Climate change is reshaping the conditions under which our food is grown. But long before the present crisis, ecosystems and species were already adapting to environmental disruption. On 16 December, DIAS Chair and internationally renowned DNA researcher Professor Eske Willerslev takes us into AEGIS: the ambitious new research initiative using ancient environmental DNA to understand how past ecosystems responded to change - and how those insights may help build more resilient crops and food systems for the future. Drawing on the project’s first research questions and findings, Willerslev will explore what sediments, genomes and deep environmental history can teach us about climate resilience, biodiversity and global food security. He will also reflect on the challenge of building a major new research centre across disciplines, methods and institutions. The event will be followed by a panel conversation with DIAS Chairs and an open discussion with the audience.
About Eske Willerslev
Professor Eske Willerslev is a world renowned evolutionary geneticist and pioneer in ancient DNA research. He is Director of the Centre for Ancient Environmental Genomics (CAEG) and leads the international AEGIS programme at the University of Copenhagen, while also serving as Professor at the University of Cambridge. His groundbreaking work has reshaped our understanding of human origins, past ecosystems, and how lessons from ancient DNA can help address future challenges related to climate, biodiversity, and food security.
This event is organised by Sten Rynning, DIAS Director & Eske Willerslev, DIAS Chair
*Registration: Please register here by 14 December 2026*
- Organizer: DIAS
- Address: Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M
- Contact Email: danish-IAS@sdu.dk
- Add to your calendar: https://eom.sdu.dk:443/events/ical/07af0e0a-b919-4f39-a0d8-bde6c2bd03b8