diet in this respect. In addition, the section studies the interplay between physical activity and diet on performance and health parameters.

At the same time, we know that the energy metabolism is not regulated in the same way in men and women, and is dependent on diet. Therefore, a key focus area for the section is also investigating how physical activity combined with different diets affects metabolism, insulin sensitivity and gene expression in men and women.

Selected publications from the section

AXIN1 knockout does not alter AMPK/mTORC1 regulation and glucose metabolism in mouse skeletal muscle
Li, J., Knudsen, Jonas Roland, Henriquez Olguín, Carlos, Li, Z., Birk, Jesper Bratz, Persson, K. W., Hellsten, Ylva, Offergeld, A., Jarassier, W., Grand, F. L., Schjerling, P., Wojtaszewski, Jørgen F P & Jensen, Thomas Elbenhardt, 2021, I: Journal of Physiology. 599, 12, s. 3081-3100 20 s.

See all the publications from the section.