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All news/A RSS feed provided by Umeå Universityen-usThu, 11 Dec 2025 21:31:48 +0100/en/news/umea-university-leads-national-research-school-on-future-cement-materials_12153819/Umeå University leads national research school on future cement materialsThe Swedish Research Council has awarded SEK 35 million to Markus Broström and Nils Skoglund to lead a research school in materials science focused on cementitious materials. Umeå University is establishing the research school in collaboration with Luleå University of Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, and the MAX IV synchrotron at Lund University. Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:23:18 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_12.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_12.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_12.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_12.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_12.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_12.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Nils Skoglund and Markus Broström are leading a new research school that will bring together expertise in cement-based materials.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Magnus Mikaelsson</span></div></div><p>The theme of the research school, known by the acronym RECEM, is how minerals can be processed to develop the next generation of cementitious materials and how mineral waste can be recycled. The research covers the entire chain – from extracted or recycled materials, through mineral processing, to low-carbon cement-based construction materials.</p><p>“Our goal is to create a national network of leading experts with strong international connections. We do this by bringing together prominent academic environments with complementary competences,” says Markus Broström at the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Knowledge for use in industry</h2><p>Rooted in materials science, the research school will address critical questions in mineral processing for sustainable cement production. Another aim is to provide the doctoral students with advanced analytical skills that can be applied in the mineral and mining processing industries.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_34.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_34.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_34.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_34.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_34.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/624caeaad955457c879cc9f82526eaf4/recem_34.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Cement is one of our most commonly used building materials.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Magnus Mikaelsson</span></div></div><p>“This is a fantastic opportunity to gather national competence in materials science for cement-based materials and link it with world-leading analytical techniques,” says Nils Skoglund. “My experiences from the PRISMAS research school, led by MAX IV, clearly show how doctoral students are motivated by working in a larger context. As is evident from the Swedish Research Council’s decision, I believe that RECEM will become a national flagship project.”</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Following technological developments</h2><p>RECEM will work within five focus areas and engage 14 doctoral students. Six of these will be admitted to Umeå University, and the others will be distributed evenly between Luleå University of Technology and Chalmers University of Technology. MAX IV contributes to advanced courses but also in roles as assistant supervisors, which ensures that the research school follows the latest developments in advanced analytical techniques.</p><p>“We now look forward to starting the recruitment process in spring 2026 and finding good candidates to build a successful research school together,” says Markus Broström.</p><p> </p>/en/news/umea-university-leads-national-research-school-on-future-cement-materials_12153819//en/news/ec2u-think-tank-on-universal-access-to-education_12153494/Umeå University held its first EC2U Think Tank on equitable access to educationHow can we ensure that education is accessible to everyone, regardless of background or circumstances? This question was the focus when Umeå University hosted its very first European Campus of City Universities (EC2U) Think Tank on 3 December. During the afternoon, researchers, teachers, doctoral students, students and community representatives gathered to share experiences, exchange ideas and discuss how education can become more equitable and inclusive.Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:31:27 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/b08db17124cb4e78abe27f3713f9edc3/img_94293.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b08db17124cb4e78abe27f3713f9edc3/img_94293.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b08db17124cb4e78abe27f3713f9edc3/img_94293.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/b08db17124cb4e78abe27f3713f9edc3/img_94293.png?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b08db17124cb4e78abe27f3713f9edc3/img_94293.png?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b08db17124cb4e78abe27f3713f9edc3/img_94293.png?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Deputy Vice-Chancellor Cathrine Norberg speaks at Umeå University's first EC2U Think Tank on December 3.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>David Meyers</span></div></div><p>The Think Tank was opened by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Cathrine Norberg, who highlighted how the EC2U collaboration strengthens both research and community development. She described the network as a catalyst for new ideas and collaboration between universities and community actors in Europe. Umeå University participates in all focus areas and works to disseminate research-based knowledge to the region, develop interdisciplinary projects and provide policy proposals. The goal is to contribute to solutions to the educational challenges facing today's society.</p><p>The debut Think Tank for Umeå University had the theme <strong>“equitable and universal access to education”</strong> and focused on two areas:</p><ul><li>digital inclusion</li><li>linguistic and cultural competences</li></ul><p>Discussions revolved around issues such as how we can create inclusive digital learning environments, ensure access to digital resources and strengthen critical thinking in the digital age. Participants also explored how language and culture can serve as resources for participation, with a particular focus on minority languages and multicultural learning environments.</p><p>The purpose of the Think Tank is to identify practical and sustainable solutions, develop new collaborations, and contribute to policy recommendations within EC2U and the EU. The results of the discussions will be compiled and presented at the EC2U Forum in Turku on 18–21 May 2026, under the theme “Shaping European Futures through Quality Education.”</p>/en/news/ec2u-think-tank-on-universal-access-to-education_12153494//en/news/eu-funding-secures-continued-research-on-chlamydia_12152269/Barbara Sixt awarded ERC Consolidator GrantThe European Research Fund (ERC) provides secured funding for five years with the consolidator grant to Barbara Sixt's research at Umeå University on chlamydia.Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:02:42 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/fe7dad3d06be4b8e913905244909f829/sixt_barbara_8877_180426_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fe7dad3d06be4b8e913905244909f829/sixt_barbara_8877_180426_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fe7dad3d06be4b8e913905244909f829/sixt_barbara_8877_180426_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/fe7dad3d06be4b8e913905244909f829/sixt_barbara_8877_180426_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fe7dad3d06be4b8e913905244909f829/sixt_barbara_8877_180426_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fe7dad3d06be4b8e913905244909f829/sixt_barbara_8877_180426_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Barbara Sixt, Department of Molecular Biology and Group Leader at The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Barbara Sixt is research group leader at MIMS, Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden and resarcher at det Department of Molecular Biology.</p><p>Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Each year, more than 25,000 people in Sweden and around 130 million worldwide contract the disease. While symptoms are often mild, chlamydia can have serious consequences. It may cause infertility, chronic pain, complications during pregnancy, and even increase the risk of cervical and ovarian cancers.</p><p>Today, chlamydia is treated with antibiotics, which kill the bacteria and help the body recover. However, most antibiotics have a broad spectrum of activity. This means they attack not only harmful bacteria but also beneficial ones, such as those in our gut that support digestion. This can lead to side effects. Broad-spectrum antibiotics also accelerate the rise of antibiotic resistance – a global health threat that makes infections harder to treat and even puts routine procedures like surgery or cancer therapy at risk.</p><p>There is another challenge: the bacterium that causes chlamydia can alter the biology of our cells. Current antibiotics eliminate the bacteria but not these altered cells, which may contribute to the long-term complications mentioned above.</p><p>To overcome these problems, Barbara Sixt’s research group at Umeå University is exploring new strategies to treat chlamydia more selectively. In our current project, funded by the European Research Council. They focus on the bacterium’s unique growth niche inside human cells – a compartment called the “inclusion.” When the bacterium causing chlamydia infects a person, it enters their cells and hides within this inclusion to escape the cell’s defense systems. These defenses would normally destroy the invader or even trigger “cellular suicide” – the deliberate death of the infected cell – to stop the infection.</p><p>The research group’s goal is to understand how the bacterium maintains the integrity of this protective inclusion. By uncovering these mechanisms, we hope to find ways to destabilize the inclusion, allowing our cell’s natural defenses to fight back. The researchers also aim to learn how to steer the process toward cellular suicide – a strategy that could eliminate both the bacterium and the manipulated cells.</p><p>Ultimately, this research will lay the foundation for innovative treatments that are more sustainable than traditional antibiotics and could also help combat other disease-causing microbes that use similar growth niches.</p><p>The ERC Consolidator Grant is selected by the European Research Council (ERC), which is linked to the European Commission. This means five years of secured funding of up to two million euros. Researchers with 7-12 years of experience since completing their PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise, and an excellent research proposal may be granted the grant.</p><p> </p>/en/news/eu-funding-secures-continued-research-on-chlamydia_12152269//en/news/new-book-on-dark-romanticism_12153286/New book on Dark Romanticism“Dark Romanticism: Literature, Art, and the Body”, is a new book by Silvia Riccardi at Umeå University. The book explores the dark regions of Romantic imagination in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century literature and art.Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:50:46 +0100<p><a href="~/link/c47291a05256448e93700a10445da02b.aspx">Silvia Riccardi</a> begins by telling how her background is rooted in literary studies, with a strong emphasis on visual culture and a comparative approach across text and image.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="9101788c-d853-415b-bd5c-294e6c395238" data-contentname="Silvia Riccardi">{}</div><p>– The archival study undertaken in Switzerland, Germany, and the UK introduced an art-historical dimension to my work that continues to shape how I approach research. It also kindled my interest in how the material presence of books and artworks is being redefined within digital environments.<br> <br>On the question what inspired her to write the book, she says that the initial spark came from William Blake.</p><p>– How could it be that I saw darkness in his most radiant visions but light in the imagery grappling with death? That contrast was there, persistent and unresolved. I wanted to understand how he held those opposites together, and that question became the starting point for the book. Can darkness be visible?</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="48d4b231-d7bc-4fab-b97f-7e4cd6fd22c4" data-contentname="Dark Romanticism">{}</div><h3>Working with three different figures</h3><p>When it comes to the book series: Palgrave Studies in the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Cultures of Print, Silvia Riccardi says that the series foregrounds the material and cultural dimensions of print in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, where literature and other disciplines, including art, medicine, and science intersect.<br> <br>– My book contributes to this conversation by examining how methods of production shape the forms and meanings of literature and art, closely looking at the vibrant intellectual discourse surrounding anatomy and aesthetics at the turn of the century.<br> <br>She continues to say that one of the main challenges was working with three different figures: Henry Fuseli, a painter, Mary Shelley, a novelist, and William Blake, an engraver, poet, and painter.<br> <br>– Blake is particularly hard to place alongside the others, and for a while I even considered writing a book on Blake alone. Bringing him into conversation with Fuseli and Shelley made sense conceptually, but shaping those connections was not easy. <br> <br>– In retrospect, this approach reveals a dark sensibility that emerges across these distinct authors and artists, and the process taught me a great deal about allowing connections to unfold gradually, while also remaining open to unexpected insights and to revisiting some chapters along the way.</p><h3>Move beyond disciplinary boundaries</h3><p>Silvia Riccardi notes that the book is aimed at scholars and students of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature and visual culture, as well as researchers interested in book history, media theory, and Romantic-period art.<br> <br>– It also speaks to readers working on Henry Fuseli, William Blake, and Mary Shelley. Rather than presenting a genre, the book offers a framework for understanding Dark Romanticism as an aesthetic mode that exceeds categories such as the Gothic or fantasy. <br> <br>– More broadly, the book invites readers to move beyond disciplinary boundaries and to consider how a distinctly dark sensibility operates across media at a time when aesthetics and empirical knowledge were both sites of fierce intellectual debate, ideological contention, and revolutionary rethinking.</p>/en/news/new-book-on-dark-romanticism_12153286//en/news/when-crises-amplify-each-other-interdisciplinarity-becomes-crucial_12152792/When Crises Amplify Each Other, Interdisciplinarity Becomes CrucialFor the second year, Umeå Transformation Research Initiative convened researchers from across disciplines for a full-day conference on sustainability and transition.This year’s theme centred on polycrises – how today’s interconnected crises influence and reinforce one another, and why interdisciplinary research is vital to addressing these global challenges.Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:17:39 +0100<p>The conference began with an address by Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University, highlighting the seriousness of a world where global warming is accelerating, wars and security crises unsettle societies, and democracy is challenged in places where it was once unquestioned.</p><p>“Academia has an important role in the complex world we inhabit. Science does not hold all the answers, but our mission is to question, develop knowledge, and contribute solutions. In times of polycrises and emergencies, we must point to new paths forward. Trust in science is high in Sweden, and we must harness that by disseminating knowledge and illuminating problems from multiple perspectives. Conferences like this are one way of doing just that,” said Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="d828e3b7-057f-483e-98d7-3515d4c45494" data-contentname="Tora Eng">{}</div><h3>Small Changes, Big Consequences</h3><p>Anne-Sophie Crépin from the Beijer Institute delivered the keynote address, stressing that we live within complex adaptive systems where changes occur at different speeds, and small shifts can have major consequences.</p><p>“The pandemic was a rapid transformation with immediate impact, but we must also remain alert to slow changes happening quietly. For example, increased precipitation in rainforests can lead to species loss and, over time, create entirely new ecosystems,” explained Crépin, further underscoring that uncertainty is a fundamental factor to consider.</p><p>“We cannot predict every change or control every process, and that is precisely why trust becomes critical. Trust between states, organisations, and individuals is key to sharing knowledge and acting swiftly and in coordination when crises arise. Without it, we risk losing sight of the bigger picture,” said Anne-Sophie Crépin.</p><h3>Different Perspectives on Crises</h3><p>Trust also emerged as a recurring theme in the subsequent panel discussion featuring four researchers from different disciplines: Heidi Burdett, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science; Kristina Sehlin Macneil, Associate Professor and Deputy Director of Várdduo; Niklas Eklund, Professor at the Department of Political Science; and Maria Nilsson, Professor at the Department of Epidemiology and Global Health.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="0cac93af-091f-4c28-ac5d-30b4d9db11f0" data-contentname="Panelists (eng)">{}</div><p>During their introductory presentations, the panellists highlighted diverse perspectives from their respective fields.</p><p>“For Indigenous peoples, crises are deeply intertwined with culture. In Australia, devastating wildfires coincided with the pandemic paralysing the country. Indigenous communities received very little support from the state, and studies have shown increased suffering and declining trust. A similar scenario is unfolding in Kiruna, where the future of reindeer herding and its cultural significance is challenged by mining interests in the name of the so-called ‘green’ transition,” said Kristina Sehlin Macneil.</p><p>Moderator Ola Nordebo posed a question about the future of academic freedom and how funding conditions affect it. Both Heidi Burdett and Maria Nilsson shared experiences of abrupt project funding cuts mid-project, a situation many colleagues have faced.</p><p>“I worry about academic freedom as much as I worry about the climate. It’s complex, and we have an increasingly centralised system that dictates what is considered important for funding and innovation. This development risks limiting diversity in research and, in the long run, undermining our ability to tackle global challenges,” explained Niklas Eklund.</p><h3>A Broad Picture of the Research Landscape</h3><p>The conference also featured research posters from various disciplines. One was presented by Lieuwe Jan Hettema, a doctoral student in linguistics, who illustrated the complexity of developing language policies for Sámi in Swedish municipalities.</p><p>“I realised during the keynote how closely my work connects to the discussion on polycrises. By focusing on local language policy processes, I see that climate, language, and politics are tightly interlinked. To build resilience and social sustainability, it is crucial for municipalities to give the Sámi people influence over activities that affect them.”</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="621d1fbf-439f-4d43-b3e1-e2e21bd2a6f8" data-contentname="Posters eng">{}</div><p><br>The afternoon was devoted to parallel sessions where participants could choose different tracks. Topics included understanding Northvolt’s bankruptcy as a polycrisis, how climate change affects our perceptions of weather and seasons, and how disease outbreaks can be understood in relation to climate and economics.</p><p>Together, the sessions provided a broad picture of polycrises and how they are addressed from different research perspectives, spanning local societal challenges to global systemic transformations.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="53dca1b4-cb74-44c8-b84d-2c4c0d5cfa2e" data-contentname="Faktaruta feedback eng">{}</div>/en/news/when-crises-amplify-each-other-interdisciplinarity-becomes-crucial_12152792//en/news/the-arctic-six-strengthens-research-at-umea-university_12152698/The Arctic Six strengthens research at Umeå UniversityIn 2022, The Arctic Six introduced a new two-year fellowship programme for mid-to-senior career researchers to develop new collaborations in the Nordic region. Through the Chairs Programme, researchers from the alliance of six universities received support to create new networks and projects, further strengthening the Arctic research environment.Mon, 08 Dec 2025 08:00:09 +0100<p class="quote-center">The Arctic Six is a strategically important part of Umeå University’s work to advance research and education in the Arctic.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">A strategic platform in the North</h2><p>The Arctic Six is a collaboration between six northern universities working together to strengthen research, education and cooperation across the Arctic. Through initiatives such as the Chairs Programme, the alliance has deepened academic exchange and laid the foundation for new projects and partnerships. In doing so, the collaboration has reinforced Umeå University’s position internationally and strengthened opportunities for continued joint development.</p><p>The two-year Arctic Six Chairs fellowship (2022–2024) saw fourteen research leaders organise more than sixty workshops and participate in over one hundred meetings. They collaborated to submit fifty-eight joint research proposals and together secured approximately € 35 million in external funding. Each euro invested in the programme has generated more than thirty euros in new funding – demonstrating the programme’s leverage effect.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="2b49e637-e98b-46c8-a930-fcaebdb81e42" data-contentname="Cathrine Norberg">{}</div><p>Cathrine Norberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, emphasises:<br>“The Arctic Six is a strategically important part of Umeå University’s work to advance research and education in the Arctic. The Chairs Programme demonstrates how long-term collaboration can foster academic cooperation and enhance our international presence. It helps us create the conditions for new knowledge that benefits the region and the wider Arctic community.”</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Results that point the way forward</h2><p>The Chairs Programme has led to significant scientific achievements and established a growing framework for collaboration in Arctic health, education, tourism, Indigenous studies, and governance. In addition, several participants have developed joint courses, publications and long-term partnerships that continue to strengthen northern cooperation.</p><p>“For researchers at Umeå University, the Arctic Six Chairs has opened new paths for international collaboration and external funding. The initiative has made it possible to pursue larger and interdisciplinary projects, which in turn enhances research quality and the university’s Arctic profile,” says Keith Larson, Director of the Arctic Centre.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">From experience to development</h2><p>The Arctic Centre has played a key role in coordinating Umeå University’s engagement within Arctic Six and in increasing the university’s visibility in the northern research landscape. By creating connections between researchers, faculties and leadership, the Centre has strengthened internal collaboration and strategic presence within the network.</p><p class="quote-center">The first round of Arctic Six Chairs shows that northern collaboration is not only possible – it is powerful.</p><p>The evaluation now points to the next steps – clearer support structures and more targeted communication – elements that together provide the foundation for the next phase of development.</p><p>“The first round of Arctic Six Chairs shows that northern collaboration is not only possible – it is powerful. We are now building on these experiences to develop the next phase with a stronger structure and continued focus on supporting our researchers,” says Johanne Raade, Director of The Arctic Six.</p><p>Through the work within The Arctic Six, it has become clear how international collaboration can be translated into tangible outcomes – for researchers and the university. The experiences gained through the Chairs Programme highlight the value of long-term structures, shared learning and mutual trust – factors that now shape the foundation for the continued development of the collaboration.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="76c32add-c398-4dcd-a846-740a690fd5be" data-contentname="Hans Pettersson">{}</div><p>Hans Pettersson served as an Arctic Six Chair (2022–2024) and reflects:</p><p>“During my time as Chair of The Arctic Six, what struck me most was how quickly genuine collaboration emerges once researchers have the chance to meet regularly. Trust grows, ideas take shape, and suddenly you’re working together on a proposal none of you could have created alone. That’s the real strength of the Chairs Programme – it gives us the time and continuity to turn shared ideas into something substantial.”</p><p>With approximately 41,500 students and 4,600 employees, Umeå University is the largest Arctic university in the Nordic region and one of the most productive universities globally in Arctic research. Through The Arctic Six and initiatives such as the Chairs Programme, the university continues to deepen its role as a driving force in international collaboration and to strengthen the conditions for new knowledge about and for the Arctic.</p>/en/news/the-arctic-six-strengthens-research-at-umea-university_12152698//en/news/catherine-bellini-receives-the-rosens-linnaeus-prize-in-botany_12152386/Catherine Bellini receives the Roséns Linnaeus Prize in Botany On Tuesday this week, Catherine Bellini was awarded the Roséns Linnaeus Prize in Botany by the Royal Physiographic Society of Lund. She received the prize for her research on adventitious roots and carbon allocation and her strong commitment to promoting international scientific collaboration. Catherine Bellini shares the award with Alexandre Antonelli, professor at the University of Gothenburg.Wed, 03 Dec 2025 17:44:18 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/2992b621aa3244f28f8b2bf751250785/upsc_9821_240404_mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2992b621aa3244f28f8b2bf751250785/upsc_9821_240404_mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2992b621aa3244f28f8b2bf751250785/upsc_9821_240404_mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/2992b621aa3244f28f8b2bf751250785/upsc_9821_240404_mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2992b621aa3244f28f8b2bf751250785/upsc_9821_240404_mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2992b621aa3244f28f8b2bf751250785/upsc_9821_240404_mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Catherine Bellini combines research in Sweden and France to advance understanding of plant growth and adaptation.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Catherine Bellini’s research spans two main areas, reflecting her dual affiliation: she is professor at Umeå University and Director of Research in Sylvie Dinant’s group at the Jean-Pierre Bourgin Institute (IJPB), part of the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) in Versailles, France.</p><p>In Umeå, Catherine Bellini and her team study how plants develop adventitious roots - roots that grow from stems or leaves, such as those formed when new plants are grown from stem cuttings. They identified key genes controlling this process in the small model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and applied this knowledge to trees such as hybrid aspen, hybrid poplar and Norway spruce, which are important species for forestry.</p><p>In France, her research focusses on how plants transport sugars and allocate carbon, processes that are essential for growth and survival. She investigates how these mechanisms influence plant development and help plants adapt to their environment.</p><p class="quote-center">This award recognises more than twenty years of teamwork. I would therefore like to thank all the students and postdocs who joined my group and contributed.</p><p>Using her dual roles, Catherine Bellini has coordinated long-term collaborations between Umeå Plant Science Centre and INRAE. This collaboration was later expanded to the trilateral INUPRAG cooperation which also includes the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics in Barcelona. These partnerships have strengthened international research collaborations, enabled the exchange of young scientists and resulted in more than 200 scientific publications.</p><p>“I am very honoured to receive this prize”, says Catherine Bellini. “This award recognises more than twenty years of teamwork. I would therefore like to thank all the students and postdocs who joined my group and contributed. I would also like to thank Umeå Plant Science Centre and the IJPB at INRAE for the excellent research environment they provided us with.”</p><p>The Roséns Linnaeus Prizes in Botany and Zoology have been awarded every three years since 1935 to researchers who are resident in Sweden who are considered highly deserving by the Royal Physiographic Society of Lund. This year’s prizes were presented at the society’s annual meeting in Lund on December 2nd.</p>/en/news/catherine-bellini-receives-the-rosens-linnaeus-prize-in-botany_12152386//en/news/johan-trygg-elected-member-of-science-academy_12152271/Johan Trygg elected member of science academyJohan Trygg, professor of chemometrics at Umeå University, has been elected a new member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, IVA.Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:31:32 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/792a962e4e754c9aaf5801da84f806a1/johan_trygg_photo_22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/792a962e4e754c9aaf5801da84f806a1/johan_trygg_photo_22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/792a962e4e754c9aaf5801da84f806a1/johan_trygg_photo_22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/792a962e4e754c9aaf5801da84f806a1/johan_trygg_photo_22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/792a962e4e754c9aaf5801da84f806a1/johan_trygg_photo_22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/792a962e4e754c9aaf5801da84f806a1/johan_trygg_photo_22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Johan Trygg.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Billy Lindberg</span></div></div><p>Johan Trygg works at the Department of Chemistry developing chemometrics, that is, how statistical and mathematical methods can be used to understand chemical data. He is now one of the researchers representing Umeå University within IVA.</p><p>IVA is the world’s oldest engineering sciences academy and consists of just over 1,300 members with broad expertise in technology, economics and industry.</p><p>“It feels both honouring and highly inspiring. Honourable because my mentor, Professor Svante Wold, was elected to the same IVA division, and inspiring because IVA brings together some of Sweden’s most influential figures in research, technology and industry. Being part of that network gives me an opportunity to contribute to discussions where future innovations and research systems are shaped. It is a significant recognition – both professionally and personally,” says Johan Trygg.</p><p>As a member of IVA, he will join the Chemical Engineering Division – one of the academy’s twelve divisions. The division works to analyse and promote issues concerning how chemistry-based knowledge can help support sustainable development, both economically and environmentally.</p><p>“We are in the midst of a technological revolution where AI, simulations and data-driven models are rapidly transforming how we develop new materials, design industrial processes and create tomorrow’s pharmaceuticals,” he says.</p><p>Johan Trygg emphasises that IVA plays an important role in bringing together academia, industry and the technology sector to build a shared direction. With experience from both academia and the international pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, he wants to build bridges and help ensure that research delivers real benefits for patients.</p><p>“I want to contribute with a clear future-oriented perspective in which AI, digital biosimulations and omics technologies become a natural part of everyday work and drive innovation in chemical engineering, life science and drug development,” he says.</p><p><a href="https://www.iva.se/en/published/IVA-strengthens-with-new-members-Here-is-the-list/?epslanguage=en">Full list of IVA’s new members</a></p>/en/news/johan-trygg-elected-member-of-science-academy_12152271//en/news/three-umea-researchers-appointed-wallenberg-academy-fellows_12152121/<description>The three researchers Andreas Kohler, Assistant Professor at the Department of Medical Chemistry and Biophysics, Max Renner, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry, and Markus Ludwig, currently working at the Université du Luxembourg in Luxembourg, have all been appointed Wallenberg Academy Fellows, which means they will receive funding for their research for five years.</description><pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2025 19:33:11 +0100</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/holmberg-tora-5521-250403-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/holmberg-tora-5521-250403-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/holmberg-tora-5521-250403-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/holmberg-tora-5521-250403-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/holmberg-tora-5521-250403-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/holmberg-tora-5521-250403-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University. Photo: Mattias Pettersson</p></div></div><p>"I believe that these three young researchers represent much of what Umeå University stands for at its best – their research is innovative, ambitious and in fields that have a promising future. It is both an honour and a pleasure that the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is recognising these young stars and giving them the opportunity to work undisturbed for several years. This initiative will lead to high-quality research that also contributes to a better world," says Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University.</p><p>The grant gives young researchers an opportunity to contribute new, groundbreaking knowledge by tackling difficult and long-term research questions. Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences assist the Foundation by reviewing applications and helping with the selection process. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences also runs the mentoring programme in which the selected researchers participate.</p><p>Cell’s power plants are called mitochondria. Andreas Kohler will investigate how cells maintain the quality of their mitochondria. The aim is to understand why mitochondrial function starts to decline as we age and in certain age-related conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/andreas_kohler2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/andreas_kohler2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/andreas_kohler2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/andreas_kohler2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/andreas_kohler2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/andreas_kohler2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Andreas Kohler, Assistant Professor at the Department of Medical Chemistry and Biophysics. Photo: Verena Kohler</p></div></div><p>"I am thrilled to be selected as a Wallenberg Academy Fellow! This support allows our team to start a project we have long envisioned: uncovering how mitochondria keep their proteins in good shape. These processes are crucial for cellular energy supply and overall cell health. By combining this work with our ongoing studies on mitochondrial decline during ageing and age-related diseases, we aim to build a complete picture of mitochondrial health and its breakdown. Thanks to the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, we can unite curiosity-driven research with societal impact, laying the groundwork for discoveries that could transform our understanding of ageing and disease.“, says Andreas Kohler.</p><p>Max Renner will map in 3D how a childhood respiratory virus hijacks our lung cells and forms molecular factories that mass-produce new viruses. The goal is to develop strategies for switching off the virus production and preventing the virus from spreading further.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/22120fc033c14cc5be172d3cb4252c9d/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Max Renner, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry. Photo: Mattias Pettersson</p></div></div><p>“The support is a game-changer for our team and will allow us to tackle how virus replication works in realistic tissues on a molecular level – and where it is vulnerable to therapeutic intervention.”, says Max Renner.</p><p>The third researcher, Markus Ludwig, is currently working at the University of Luxembourg in Luxembourg, but will be joining Umeå University and he is exploring a new way of powering electronics, where ultrashort pulses of laser light generate electric currents inside nanomaterials. The project aims to lay the foundations of a completely new type of electronics, with a potential that far exceeds what we have today.</p></atom:content><link>/en/news/three-umea-researchers-appointed-wallenberg-academy-fellows_12152121/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/umea-researchers-aim-to-reveal-how-viruses-build-their-factories_12152022/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/umea-researchers-aim-to-reveal-how-viruses-build-their-factories_12152022/</guid><title>Umeå researchers aim to reveal how viruses build their factoriesMax Renner at Umeå University receives SEK 10 million from the Swedish Research Council for a project that will uncover how dangerous viruses build tiny factories inside our cells. Using cryo-electron microscopy, the researchers hope to understand how these viruses copy themselves – knowledge that could prove crucial in combating future outbreaks. Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:17:18 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareleft"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5542-250212-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Max Renner, assistant professor at the Department of Chemistry.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Certain viruses such as pneumoviruses, which cause respiratory infections, and the rarer but deadly henipaviruses, build small “viral factories” inside human cells. These structures gather everything the virus needs to multiply and spread. Yet what actually happens inside them remains largely unknown.</p><p>This is something Max Renner, assistant professor at the Department of Chemistry, now aims to change with his newly funded project.</p><p>“We are trying to figure out how these viruses work, down to the molecular level. Using advanced cryo-electron microscopy at cryogenic temperatures, we can see these processes in 3D inside frozen cells at extremely high resolution,” he says.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Synthetic proteins can slow down the virus</h2><p>The project will map what viral factories look like, how they work, how their key components move and interact, and how their structures vary between different types of viruses. The researchers will also use synthetic proteins, designed with machine-learning approaches, to stop or slow down the virus machinery.</p><p>“We are currently just beginning to understand the internal structure of viral factories and how the virus’s copying machinery works inside actual human cells. This knowledge gap makes it difficult to develop targeted antivirals in cases where vaccines are not available,” says Max Renner.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Strengthens preparedness for future outbreaks</h2><p>By uncovering how these viruses replicate, hide from the immune system, and hijack our cells, the project will improve our ability to fight future viral threats. At the same time, there is potential to discover entirely new biological structures.</p><p>“The exploration of viral factories is just getting started. This means we may find mechanism no one has seen before,” says Max Renner.</p><p>Support from the Swedish Research Council now enables the research group to take important steps towards a deeper understanding of how viruses function – and, ultimately, how they can be stopped.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5522-250212-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5522-250212-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5522-250212-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5522-250212-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5522-250212-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f4a16bb575084f84a70f076847b44a72/max_renner_lab_5522-250212-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Max Renner with his research group: Rupesh Balaji Jayachandran, Erwan Quignon, Marcus Sundqvist, Kajsa Westberg and Jane Corwin.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div>/en/news/umea-researchers-aim-to-reveal-how-viruses-build-their-factories_12152022//en/news/critical-microbes-building-a-national-infection-research-infrastructure-inspired-by-denmark_12151786/Critical Microbes: Building a national infection research infrastructure inspired by DenmarkInfection researcher Anne-Marie Fors Connolly has been awarded SEK 500,000 in investment funding from the ALF Committee to continue developing a national database infrastructure that will enable more researchers to study critical infectious diseases.Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:30:56 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/a61943d648404a81a13a412f8f8c3c39/fors_conolly_anne-marie_9869_220405_hkn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/a61943d648404a81a13a412f8f8c3c39/fors_conolly_anne-marie_9869_220405_hkn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/a61943d648404a81a13a412f8f8c3c39/fors_conolly_anne-marie_9869_220405_hkn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/a61943d648404a81a13a412f8f8c3c39/fors_conolly_anne-marie_9869_220405_hkn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/a61943d648404a81a13a412f8f8c3c39/fors_conolly_anne-marie_9869_220405_hkn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/a61943d648404a81a13a412f8f8c3c39/fors_conolly_anne-marie_9869_220405_hkn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Anne-Marie Fors Connolly investigates both acute and long-term complications after infections by analyzing whole population data.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">I hope more research groups will recognize the importance of studying how infections affect public health</p><p>“Improving patient care is what drives me,” says Anne-Marie Fors Connolly, specialist physician and associate professor at the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University.</p><p>The research infrastructure Critical Microbes integrates test results from clinical microbiology laboratories with outcomes of infectious diseases across Sweden. By collecting and coordinating population-wide data, including socioeconomic, demographic, and clinical variables, it becomes possible to map how infectious diseases impact public health, work capacity, and societal costs.</p><p>“It is an interdisciplinary effort that combines advanced statistical methods with clinical expertise to identify risk factors, optimize treatment strategies, and generate robust, evidence-based knowledge,” Anne-Marie Fors Connolly explains.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Patient centred improvement in focus</h2><p>The idea for the infrastructure came from Denmark, where all test results are centralized in real time in a surveillance database. This makes it possible to monitor how infections affect the country.</p><p>“In Sweden, we do not have the same capability, as only positive results for notifiable infections are centralized. I want to create an infrastructure where test results from all clinical microbiology laboratories in Sweden are historically collected. These will be linked to the population database already maintained by my research group, creating a connection between infection test results and patient outcomes across the entire population,” says Anne-Marie Fors Connolly.</p><p>Other research groups with ethically approved projects will be able to request data for their studies. This will make it possible to conduct research on critical infectious diseases for many years to come.</p><p>“I hope more research groups will recognize the importance of studying how infections affect public health. It is a crucial foundation for designing targeted preventive measures and improving patient care,” Anne-Marie Fors Connolly adds.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Learning from Denmark</h2><p>The investment funds will enable continued development of Critical Microbes. Anne-Marie Fors Connolly will also visit the Statens Serum Institut in Denmark to learn from their experience.</p><p>“It is the only place in the world with such an infection database, so their insights are extremely valuable.”</p><p>Critical Microbes is also supported by <a href="https://www.scilifelab.se/news/four-collaborative-projects-selected-in-the-rdcp-call/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SciLifeLab/RDCP</a> with SEK 1 million and <a href="https://www.scilifelab.se/strategic-areas/pandemic-laboratory-preparedness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pandemic Laboratory Preparedness</a> with SEK 1.98 million.</p>/en/news/critical-microbes-building-a-national-infection-research-infrastructure-inspired-by-denmark_12151786//en/news/in-memory-of-dieter-k.-muller_12151607/In Memory of Dieter MüllerOn November 20, Professor Dieter Müller passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. He was affiliated with the Department of Geography and served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University for nine years. His colleagues at the department have written an obituary in his memory.Thu, 27 Nov 2025 16:42:27 +0100<p>It is with deep sorrow and a profound sense of loss that we acknowledge that Professor Dieter K. Müller (1968–2025) is no longer with us. Dieter had been part of the Department of Geography at Umeå University since 1993. He first came to Umeå as an exchange student from Germany and graduated from Umeå University in 1992. He then began his doctoral studies in human geography, focusing his dissertation on Germans purchasing second homes in Sweden. He earned his PhD in 1999 and later became Associate Professor in 2004. In 2007, he was appointed Professor of Human Geography. Dieter went on to serve as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences from 2011 to 2016 and subsequently as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University from 2016 to 2025.</p><p>Dieter had a rare ability to truly see people and care for others. As a supervisor, he was deeply committed to his doctoral students, always taking time to discuss, reflect, and talk about research—as well as life in general. He was humble in his work. Dieter possessed an exceptional drive as a researcher, with a keen interest in society at large and a strong desire to influence and improve it. In academia, he established himself as a respected name and earned significant international recognition for his contributions to the development of research on tourism and geography.</p><p>He served for eight years as Chair of the International Geographical Union’s Commission on Tourism, Leisure and Global Change. In 2018, he received the Roy Wolfe Award from the American Association of Geographers for his outstanding contributions to tourism geography. In 2023, he was elected as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.</p><p>Dieter built a creative research environment around him and established the Department of Geography at Umeå University as one of the leading centers for tourism research in Sweden and the Nordic region. He always spoke highly of Umeå and Umeå University, becoming an ambassador not only for Umeå but for all of northern Sweden. His network within academia and beyond was extensive, and many will miss his simplicity, clarity, and sharp intellect.</p><p>Our grief is profound, but we are grateful for the time we shared. Thank you for everything you gave us as a colleague and friend.</p><p><em>Colleagues at the Department of Geography, Umeå University</em></p><p> </p><h3>Memorial service</h3><p>A memorial gathering will be held on Thursday, December 4 at 16:00 in Rotundan, Umeå University. No registration is required. There will be an opportunity to share a memory during the event. If you cannot attend but wish to express your condolences with flowers or a telegram, please contact Sara Rambe, Secretary to the University Management.</p><p><br>Contact details:<br>sara.rambe@ͯ��Ƶ, +46 (0)90-786 63 78</p>/en/news/in-memory-of-dieter-k.-muller_12151607//en/news/calcium-sensitive-switch-boosts-the-efficacy-of-cancer-drugs_12151385/Calcium-sensitive switch boosts the efficacy of cancer drugsCancer-fighting antibody drugs are designed to penetrate tumor cells and release a lethal payload deep within, but too often they don’t make it that far. A new study shows how this Trojan Horse strategy works better by exploiting calcium differences outside and inside cells.Wed, 26 Nov 2025 08:37:50 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/cancer_cell3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/cancer_cell3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/cancer_cell3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/cancer_cell3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/cancer_cell3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/cancer_cell3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The calcium-regulated protein drug (green) and tumor cell receptors (red) have bonded and internalization is underway, 40 seconds after administration.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>KTH</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">The calcium switch is built into the drug design</p><p>A research team from KTH, Stanford University and Umeå University has developed a calcium activated delivery system that could enable more precise treatment, with lower doses and less collateral damage to healthy tissue. The results have been published in PNAS, the journal of the National Academy of Sciences.</p><p>The concept takes aim at a common challenge with targeted drugs, which tend to cling too tightly to receptors expressed by tumors. On the positive side, that strong bond blocks receptors’ tumor growth signals. But ADCs (Antibody–Drug Conjugates) are also meant to attack and kill, and too often the protein can become stuck without ever penetrating deeper into the cell’s real intended goal: an acidic compartment called the lysosome. There, in the kill zone, the targeting protein can be broken down, thus unleashing toxin that causes cell death. </p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Calcium dependent bond</h2><p>To avoid that problem, the researchers developed a calcium-sensitive switch that binds strongly to the cancer cell receptor on the outside of the cell where relatively high calcium concentrations are found, in the blood and the extracellular fluid.</p><p>Once bound together, the drug-loaded protein (or calcium-regulated affinity, CaRA) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are pulled inside the cell, into compartments with gradually lower levels of calcium. And because their bond is calcium dependent, the receptor and CaRA eventually go their separate ways: the receptor can recycle back to the membrane, while CaRA continues carrying its payload toward the lysosome.</p><p>“The calcium switch is built into the drug design. It senses calcium levels and changes its grip automatically,” says Sophia Hober, professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology who led the study.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareleft"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/wolf-watz_magnus_5367_180823_soj3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/wolf-watz_magnus_5367_180823_soj3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/wolf-watz_magnus_5367_180823_soj3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/wolf-watz_magnus_5367_180823_soj3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/wolf-watz_magnus_5367_180823_soj3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/wolf-watz_magnus_5367_180823_soj3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>From Umeå University, Professor Magnus Wolf-Watz's group participated in the study published in PNAS.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Very selective molecule</h2><p>The study was performed on living human cancer cell lines, using a payload of the cytotoxin, mertansine DM1. The drug conjugate showed a very high potency and it is highly selective—it only killed cells that overexpress EGFR, leaving healthy or low-EGFR cells unharmed. The researchers emphasize that this shows specific targeting and a strong therapeutic window, which is critical for reducing side effects.</p><p>Leon Schierholz, a doctoral student in Magnus Wolf-Watz's research group at Umeå University, has determined a low-resolution structure of the complex between CaRA; and the extracellular domain of the EGFR receptor. The structure has been determined to a resolution of approximately 6 Å using the single particle cryoEM technique on data collected at the Umeå Centre for Electron Microscopy, UCEM, at Umeå University.</p><p>The structure provides a fundamental molecular understanding of the high affinity of the complex.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareleft"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/schierholz_leon_7646_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/schierholz_leon_7646_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/schierholz_leon_7646_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/schierholz_leon_7646_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/schierholz_leon_7646_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/537a9baf518e425da349a2beb26f17dd/schierholz_leon_7646_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Doctoral student Léon Schierholz has spent many hours at the large microscope at the UCEM technology platform at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Next step an atomic model</h2><p>“We are now moving forward and aiming to come up with a high-resolution structure with a resolution below 3.5 Å that can allow us to make an atomic model that can be used to further improve the properties of CaRA. The data is of very good quality for this relatively small complex,” says Leon Schierholz, who in this context wants to put the spotlight on his colleague Max Renner, who is highly involved in completing the atomic model.</p>/en/news/calcium-sensitive-switch-boosts-the-efficacy-of-cancer-drugs_12151385//en/news/representing-umea-university-in-an-international-programming-competition_12149645/<description>In a few days, three students from the Department of Computing Science will travel to Karlsruhe, Germany, to represent Umeå University at the programming competition NWERC (North-Western European Regional Contest). The event will take place on November 28–30 and is a regional round of the international programming competition ICPC (International Collegiate Programming Contest).</description><pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2025 09:43:54 +0100</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/bb0331a5d5934af58eddf8521404c8f9/studenter-datavetenskap4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/bb0331a5d5934af58eddf8521404c8f9/studenter-datavetenskap4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/bb0331a5d5934af58eddf8521404c8f9/studenter-datavetenskap4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/bb0331a5d5934af58eddf8521404c8f9/studenter-datavetenskap4.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/bb0331a5d5934af58eddf8521404c8f9/studenter-datavetenskap4.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/bb0331a5d5934af58eddf8521404c8f9/studenter-datavetenskap4.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p><span class="photo" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Image</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Jenny Karlsson</span></p></div></div><p class="quote-center">When you’ve been stuck on something for a long time and finally get it to work, that’s the best part of programming.</p><p>Ture Goldkuhl, Algot Heimerson, and Simon Cederfjärd are all studying at Umeå University and also work as teaching assistants at the Department of Computing Science. They recently competed in the Swedish Programming Championship, which also serves as the Nordic Championships. At that competition, they participated in different teams, but afterward decided to join forces and register together for NWERC, meaning they will represent Umeå University in Germany.</p><p>NWERC is a programming competition where teams from universities across Northwestern Europe attempt to solve a series of algorithmic problems. Each team aims to solve as many problems as possible within a five-hour time limit. Submissions are sent to an automated judging system that evaluates the solutions. The difficulty level of each task is not indicated, which means strategy plays a major role.</p><p>– The problems aren’t sorted, so you need to scan through everything and try to start with the easiest tasks to use the time efficiently, says Ture.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Preparations for the competition</h2><p>The group is preparing by working on developing a shared method and using their individual strengths effectively. Simon, who has a background in mathematics, often handles the theoretic problem-solving, while Algot and Ture focus more on programming.</p><p>– When you’ve been stuck on something for a long time and finally get it to work, that’s the best part of programming, says Ture with agreement from both Algot and Simon.</p><p>– We always solve the problems on paper first before we start writing any code, Simon explains. If you sit down at the computer immediately, it’s easy to get stuck and end up having to rewrite a lot afterward.</p><p>To prepare, they practice using competition tasks from previous years. They also highlight the course Applied Algorithmic Problem Solving as especially useful, since it includes tools and assignments similar to the competition format. All three are looking forward to traveling to Germany and putting their skills to the test in an international setting.</p><p>– It feels really exciting! We don’t have any specific expectations about the results, we’re mostly going for the experience, says Algot.</p></atom:content><link>/en/news/representing-umea-university-in-an-international-programming-competition_12149645/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/new-influenza-variant-could-make-the-winter-season-extra-demanding_12151119/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/new-influenza-variant-could-make-the-winter-season-extra-demanding_12151119/</guid><title>New influenza variant could make the winter season extra demandingA new influenza strain, the K variant, is spreading across Europe and detected in Sweden. It is a subtype of influenza A (H3N2) and raises concern as it causes more severe symptoms and spreads faster than previous strains. This year’s flu vaccine is not fully adapted to protect against it, according to the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.Fri, 21 Nov 2025 13:56:15 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c566c9478ff0441692f493015c7fc3cd/arnberg_niklas_3979_210922_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c566c9478ff0441692f493015c7fc3cd/arnberg_niklas_3979_210922_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c566c9478ff0441692f493015c7fc3cd/arnberg_niklas_3979_210922_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c566c9478ff0441692f493015c7fc3cd/arnberg_niklas_3979_210922_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c566c9478ff0441692f493015c7fc3cd/arnberg_niklas_3979_210922_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c566c9478ff0441692f493015c7fc3cd/arnberg_niklas_3979_210922_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Niklas Arnberg, professor at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå university, says the K variant makes it especially important this year for older adults and people in risk groups to get vaccinated ahead of the flu season. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">there is extra reason to get vaccinated this year</p><p>“Symptoms resemble classic influenza with high fever, chills, headache, dry cough, and muscle pain, but they may be more pronounced with this variant,” Niklas Arnberg explains.</p><p>The K variant has been linked to an early start of the flu season in several countries, and experts warn that this season could be tougher than usual. Although the vaccine offers less protection against infection with the K variant, Arnberg emphasizes that vaccination remains important: </p><p>“The vaccine likely provides somewhat weaker protection against the K variant than we would like, but it is by no means ineffective. It also protects against other circulating influenza strains and reduces the risk of severe illness, which is particularly important for older adults and those in risk groups.”</p><p>To reduce transmission, good hand hygiene, sneezing into your elbow, and avoiding close contact with elderly or vulnerable individuals when symptomatic are recommended. However, Niklas Arnberg does not believe society will need to impose restrictions or other measures. </p><p>“But I do think there is extra reason to get vaccinated this year, thus more reason than in previous years,” he adds.</p>/en/news/new-influenza-variant-could-make-the-winter-season-extra-demanding_12151119//en/news/dieter-muller-has-suddenly-passed-away_12151130/Dieter Müller has suddenly passed awayDieter Müller, Professor at the Department of Geography and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Thursday, 20 November.Fri, 21 Nov 2025 12:51:10 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/6c409d68c07f4cb68b7cb68d3a75ebfc/muller_dieter_5251_211006_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6c409d68c07f4cb68b7cb68d3a75ebfc/muller_dieter_5251_211006_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6c409d68c07f4cb68b7cb68d3a75ebfc/muller_dieter_5251_211006_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/6c409d68c07f4cb68b7cb68d3a75ebfc/muller_dieter_5251_211006_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6c409d68c07f4cb68b7cb68d3a75ebfc/muller_dieter_5251_211006_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6c409d68c07f4cb68b7cb68d3a75ebfc/muller_dieter_5251_211006_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Dieter Müller died suddenly and unexpectedly on 20 November 2025.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Dieter Müller served as Professor of Human Geography at the Department of Geography and his research focus was on tourism and regional development.</p><p>He was Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences from 2011–2016 and thereafter took the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor in the University Management with responsibility for research and doctoral education in the social sciences and humanities from 2016–2025. Beside those roles, he was also member of several boards, networks and committees both within and beyond Umeå University.  <br> <br>“It is with great sadness that we have received the news that Dieter is no longer with us. I know that Dieter was a highly committed and well-regarded colleague who made a lasting impact both at the University and in society. My thoughts are especially with Dieter’s immediate family and with everyone who have worked with him in any of his roles here at the University,” says Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University.  </p><p>On Monday, 24 November, the flag will be flown at half-mast on Campus Umeå in his memory.</p><p>Dieter Müller was 57 years old when he passed.</p>/en/news/dieter-muller-has-suddenly-passed-away_12151130//en/news/kbc-days-2025-bridges-disciplines_12150919/KBC DAYS 2025 bridges disciplines to explore life and nature across scalesLast week, the annual conference organised by Chemical Biological Centre (KBC) at Umeå University and SLU, gathered over 360 participants for two intensive days of knowledge exchange, networking, and celebrating the year’s achievements. This year’s theme, “Bridging Scales: from Quantum to Cosmos”, united discussions on how advances in physics, chemistry, life and Earth and planetary sciences can intersect to address fundamental questions about matter, life, and the universe.Tue, 02 Dec 2025 18:38:10 +0100<p>Since 2009, the KBC DAYS conference has offered a platform for knowledge exchange among researchers from different departments and disciplines, while also highlighting research achievements, awards, and new faculty members within the KBC community.</p><p><em>“I wasn’t sure I would understand the different topics in the programme, but the speakers did a wonderful job communicating their science, and I found myself engaged in every talk throughout both days — it was all very interesting”</em>, says Edoardo Piombo from Umeå Plant Science Centre. He was one of the attendees at the KBC DAYS 2025 who enjoyed the event’s strong multidisciplinary atmosphere.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_opening.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_opening.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_opening.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_opening.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_opening.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_opening.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>This year's main scientific theme was "Bridging Scales: from Quantum to Cosmos," serving as a central focus for discussions on different scales of scientific research and on analysing and applying research findings across various scales and dimensions. The choice of this theme was also influenced by the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ 2025). In this photo, Lars-Anders Carlson and Stefan Björklund, both members of the scientific organising committee, are opening the conference in the Carl Kempe lecture hall at KBC.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><h3><strong>The multidisciplinary programme highlights</strong></h3><p>Within the theme “Bridging Scales: from Quantum to Cosmos”, the invited keynote speakers showcased cutting-edge research spanning across the scales from quantum biology to remote sensing and machine learning in landscape analysis, and to comparative planetology.</p><p>At the far end of the spectrum, Clarice D. Aiello, a leading expert in quantum biology, reviewed experimental evidence for quantum phenomena in biological systems, discussed proposed biophysical mechanisms, and highlighted their potential implications for technology, therapeutics, and our understanding of life across scales.</p><p>Reflecting on her talk, Assistant Professor Nicolò Maccaferri, a member of the scientific organising committee, commented:</p><p><em>“Clarice’s research at the intersection of physics and biology aims to confirm or refute the ‘Quantum Biology Hypothesis’, which suggests quantum states last long enough inside cells to be biologically relevant. If proven true, this way of approaching biology and biological problems could revolutionise our way of seeing and understanding life as we know it.”</em></p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_clarice_aiello.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_clarice_aiello.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_clarice_aiello.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_clarice_aiello.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_clarice_aiello.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_clarice_aiello.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Clarice D. Aiello, founder of the Quantum Biology Ecosystem and CSO of the Quantum Biology Institute, USA, is conversing with conference participants after her inspiring keynote lecture “Quantum Biology: How nature might be optimized to harness quantum mechanics”.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><p>At the other extreme of the presented scale, Stephanie Werner from the Centre for Planetary Habitability at the University of Oslo explored current methods for detecting exoplanets, their surprising diversity, and the challenges of defining and identifying Earth-like habitability across evolving planetary systems.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_stephanie_werner.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_stephanie_werner.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_stephanie_werner.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_stephanie_werner.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_stephanie_werner.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_stephanie_werner.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Professor Stephanie Werner, from the Department of Geosciences at the Centre for Planetary Habitability, University of Oslo, is delivering her keynote lecture titled "Exoplanets, near and far, small and rare, large and plenty?".</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><h3><strong>With a focus on young researchers</strong></h3><p>The KBC DAYS traditionally give PhD students a chance to present their projects through a short “elevator talk” and/or a poster to a broad, multidisciplinary scientific community, sharpening their science communication skills. The best talk, selected by the evaluation committee, was awarded a travel voucher sponsored by the Umeå-based company Agrisera, while the best poster, as voted by the participants, received the prize from SciLifeLab Umeå.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_talk_hanna_jerndal.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_talk_hanna_jerndal.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_talk_hanna_jerndal.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_talk_hanna_jerndal.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_talk_hanna_jerndal.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_talk_hanna_jerndal.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Hanna Jerndal, from the Department of Clinical Microbiology, receives the Agrisera award for her outstanding “Elevator talk” presentation at KBC DAYS 2025, titled “Longitudinal Assessment of Tubular and Glomerular Kidney Function After COVID-19 – a prospective cohort study”. In the photo, Hanna is with Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund from Agrisera and Stefan Björklund, scientific coordinator of KBC.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_poster_mingyu_liu.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_poster_mingyu_liu.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_poster_mingyu_liu.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_poster_mingyu_liu.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_poster_mingyu_liu.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_best_poster_mingyu_liu.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Mingyu Liu from the Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC) receives the prize for the best poster titled “Light-dependent modulation of sustained quenching during overwintering in Pinus koraiensis seedlings”.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><p>On the second day of the conference, a panel discussion organised by the Umeå Postdoc Society drew significant interest from doctoral students and postdocs. The session focused on navigating the career journey from postdoctoral researcher to principal investigator (PI). The panel, composed of six young PIs, discussed key aspects of transitioning from postdoc to PI, including strategies for obtaining early-career funding, crafting competitive grant proposals, leveraging mentorship and institutional support, balancing research with grant writing, and maintaining resilience in the face of setbacks.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_ups_panel_discussion.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_ups_panel_discussion.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_ups_panel_discussion.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_ups_panel_discussion.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_ups_panel_discussion.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_ups_panel_discussion.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Panel discussion “From Postdoc to PI: Winning Grants and Finding Your Path” organised by Umeå Postdoc Society (UPS) and moderated by Madhusree Mitra and Keshi Chung. The panel consisted of (left to right) Max Renner (Department of Chemistry and UCMR), Ryo Morimoto (Department of Molecular Biology and MIMS), Verena Kohler (Department of Molecular Biology), Laura Bacete (Department of Plant Physiology, UPSC), Paulina Wanrooji (Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics), and Eric Capo (Department of Ecology, Environment and Geoscience).</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><p><em>“I found the panel discussion very valuable, especially as a PhD student who hasn’t yet secured a postdoctoral position but is already thinking about a future career as a principal investigator. Hearing from established PIs about the challenges they faced on their journey to becoming leaders in their fields was eye-opening”</em>, says Dmytro Sokol, doctoral student from the Department of Chemistry.</p><p>Among many personal experiences shared and practical advice offered, the panel emphasised a message that resonated with many: don't get stuck after a grant proposal rejection, ask your peers for feedback, and keep trying! The panellists also discussed that it can be a steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with the local research culture, creating hidden barriers to funding access. They agreed that one of the important steps in transitioning to an early career is learning how your local research funding and research support systems operate.</p><p><em>“Overall, the discussion was inspiring and helped clarify my thoughts on whether I want to pursue the path to becoming a PI. It provided practical tips, a clearer understanding of what lies ahead, and strengthened my determination to face the challenges of my future academic career”</em>, says Dmytro Sokol.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_dmytro_sokol.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_dmytro_sokol.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_dmytro_sokol.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_dmytro_sokol.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_dmytro_sokol.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_dmytro_sokol.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Dmytro Sokol, a PhD student in biochemistry, is addressing the panel during the discussion “From Postdoc to PI: Winning Grants and Finding Your Path”.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><h3><strong>Journey across the scales with research infrastructures</strong></h3><p>The KBC DAYS also serves as a forum where research infrastructures at KBC and Campus Umeå can showcase their advanced technologies, unique instruments, expert know-how, and services. These infrastructures can be used to explore different aspects of life- and material sciences, ranging from the atomic scale to entire ecosystems. For instance, mass spectrometry analyses performed by the Swedish Metabolomics Centre Umeå (SMC) detect metabolites across a range from millimolar to femtomolar levels — over nine orders of magnitude. Meanwhile, the technical platforms at Umeå Marine Sciences Centre (UMF) accommodate experiments from millilitres to litres of water in laboratory incubations, extending to multi-cubic-metre mesocosms, as well as field sampling throughout the Bothnian Sea. The temporal scale of experiments at UMF ranges from rapid molecular analyses within hours to seasonal and multi-year monitoring programmes that track environmental trends.</p><p>The impressive array of local and national research infrastructures available at KBC, SciLifeLab and “on the other side of the road”, at the Translational Research Centre at the University Hospital of Umeå, was overviewed by Linda Sandblad, Umeå Centre for Electron Microscopy and SciLifeLab Umeå, and Ola Billing, from the Department of Diagnostics and Intervention.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_infrastructure_poster_session_umf.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_infrastructure_poster_session_umf.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_infrastructure_poster_session_umf.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_infrastructure_poster_session_umf.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_infrastructure_poster_session_umf.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/585bc9a26ca2479d9443a94d7c46e0b4/kbc_days_2025_infrastructure_poster_session_umf.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Newcomers, as well as long-term KBC residents and other curious researchers, could meet infrastructure representatives at their posters to discuss potential projects, join guided tours of their facilities, or solve the infrastructure quiz. In the photo, Regina Kolzenburg and Mikael Peedu (in blue jumpers) talk to conference participants at their “station”, presenting the research facilities at the Umeå Marine Sciences Centre (UMF).</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><h3><strong>Guinness World Records-worthy attempt to “bridge scales” from Å to our solar system</strong></h3><p>One of the most memorable and exciting moments of the conference was the live experiment – creating the World’s Smallest Solar System Model. During the Infrastructure session, participants could follow a live stream from the Umeå Centre for Electron Microscopy (UCEM) lab, where staff scientist Nils Hauff created one of the model’s elements, Saturn, inside FEI Scios, a Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope. With a scale of 1 : 7 000 000 000 000, this model is so tiny that you would need a stereo microscope to find Saturn, which measures around 15 μm or a pollen grain, and an electron microscope to see its moon Titan, which is about 700 nm in size. The entire solar system, including the Sun, planets, the most important moons, and dwarf planets such as Pluto, has been scaled down so much that 38 AU can fit onto a 75 cm-long metal rod.</p><p>Nils Hauff explained that the aim of this experiment was to demonstrate the instrument's capability to fabricate structures at the nanometer scale.</p><p><em>“We also wanted to illustrate how extremely different length scales are involved in the research here at KBC and how challenging it is to comprehend those different length scales”</em>, he says.</p><p>This academic stunt was inspired by the Sweden Solar System, the world's largest permanent scale model of the solar system, located throughout Sweden at a scale of 1:20 000 000, where the Sun is represented by Avicii Arena in Stockholm, and Umeå holds the 13 cm-diameter model of dwarf planet Eris.</p><p><em>“Now Sweden is home not only for the largest, but also for the smallest model of the solar system in the world!”</em>, says Nils Hauff.</p><p>He already holds one record – earlier this year, he made the world’s smallest Dala horse in collaboration with Erik Olof Wiklund, an artist and master’s student at the Academy of Fine Arts. During the KBC DAYS, their photo ”The world's smallest Dalahorse” won the KBC photo contest “Bridging scales” in a tough competition among nearly 30 other impressive artistic contributions.</p><h3><strong>Social element critical in bridging organisational boundaries</strong></h3><p>Throughout October, the KBC Ping-Pong tournament took place, attended by over 50 participants ranging from complete beginners to advanced players. Thanks to the energy and organisational skills of Irina Iakovleva, research coordinator at Bio4Energy, and several volunteers, the tournament became a much-appreciated event, providing a fantastic opportunity to enjoy sports and camaraderie with colleagues across KBC and beyond.</p><p>The tournament culminated with tense semi-finals and the final matches just before the conference dinner, adding excitement and an informal touch to the scientific gathering.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="a5a47b1d-ba16-4b68-89eb-efa709d3db0d" data-contentname="KBC Employee of the Year 2025">{}</div><p>During the conference dinner, the KBC Employee of the Year was announced. The winner was chosen by the KBC group members from several nominees who “made a meaningful contribution to improving the work environment at KBC, especially by strengthening collaboration and community spirit”. This year’s award recipient was Sonali Ranade from UPSC. Sonali was nominated for her initiative in launching a laughter club, where colleagues gather to practise laughing yoga and breathing exercises, Pranayama, that help improve well-being and reduce stress. Dinner participants could try a brief introduction to the laughter session. The laughter club will resume regular sessions in spring 2026, and everyone interested is welcome to join.</p><p><em>“Just come with the smile!”</em> says Sonali Ranade, smiling.</p><p>The success of KBC DAYS 2025 was made possible through the collective efforts of a vibrant research community and the generous support of sponsors.</p><p>What new challenges will 2026 bring, and which scientific themes should we explore together within the interdisciplinary KBC research community? Get ready for the KBC DAYS 2026 and share your ideas for themes and other suggestions with the KBC Communications Office.</p><p><strong>More information:</strong></p><p><a href="~/link/e578cbc1f0ab444bae8e84840cae2a86.aspx">KBC Days 2025 programme and abstracts</a></p><p><a href="https://umeapostdocs.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Homepage of Umeå Postdoc Society</a></p><p><a href="https://www.swedensolarsystem.se/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sweden Solar System</a></p><p>UMU news: <a href="~/link/73ba2d62b3ac475ca5b4d713fe151f86.aspx">Art meets nanotechnology – the world’s smallest Dala horse created at Umeå University</a></p><p>UPSC news: <a href="https://www.upsc.se/about-upsc/news/6621-sonali-ranade-awarded-kbc-employee-of-the-year-2025.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sonali Ranade awarded KBC Employee of the Year 2025 </a></p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0"><strong>KBC DAYS 2025 in Pictures</strong></h2>/en/news/kbc-days-2025-bridges-disciplines_12150919//en/news/harshit-malhotra-develops-new-tools-for-synthetic-biology_12149484/Develops new tools for synthetic biologyAfter earning his PhD in India, Harshit Malhotra has moved to Umeå, where he works as a 'Excellence by Choice' postdoctoral researcher developing advanced chemo-optogenetic tools. His research aims to control bacterial cellular processes and reprogram them to produce valuable chemicals.Wed, 26 Nov 2025 15:42:22 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1179-251103-mpn5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1179-251103-mpn5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1179-251103-mpn5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1179-251103-mpn5.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1179-251103-mpn5.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1179-251103-mpn5.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Harshit Malhotra is 'Excellence by Choice' postdoctoral fellow in professor Yaowen Wu lab at the Department of Chemistry and professor Anita Sellstedt lab at Umeå Plant Science Centre, UPSC, at Umeå University. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">What is your academic background?</h2><p>"My doctoral work focussed on the metabolic engineering of the unique bacterium <em>Pseudomonas bharatica</em> CSV86T to degrade the toxic pesticide Carbaryl.  The bacterium, isolated from petrol-contaminated soil, has a broad metabolic diversity and unique carbon utilization property, making it ideal for biodegradation and metabolic engineering applications."</p><p>"Through this work, I gained expertise in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and metabolic engineering."</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">How did you end up at Umeå University in North Sweden?</h2><p>"Professor Yaowen Wu's lab at Umeå University has developed unique tools that find application in metabolic engineering and hold immense potential in revolutionising synthetic biology. This fact drew my attention."</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">What is your research focusing on?</h2><p>"My research focusses on the development of chemo-optogenetic tools to control cellular processes in bacteria. These systems combine chemical molecules, optics, and genetically modified proteins to precisely control protein activities at specific locations in cells using light-sensitive small molecules."</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">What is challenging and rewarding respectively with being a researcher? </h2><p>"The challenge of being a researcher lies in the persistent effort, patience, and resilience required to uncover the truths of nature. However, this pursuit is deeply fulfilling, as it contributes to the advancement of human knowledge and progress."</p><h2 id="info4" data-magellan-target="info4">What are your first impressions of Umeå and its university? </h2><p>"The city is very close to nature and serene. The work environment is conducive to the career development of researchers and provides wide range of scientific facilities for project implementation."</p><h2 id="info5" data-magellan-target="info5">What is your driving force to do research in life science?</h2><p>"My driving force is contributing to society by harnessing the potential of synthetic biology."</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1324-251103-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1324-251103-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1324-251103-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1324-251103-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1324-251103-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4d6ee7c0d98441cc82bfd957d5f65f50/harshit-malhatra-1324-251103-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Harshit Malhotra's driving force for research in life sciences is to contribute to society by harnessing the potential of synthetic biology.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div>/en/news/harshit-malhotra-develops-new-tools-for-synthetic-biology_12149484//en/news/faster-and-safer-development-of-car-t-cells-against-cancer_12149253/Faster and safer development of CAR T cells against cancerJohan Henriksson at Umeå University is developing genetically engineered immune cells, known as CAR T cells, that have the potential to cure cancer. He is one of twelve researchers in Sweden awarded SEK 10 million by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research to develop new instruments, technologies and methods.Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:39:35 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/fc3ea728820649979ff75b27aabca84b/henriksson_johan_5585-250130-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fc3ea728820649979ff75b27aabca84b/henriksson_johan_5585-250130-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fc3ea728820649979ff75b27aabca84b/henriksson_johan_5585-250130-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/fc3ea728820649979ff75b27aabca84b/henriksson_johan_5585-250130-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fc3ea728820649979ff75b27aabca84b/henriksson_johan_5585-250130-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fc3ea728820649979ff75b27aabca84b/henriksson_johan_5585-250130-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Johan Henriksson and his colleagues are building a large database that will help improve future cancer treatment.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Cancer cells are adept at hiding among normal cells, making them difficult for the immune system to detect and destroy. One treatment already used in healthcare is CAR T-cell therapy. In this approach, T cells are extracted from a patient’s blood, reprogrammed to attack cancer cells, and then returned to the body.</p><p>To create better and more effective CAR T cells, researchers have so far conducted experiments in mice, but the results do not always translate to humans.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">"Needles in a haystack"</h2><p>Johan Henriksson’s research group is working with a new technique called single-cell analysis. It involves identifying CAR T cells in which a gene has accidentally been knocked out during production. By studying these cells, the researchers can learn which genes can aid best in treating cancer. The method is a modernised version of an older screening technique that Johan Henriksson became interested in through a collaboration with Laura Carroll, who studies bacteria at the Department of Clinical Microbiology.</p><p>“We are looking for needles in a haystack. But the technology we’ve developed makes this project finally possible,” he says.</p><p>To find these rare cells, Johan Henriksson and his colleagues will need to build the largest single-cell database ever created – twenty times larger than the well-known Human Cell Atlas, which was developed by nearly 1,000 laboratories together.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">More affordable cancer treatment</h2><p>“The technology is extremely expensive, so this is really just a pilot project. Once we’ve shown that the method delivers useful data, we hope that companies can take over and scale up the technology. Much of the research at Umeå University is only possible thanks to generous contributions from the Kempestiftelserna foundations, which originate from MoDo and the paper industry. It would be fantastic if the data we generate could lead to new businesses in Västerbotten and give something back,” says Johan Henriksson.</p><p>According to him, the project has great potential to accelerate the development of next-generation CAR T cells. The need for effective and, above all, more affordable cancer treatments is enormous. Today, CAR T-cell therapy for a single patient can cost up to SEK 5 million.</p><p>“If we can improve efficiency and reduce side effects, this could make the treatment available to more patients. CAR T cells also have the potential to cure other diseases that are difficult to target with conventional drugs,” says Johan Henriksson.</p>/en/news/faster-and-safer-development-of-car-t-cells-against-cancer_12149253//en/news/two-nobel-symposia-at-umea-university-in-2026_12148986/<description>In 2026, Umeå University will host two prestigious Nobel Symposia, one in medicine and one in physics. The Nobel Symposia are international conferences at the highest scientific level, initiated by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Foundation, with the aim of promoting research dialogue in the spirit of the Nobel Prize.</description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:54:27 +0100</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><p>The medical symposium, entitled Decoding Microproteins – From Basic Biology to Biotechnological Innovations, is led by Professor Stephan Wenkel, Professor at Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University. It focuses on microproteins – small but important regulators – and their potential applications in biotechnology.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Stephan Wenkel, Professor at Department of Plant Physiology, hopes that the Nobel Symposium at Umeå University in September next year will create new perspectives on how to approach basic and applied research in microproteins. Photo: Mattias Pettersson.</p></div></div><p>“The symposium will convene a broad and interdisciplinary group of researchers whose work spans plant biology, cancer biology, computational methods, protein mass spectrometry, and structural biology. This diversity of expertise will enrich the discussions and inspire new perspectives on how to approach fundamental and applied research in microproteins”, says Stephan Wenkel, Professor at Department of Plant Physiology and continues:</p><p>“The Nobel Symposium in Umeå will provide an important platform to highlight advances in this emerging field and to showcase our university’s role within it. By bringing together leading researchers from some of the world’s best universities, we aim to foster new collaborations and establish Umeå as a recognized center for microprotein research on the global stage.”</p><h3>Metamaterials: smart materials of the future that manipulate physical phenomena</h3><p>The physics-focused symposium, Metamaterials science and technology: structuring light and sound in space and time, is organised by Nicolò Maccaferri, Assistant professor at Department of Physics, Umeå University. Here, researchers gather to discuss how metamaterials can be used to manipulate light and sound in new ways, with possible applications in a broad range of applied fields, from communication and energy harvesting to medical and quantum technology.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/nicolo_maccaferri_2906_240215_mgg2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/nicolo_maccaferri_2906_240215_mgg2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/nicolo_maccaferri_2906_240215_mgg2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/nicolo_maccaferri_2906_240215_mgg2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/nicolo_maccaferri_2906_240215_mgg2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c6e6f18892c248c58164bcc26edd0da9/nicolo_maccaferri_2906_240215_mgg2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Nicolò Maccaferri, assistant senior lecturer at the Department of Physics, hopes to gain deeper knowledge of how metamaterials can be used to manipulate light and sound in new ways when it is time for the Nobel Symposium he is organising at Umeå University in July next year. Photo: Malin Grönborg.</p></div></div><p> “In recent years, we have seen an explosion of research in materials science at Umeå University, particularly within the framework of the Wallenberg Initiative for Materials Science for Sustainability (WISE). Umeå University is not officially a partner of this initiative, but thanks to funding from Kempestiftelserna and external agencies such as ERC, there are now research groups at our university that joined WISE as part of its group of excellence. Research on metamaterials has also increased significantly, particularly at the Department of Physics, where several groups are focusing on both fundamental and applied aspects of metamaterials research, says Nicolò Maccaferri, assistant senior lecturer at the Department of Physics.</p><p>“When I started contacting colleagues working in this field in Sweden, the reactions were very positive. Since many see us as leaders in this field, it felt natural to hold the event here in Umeå.”</p><p>A total of five Nobel symposia will be held next year, and the fact that two of these will take place in Umeå is, of course, proof that the university has both strong research environments and excellent international reputation in these fields.</p></atom:content><link>/en/news/two-nobel-symposia-at-umea-university-in-2026_12148986/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/thyroid-gland-new-possible-target-for-prostate-cancer-treatment_12148877/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/thyroid-gland-new-possible-target-for-prostate-cancer-treatment_12148877/</guid><title>Thyroid gland new possible target for prostate cancer treatmentA hormone produced in the thyroid gland can play a key role in the development of prostate cancer. This is shown in a new study by an international research group led by Umeå University, Sweden, and the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. By blocking a receptor for the hormone, the growth of tumour cells in the prostate was inhibited. In the long term, the discovery may open up a new way of attacking certain types of aggressive prostate cancer.Tue, 11 Nov 2025 10:01:38 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/3a6797bd21f447b6b4b555a56cc20209/lukas_kenner2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/3a6797bd21f447b6b4b555a56cc20209/lukas_kenner2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/3a6797bd21f447b6b4b555a56cc20209/lukas_kenner2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/3a6797bd21f447b6b4b555a56cc20209/lukas_kenner2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/3a6797bd21f447b6b4b555a56cc20209/lukas_kenner2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/3a6797bd21f447b6b4b555a56cc20209/lukas_kenner2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Lukas Kenner, visiting professor at the Department of Molecular Biology.<span class="bildPhotografer" style="white-space: nowrap;"><span class="photo">Image</span>Medizinische Universität Wien</span></p></div></div><p>"The results indicate that the receptor in question is a driving force in the growth of cancer. Substances that block it could thus be a target for future drugs against prostate cancer," says Lukas Kenner, visiting professor at Umeå University and the one who has led the study that is published in Molecular Cancer.</p><p>The receptor in question is called thyroid hormone receptor Beta, TRβ. It binds the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine, T3. In laboratory experiments, the activation of T3 has led to a sharp increase in the number of prostate cancer cells. However, when the receptor TRβ was inhibited with the help of an active substance, NH-3, significantly reduced the growth of cancer cells. NH-3 is a substance that is only used in research to block TRβ.</p><p>The substance's effect on cancer was then confirmed in animal experiments in mice. Tumours treated with NH-3 remained smaller or progressed significantly more slowly. This was shown to be particularly effective in models of prostate cancer that are so-called castration resistant. This means that the tumour continues to grow despite treatment that reduces the amount of the male sex hormone testosterone, which usually drives cancer growth. This form is currently difficult to treat clinically.</p><p>Blocking TRβ using NH-3 worked by leading to the elimination of a particular signal, the androgen receptor signal, which is otherwise activated by testosterone and then plays a central role in the development of prostate cancer.</p><p>A review of data from cohorts of patients with prostate cancer supports these findings. In tissue samples, elevated levels of TRβ could be seen in tumours in the prostate compared to those in healthy tissue. In addition, genetic analyses show that mutations in many prostate cancer patients alter the signalling pathways for thyroid hormone. This suggests that blocking the thyroid hormone and its receptor may be a target for further research to find new treatments for prostate cancer.</p><p>"Of course, it is a balancing act not to change the hormonal balance in the thyroid gland more than necessary to fight cancer in another part of the body, and it will probably not be a solution for all types of prostate cancer. Further research will have to answer what a treatment could look like, possibly in combination with other treatments. Of course, this is an interesting track," says Lukas Kenner.</p><p>Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men in Sweden and the second most common in the world. About one in ten Swedish men is affected by prostate cancer, about 2200 men a year die from the disease. When detected early, the disease is usually treated by reducing the amount of testosterone. However, many patients become resistant to this treatment, and as a result, the number of available treatments is limited.</p>/en/news/thyroid-gland-new-possible-target-for-prostate-cancer-treatment_12148877//en/news/safer-dairy-products-with-fewer-chemicals_12148827/Safer dairy products with fewer chemicalsBacteria in the dairy industry can lead to disease and food waste. A new research project at Umeå University aims to find simpler ways to detect and remove the bacteria – without using a lot of chemicals.Fri, 07 Nov 2025 10:48:37 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/cul32has0020rf2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/cul32has0020rf2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/cul32has0020rf2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/cul32has0020rf2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/cul32has0020rf2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/cul32has0020rf2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Dairy products, such as milk and cheese, can contain disease-causing bacteria.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Johnér Bildbyrå AB</span></div></div><p>Raw milk, milk products and entire processing lines in the dairy industry are often contaminated by <em>Bacillus</em> bacteria. These bacteria occur naturally in the environment but can cause serious disease if they enter food products. <em>Bacillus</em> bacteria are extremely difficult to remove due to their ability to form spores that survive both pasteurisation and common cleaning procedures.</p><p>Researchers want to learn more about Bacillus bacteria and find new ways to combat them. Dmitry Malyshev, staff scientist at the Department of Physics, has received SEK 6 million from the Swedish Research Council Formas for his project.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Preventing contamination</h2><p>One aim of the project is to understand how and where the bacteria stick – for example, in storage tanks, pipes or connections – and under what conditions this happens. This knowledge can help identify suitable materials and design equipment that reduces the risk of bacterial growth.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/dsc026522.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/dsc026522.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/dsc026522.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/dsc026522.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/dsc026522.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ae8c8847ccd949cb808f8e27d5bba715/dsc026522.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Dmitry Malyshev, Department of Physics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Daniel Nilsson</span></div></div><p>Another aim is to develop a super-sensitive and reliable detection method that can detect when a system or product is contaminated.</p><p>“Contamination prevention requires frequent and chemical-intensive cleaning procedures in the industry, while entire batches of contaminated food products have to be thrown away to prevent the risk of disease. This is both costly and wasteful from an environmental perspective,” says Dmitry Malyshev.</p><p>Therefore, the researchers also aim to develop an industry-suitable method that requires as little chemicals as possible to remove or disinfect the bacteria and their highly resistant spores.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Formas provides long-term support</h2><p>“This grant from Formas allows me to work long-term on the project, acquire the equipment we need, and collaborate with experts in other research fields,” says Dmitry Malyshev.</p><p>The most exciting aspect of the project, according to him, is the direct transfer of knowledge from academia to real-world applications.</p><p>“Research in academia can be difficult and time-consuming to turn into practical products. In this project, there are multiple industrial collaborations and I hope to see the results come into practical use more quickly,” says Dmitry Malyshev.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="56b76ce7-d18c-4bbb-90ba-eb55eb9a0fc4" data-contentname="About Dmitry">{}</div>/en/news/safer-dairy-products-with-fewer-chemicals_12148827//en/news/adato-can-now-be-used-again--many-measures-have-been-taken_12148636/Adato can now be used again – “Many measures have been taken”A risk and vulnerability analysis has been carried out, procedures for data deletion and archiving have been reviewed, and the supplier has implemented several measures to increase security. Adato will be reopened for use on 12 November. "Both the supplier and our own departments have worked hard to secure the university's personal data management," says Per Ragnarsson, Assistant University Director and Chair of the University's Crisis Management Council. Thu, 06 Nov 2025 14:19:51 +0100<p>The Adato system support, used in the employee rehabilitation process, has been shut down at Umeå University since the cyberattack against the supplier Miljödata on 23 August. </p><p>"We did not want to open up the system before analyses had been carried out and measures taken to ensure that the system is secure. But it is clear that we need system support for the rehabilitation process. It feels good to be able to reopen the system again, as this has been requested by our users," says Per Ragnarsson.  </p><p>The university's agreement with Miljödata sets high standards for security and the handling of personal data. In the wake of the cyber attack, Miljödata has reviewed these standards and taken further measures to secure the system against attacks. The IT Office (ITS) at Umeå University has reviewed the measures and given them its approval.  </p><p>"Miljödata has implemented new work routines and monitoring systems, among other things, and taken a number of technical measures to increase security. We believe they have done a thorough job following the cyber attack," says Emilio Perez Iznaga, IT manager at ITS. </p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Measures taken by the University</h2><p>Furthermore, the Human Resources Office has conducted a risk and vulnerability analysis of the system. The University has also taken its own measures regarding personal data management.   </p><p>“In light of the cyberattack, we have recognised the need to review our procedures for archiving and deleting personal data and other documentation in Adato. We have now done so,” says Per Ragnarsson. </p><p>All personal data relating to former employees where there are no rehabilitation cases will be deleted from Adato. A procedure is being introduced whereby personal data relating to employees who have left their employment at the university will be removed from the system, provided that there is no ongoing rehabilitation case. According to the university's document management plan, all documentation relating to a rehabilitation case must be retained. This documentation is currently stored in Adato.  </p><p>“We are now investigating the possibility of archiving these cases internally,” says Per Ragnarsson.   <br>  <br>All these measures combined mean that the university now considers it safe enough to start using the system again. It will be available again on 12 November.   </p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Minimise the number of tasks</h2><p>ITS is also investigating what personal data must be stored in Adato. One request is to only transfer the information needed for managers and HR to be able to carry out preventive and remedial rehabilitation work.</p><p>“Our goal is to minimise the amount of personal data in the system in order to increase the safety and security of our employees,” says Per Ragnarsson.    </p><p>Employees or former employees with questions regarding Adato or the university's handling of the matter can contact the Human Resources Office by emailing: <a href="mailto:ah.adm@ͯ��Ƶ">ah.adm@ͯ��Ƶ</a>. </p>/en/news/adato-can-now-be-used-again--many-measures-have-been-taken_12148636//en/news/swedens-first-doctoral-student-in-police-science_12148608/Sweden’s First Doctoral Student in Police ScienceThe Unit of Police Work welcomes Anna Elmquist as the very first doctoral student in the new PhD program in Police Science at Umeå University. Her research will focus on police investigative work and what enables high-quality and effective investigations.Wed, 05 Nov 2025 17:57:59 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c6304022c061467e91318debd9728b49/anna-elmquist3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c6304022c061467e91318debd9728b49/anna-elmquist3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c6304022c061467e91318debd9728b49/anna-elmquist3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c6304022c061467e91318debd9728b49/anna-elmquist3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c6304022c061467e91318debd9728b49/anna-elmquist3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c6304022c061467e91318debd9728b49/anna-elmquist3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Anna Elmquist is the first doctoral student at the PhD program in Police Science</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Annika Engström</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">From Field Service to Doctoral Studies</h2><p>Anna Elmquist is a police officer and behavioral scientist with a broad background in both law enforcement and academia. She has worked in field service, as an investigator, preliminary investigation leader, and manager within the Police Authority and the Swedish Economic Crime Authority before joining Södertörn University in 2015. Anna teaches criminal law, interrogation, and psychology and works within SMOB (Sweden Against Organized Crime).</p><p>Since October, Anna has been enrolled as a doctoral student in the Police Science program, becoming the first in Sweden to do so. Her research is connected to the Unit of Police Work at Södertörn University, but during her doctoral studies, she will regularly visit Umeå University.</p><p>– I’ve long been interested in research, especially in how we develop and strengthen police education going forward. Pursuing research in police science feels like a natural next step, she says.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Aiming to Improve Criminal Investigations</h2><p>Anna’s research project stems from her deep interest in investigative work. Her research will examine individual and organizational factors that affect the police’s ability to investigate economic crimes, such as fraud.</p><p>–I’m passionate about investigative work. It’s important for citizens that the police can conduct investigations that are both high-quality and efficient,” she says.</p><p>She emphasizes the importance of understanding police work from multiple perspectives. How do crime victims view the police’s ability, capacity, and methods to conduct legally sound investigations? And what do investigators themselves think?</p><p>– Legal security for victims of crime is essential. It shouldn’t be a lottery which cases are investigated, there should be equal treatment across the country, says Anna.</p><p>For Anna, the doctoral journey is about both personal development and contributing to the future of police work. She feels proud to be the first doctoral student in the new Police Science program.</p><p>– It feels fantastic, finally! Of course, a brand-new program comes with both advantages and challenges, but I feel very grateful and optimistic about this opportunity, she says.</p>/en/news/swedens-first-doctoral-student-in-police-science_12148608//en/news/och-de-nominerade-spin-off-foretagen-pa-umeagalan-ar_12148709/And the nominated spin-off companies at Umeågalan are...Three research-based companies with roots in Umeå University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) have been nominated for the University Spin-off of the Year award at the Umeå Gala 2025. What they have in common is that they are good examples of how academic innovation can contribute to a more sustainable and humane future.Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:05:11 +0100<p>Nil Medical was founded by Martin Hanberger while he was studying at the Umeå Insitute of Design at Umeå University. Martin has since continued to develop a patented vest that gives patients greater freedom of movement during infusion treatment. Children who need treatment no longer have to walk around with a large stand, but instead carry everything in a vest on their back. The product is already in clinical use, and Nil Medical shows how design and innovation from Umeå University can make a big difference for young patients.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/nil_medical2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Martin Hanberger, CEO, and Malin Walfridsson, deputy managing director, at Nil Medcial. Photo: Tomas Ruuth</p></div></div><p>"It all started with my degree project at the Umeå Institute of Design. The programme has a very practical focus. We students were trained in a way of thinking and a process aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of users' needs and perceived problems. This has therefore been a central starting point in all development from idea to production adaptation of the Vestpack vest.", says Martin Hanberger, CEO at Nil Medical.</p><p>"When I met children and parents in such a difficult situation and realised that this could potentially make things easier, it was what drove me to continue. There is also fantastic support available within the innovation system in and around Umeå University," concludes Martin Hanberger.</p><h3>Next-generation fertiliser system</h3><p>Cropcision is a spin-off company from Umeå University that is developing the next generation of fertiliser systems for agriculture, forestry and horticulture. With patented technology that has shown strong results in field trials, the company offers a solution that is both effective and plastic-free – something that benefits both the environment and human health. The founders, led by Jonathan Love, Co-Founder and CEO, say that they have benefited greatly from Umeå University on their journey to a finished product.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6a987a6138a94c02858a35c4055f543a/cropcision2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Cropcision's Co-Founder, Michael Holmboe, Associate professor at Department of Chemistry at Umeå University, and Jonathan Love, Co-Founder and CEO. Photo: Cropcision</p></div></div><p>"Certainly! My Co-Founder, Michael Holmboe, Associate professor at Department of Chemistry at Umeå University, has been a key in the development of the technology underlying our product. He is also a co-inventor and have enabled access to several University resources, such as X-ray diffraction and other techniques, generating supporting data crucial for the patents."</p><p>"Our ongoing collaboration continues to be productive and brings credibility when communication with external stakeholders and customers."</p><h3>Digitalisation of forestry from SLU</h3><p>Ecotype is a fast-growing spin-off from SLU in Umeå that has quickly become a key player in the digitalisation of forestry. With various digital services, they make forest data available to both the business community and the general public. By combining technology, sustainability and user-friendliness, Ecotype contributes to more transparent and efficient forestry.</p><p>The winner of the University Spin-off of the Year award will be announced at the Umegalan gala on 20 November 2025, and Jonathan Love from Cropcision has the last word with a tip for both students and academics:</p><p>"While I do believe in the serendipity of science, I suggest an entrepreneurial academic start with identifying a large problem and try to find the simplest solution possible rather than trying to fit a solution to a problem. Make sure you understand who your customer is and how your research could potentially help them in concrete ways."</p>/en/news/och-de-nominerade-spin-off-foretagen-pa-umeagalan-ar_12148709//en/news/umea-university-examines-the-role-of-tasers-in-the-norwegian-police_12064302/Umeå University Examines the Role of Tasers in the Norwegian PoliceHow does the use of tasers affect police methods and legal security in Norway? Researchers at Umeå University are now conducting a comprehensive analysis to answer these questions. Through a scientific follow-up study, they will examine how and when tasers are used, as well as their consequences for police practices and safety.Tue, 04 Nov 2025 17:16:36 +0100<p id="info0" class="quote-left quote-center" data-magellan-target="info0">It is important that police use of force is monitored.</p><p>The Unit of Police Work at Umeå University has been commissioned to review the Norwegian police’s use of tasers. The assignment, initiated by the Norwegian Police Directorate (Politidirektoratet), aims to provide a deeper understanding of how and when tasers are deployed. The one-year project will also evaluate the effects of tasers on police work and legal security.</p><p>The Norwegian police have been using tasers for two years. Researchers from Umeå University will now investigate how this has influenced officers’ experiences and perceptions of threats, violence, and the use of force. The analysis will also shed light on how police handle their duties and the role that tasers have played in operational situations.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Ensuring Responsible Development</h2><p>Associate Professors Jonas Hansson and Miguel Inzunza, who have previously evaluated pilot projects involving tasers in both the Swedish and Norwegian police forces, are leading the research.</p><p>– It is important that police use of force is followed up systematically and scientifically. Through research, we can help strengthen both the police profession and the field of police science, says Jonas Hansson.</p><p>Hansson also emphasizes the importance of policymakers recognizing the value of building police practices on research-based knowledge.</p><p>– It is positive that the Police Directorate sees the benefit of a scientific follow-up. It shows a commitment to ensuring a responsible and evidence-based development of police tools and methods, he says.</p><p>The study at Umeå University will analyze data from Norwegian police operations and provide a foundation for future decisions regarding the role of tasers in the use of force.</p>/en/news/umea-university-examines-the-role-of-tasers-in-the-norwegian-police_12064302//en/news/environmental-science-students-ideas-for-a-sustainable-campus_12148191/Environmental science students’ ideas for a sustainable campusA smart app for booking group study rooms – connected to sensors that control ventilation, heating and lighting only when the rooms are in use. This is one of the ideas for a more sustainable campus that students in the Master’s Programme in Environmental Science and Sustainability came up with during a project assignment.Mon, 03 Nov 2025 10:43:59 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_46972.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_46972.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_46972.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_46972.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_46972.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_46972.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Letting nature take care of itself when green spaces are not used is one way of promoting biodiversity on campus, Nadine Peels and Jenny Ojala suggests.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna-Lena Lindskog</span></div></div><p>“We think the university could involve, for example, engineering students to develop such an app,” says student Tuva Elingstam. “Just as we have looked at sustainability on campus, more programmes could be engaged in that work. It feels meaningful when you get the chance to make a real impact.”</p><p>As part of a course in the Master’s Programme in Environmental Science and Sustainability, students work in groups to explore different aspects of campus sustainability. They presented their projects during a poster session, attended by among others the university’s environmental coordinator.</p><p>One group investigated how biodiversity on campus could be improved.</p><p><em>Many would probably say that Umeå University’s campus is green, but how can biodiversity be increased?</em></p><p>“I thought the same when we started the project – that campus is very green,” says Nadine Peels. “But several of the green areas are large fields near the forest that are hardly used; they’re just open grass.”</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47142.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47142.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47142.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47142.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47142.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47142.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>In the Master's programme in Environmental Science and Sustainability students have worked in a project with different aspects of sustainability on campus. From left Selma Skoglund asking questions during the presentation, to her right Ilse Olsson, student, Heidi Burdett, programme director, and Lisa Redin, environmental coordinator at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna-Lena Lindskog</span></div></div><p class="quote-left">It’s also important that students and researchers can use nature as part of learning</p><h3>Let nature take care of itself</h3><p>The students suggest letting these fields grow freely into flowering meadows and only mowing them when needed for sports or student events. Their proposal is largely about doing less – allowing nature to take care of itself in selected areas. It doesn’t have to be neat flowerbeds and lawns everywhere. By for example leaving some leaves and branches on the ground and placing logs here and there, more plants and insects can thrive.</p><p>“One of the challenges is getting all stakeholders to pull in the same direction,” says Nadine Peels. “Akademiska Hus wants to keep campus tidy, while it’s also important that students and researchers can use nature as part of learning. Campus shouldn’t look like a wilderness, so the question is how we can still use all areas to promote biodiversity.”</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47402.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47402.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47402.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47402.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47402.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47402.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>"When students are asked about study space they think large tables, whiteboards and space to have lunch in are important" says Ilse Olsson. To her left Jasmin Mannelqvist.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna-Lena Lindskog</span></div></div><p>Many students complain about the lack of group rooms where they can study together. They are often fully booked, but it’s also common that rooms go unused because those who booked them don’t show up.</p><p>Tuva Elingstam, Jum Krolikowski and Selma Skoglund analysed booking statistics – and were surprised to find that group rooms on campus are only used about 50 per cent of the time. Demand is high in the middle of the day, but mornings, late afternoons and evenings see many rooms empty.</p><p>“We’ve done a lot of research and talked to both students and university staff who manage the booking system and our buildings,” says Tuva.</p><h3>Smart app and sensors in rooms</h3><p>A survey revealed that many students want more variety in room sizes, more comfortable furniture, rooms closer to where they have classes, better ventilation and, above all, a smoother booking system. The latter could be solved with an Internet of Things solution, the group suggests.</p><p>Sensors in the rooms could detect when people are present and adjust ventilation and heating accordingly, as well as lighting based on outdoor brightness. Linked to booking via an app, where you can quickly find available rooms on a map, this would make room use more efficient. A system that somehow rewards students for booking at less popular times could also help spread usage more evenly throughout the day, they reason.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47684.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47684.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47684.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47684.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47684.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47684.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>"Investing in smart systems for study group rooms can also solve other problems in the buildings like ventilation" says Selma Skoglund. To her left Tuva Elingstam.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna-Lena Lindskog</span></div></div><p>A third group focused on campus buildings. If Umeå University is to become climate neutral by 2045, carbon emissions from buildings must decrease much faster than they have so far, they conclude.</p><h3>”Many consious decisions have been made”</h3><p>Renovating existing buildings is preferable from an emissions perspective compared to building new ones. However, the campus’s latest addition, Aurora – which houses exam halls among other things – can serve as a model, the group believes. Choices of materials, ventilation and energy solutions have earned the building the highest environmental certification, Miljöbyggnad Gold.</p><p>“Many conscious decisions have been made to increase sustainability in both the short and long term, from social and environmental perspectives,” says student Ilse Olsson.</p><p>Understanding the climate footprint of different campus buildings and identifying emission sources has been the biggest challenge in the project, she says. Many buildings will need renovation in the coming years. This means major costs, but also an opportunity to find more efficient heating and ventilation solutions that will help the university reach its climate goals faster.</p><p>The project groups also identified that students generally need more knowledge about sustainability and what the university is doing to promote biodiversity and sustainability.</p><p>“When we conducted our survey, many said they would like to learn more through signs and information boards,” says Ilse Olsson. “I think it’s important to learn about the building you’re in and connect it to something bigger – a global sustainability goal or the university’s own targets.”</p><p><a title="Read more about the Master's programme in Environmental Science and Sustainability" href="/en/education/programmes/masters-programme-in-environmental-science-and-sustainability">Read more about the Master’s Programme in Environmental Science and Sustainability</a></p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47422.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47422.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47422.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47422.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47422.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1e334b2350494573b7ff43fa73be5d1d/sustainable_campus_251030_all_img_47422.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jum Krolokowski och Jurgi Irurieta has dug deep into how buildings on campus can become more sustainable, for example regarding energy efficiency.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna-Lena Lindskog</span></div></div>/en/news/environmental-science-students-ideas-for-a-sustainable-campus_12148191//en/news/birch-leaves-and-peanuts-turned-into-advanced-laser-technology_12147932/Birch leaves and peanuts turned into advanced laser technologyPhysicists at Umeå University, in collaboration with researchers in China, have developed a laser made entirely from biomaterials – birch leaves and peanut kernels. The environmentally friendly laser could become an inexpensive and accessible tool for medical diagnostics and imaging.Mon, 03 Nov 2025 10:19:50 +0100<p>The results have been published in the scientific journal <em>Nanophotonics</em> and show how a so-called random laser can be made entirely from biological materials.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareleft"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/wang_jia_3851_220628_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/wang_jia_3851_220628_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/wang_jia_3851_220628_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/wang_jia_3851_220628_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/wang_jia_3851_220628_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/wang_jia_3851_220628_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jia Wang, Department of Physics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p>“Our study shows that it is possible to create advanced optical technology in a simple way using only local, renewable materials,” says Jia Wang, Associate Professor at the Department of Physics, Umeå University, and one of the authors of the study.</p><p>A random laser is a type of laser in which light scatters many times inside a disordered material before emerging as a focused beam. It holds great promise for applications such as medical imaging and early disease detection, and has therefore attracted significant research attention. However, conventional random laser materials are often toxic, or expensive and complex to produce.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Carbon dots from birch leaves</h2><p>Jia Wang and her collaborators created their laser using two common natural materials: birch leaves and peanut kernels. They made nanometre-scale carbon dots from the birch leaves to serve as the gain medium and cut peanut kernels into small cubes whose rough and irregular surfaces help trap and scatter light.</p><p class="quote-center">Instead of relying on complex technology, the natural microstructure of the peanut kernel does the job on its own</p><p>The laser itself is still powered by an external light source, but the functional parts that scatter and amplify the light are made entirely from biomaterials.</p><p>“The synthesis of the carbon dots is simple and straightforward, essentially a one-step pressure-cooking process,” explains Jia Wang. “Instead of relying on complex technology, the natural microstructure of the peanut kernel does the job on its own," says Jia Wang.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Could be developed into an optical tag</h2><p>The researchers tested how much energy was required to make the laser emit light, and the results showed that it performs just as well as artificially engineered lasers.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/samples_i2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/samples_i2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/samples_i2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/samples_i2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/samples_i2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/095335de5d3c4d87b28e8da58e2ae344/samples_i2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Upper: The biomaterial-based random laser when activated.<br>Lower: The same laser seen in daylight.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Zhihao Huang</span></div></div><p>“The potential of this biomaterial-based random laser extends beyond bioimaging and diagnostics. Given its low cost, renewability, and safety, it could also be developed into an optical tag for authenticating high-value documents, luxury goods, and electronic devices,” says Jia Wang.</p><p>Jia Wang’s research group has long been working on harnessing local, renewable resources for new technologies. Two years ago, they published a study demonstrating how birch leaves collected on Umeå University’s campus can be used to produce organic semiconductors – materials found in thin TV and mobile phone displays.</p>/en/news/birch-leaves-and-peanuts-turned-into-advanced-laser-technology_12147932//en/news/prestigious-award-to-informatics-researcher_12147908/<description>Adrian Bumann, Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Informatics is awarded the prestigious Börje Langefors Award 2025 for his dissertation on how knowledge is created and shared in digital innovation networks.</description><pubDate>Fri, 31 Oct 2025 13:36:56 +0100</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><p>Adrian Bumann at the Department of Informatics has been awarded the Börje Langefors Award 2025. The award is presented annually by the Swedish Information Systems Association (SISA) to the best doctoral dissertation within the field of Information Systems.</p><h3>Cooperation drives innovation</h3><p>In his dissertation “Generating Architectural Knowledge in Digital Innovation Networks” <em>(Chalmers University of Technology 2024)</em>, Adrian explores how organizations work together to develop innovative digital systems – and how new “architectural” knowledge emerges when combining diverse technology components and specialist knowledge.</p><p>By following two digital innovation networks in the maritime sector, he shows the challenges that arise and the capabilities needed to build shared knowledge and achieve successful outcomes.</p><p class="quote-left">I'm grateful for my support network – the Umeå research community</p><h3>Important network</h3><p>“I’m honored to receive this award, and grateful for my support network, which has included the Umeå research community. I hope my research can help deepen our understanding of how to build successful digital innovation collaborations to address complex societal and environmental challenges,” says Adrian Bumann.<br><br>The Börje Langefors Award is presented in memory of Professor Börje Langefors (1915–2009), a pioneer in Swedish and international information systems research. </p><p>The last time a researcher, active at Umeå university, recieved the Börje Langefors Award was in 2020 when Daniel Skog at the Department of informatics was awarded.</p></atom:content><link>/en/news/prestigious-award-to-informatics-researcher_12147908/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/the-representatives-fighting-for-a-better-work-environment_12147721/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/the-representatives-fighting-for-a-better-work-environment_12147721/</guid><title>The representatives fighting for a better work environmentWork environment representatives play a key role in creating a safe and sustainable workplace. At the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Mikaela Lagerqvist, Carin Wibom and Ylva Hedberg Fransson must deal with everything from everyday challenges to complex situations – and they see that their work makes a difference.Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:48:34 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9991-251020-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9991-251020-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9991-251020-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9991-251020-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9991-251020-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9991-251020-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Ylva Hedberg Fransson, Mikaela Lagerqvist and Carin Wibom are work environment representatives at the Deaprtment of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">Work environment efforts need to be highlighted as a central and strategic part of the organization</p><p>“Work environment efforts need to be highlighted as a central and strategic part of the organization – not something that happens alongside daily operations,” says Mikaela Lagerqvist, laboratory assistant at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå University.</p><p>In their roles as work environment representatives, Mikaela Lagerqvist, Carin Wibom, and Ylva Hedberg Fransson handle issues such as ergonomics, workplace calm, and environmental disruptions. Another common task is supporting employees in submitting reports via the IA system – a web-based tool for reporting work environment deviations. Their work often involves following up on these reports, for example by proposing corrective actions. All with the aim of preventing accidents and incidents.</p><p>“For instance, we once received a report about broken hinges on four -80 °C freezers, which posed a safety risk. This led to all the hinges being replaced before any accident occurred,” says Ylva Hedberg, Associate professor at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå University.</p><p>She continues:</p><p>“We usually say we deal with ‘Oops!’ and ‘Ouch!’ ‘Oops’ means it could have been dangerous but turned out fine, while ‘Ouch’ is when an actual accident has happened. We learn from our mistakes – work environment efforts help us take action to prevent them from happening again.”</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9908-251020-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9908-251020-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9908-251020-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9908-251020-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9908-251020-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9908-251020-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Lessons learned from work environment work lead to change.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Positive changes</h2><p>When Ylva Hedberg Fransson first became a work environment representative about ten years ago, the role was relatively limited. Back then, the main activity was conducting an annual work environment inspection at the department.</p><p>Since Mikaela Lagerqvist and Carin Wibom joined as representatives in the spring of 2023, several positive changes have taken place. The trio has actively worked to highlight the importance of a healthy work environment, including through regular discussions and presentations at the department’s workplace meetings. These meetings are now held in person instead of digitally via Teams, which has contributed to a better dialogue and increased engagement.</p><p>“Since last year, we have been collaborating with HR and representatives for equal opportunities in a joint working group – the so called ALV group. Together, we address issues related to the work environment, equality, and discrimination, which has strengthened our efforts,” says Mikaela Lagerqvist.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Support – both physical and mental</h2><p>For Mikaela Lagerqvist, a good work environment means having the right conditions to do your job and feeling safe – both physically and mentally. She emphasizes the importance of a workplace climate that is open, inclusive, and tolerant, where even difficult topics can be addressed.</p><p>“It should feel safe to come to work, especially in a lab environment where we handle chemicals and technical equipment. It is important that we follow the laws and regulations in place to protect both health and safety,” says Carin Wibom, research engineer at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå University. She also highlights ergonomics as a key factor, noting that repetitive tasks and poor working postures can place significant strain on the body.</p><p>Since the pandemic, systematic work environment efforts have fallen behind – a natural consequence of a period dominated by crisis management. Now, Carin Wibom wants to see change.</p><p>“My motivation is to establish routines for how we systematically work with both lab safety and office ergonomics. But just as important is the psychosocial work environment – how we treat each other and build a culture where everyone feels included and seen,” she says.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">More structure and routines</h2><p>Despite good intentions and growing attention to work environment issues, major challenges remain – especially when it comes to turning ambitions into concrete and sustainable routines in everyday work.</p><p>Mikaela Lagerqvist hopes for more systematic approaches to work environment efforts, with clearer structures and increased support from the department’s leadership.</p><p>“Of course, we would like to see work environment issues prioritized higher on the agenda. We are working toward closer collaboration with leadership, and we feel that we have a good dialogue that will hopefully move things forward,” she says.</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">A time consuming role</h2><p>Currently, there is no set time allocation for how much work a work environment representative is allowed to dedicate to the role.</p><p>“In theory, we are entitled to the time needed, but in practice it is often difficult to balance work environment responsibilities with our regular duties, such as lab work or teaching,” says Carin Wibom.</p><p>The department is growing rapidly, and once the staff size reaches a certain level, the role of work environment representative could potentially become a dedicated position – without drawing from research funding. This would allow sufficient time to be allocated for the important work carried out by the representatives.</p><p><em>How can people reach you for help?</em></p><p>“You are always welcome to stop by the office, send an email, or contact us via Teams. We will get back to you as soon as we can!” says Mikaela Lagerqvist.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9842-251020-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9842-251020-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9842-251020-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9842-251020-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9842-251020-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cc0dc5daf140403fbd293b466f33ec11/arbetsmijoombud-ucmr-9842-251020-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Carin Wibom, Mikaela Lagerqvist and Ylva Hedberg Fransson welcome employees to get in touch.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div>/en/news/the-representatives-fighting-for-a-better-work-environment_12147721//en/news/thousands-of-young-people-welcomed-to-this-years-open-house_12147793/Thousands of young people welcomed to this year's ‘Öppet hus’On 5 November, Umeå University will be filled with around 4,000 young people who want to know everything about what it is like to study at a university. It is time for the annual Öppet hus (Open House) event, when buses carrying upper secondary school students and others interested in studying, as well as teachers and study and career counsellors, roll in from Ljusdal to Kalix. Wed, 29 Oct 2025 14:34:03 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/54fd105653c84a4098b9b639765d6ab1/karimi_tomadj_1448_230509_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/54fd105653c84a4098b9b639765d6ab1/karimi_tomadj_1448_230509_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/54fd105653c84a4098b9b639765d6ab1/karimi_tomadj_1448_230509_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/54fd105653c84a4098b9b639765d6ab1/karimi_tomadj_1448_230509_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/54fd105653c84a4098b9b639765d6ab1/karimi_tomadj_1448_230509_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/54fd105653c84a4098b9b639765d6ab1/karimi_tomadj_1448_230509_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Tomadj Karimi, Communications officer at Umeå University and responsible for the event. Photo: Hans Karlsson</p></div></div><p>"The main point is, of course, to showcase all the different programmes available at Umeå University, but there are also a number of other popular activities and things to do, such as guided tours of the Umeå Arts Campus, the Iksu training facility and the neighbouring Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). The public housing company Bostaden will be there to talk about how to solve housing issues, and study and career counsellors and other staff will also receive their own professional development training," says Tomadj Karimi, Communications officer at Umeå University and responsible for the event.</p><p>In the days leading up to the event, the organisers begin setting up at venues such as Universum and Lindelhallen to make room for stands, signs and other equipment, and on Wednesday, 5 November, visitors begin arriving.</p><p>Visitors from Umeå start the day with a session in Aula Nordica at 9:30 a.m., while those arriving by bus receive information on the bus and go to an information session as soon as they arrive at Campus Umeå. A total of 140 information sessions will be held on everything from the Master of Science in Pharmacy to the Theology Programme and everything in between, until everyone returns home after the last session, which starts at 2.30 p.m.</p><p>All visitors now have the smart digital map Mazemap to help them. The schedule on the website ͯ��Ƶ has links to Mazemap, which shows where the various information sessions and stands are located, but there is also other information, such as the nearest café, toilet or lift.</p><p><a href="~/link/70b706c7c665418ba2aa32cdee8d0d69.aspx">You can read more about Open House 2025 here (only in Swedish)</a>.</p>/en/news/thousands-of-young-people-welcomed-to-this-years-open-house_12147793//en/news/new-book-on-sami-education-and-missionary-history_12147645/New Book on Sámi Education and Missionary History by Umeå ResearcherBjörn Norlin, researcher at the Department of Education at Umeå University, has released a new open access book on early educational initiatives aimed at Sweden’s Sámi population.Tue, 28 Oct 2025 15:05:01 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/2025_bokomslag4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/2025_bokomslag4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/2025_bokomslag4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/2025_bokomslag4.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/2025_bokomslag4.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/2025_bokomslag4.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Björn Norlin has released a new open access book on early educational initiatives aimed at Sweden’s Sámi population.</p></div></div><p>The book examines a key player in the educational field: the Swedish Missionary Society (SMS). Founded in Stockholm in 1835 with the help of British Methodists, SMS established mission schools and orphanages in the county of Jämtland and the inland areas of the counties of Västerbotten and Norrbotten from the late 1830s. The operations continued until around 1920, when the schools were either closed or transformed into public primary schools or nomadic schools. Unlike several other forms of Sámi-directed education, SMS’s educational efforts have not been thoroughly studied.</p><p>The book shows how the school activities emerged as a branch of the pietistic, evangelical missionary movement and its global ambition to spread Christianity among what were portrayed as heathen peoples. This occurred both domestically and in external colonial areas. Specific examples involving SMS include missions in India and Africa, and in the Swedish colony of Saint Barthélemy in the West Indies. The Sámi and the so-called Lappmark were early identified as an internal mission field, and stationary boarding schools became a prime concern for the Society.</p><p>Initially the education in the schools was shaped by the pietistic worldview and ideological principles, centering on individual conversion and the concept of original sin. This conversion-oriented pedagogy gradually gave way to more national, rational, and utilitarian educational ideals. This shift was partly due to changes in the Society’s internal ideological foundation and partly due to new demands on mass schooling that accompanied the establishment of the public primary school system. The book analyzes this transformation process and the ecclesiastical and political currents that contributed to the schools’ closure. It focuses especially on school practices and on the accounts of teachers, missionaries, and school inspectors. It is primarily a cultural-historical study.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/bn-o-ald-16-92.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/bn-o-ald-16-92.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/bn-o-ald-16-92.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/bn-o-ald-16-92.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/bn-o-ald-16-92.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4ae0c738a0e645d89255cfca88c79f03/bn-o-ald-16-92.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Björn Norlin answers some questions.</p></div></div><p>The study also highlights the central role of education during a period when various forms of institutionalized mass schooling were being established in Sweden, and when the encounter between such church- and state-administered power structures and the Sámi population intensified. It is also a story of educational activities taking place in a pre-democratic society and within a distinctly socially segmented educational landscape.</p><p><em>The book is part of a research project funded by the Swedish Research Council and the School of Education at Umeå University.</em></p>/en/news/new-book-on-sami-education-and-missionary-history_12147645//en/news/2025-mims-clinical-research-fellowship-awarded_12147750/2025 MIMS Clinical Research Fellowship awardedThe Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) has announced the winner of its national Clinical Research Fellowship (CRF) program for 2025.Wed, 29 Oct 2025 08:29:49 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/b26223fc3c8d4f42948fd3e8feb556da/lind-alicia-0436-241203-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b26223fc3c8d4f42948fd3e8feb556da/lind-alicia-0436-241203-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b26223fc3c8d4f42948fd3e8feb556da/lind-alicia-0436-241203-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/b26223fc3c8d4f42948fd3e8feb556da/lind-alicia-0436-241203-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b26223fc3c8d4f42948fd3e8feb556da/lind-alicia-0436-241203-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b26223fc3c8d4f42948fd3e8feb556da/lind-alicia-0436-241203-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Alicia Lind at University Hospital of Umeå and Umeå University is the winner of the national Clinical Research Fellowship (CRF) program for 2025.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>An international panel of clinical and basic researchers has awarded the fellowship to <strong>Alicia Lind</strong> at Norrland University Hospital, Umeå to conduct research on improving diagnostics and outcomes of post-covid condition.</p><p>Alicia is a specialist physician in anesthesiology and intensive care at Norrland University Hospital, and a researcher at the Department of Diagnostics and Intervention at Umeå University. Her research focuses on the interaction between metabolism and the immune system in severe infections such as sepsis and COVID-19. She holds a medical degree and a PhD in clinical microbiology from Umeå University. She has been actively working in the field of precision diagnostics at Umeå University.</p><p>In her MIMS CRF project, she aims to investigate the nature, dynamics, and mechanisms of long-term health effects following COVID-19. More specifically, she wants to identify sub-phenotypes of post-COVID condition (PCC) to guide personalized rehabilitation and treatment and develop predictive algorithms using high-resolution immunometabolic profiling to enhance diagnostics, pathophysiological understanding, and prognostication of PCC.</p><p>Alicia says, <em>"Why some individuals develop long-term complications after COVID-19, while others recover quickly, remains a pressing question. So far, the lack of high-quality clinical cohorts and biobanks has hampered progress in this critical area of research. Our clinical cohort study, CoVUm, may change that. With its large size, wide spectrum of disease severity, and exceptionally low drop-out rate, it is one of the few studies worldwide capable of providing long-term insights into post-COVID1 of 4condition (PCC). This creates a rare opportunity for us to connect metabolic and immunological changes with long-term clinical outcomes. Through broad, interdisciplinary collaborations, we are conducting in-depth studies of immunometabolic signatures alongside conventional biomarkers of immune response and organ dysfunction. Our group includes expertise in clinical medicine, analytical chemistry, and data-driven science – with the potential to develop new methods and knowledge relevant not only to COVID-19 but also to other post-infectious conditions. I chose Prof Martin Rosvall as a collaborator, since he and his group specialize in multivariate data analysis with machine learning methods in biological systems, expertise that is required in this project with complex and large datasets on multiple levels."</em></p><p>In her MIMS CRF project, Alicia is collaborating with Martin Rosvall, a professor at Icelab in the Department of Physics at Umeå University, where she will have access to machine learning methods designed to identify patterns in complex biological data.</p><p>Martin says <em>"Alicia's work on post-COVID condition tackles a challenge that illustrates why interdisciplinary collaboration matters. The CoVUm cohort generates massive, multilayered datasets that no single approach can fully illuminate. My group brings machine learning methods designed to find patterns in complex biological data, but these methods only reveal meaningful insights when guided by deep clinical and biochemical understanding. The MIMS Clinical Research Fellowship provides exactly the protected research time and resources Alicia needs to develop the project. With these resources, we can move beyond simply describing post-COVID symptoms to identifying the immunometabolic signatures that distinguish different patient subgroups—signatures that could reveal why some people develop long-term complications while others recover completely."</em></p><p>MIMS Clinical Research Fellowships provide guaranteed research time and fund the fellow’s research up to a total value of 3.2 mio SEK.</p><p>Oliver Billker, Director of MIMS, says: <em>"We are delighted to welcome Alicia to the MIMS community. Her project is a great example of the type of interdisciplinary and collaborative work we want to foster. It provides an opportunity for international collaboration in molecular medicine, which is at the core of our partnership with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and its Nordic Partnership."</em></p><p>MIMS receives funding from the Swedish Research Council, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Kempe Foundations and Umeå University to foster the next generation of outstanding researchers in infection medicine. It is the Swedish node in the EMBL network, to which it is connected through the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine.</p>/en/news/2025-mims-clinical-research-fellowship-awarded_12147750//en/news/eu-invests-in-umea-research--16-projects-tackle-major-societal-challenges_12146879/EU invests in Umeå research – 16 projects tackle major societal challengesHow do environmental toxins affect the brain? Can AI support teachers in the classroom? And how might autonomous machines contribute to a greener industry? Researchers at Umeå University have been awarded over €10 million in EU funding to address some of the most pressing issues of our time.Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:25:54 +0200<p>Umeå University is participating in 16 new research projects that have collectively received more than €10.2 million – approximately SEK 112 million – through the EU’s 2024 funding calls.</p><p>“This funding strengthens the university’s international research collaborations and highlights how knowledge developed here helps push the boundaries of science,” says Agneta Hånell Plamboeck, head of the Research Support Office at Umeå University.</p><p>Support from programmes such as Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ enables researchers at the university to collaborate with colleagues, companies, and organisations across Europe. Together, they are developing new knowledge – ranging from the tiniest building blocks of life to large-scale innovations that advance health, sustainability, and technology.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcf1ee7fe611465fbac5264a581bf01e/marta-bally-5538-250325-mpn6.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>One of the researchers awarded EU funding is Marta Bally at the Department of Clinical Microbiology (to the right, here with postdoc Malgorzata Graul). She investigates the invisible and largely unknown protective layer of our cells, which, when disrupted, may contribute to cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Curious about what the researchers are working on?</h2><p>Click the expandable headings below to explore the projects and discover how Umeå researchers contribute to scientific progress and societal development.<br><br></p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">HORIZON EUROPE</h2><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Pillar I: Scientific excellence<br><br></h2><h3>European Research Council – Starting Grant</h3><p class="foldable">ARIMETH – tracing methane emissions from Arctic rivers</p><p><strong>Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases – many times stronger than carbon dioxide. Arctic rivers may be a hidden source, but researchers still know little about how these emissions arise and vary. The ARIMETH project aims to fill that gap.</strong></p><p>The team combines field experiments, high-resolution measurements with advanced sensors, isotope analyses, and modelling to understand the processes driving methane’s journey from land to river and into the atmosphere. By linking local studies with pan-Arctic comparisons, the project will develop new models to better predict both present and future emissions.</p><p>The results could offer groundbreaking insights into the Arctic carbon cycle – and reveal whether current climate models have underestimated the role of rivers in global warming.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/f7439a65265c41869a7b464e080e2d3b.aspx">Gerard Rocher-Ros</a>, Department of Ecology, Environment and Geoscience<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €1,902,360</p><p class="foldable">MicroIMMUNE – mapping tiny proteins with a big impact</p><p><strong>Our immune system protects us every day – but many of the smallest proteins that regulate its functions remain a mystery. MicroIMMUNE aims to change that.</strong></p><p>Within our DNA are genes that give rise to very small proteins – known as microproteins – which have so far escaped scientific attention. Researchers in MicroIMMUNE are developing new methods to identify these proteins, map where they are found in immune cells, and uncover how they influence immune responses under different conditions.</p><p>By systematically building an atlas of microproteins and their interactions, the project seeks to reveal what has long been hidden. These discoveries could provide entirely new insights into how the immune system works – and pave the way for future treatments, such as antibiotics that mimic microproteins to strengthen the body’s defences against infection.<br><br><strong>Researcher: </strong><a href="~/link/71e2c62213f84c0ba36f9991a428fefc.aspx">Iker Valle Aramburu</a>, Department of Molecular Biology<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €1,500,000</p><h3>European Research Council – Synergy Grant</h3><p class="foldable">RESYDE – re-engineering life’s building blocks</p><p><strong>How does a flower know what shape to take? And why do living organisms develop the forms and patterns we see in nature? RESYDE explores the biological processes that break symmetry in cells and tissues – one of life’s great mysteries.</strong></p><p>The research team uses the plant <em>Arabidopsis</em> as a model. By combining gene analyses, advanced microscopy, experiments that alter protein function, and computational modelling, they study how molecules, signals and mechanical forces guide cell development. Using a virtual “4D cell template”, they can simulate these processes and test hypotheses about how forms arise and change.</p><p>The goal is to achieve a predictive understanding of how organisms develop their shapes. In the long run, this knowledge could be highly valuable for both medicine and agriculture – for example by guiding how tissues are built or how plants grow.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/7fa34837022c4fdeb6932a274829a3b0.aspx">Stephan Wenkel</a>, Department of Plant Physiology<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €2,413,756 </p><h3>Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Doctoral Networks</h3><p class="foldable">ENGAGE – paving the way for future green and AI-controlled work machines</p><p><strong>Excavators, forestry machines and port cranes are essential to society – but they need to become safer, smarter and more environmentally friendly. ENGAGE trains the next generation of researchers to develop AI-powered mobile work machines for the demands of tomorrow.</strong></p><p>The project brings together European industrial leaders such as Volvo, Bosch and Liebherr with researchers in AI, robotics and physics from universities in Sweden, Finland, Germany and Austria, as well as tech companies like Algoryx. Within this collaborative framework, thirteen doctoral students are being trained in simulation and AI to develop machines that can operate more autonomously, with a lower carbon footprint and improved safety.</p><p>The initiative combines scientific and engineering expertise with practical knowledge of mobile work machines used in construction, agriculture and forestry. In this way, ENGAGE aims to strengthen European industry and make every day working machines a key part of the green transition.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/e4bf4710029341f895bd7364fe9c0802.aspx">Martin Servin</a>, Department of Physics<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €108,210</p><p class="foldable">GLYCOCALYX – uncovering the invisible shield of our cells</p><p><strong>Every cell in your body wears a protective "sugar coat" – the glycocalyx. It shields the cell and helps it communicate, yet despite its crucial role in immunity, brain function, and tissue repair, much about it remains unknown.</strong></p><p>The European doctoral network GLYCOCALYX brings together 15 early-career researchers to find out how this delicate layer is built, how it functions, and what happens when it fails. When the system is disrupted, it can contribute to diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegeneration. Excessive degradation can also lead to severe infections, sometimes with fatal consequences.</p><p>By combining chemistry, physics, and biology, the researchers are mapping the glycocalyx and developing new tools to make the invisible visible. Their work could pave the way for innovative diagnostic methods and treatments – and provide a deeper understanding of our cells and their invisible shield.</p><p><strong>Researchers:</strong> <a href="~/link/1c0a359d7b484a57887181ad3ee98fab.aspx">Marta Bally</a> and <a href="~/link/b57dd5a6ea894941a99e05b60515339a.aspx">Anne-Marie Fors Connolly</a>, Department of Clinical Microbiology<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €649,260 </p><p class="foldable">MIPrecise – making cancer diagnostics faster and fairer</p><p><strong>Where you live should not determine how quickly you get a cancer diagnosis. MIPrecise aims to develop simple, robust, and eco-friendly tests that can detect cancer earlier – even in smaller clinics – making care more equitable.</strong></p><p>Instead of fragile biological reagents, the researchers use smart plastic molecules, called imprinted polymers. These act as artificial antibodies and can be tailored to recognise biomarkers – molecules in the body that signal cancer. The technology is used to develop tests that are both robust and accurate, and can be applied to liquid biopsies, home testing, and guide to more precise, personalised cancer therapies.</p><p>Within the European doctoral network MIPrecise, early-career researchers receive interdisciplinary training combining materials science, cell analyses, and clinical testing. The goal is to create new diagnostic platforms and contribute to more sustainable cancer diagnostics – benefiting patients, healthcare, and the environment.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/ff3d0a52d56a45d8b10cb1301ab338cf.aspx">Jenny Persson</a>, Department of Molecular Biology<br><strong>Funding awarded: </strong>€324,630</p><h3>Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Postdoctoral Fellowships</h3><p class="foldable">CORALS – building ultra-fast data technology with light</p><p><strong>Today’s digital technology is both energy-hungry and approaching its speed limits. CORALS explores whether light can replace electricity – potentially paving the way for faster, more energy-efficient computers.</strong></p><p>The project focuses on so-called polaritons, hybrid particles where light and matter interact. These particles can oscillate between light and matter states at extremely high speeds, a phenomenon known as Rabi oscillation. So far, such oscillations have been too short-lived for practical use, but CORALS aims to investigate whether more stable signals can be achieved.</p><p>If successful, the research could lead to optical switches that make computers both much faster and possibly more energy-efficient than today’s devices – and eventually open doors to entirely new forms of quantum and light-based information technology.</p><p><strong>Researchers:</strong> <a href="~/link/873f450f972b440383861538726a54e6.aspx">Ben Johns</a> and <a href="~/link/5ea5c52cb8224f18944630d14e7e799a.aspx">Nicolò Maccaferri</a>, Department of Physics<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €252,180</p><p class="foldable">Cryo-GraPoTSS – revealing how bacteria spread antibiotic resistance</p><p><strong>Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose an increasing threat to public health. One key reason is that bacteria can transfer resistance genes between each other using tiny protein machines – known as conjugative type 4 secretion systems (T4SS).</strong></p><p>These systems function like microscopic tunnels, passing genes from one bacterium to another. In the Cryo-GraPoTSS project, researchers will for the first time map what these systems look like in Gram-positive bacteria – a group that frequently causes serious hospital-acquired infections. Using cryo-electron microscopy and tomography, they aim to produce high-resolution images of T4SS in Enterococcus faecalis, directly in its natural environment.</p><p>By uncovering how these molecular machines are built and how they work, the researchers hope to identify new targets for antibiotics – a crucial piece of the puzzle in the fight against antibiotic resistance.</p><p><strong>Researchers: </strong><a href="~/link/74c44e57660641bba0b41ffe53be4bd4.aspx">Kieran Deane-Alder</a> and <a href="~/link/a88ab036b4fa4de7877561480f0ae3ba.aspx">Ronnie Berntsson</a>, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €236,340</p><h3>Research infrastructures<br><br></h3><p class="foldable">SoGreen – illuminating the social dimension of the green transition</p><p><strong>The green transition is not only about technology – it also affects how we live, work and build our communities. SoGreen develops methods to study how the social aspects of the transition can help make it fairer and more inclusive.</strong></p><p>By gathering knowledge about people’s living conditions and attitudes, researchers can offer important insights into how the transition impacts different groups in society, depending on factors such as age, income, and other social circumstances. SoGreen is developing a new questionnaire and geospatial data, laying the groundwork for better analysis and decision-making.</p><p>The project aims to give policymakers tools to better understand the social challenges – and to support inclusive policies for a green transition that takes people’s diverse experiences into account.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/a748b03f92c348c282f54b65937c4027.aspx">Gunnar Malmberg</a>, Department of Geography<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €29,625</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Pillar II: Global challenges and European industrial competitiveness</h2><h3><br>Cluster 1: Health</h3><p class="foldable">EXPOSIGNALZ – investigating the link between pollutants and Alzheimer’s</p><p><strong>Could air pollution and other environmental chemicals contribute to dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease? EXPOSIGNALZ investigates how everyday chemical exposures affect the brain.</strong></p><p>Using laboratory experiments, advanced brain models, and studies in different population groups, the researchers aim to identify which substances are harmful, how they impact the brain over time, and whether they may contribute to disease development.</p><p>The project seeks to develop new biomarkers for early diagnosis and provide policymakers with knowledge and tools to reduce exposure and prevent disease.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/32112574837542c9acbb60aedeca3c95.aspx">Anna Oudin</a>, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €475,090</p><h3>Cluster 4: Digital, industry and space</h3><p class="foldable">XSCAVE – developing smart machines for construction and forestry</p><p><strong>Self-driving machines that can understand and adapt to their surroundings – that is the vision of XSCAVE. The project develops AI-solutions designed to make heavy-duty vehicles smarter, more environmentally friendly, and better able to support industries facing labour shortages.</strong></p><p>The researchers combine deep learning with physics-based models and data from machines in operation to create autonomous control systems that are fast and reliable. These systems will be able to adjust movements and navigation to suit both task and terrain – driving, excavating, and loading in loose soil, rocky ground, uneven forest terrain and snow.</p><p>In collaboration with industrial partners such as Algoryx, Komatsu, Novatron, and Toshiba, the technology will be tested in real-world environments. The goal is to create machines that can operate efficiently, safely, and with lower fuel consumption – even without a driver.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/e4bf4710029341f895bd7364fe9c0802.aspx">Martin Servin</a>, Department of Physics<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €714,625 </p><h3>Cluster 6: Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment</h3><p class="foldable">ArcticKnows – shaping the future of the Arctic with local knowledge</p><p><strong>How can Arctic communities and Indigenous peoples take an active role in shaping the development of their regions? ArcticKnows brings together researchers, businesses, and local stakeholders to amplify local voices in the transition towards more sustainable and equitable economies.</strong></p><p>The project bridges research, traditional knowledge, and practical work. In close collaboration with local communities, pilot initiatives are being developed in nature-based tourism, small-scale agriculture, and fisheries across Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Greenland. Emphasis is placed on including women and youth, as well as ensuring Indigenous perspectives are represented in decision-making.</p><p>The aim is to pave the way for new approaches where people in the Arctic can shape their own future, and where their knowledge becomes a valuable resource for the global transition.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/6f100d6a98684f2da25d15c6c807c513.aspx">Linda Lundmark</a>, Department of Geography<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €363,075</p><p class="foldable">CoCo – aiding coexistence between agriculture and wildlife</p><p><strong>How can farmers and wild animals live alongside each other without constant conflict? CoCo addresses the growing challenges that come with the recovery of large carnivores and other wildlife in Europe.</strong></p><p>The project brings together thousands of farmers, hunters, and landowners across 12 countries. Researchers use collaborative methods – including policy analysis, interviews, field visits, focus groups, and modelling – to explore how people and wildlife can share the landscape, and how different stakeholders’ experiences and values influence decision-making.</p><p>The goal is to develop a “Roadmap for Coexistence” with practical recommendations that reduce conflicts, promote cooperation among stakeholders, and support sustainable, multi-functional landscapes – for both humans and wildlife.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/b912ff988f754c4eb82ebec2eb23e87d.aspx">Camilla Sandström</a>, Department of Political Science<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €246,380</p><p class="foldable">FlavourFerm – making plant-based food tastier and more nutritious</p><p><strong>Why don’t more people choose plant-based food? Taste and texture are often the stumbling blocks. The FlavourFerm project aims to change that – by developing fermentation techniques that make green alternatives both tastier and more nutritious.</strong></p><p>The researchers combine traditional methods with modern precision fermentation, programming yeast to produce specific proteins – such as milk proteins without any animal origin. They also use legumes to cultivate fungal mycelium with meat-like properties.</p><p>These new ingredients will be tested in plant-based cheese, meat and milk – and scaled up to pilot and pre-commercial levels in collaboration with food companies across Europe. The goal is to create plant-based food that matches animal-based products in flavour and nutritional value – but is more sustainable for both people and the planet.</p><p><strong>Researchers:</strong> <a href="~/link/0034b495c740417e93862321442afc71.aspx">Armando Perez-Cueto</a>, Department of Food, Nutrition and Culinary Science, and <a href="~/link/4fc80be3f056492eb675ee2202eedb33.aspx">Danielle Wilde</a>, Umeå Institute of Design<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €393,392</p><h2 id="info4" data-magellan-target="info4">OTHER PROGRAMMES</h2><h2 id="info5" data-magellan-target="info5">Erasmus+</h2><p class="foldable">AI2PI – preparing teachers for AI in the classroom</p><p><strong>How can schools and teacher education together respond to societal change brought about by AI tools such as ChatGPT? The AI2PI Teacher Academy develops courses, networks, and practical models to help teachers understand and use AI responsibly.</strong></p><p>Digitalisation is reshaping both how education unfolds, and the skills students will need in the future. Beyond technical know-how, competencies such as critical thinking, collaboration, and empathy are becoming increasingly important – especially as AI technologies enter the classroom.</p><p>To support teachers in navigating this shift, seven universities, schools, and teacher-training organisations across Europe are joining forces. Together, they are developing short course modules (micro-credentials), a shared framework for AI literacy in schools, and communities of practice where educators can exchange experiences.</p><p>The goal is safe, research-informed teaching and learning with a focus on AI – helping young people act responsibly as citizens in a digital society.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/7ff58d2ae47a41de84e38f7cff128387.aspx">Maria Rönnlund</a>, Department of Applied Educational Science<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €152,319</p><h2 id="info6" data-magellan-target="info6">Reseach Fund for Coal and Steel (RCFS)</h2><p class="foldable">AUSNANITE – baking stronger and more climate-smart steel</p><p><strong>Steel is one of our most important construction materials, but producing it requires a lot of energy and generates large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂). Now, researchers are testing a new way to make stronger, more climate-friendly steel – by <em>baking</em> it.</strong></p><p>In the AUSNANITE project, the team explores whether the well-established hardening method known as <em>austempering</em> can be combined with a controlled “baking” process to form a new type of ausferritic structure. This structure offers a unique combination of high strength and toughness – properties that make the steel particularly resistant to impact and wear, for example in construction and mining equipment.</p><p>The approach also promises a far more energy-efficient production of bar steel and forgings. Unlike conventional methods, it eliminates the need to reheat the steel a second time, substantially reducing both costs and CO₂ emissions.</p><p>If successful on an industrial scale, even a partial adoption of the process may reduce emissions by hundreds of thousands of tonnes each year. The result could be steel that lasts longer, costs less to produce, and supports Europe’s transition towards a more sustainable and competitive industry.</p><p><strong>Researcher:</strong> <a href="~/link/8dc84e451ed7496e8cfd907388115792.aspx">Richard Larker</a>, Department of Applied Physics and Electronics<br><strong>Funding awarded:</strong> €254,171</p>/en/news/eu-invests-in-umea-research--16-projects-tackle-major-societal-challenges_12146879//en/news/high-levels-of-hif2-may-impair-high-risk-paediatric-neuroblastoma_12147086/High levels of specific protein may impair high-risk paediatric neuroblastomaHigh levels of a specific protein can reduce the growth of tumour cells in neuroblastoma, a form of cancer that affects the sympathetic nervous system in young children. This is shown in a new study by researchers at Umeå University and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. The protein in question also seems to cause the cancer cells to change into less aggressive cells.Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:10:44 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/644b116b36404a479d202e4ad67127ad/johan_holmbergs_forskargrupp.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/644b116b36404a479d202e4ad67127ad/johan_holmbergs_forskargrupp.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/644b116b36404a479d202e4ad67127ad/johan_holmbergs_forskargrupp.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/644b116b36404a479d202e4ad67127ad/johan_holmbergs_forskargrupp.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/644b116b36404a479d202e4ad67127ad/johan_holmbergs_forskargrupp.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/644b116b36404a479d202e4ad67127ad/johan_holmbergs_forskargrupp.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The Umeå University researchers behind the study: Eirini Antoniou, Subhamita Maitra, Johan Holmberg and Caroline Lindehell</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Olof Jansson </span></div></div><p>"The findings increase our understanding of how neuroblastoma develops and can hopefully contribute to new treatments in the long term," says Johan Holmberg, professor of molecular tumour biology at Umeå University and one of the researchers behind the study.</p><p>Neuroblastoma is a form of cancer that affects the sympathetic nervous system in young children and is often difficult to treat, especially when the tumour cells have many copies of a gene called <em>MYCN</em>. In the new study, the researchers have focused on a protein called <em>HIF2α</em>.</p><p>When the researchers induced high levels of HIF2α in neuroblastoma cells with many copies of the MYCN gene, they could see a sharp decrease in the protein expressed by the MYCN gene. At the same time, the expression of genes typical of cells that produce noradrenaline in the adrenal medulla increased. This suggests that the tumour cells began to resemble more mature cells in the sympathetic nervous system. The cells also stopped dividing as quickly and they developed long protrusions; a sign that they are maturing.</p><p>In experiments in a mouse model of neuroblastoma, the growth of the tumours was significantly reduced when high levels of HIF2α were induced. When analysing patient samples from children with neuroblastoma, the researchers found that high levels of the gene, <em>EPAS1</em>, which codes for the protein HIF2α were associated with low levels of MYCN and with genes that are typical of more mature cells. In addition, patients with high levels of EPAS1 generally had a better prognosis.</p><p>The study thus challenges a previous view that HIF2α would act as a driver of cancer in neuroblastoma. Instead, the results suggest that the protein may in some cases have a slowing function and promote maturation into less aggressive cells.</p><p>"The discovery may prove significant, but there is a long way to go before new treatments based on this can be considered," says Johan Holmberg.</p><p>Neuroblastoma accounts for about six percent of cancer cases among children. There are several different degrees of severity of the disease that affect the prognosis. Treatments have improved in recent decades so that three out of four children affected survive the disease. However, survival is unfortunately worse for patients with many copies of the MYCN gene.</p><p>The study, which is supported by the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation, the Swedish Cancer Society, the Kempe Foundation and the Faculty of Medicine's Strategic Research Resource at Umeå University, is published in the scientific journal PNAS. </p>/en/news/high-levels-of-hif2-may-impair-high-risk-paediatric-neuroblastoma_12147086//en/news/from-journal-stress-to-ai-solution_12147261/From paperwork to AI solution - the medical student's idea was a successMedical student Edvin Tidevall worked as a medical assistant during the summer and was amazed at how much time was spent on documentation. He soon discovered that one of the biggest time thieves was record keeping. The solution was an AI service, which in turn became the company Leapscribe, which was quickly bought by the Nordic region's largest e-health providers. And on his business journey, Edvin Tidevall received valuable help from the innovation system at Umeå University.Thu, 23 Oct 2025 08:31:44 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/d67ad76cf49d433c9c2c2889a87fd8d3/leapscribe_20253.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d67ad76cf49d433c9c2c2889a87fd8d3/leapscribe_20253.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d67ad76cf49d433c9c2c2889a87fd8d3/leapscribe_20253.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/d67ad76cf49d433c9c2c2889a87fd8d3/leapscribe_20253.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d67ad76cf49d433c9c2c2889a87fd8d3/leapscribe_20253.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d67ad76cf49d433c9c2c2889a87fd8d3/leapscribe_20253.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>All co-founders of Leapscribe gathered together: Arvid Östlund, Samir Jamehdar, Edvin Tidevall and Adrian Bagger Toräng. Photo: Fanny Berglund (Studioformbar).</p></div></div><p>"When Leapscribe was still in its very early stages, I pitched the idea to the incubator Uminova Innovation, but because I had a connection to the university, I was put in touch with the Innovation Office at Umeå University instead, and business developer Christopher Frisk," says Edvin Tidevall, who now works at Cambio, the company that bought his business.</p><h3>The business coach became an important sounding board</h3><p>"When we entered the Innovation Office, there was no finished product – Leapscribe was still in its infancy. The support was largely about general issues relating to business and entrepreneurship, but also about regulatory issues, which was crucial for us before we could start working with customers. Our business coach became an important sounding board and helped us deal with the many challenges that arise when you are new to entrepreneurship. That support was very valuable."</p><p>The idea, which Edvin Tidevall received help to turn into a company, is an AI assistant that automatically generates medical records during patient consultations. This frees up a lot of time and simplifies things for healthcare staff without compromising patient safety and integrity. The idea and the company were so successful that it was sold to Cambio last summer, where Edvin Tidevall is now working on developing and implementing the system.</p><h3>What message would you like to convey to other students or colleagues at Umeå University who have an idea?</h3><p>"Dare to try. Starting a business is a challenge, but it is also a fantastic education in itself. You learn an incredible amount along the way. There is good support available through the Innovation Office – both for validating your idea and for finding the right team. So don't hesitate, take your idea to the Innovation Office and give it a try!"</p>/en/news/from-journal-stress-to-ai-solution_12147261//en/news/how-are-parents-affected-by-their-adult-childrens-working-lives_12147238/How are parents affected by their adult children’s working lives? A new research project will investigate how parents’ health is influenced by their adult children’s position in the labor market—and how this relationship varies across European countries.Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:23:54 +0200<p class="quote-center">By placing parents’ information at the center of our analysis, we examine the connection between children’s labor market status and parents’ mental health</p><p>The European labor market is undergoing significant change, with one clear trend being the increasing diversification of working life. Continuous full-time employment is no longer as common or guaranteed. For individuals, labor market attachment can impact financial stability, independence, and health. But how are parents affected by their adult children’s connection to the labor market? That’s the central question of a new research initiative.</p><h3>International comparison to understand variation</h3><p>The project, titled A<em>dult children’s labor market attachment and parental health in international comparative perspective</em>, will compare different European countries to explore how various welfare systems influence the link between children’s employment and their parents’ health.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="a12f6971-a4d4-46ae-81d0-b3f6f59181e3" data-contentname="Bild Jordi">{}</div><p>“Labor market structures, welfare system designs, and the role of the family vary significantly across Europe. These factors may shape how parents experience their children’s unemployment,” says Jordi Gumà-Lao.</p><h3>What role does the welfare state play?</h3><p>Previous studies have shown that children’s unemployment can negatively affect parents’ mental health. However, less is known about the extent to which welfare state protections for the unemployed may buffer this effect across different European welfare regimes.<br><br>“In principle, living in a country where the welfare state guarantees basic financial security and offers re-employment support could mitigate the negative impact. Conversely, unemployment in a context of low national unemployment may intensify feelings of stigma for both the unemployed individual and their family members,” says Anna Baranowska-Rataj.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="2223db73-512a-41f7-87f8-ae77839550b2" data-contentname="Bild Anna">{}</div><h3>European interview data enables intergenerational analysis</h3><p>To explore these relationships, the researchers are using data from the large-scale European study Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). SHARE examines how health, social, economic, and environmental factors affect people over 50 throughout their lives. The dataset also includes information about respondents’ children, making it possible to study how individuals are affected by events in the lives of close family members.<br><br>“By placing parents’ information at the center of our analysis, we examine the connection between children’s labor market status and parents’ mental health,” says Jordi Gumà-Lao.</p><h3>A case study – the project’s second phase</h3><p>The second phase of the project focuses on Spain—a country where the family often plays a complementary role to the welfare state.<br><br>“Spain is particularly interesting in our research. The country has experienced high unemployment for a long time, and families play a major role in providing both financial and emotional support. By comparing Spain with other European countries, we can better understand how such structures influence the relationship between children’s working lives and their parents’ health.” says Jordi Gumà-Lao.</p><p class="quote-center">I am very happy that this collaboration is so fruitful, and continues to bring results in the form of great publications as well as new research projects</p><h3>Continued collaboration between CEDAR and CED</h3><p>The project has been developed by Jordi Gumà-Lao together with Anna Baranowska-Rataj during his guest research stay at CEDAR. This joint work contributed to setting up a broader collaboration between two excellent research centres: CED ( Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics ) in Barcelona, where Jordi is currently based, and CEDAR (Centre for demography and ageing research) at Umea University. Researchers from both institutions organise regular visits and exchanges, with mutual benefits.</p><p>“I am very happy that this collaboration is so fruitful, and continues to bring results in the form of great publications as well as new research projects” says Anna Baranowska-Rataj.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0"><a href="~/link/1066b4d6b24d46188d9cf7d5cabbaef6.aspx">Read more about this project here</a></h2>/en/news/how-are-parents-affected-by-their-adult-childrens-working-lives_12147238//en/news/early-career-researchers-build-bridges-across-disciplinary-boundaries_12147041/Early-career researchers build bridges across disciplinary boundariesWhen three early-career researchers from different disciplines met through the Umeå Transformation Research Initiative (UTRI), their shared interest in sustainability transformation proved stronger than their disciplinary differences. Their collaboration has since led to a study visit, new research connections, and a forthcoming academic article, which will be presented in poster format at UTRI’s annual conference on 27 November.Tue, 21 Oct 2025 15:53:12 +0200<p>With backgrounds in energy engineering, environmental policy, and political science, Natxo García López, Pamela Bachmann-Vargas, and Irina Mancheva first connected through their involvement in UTRI’s network for early-career researchers.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="fe38d5d6-a487-45f3-98cf-78e13077be3e" data-contentname="utri logo">{}</div><p>“When we first met, we thought that our different academic backgrounds would make collaboration difficult. But over time, our shared interest in sustainability transformation became the foundation for our work together. It’s incredibly important, especially as an early-career researcher, to find spaces and people who share your interests.”, says Natxo García López.</p><h3>UTRI as an Enabler</h3><p>UTRI’s network for young researchers places particular emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, career development, and peer exchange – a form of cooperation increasingly prioritised in research funding calls.</p><p>Since UTRI’s launch in 2020, Natxo, Pamela, and Irina have been actively involved in developing the young researchers’ network, which eventually led to their own research project.</p><p>“After organising several events and encouraging other young researchers to come up with project ideas and proposals, we developed our own project proposal entitled: Capacity building for transformative research.”, says Natxo García López</p><p>In 2024, they applied for financial and practical support from UTRI to carry out a study visit to the Netherlands as part of their project.</p><h3>From study visit to article</h3><p>Over six days, Natxo and Pamela travelled by train from Umeå to the Netherlands, visiting several universities and research initiatives working with sustainability and transformation in various ways. The aim of the trip was to gather insights and tools related to current issues in transformative research.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Pamela Bachmann-Vargas and Natxo García López chose to travel sustainably from Umeå to the Netherlands.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span></span></div></div><p>“Visiting so many different universities and initiatives in such a short time, within a relatively small geographical area, was incredibly inspiring. It was an immersive experience onto transformative research. We travelled and worked long days and discussed many aspects of the research both before and after the visits.”, explains Pamela Bachmann-Vargas.</p><p>She continues to describe that study visits during the early stages of a research career as highly valuable.</p><p>“Study visits are very important for building national and international networks and gaining inspiration for new research and collaborations.”</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="d849a3fd-1367-4246-a57c-69bd86d1bcf1" data-contentname="Study visit PBV NGL">{}</div><p>The study visits not only led to new insights and experiences but also became the starting point for a scientific collaboration. Together with Maria Kauffmann from Radboud University – whom they met during the trip – they are now working on a comparative article. Irina, who was unable to join the visit, is also a co-author. The article analyses two university-based initiatives for sustainability transformation: UTRI at Umeå University and <a href="https://transact-ru-fm.hub.arcgis.com/">TransAct</a> at Radboud University in the Netherlands.</p><p>“It is interesting to see that there are important commonalities between the goals from both initiatives. But despite that, there are substantial differences in the contexts where both initiatives act, on the organisation, and on the outcomes. The article also aims to critically discuss the role of these initiatives and contribute to the debate on how university efforts should be oriented towards a more sustainable future.”, says both Pamela and Natxo.</p><p>The authors hope the article will inspire researchers at other institutions to engage with transformation-related issues and encourage more universities to support the establishment of similar initiatives.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri4.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri4.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/60e9221bddce475fb8cca83aa68d1a23/studieresa_utri4.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>During the study trip, several educational institutions were visited where transformative research was discussed. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Natxo García López</span></div></div><h3>A strong encouragement</h3><p>They all agree that UTRI’s support has been crucial.</p><p>“Without the financial support from UTRI, the study visit would not have been possible. We also received support when we invited our colleague from the Netherlands to last year’s UTRI conference, which gave us the opportunity to continue working on our analysis and article.”, says Natxo.</p><p>Pamela adds “We’ve also always received strong moral support from UTRI. Our ideas have been met with interest and encouragement, and we’ve had the opportunity to develop them further.”</p><p>The article is currently being finalised and will be submitted to a peer-reviewed academic journal. Natxo and Pamela have completed their respective doctoral and postdoctoral positions, but together with Irina – now an Assistant professor at Umeå University – they will present the article in poster format at the UTRI conference on 27 November.</p>/en/news/early-career-researchers-build-bridges-across-disciplinary-boundaries_12147041//en/news/satellite-event-showcased-infrastructures-in-digital-humanities_12146994/Satellite event showcased infrastructures in Digital HumanitiesResearchers in the social sciences, arts, and humanities are increasingly making use of research infrastructures. This was the focus of a satellite event held during the Swedish e-Science Academy 2025 in Umeå, hosted by InfraVis, the Environmental Archaeology Lab (MAL), and Humlab.Wed, 22 Oct 2025 08:33:56 +0200<div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="79e16e80-c00b-4712-8dea-44d5362265db" data-contentname="Image slideshow">{}</div><p>In Sweden, the relationship between the humanities and digital tools, methods, sources, and workflows has been explored for over two decades within the field of Digital Humanities. This satellite program offered a space for researchers to meet, discuss shared challenges, and showcase digital research infrastructures that support work in the social sciences, arts, and humanities.</p><p>During the half-day event, three national infrastructures were presented:</p><p><strong>InfraVis</strong> – Sweden's national infrastructure for advanced visualization of research data across all scientific disciplines. The InfraVis team at Umeå University is based at Humlab and builds on more than 20 years of experience in Digital Humanities.</p><p><strong>SweDigArch</strong> – A national infrastructure for digital archaeology, aimed at promoting a new generation of data-driven research on the interaction between humans and the environment. SweDigArch is based at the Environmental Archaeology Laboratory (MAL).</p><p><strong>Huminfra</strong> – A national infrastructure supporting digital and experimental research in the humanities.</p><p>Participants were invited to explore the infrastructures through interactive screen-based showcases, which were highly appreciated.</p><p>The day concluded with a keynote by Associate Professor <a href="~/link/86d5b4a7e3e64c2e9b6ceaa771027a80.aspx">Per Axelsson</a>, who spoke about the CARE principles and how they can help navigate towards a more responsible and equitable data ecosystem, contribute to the long-term development of science and eventually improve access to high-quality data sources.</p>/en/news/satellite-event-showcased-infrastructures-in-digital-humanities_12146994//en/news/network-to-strengthen-collaboration-in-cancer-research_12146945/Network to strengthen collaboration in cancer researchA new network brings together researchers at the university and in the region to strengthen collaboration and lay the foundation for continued development in the field of cancer.Wed, 22 Oct 2025 08:07:24 +0200<p>Cancer research in Umeå is strong in terms of both depth and breadth. Researchers here have different backgrounds, expertise and perspectives, which creates good conditions for interdisciplinary collaboration. However, despite the geographical proximity between preclinical and clinical research environments at the university and within the region, there has often been a lack of natural meeting places for researchers.</p><p>"There has been a desire to build relationships, share experiences and find new ways forward together, which is why a research network in the field of cancer has been created," says Lotta Edvinsson, project manager for the Umeå Comprehensive Cancer Centre.</p><p>The first meeting was held last week and served as a kick-off for researchers in fields ranging from nursing to molecular biology. Research leaders, future research leaders and representatives of support functions gathered to listen to inspirational lectures and short presentations on infrastructure, followed by a mingle.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14143.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14143.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14143.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14143.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14143.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14143.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Tufve Nyholm, Head of Department of Diagnostics and Intervention</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anja Hansen Knutsson</span></div></div><p>"Collaboration, cooperation and interdisciplinary thinking provide opportunities to further strengthen existing projects and create new approaches and opportunities for research in the field of cancer. A prerequisite for finding synergies is that researchers get to know each other, talk and explore opportunities," says Tufve Nyholm, Head of the Department of Diagnostics and Intervention.</p><h3>Common needs and requirements</h3><p>In addition to the researchers' own wishes, there are formal requirements. To become a Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC), increased collaboration between preclinical and clinical research is required.</p><p>"We have a lot to gain from bringing our resources and expertise together. It is a matter of both meeting our own needs for closer collaboration and fulfilling external requirements," says Tufve Nyholm.</p><h3>Good examples can inspire others</h3><p>Daniel Öhlund and Erik Chorell are good examples of successful cross-border collaboration.</p><p>"Research in life sciences is so complex today that no one can have all the expertise needed in a single laboratory. To ensure impact and quality in projects, extra help is often required. Infrastructures offer this support and are therefore important to use," says Erik Chorell, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry and responsible for the Umu node of the national infrastructure Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS).</p><p>Daniel Öhlund, associate professor at the Department of Diagnostics and Intervention and oncologist at the Cancer Centre, approached CBCS with a specific question, but believes that a broader network of contacts can help to forge new collaborations as early as the planning stage.</p><p>"Breakthroughs in cancer research require collaboration between different disciplines. More collaborations can be facilitated through networks such as this one, and Umeå CCC has an important role to play in this regard," Daniel says.</p><p>The goal is to establish a viable research network in the field of cancer in Umeå. Work is now continuing to develop the format and create more opportunities for exchange and collaboration.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14023.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14023.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14023.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14023.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14023.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1197e4b9004e4f72ad007e760f8787be/img_14023.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Erik Chorell and Daniel Öhlund.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anja Hansen Knutsson</span></div></div><p> </p>/en/news/network-to-strengthen-collaboration-in-cancer-research_12146945//en/news/tropical-rivers-emit-less-greenhouse-gases-than-previously-thought_12146952/Tropical rivers emit less greenhouse gases than previously thoughtTropical inland waters don’t produce as many greenhouse gas emissions as previously estimated, according to the results of an international study, led by Charles Darwin University and involving researchers from Umeå University.Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:06:18 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/58083124892e48afa02f5e92a80ce24e/picture13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/58083124892e48afa02f5e92a80ce24e/picture13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/58083124892e48afa02f5e92a80ce24e/picture13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/58083124892e48afa02f5e92a80ce24e/picture13.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/58083124892e48afa02f5e92a80ce24e/picture13.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/58083124892e48afa02f5e92a80ce24e/picture13.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Lowland tropical rivers emit large quantities of greenhouse gases, with rates influenced by seasonal flooding.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Jenny Davis</span></div></div><p>The study, published in Nature Water, aimed to better understand greenhouse gas emissions in tropical rivers, lakes and reservoirs by collating the growing amount of observations from across the world’s tropics – including many systems that were previously less represented in global datasets.</p><p>Researchers from Umeå University played a key role in the work, estimating the surface area of rivers and contributing to the data analysis that underpins the study’s findings.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Up to 79 per cent less emissions</h2><p>The results found that while these waters still produce significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, it is 29 to 79 per cent less than previously thought. Tropical flowing waters (streams and rivers) contributed to an estimated 46 per cent of emissions from global inland waters, and tropical standing waters (lakes, reservoirs, ponds) an estimated 8 per cent.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="c379b0c0-b4b6-451d-9467-a2bed0382424" data-contentname="Facts greenhouse gases">{}</div><p>Lead author and Senior Research Fellow at Charles Darwin University in Australia, Clément Duvert, says by expanding the dataset, greater accuracy in emissions could be gleaned and thus inform approaches to management and conservation.</p><p>“We found the tropics cannot really be considered as one big emissions hotspot because of its complexity and the mosaic of different ecosystems, landscapes, morphologies and levels of human activity,” says Clément Duvert.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">New insights into tropical river systems</h2><p>Assistant Professor Gerard Rocher-Ros from Umeå University, one of the paper’s co-authors, highlights the new insights the study provides into tropical rivers systems.</p><p>“The large contribution of rivers in the tropics to greenhouse gas emissions stands in contrast with what we know about their drivers. This study really opens the door on next challenges to better predict carbon cycling in rivers,” he says.</p><p>Clément Duvert says the next frontier of this research could be to better quantify what portions of these emissions are natural and what are due to human activities:</p><p>“We found in this paper that human activities are a strong driver of greenhouse gas emissions. Where you have more activities such as agriculture, you will have higher inputs of organic matter and nutrients into streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs, then a higher release of greenhouse gases. Understanding when and how human activities impact these emissions is important to inform management.”</p><p><em>The study was conducted by researchers in Australia, Sweden, Brazil, Singapore, China, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Canada, France, United States and the Netherlands.</em></p><p><em>Text: Sara-Lena Brännström, Umeå University, and Charles Darwin University</em></p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="16a9638b-da7c-4f19-b34d-01c91f1d692a" data-contentname="About the study">{}</div>/en/news/tropical-rivers-emit-less-greenhouse-gases-than-previously-thought_12146952//en/news/space-weather-in-focus-as-experts-gather-in-umea_12146892/Space weather in focus as experts gather in UmeåThe European Space Weather Week 2025 will bring together scientists, engineers, policymakers and industry professionals from around the world in Umeå from 27 to 31 October. The conference focuses on the latest developments in space weather research and its applications in forecasting, modelling and defense.Mon, 20 Oct 2025 12:50:08 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/befa2ac153cc4ad38b09385bf8c200f7/ima2098124.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/befa2ac153cc4ad38b09385bf8c200f7/ima2098124.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/befa2ac153cc4ad38b09385bf8c200f7/ima2098124.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/befa2ac153cc4ad38b09385bf8c200f7/ima2098124.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/befa2ac153cc4ad38b09385bf8c200f7/ima2098124.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/befa2ac153cc4ad38b09385bf8c200f7/ima2098124.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Umeå hosts the European Space Weather Week 2025.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Johnér Bildbyrå AB, Jonas Gunnarsson</span></div></div><p>This year’s European Space Weather Week (ESWW) marks the first time the event is held in Sweden, highlighting Sweden’s growing role in space science and innovation. The conference is hosted by Umeå University in collaboration with the Belgian Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence and the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF).</p><p>The theme for ESWW2025 is “Technological Expansion of the Arctic: The New Frontiers of Space Weather”. It highlights the importance of collaboration across disciplines to better understand and mitigate the effects of solar storms and geomagnetic disturbances – phenomena that can disrupt satellites, aviation, power grids and communication systems.</p><p>“Hosting the conference in northern Sweden allows us to highlight the Arctic as a key region for understanding how space weather interacts with both the natural environment and technological systems,” says Audrey Schillings, chair of the organising committee.</p><p>The programme includes lectures, scientific sessions, panel discussions, and a medal ceremony. Topics range from solar physics and geomagnetic storms to satellite operations, aviation safety and societal preparedness.</p><p>In addition to the scientific programme, ESWW2025 offers several activities open to the public, aiming to spark curiosity about space science among people of all ages:</p><ul><li>School talk: A presentation for upper secondary and ninth-grade students about space and space weather associated with sonification of space data.</li><li>Space weather activities at Curiosum: Open throughout the week 27-31 October. Including the newly installed planeterella (3D aurora simulator).</li><li>A public talk: Evening presentation about space weather and its associated sounds. </li></ul><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Space weather training Kiruna 23-25 October</h2><p>Training for students and early-career professionals in space weather, forecasting and applications. Takes place in Kiruna at the Swedish Institute for Space Physics and Kiruna Library. Includes a public event and a northern lights photo contest award on Saturday 11.00-14.00 at Kiruna Library.  </p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">School talk Friday 24 October 13.30-14.30</h2><p>Presentation and activity for upper secondary and ninth-grade students in Rotundan, Umeå University. Presented by Sara Nesbit-Östman (Umeå University) and Klaus Nielsen (DTU Space, Denmark).</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Opening Ceremony Monday 27 October 9.45-10.45</h2><p>Held at Folkets Hus in Umeå, with contributions from Västerbotten’s governor and representatives of Umeå University, Rymdstyrelsen, MSB and Swedish Institute for Space Physics.</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Panel Discussions</h2><p>Three panel discussions around the theme space weather:<br>Monday 27 October 10.45-12.15: Space weather challenges in the Arctic.<br>Wednesday 29 October 11.30-12.15: The future of space weather in Europe.<br>Friday 31 October 10.45-12.15: Space Weather at Moon, Mars and beyond.</p><h2 id="info4" data-magellan-target="info4">Public Lecture Wednesday 29 October 19.45-21.00</h2><p>Public talk at Idun, Folkets hus (from age 12) in Swedish and Scandinavian about space weather and space sounds. Speakers are Alice Wallner (IRF) and Klaus Nielsen (DTU Space, Denmark) and the event is moderated by Gabriella Stenberg Wieser (IRF – Fråga Lund).</p><h2 id="info5" data-magellan-target="info5">Curiosum Week 27-31 October</h2><p>Curiosum offers several activities around space and space weather, including a planeterella show and one evening – Tuesday - with experts during the conference week. All ages welcome.</p><p><a href="https://esww.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more on the European Space Weather Week website</a></p>/en/news/space-weather-in-focus-as-experts-gather-in-umea_12146892//en/news/laser-method-can-detect-chemical-weapons-and-bacteria-in-seconds_12146658/Laser method can detect chemical weapons and bacteria in secondsResearchers at Umeå University and the Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI, have developed new laser methods that can quickly detect chemical weapons and harmful bacteria directly on site – without the need to send samples to a laboratory.Mon, 20 Oct 2025 08:00:06 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Laser light interacting with chemicals emits a 'fingerprint' – a signal that can be used to detect and identify the chemical in question.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Daniel Nilsson</span></div></div><p>Hazardous chemicals can appear in many forms. They can be pollutants in waterways, pesticides in our food, or synthetic substances designed to cause harm – such as narcotics or chemical weapons. To reduce the risk of these substances entering our bodies, it is crucial to be able to detect them quickly and reliably.</p><p>A new doctoral thesis from Umeå University shows how laser light can be used to do just that.</p><p>“All hazardous chemicals consist of molecules with specific structures and properties that make them dangerous. When these chemicals interact with light, for example from a laser, they emit a 'fingerprint' – a light signal that is unique to that particular chemical,” says Rasmus Öberg, doctoral student at the Department of Physics and the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Early indication of danger</h2><p>Using these fingerprints, Rasmus Öberg has developed measurement methods capable of detecting very small amounts of chemicals. The methods can be applied, for example, in conflict zones or environmental monitoring to provide an early indication of danger, which can later be confirmed through more in-depth and time-consuming laboratory analyses.</p><p>“Traditional methods for detecting hazardous chemicals have often been quite impractical to use outside the lab. With portable instruments and surfaces that amplify the light signals from the chemicals, we can take these methods into real-world environments. The collaboration with FOI, which has extensive experience in handling dangerous substances, has been invaluable in this work,” he says.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Detects bacterial spores</h2><p>The thesis also shows that similar methods can be used to detect harmful bacteria and bacterial spores. This is particularly valuable in areas such as the food industry, and hospitals where multi-resistant bacteria are a major problem.</p><p>“Biological substances are often more complex to detect, but by isolating characteristic chemicals from these bacteria and bacterial spores, we can identify even relatively small quantities. This is an exciting complement to established biological detection methods such as bacterial culture and PCR," says Rasmus Öberg.</p><p>The researchers now hope that the technology can be further developed and applied in more contexts where quick and reliable analysis is crucial. In the long term, the methods could help strengthen preparedness and safety in areas such as environment protection, defence and public health.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Small amounts of hazardous chemicals can cause significant harm to both nature and the human body. With the help of sensitive and efficient detection methods, it is possible to detect these chemicals before they cause harm.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Daniel Nilsson</span></div></div><p><em>Rasmus Öberg was born and raised in Umeå. He has previously studied the Master of Science Programme in Engineering Physics, including an exchange semester in Hong Kong. For the past five years, he has conducted doctoral studies in experimental physics through the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University and FOI.</em></p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="cc2dd5b4-e6d1-4a82-8f79-2907c8b7041a" data-contentname="About the dissertation">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="74b92039-6a80-4930-ba4f-6ad48cdf6752" data-contentname="Fakta Företagsforskarskolan ENG (standard)">{}</div>/en/news/laser-method-can-detect-chemical-weapons-and-bacteria-in-seconds_12146658//en/news/building-with-ice_12144231/Building with ice: Umeå researchers explore low-tech Arctic architectureCan ice become a sustainable building material for the future? Researchers at Umeå School of Architecture are exploring exactly that. By combining advanced digital design tools with simple, reusable materials, they are developing new ways of shaping ice into strong, temporary structures – with potential use both in Arctic architecture and in emergency situations.Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:35:02 +0200<p class="quote-center">Our approach combines parametric design with simple construction methods, showing that sustainability and innovation can go hand in hand</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Sustainable formwork for Arctic conditions</h2><p>For centuries, people living in cold climates have used ice and snow to create shelters and temporary constructions. Inspired by this tradition, the Umeå team set out to investigate how such methods could be reimagined for today’s needs. Their work, supported by UmArts’ Small Visionary Projects program, focuses on a modular formwork system built from wood and textile. Instead of pouring concrete, the moulds are filled with fibre-reinforced ice, known as Pykrete, which is both strong and surprisingly versatile.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Testing ideas in practice</h2><p>In January 2025, the researchers built and assembled their prototypes just outside Umeå School of Architecture. Wooden frames, reinforced with custom textile membranes, became the flexible moulds that shaped the ice. The process proved that the system can be built with simple tools and adapted to different designs. But nature was not entirely cooperative: mild winter weather made large-scale experiments difficult.</p><p>“The weather in Umeå gave us challenges, but also valuable insights into how this technique can be further developed for Arctic settings,” says Julio Diarte, assistant professor and project coordinator.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="565e2fbc-2e27-40ee-aa8c-6521ece3bef8" data-contentname="BILD JULIO">{}</div><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Innovation through simplicity</h2><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="42f43baf-0743-4ff9-b50a-b76ee8a96028" data-contentname="BILD illustration">{}</div><p>Behind the apparent simplicity lies a layer of digital innovation. Using computational design and structural simulations, the team tested how fabrics stretch, how curves can be shaped, and how the ice material behaves once frozen. This combination of high-tech planning and low-tech building methods highlights how sustainable design doesn’t always require advanced machinery – sometimes the most innovative solutions are those that can be realised with minimal resources.</p><p>“Our approach combines parametric design with simple construction methods, showing that sustainability and innovation can go hand in hand,” says Elena Vazquez, associate professor responsible for digital design and structural simulations.</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Looking ahead</h2><p>The project has already shown that ice can be much more than a temporary spectacle in winter festivals. With further research, it could become part of the toolkit for creating emergency shelters or temporary structures in regions where conventional building materials are scarce. Next winter, the team will continue their experiments, refining the formwork and testing its potential on a larger scale. The two researchers behind the project have also presented their findings at the 43rd Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) Conference in Ankara, Turkey, where they shared their results with an international audience.</p>/en/news/building-with-ice_12144231//en/news/rethinking-arctic-security-in-a-time-of-tension-and-thaw_12145019/Rethinking Arctic security in a time of tension and thawOn 18 September, researchers, policymakers, and experts gathered in Oslo for the Arctic Security Conference 2025 to address one central question: how to manage polarisation and fragmentation in the Arctic. The programme spanned climate change, geopolitical tensions, indigenous knowledge, and hybrid threats, underlining the urgent need for cooperation and research to inform decisions at every level of society.Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:44:36 +0200<h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Young researchers set the tone</h2><p>The day before the main conference, early-career researchers organised and led a series of workshops that set the stage for the discussions to follow. Although these sessions were officially separate, they felt very much like a first day of the conference – full of energy, exchange, and engagement – attracting a large and attentive audience. Their sessions covered a broad range of topics, demonstrating how the next generation of Arctic experts is already shaping the debate and paving the way for the more senior voices who took the floor the following day. One urgent issue was the rise of hybrid threats, with participants emphasising that only strong democratic institutions, social cohesion, and trust can prevent such dangers from undermining societies.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="4ac5d820-031b-4e81-a9a1-3b520cd042eb" data-contentname="BILD Paul">{}</div><p>“It was inspiring to see how early-career researchers were not only participating but actively driving the conversation forward. Their initiative gave the event an energy that carried into the entire conference,” says Paul Schmidt, doctoral student at the Department of Political Science and part of the Arctic Graduate School at Umeå University. His reflections highlight the value of international arenas like this for connecting researchers across borders and disciplines.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Politics in focus</h2><p>The official conference day opened to a packed hall, underscoring the high stakes and widespread interest in Arctic security. Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide, Saami Council representative Gunn-Britt Retter, Norwegian MP Ine Eriksen Søreide, and Michael Sfraga, former U.S. Arctic Ambassador-at-Large, all brought perspectives on the state of affairs in the region. The panel painted a nuanced picture of both cooperation and conflict. Particularly notable was Sfraga’s clear statement that the United States would never attempt to purchase or annex Greenland but would respect borders and the rule of law – a message that drew attention as much for its clarity as for its symbolism.</p><p class="quote-center">Security and the environment are interconnected, and both demand stronger research and cooperation.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Democracy and defence</h2><p>Later in the day, Norway’s Chief of Defence, General Erik Kristoffersen, offered a keynote that resonated strongly with the audience. He underlined that while nations must be vigilant, it is neither possible nor desirable to defend against every conceivable threat. Above all, he stressed that democracy must remain central: “No one wants to live in a country where the chief of defence and the chief of police run everyday life. We want to live in a democracy.” His remarks echoed the earlier call for resilience rooted in strong institutions and civic trust, reminding participants that security in the Arctic is ultimately about the kind of society people want to preserve.</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Climate challenges overlooked</h2><p>While much of the discussion centred on geopolitics and defence, several speakers warned about the decline in Arctic climate research. With fewer opportunities for cross-border cooperation, nearly half of the Arctic has become a “scientific blind spot.” This lack of data undermines the accuracy of models and makes it harder for communities and policymakers to prepare for long-term environmental change. When participants stepped outside into 20-degree September warmth in Oslo, the reality was impossible to ignore: climate change has not paused simply because international attention has shifted.</p><p>“We must not lose sight of the climate dimension. Security and the environment are interconnected, and both demand stronger research and cooperation,” Paul reflects. His words underline the role that universities such as Umeå can play in bridging science and society, ensuring that Arctic research continues to inform decisions in a rapidly changing world.</p>/en/news/rethinking-arctic-security-in-a-time-of-tension-and-thaw_12145019//en/news/umea-university-and-mirai-at-world-expo-2025-in-japan_12145968/<description>On 9 October, Umeå University participated in the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, as coordinating university of the MIRAI collaboration between 17 Swedish and Japanese universities. There was a full day of activities at the Nordic Pavilion under the theme “Innovating for the Future: Strengthening Sweden–Japan Collaboration Across Academia and Industry.”</description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 10:57:48 +0200</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/updated_pavilion_image-sunny6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/updated_pavilion_image-sunny6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/updated_pavilion_image-sunny6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/updated_pavilion_image-sunny6.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/updated_pavilion_image-sunny6.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/updated_pavilion_image-sunny6.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The Nordic Pavillion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Nordic Circle</span></div></div><p>The event, supported by Umeå Municipality and Business Sweden, brought together leading representatives from academia, industry, and funding agencies in both countries. The Expo programme featured keynote lectures, panel discussions, and networking sessions designed to spark new partnerships and strengthen Sweden–Japan collaboration.</p><p>The goal is to foster synergies between academia, industry, and financiers to accelerate research and innovation, and strengthen Sweden–Japan ties. By doing so, MIRAI aims to contribute to a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareleft"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/mirai_day_world_expo_2025_3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/mirai_day_world_expo_2025_3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/mirai_day_world_expo_2025_3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/mirai_day_world_expo_2025_3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/mirai_day_world_expo_2025_3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/5e204f8639f3401d823a2ba3fb1d94aa/mirai_day_world_expo_2025_3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Natalie Konomi, Vice President for International Affairs, Kyushu University and Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka on 9 October 2025 with the MIRAI delegation of 17 Swedish and Japanese universities.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Jörgen Boström</span></div></div><p>“This is a unique opportunity to showcase how international collaboration can drive meaningful change,” says Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University.</p><p>“We’re excited to be part of this global platform and to highlight the role of research in addressing shared challenges.”</p><h3>World Expo 2025: A Global Platform for Innovation and Collaboration</h3><p>Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai was held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to October 13, 2025, under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” Hosted on the artificial island of Yumeshima, the Expo brought together over 150 countries and international organizations to address global challenges related to health, sustainability, and human connection.</p><h3><br>About MIRAI</h3><p>MIRAI, a collaboration between 17 Swedish and Japanese universities, is dedicated to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through long-term, interdisciplinary research partnerships. The initiative focuses on pressing global challenges such as health and ageing, climate adaptation, resilient cities, and renewable energy. MIRAI is coordinated by Umeå Univeristy and Kyushu University. <br><br></p><p>Read more: </p><p><a href="https://thenordics-expoosaka.com/en">Nordic Circle at EXPO 2025 Osaka</a></p><p><a href="https://www.mirai.nu">MIRAI's web</a></p></atom:content><link>/en/news/umea-university-and-mirai-at-world-expo-2025-in-japan_12145968/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/join-the-northern-lights-photo-contest_12146117/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/join-the-northern-lights-photo-contest_12146117/</guid><title /><description>Take part in the northern lights photo competition, which will be held in connection with the space weather activities at Kiruna City Library on Saturday, 25 October, 2025.</description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 08:43:15 +0200</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/6938fdfe31b748dea97d61a1f7f48434/ima1791933.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6938fdfe31b748dea97d61a1f7f48434/ima1791933.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6938fdfe31b748dea97d61a1f7f48434/ima1791933.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/6938fdfe31b748dea97d61a1f7f48434/ima1791933.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6938fdfe31b748dea97d61a1f7f48434/ima1791933.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6938fdfe31b748dea97d61a1f7f48434/ima1791933.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p><span class="photo" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Image</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Johnér Bildbyrå AB, Matilda Holmqvist</span></p></div></div><p>Photos must be taken in Norrbotten County and submitted by <strong>15 October 2025</strong>. A selection of the best contributions will be displayed at the library on the day of the event. Three winners will be chosen by a jury consisting of some staff from the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) in Kiruna and announced on October 25.</p><p>The competition is organised by Umeå University and the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), and is sponsored by Sparbanken Nord. The activity is arranged in the context of the European Space Weather Week 2025 taking place 27-31 October 2025 at Folkets Hus, Umeå.</p><p>For more information about the rules and to submit your entry, <a href="https://forms.irf.se/index.php/238843" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.</p></atom:content><link>/en/news/join-the-northern-lights-photo-contest_12146117/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/the-nordic-cryonet-symposium_12145845/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/the-nordic-cryonet-symposium_12145845/</guid><title>The Nordic cryoNET showcased the revolution of in situ structural biologyCryo electron microscopy (cryoEM) is an important technique for biomedical researchers to study the structure and function of macromolecular complexes in isolation and inside cells. CryoNET is a Nordic network that aims to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing across national borders. A main goal is to help establish state-of-the-art cryoEM as a pillar of Nordic life science research. Thu, 16 Oct 2025 17:44:01 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/img_6445.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/img_6445.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/img_6445.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/img_6445.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/img_6445.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/img_6445.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Group photo of the participants of the cryoNET Symposium 2025</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Ainhoa Querejeta</span></div></div><p>The symposium, which took place on the 1st to the 2nd of October at Umeå University, brought together 140 at all career stages - from master’s students to professors. Over these two days, invited speakers, selected talks by participants, poster and networking sessions highlighted the latest discoveries in the field.</p><p>What stood out most was the atmosphere: a shared enthusiasm for meeting in person and strengthening the community. As Rooshanie Ejaz, a student supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, noted:</p><p class="quote-center">Since lab work can often be quite independent, events like these are a great opportunity to build connections and feel part of a vibrant community</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/processed-46b7c7dd-4bca-4d1c-955a-7a8d27fbf6d8.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/processed-46b7c7dd-4bca-4d1c-955a-7a8d27fbf6d8.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/processed-46b7c7dd-4bca-4d1c-955a-7a8d27fbf6d8.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/processed-46b7c7dd-4bca-4d1c-955a-7a8d27fbf6d8.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/processed-46b7c7dd-4bca-4d1c-955a-7a8d27fbf6d8.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/63266b27920d42269ebc761e07636e3c/processed-46b7c7dd-4bca-4d1c-955a-7a8d27fbf6d8.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Sunanda Chhetri, Irina Gutche, Laura Belot and Lorene Gonnin enjoing the poster session at the cryoNET Symposium.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Sara Sandin</span></div></div><p>Bernt Eric Uhlin, professor at Umeå University who has been involved with cryoNET since its inception, gave a thoughtful reflection:</p><p class="quote-center">I am now retired, but why should I give up my passion?</p><p>His remarks captured the core spirit of the event, driven by genuine passion for research and collaboration. Whether during the talks or informal coffee breaks, that enthusiasm was clear.</p><p>The hall was filled with thoughtful discussions and meaningful exchanges between peers, mentors, and collaborators. A key highlight was the poster session, where PhD students and Postdocs presented their work. While all contributions were impressive, the organisation team is pleased to congratulate our award winners:</p><ul><li><strong>Adriana Chrenková</strong> – Understanding sucrose transport in plants</li><li><strong>Bianca Korse</strong> – Structural basis of GRAF1-mediated membrane tubulation</li><li><strong>Liya Mukhamedova</strong> – Initial stages of enteroviral infections</li></ul><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="d0851952-2fd1-4c40-ae85-86107fd7179e" data-contentname="cryoNET2025_1">{}</div><p>As with any event, the symposium concluded, leaving a strong sense of progress and optimism for what lies ahead. In 2026, the cryoNET symposium will take place in Copenhagen. The cryoNet committee in Umeå extends our sincere thanks to Aarhus University, the University of Copenhagen, Stockholm University, and Umeå University, as well as to our generous sponsors: the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Wenner-Gren Foundation, Thermo Fisher, UCMR, and MIMS.</p>/en/news/the-nordic-cryonet-symposium_12145845//en/news/climate-change-may-increase-the-spread-of-neurotoxin-in-the-oceans_12145837/Climate change may increase the spread of neurotoxin in the oceansClimate-driven oxygen loss in the Black Sea thousands of years ago triggered the expansion of microorganisms capable of producing the potent neurotoxin methylmercury. That is shown in a new study published in Nature Water, led by Eric Capo at Umeå University, which suggests that similar processes could occur in today’s warming oceans.Fri, 10 Oct 2025 08:00:07 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>The researchers’ findings raise concerns about how climate change may affect the levels of methylmercury in fish and shellfish.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Johnér Bildbyrå AB</span></div></div><p>Methylmercury is a highly toxic compound that accumulates in fish and seafood, posing severe health risks to humans. It is formed when certain microbes convert inorganic mercury under low-oxygen conditions.</p><p>Today, climate change is causing such oxygen-depleted areas to expand in coastal marine environments, including parts of the Baltic Sea. Warmer and more stagnant waters mix less efficiently, and increased algal blooms contribute to oxygen loss in deeper layers, creating ideal conditions for these microbes.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Traces of ancient microbes</h2><p>By analysing DNA from Black Sea sediments spanning the past 13,500 years, researchers detected genes (<em>hgcA</em>) associated with microorganisms that produce methylmercury. The highest abundance occurred during the warm and humid period around 9,000–5,500 years ago, when oxygen levels in the water decreased significantly – a situation similar to ongoing trends observed in modern seas and coastal areas.</p><p>“Our findings show that climate warming and oxygen loss alone – without industrial mercury pollution – can create hotspots for methylmercury production,” says Eric Capo, Assistant Professor at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science at Umeå University and lead author of the study.</p><p>“This raises serious concerns for the future, as expanding oxygen-deficient zones may increase human exposure to this neurotoxin through seafood consumption,” says Meifang Zhong, first author of the study and doctoral student in Eric Capo’s research group.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Oxygen loss and mercury pollution</h2><p>In the study, the researchers compared the microbial signal from ancient sediments with the one from the present-day water column, and found both similarities and striking differences. While modern mercury-methylating microbes in the Black Sea are influenced by industrial mercury pollution and eutrophication, those living thousands of years ago were primarily fueled by climate-driven oxygen loss and the accumulation of organic matter.</p><p>The results highlight the importance of considering both past and present microbial responses to environmental change. By studying ancient microbial DNA, the researchers show how climate-driven deoxygenation has shaped – and will continue to shape – the risks of methylmercury contamination in marine ecosystems.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="fc725325-eafd-4f85-a9f5-9db2ab68944c" data-contentname="About the study">{}</div>/en/news/climate-change-may-increase-the-spread-of-neurotoxin-in-the-oceans_12145837//en/news/molecular-bodyguard-helps-infections-persist_12145023/“Molecular bodyguard” helps infections persistResearchers at Umeå University have identified a key molecular player that helps bacteria survive the hostile environment inside the body. Their study reveals how the protein RfaH acts as a protective shield for bacterial genes — and points to new strategies for fighting persistent infections. Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:14:25 +0200<p>“The human body is a very stressful place for bacteria,” says Kemal Avican research group leader at Department of Molecular Biology and Icelab at Umeå University and leader of the study. “During infection, the immune system attacks, nutrients are scarce, and microbes are exposed to bile salts, acids and heat. We looked at how RfaH helps bacteria deal with that stress by turning on the right survival genes at the right time.”</p><p>Persistent bacterial infections pose a major challenge in medicine: bacteria can linger in the body long after acute symptoms fade, evading immune defenses and surviving antibiotic treatment. In diseases like tuberculosis, this leads to relapse and makes treatment difficult.</p><h3>Keeps critical genes switched on</h3><p>Using <em>Yersinia pseudotuberculosis</em> as a model bacterium that infects the gut, Kemal Avican and his team showed that RfaH is essential for bacterial persistence.</p><p>RfaH acts like a molecular bodyguard, ensuring transcription—the step where DNA is copied into a messenger molecule that guides protein production—runs to completion.</p><p>“The protein hops onto the transcription machinery and helps it stay on track so the full set of genes is read to the end. This makes RfaH an anti-terminator – it prevents the termination of transcription”, explains Kemal Avican.</p><p>“When we removed RfaH, the bacteria's ability to establish long-term infection dropped dramatically!” he adds.</p><h3>Surviving the stress of a hostile environment</h3><p>The researchers found that RfaH production ramps up precisely when bacteria need it most—in late growth stages and when conditions turn hostile.</p><p>In mouse experiments, the difference was stark: nearly all animals became infected with normal bacteria, but only about one in five became infected when bacteria lacked RfaH. This translated to much higher survival rates among the mice.</p><p>Many bacterial genes are arranged in long stretches called operons. Without RfaH, the cellular machinery that reads these genes can stall or stop prematurely. RfaH prevents this, ensuring bacteria can produce surface structures, secrete toxins, and resist stress from the body's defenses.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/d5012fe72b7f48cb9a0fabe43f3f6fbb/yersinia_pseudotuberculosis_drfah_salt_kemal_avican.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d5012fe72b7f48cb9a0fabe43f3f6fbb/yersinia_pseudotuberculosis_drfah_salt_kemal_avican.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d5012fe72b7f48cb9a0fabe43f3f6fbb/yersinia_pseudotuberculosis_drfah_salt_kemal_avican.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/d5012fe72b7f48cb9a0fabe43f3f6fbb/yersinia_pseudotuberculosis_drfah_salt_kemal_avican.png?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d5012fe72b7f48cb9a0fabe43f3f6fbb/yersinia_pseudotuberculosis_drfah_salt_kemal_avican.png?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d5012fe72b7f48cb9a0fabe43f3f6fbb/yersinia_pseudotuberculosis_drfah_salt_kemal_avican.png?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Atomic force microscopy images of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis cells that lack the RfaH protein growing under high salt condition. As a result of not having RfaH, the bacteria have faulty surfaces which cause them to clump together in a stressful, high-salt environment.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Kemal Avican</span></div></div><p> </p><h3>Insights for future antimicrobial therapies</h3><p>The research revealed that RfaH controls the production of a key component of the surface of bacteria - the O-antigen. Without RfaH, this outer coat becomes defective. But RfaH's influence extends further, activating many “downstream” genes involved in attachment, movement, and nutrient transport.</p><p>RfaH itself is present in many bacteria, including harmless members of the microbiota. That is why genes influenced by RfAH through activation or signaling - downstream genes - could provide promising new selective targets to stop persistent infections, the researchers say.   </p><p>“This antimicrobial approach could disarm pathogenic bacteria without disturbing the beneficial ones”, says Joram Kiriga Waititu, postdoctoral fellow at Department of Molecular Biology, and first author of the study.</p><p>While <em>Yersinia pseudotuberculosis</em> usually causes an infection in humans that can heal on its own, it serves as a valuable model for gut bacteria that can cause long-term or recurrent disease, such as <em>Escherichia coli</em>, <em>Salmonella</em> and <em>Helicobacter</em>. In this way, the findings could pave the way for new strategies to tackle hard-to-treat gut infections.</p><p> </p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="e5e74599-5e42-43a1-8e3d-5a0dec6acbf5" data-contentname="About the study">{}</div>/en/news/molecular-bodyguard-helps-infections-persist_12145023//en/news/new-discovery--bacterial-bubbles-hitchhike-to-reach-the-cell-surface_12145601/New discovery – bacterial “bubbles” hitchhike to reach the cell surfaceResearchers at Umeå University have discovered that the microscopic “bubbles” released by bacteria in our body do not just drift around randomly. Instead, they use the thin protrusions of cells as a transport route to quickly and efficiently reach their target with their contents.Fri, 10 Oct 2025 14:41:18 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/anna_arnqvist_lab_2700_230223_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/anna_arnqvist_lab_2700_230223_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/anna_arnqvist_lab_2700_230223_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/anna_arnqvist_lab_2700_230223_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/anna_arnqvist_lab_2700_230223_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/anna_arnqvist_lab_2700_230223_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Anna Arnqvist is professor at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">increases the understanding of how bacteria and cells interact</p><p>“This is a mechanism that increases the understanding of how bacteria and cells interact and, by extension, how we understand and fight infections,” says Anna Arnqvist, professor at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Umeå University, who led the study.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Drones with delivery</h2><p>All living cells can release nano-sized fluid-filled structures that resemble “bubbles”, so-called vesicles. Bacteria also release such vesicles, and despite their small size, they can carry everything from toxins to proteins and DNA that affects how the receiving host cell reacts.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareleft"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/zia_32.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/zia_32.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/zia_32.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/zia_32.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/zia_32.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c7dbfe4dff834c15a3ecaf17da2c1d5b/zia_32.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Zia Ur Rehman, a postdoctoral fellow in Anna Arnqvist's group when the study was conducted. He is now a researcher at Kohat University in Pakistan</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>private</span></div></div><p>“The vesicles act as messengers between each other and to cells, much like tiny drones that deliver their content,” explains Zia Ur Rehman, first author. He was postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Medichal Biochemistry and Biophysics at Umeå University when the study was carried out.</p><p>While previous research has focused on a better understanding of how cells take up vesicles and what effects they cause, the question of how the vesicles reach the surface of the cell body where the uptake occurs has remained unanswered.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Not moving randomly</h2><p>The new study shows that vesicles near host cells do not just drift around randomly. Instead, they hitchhike on thin, hair-like protrusions on the cell surface, called filopodia. Filopodia are rich in actin proteins and play important roles in cell movement, contraction and sensing of the environment. Anna Arnqvist and her colleagues discovered that vesicles utilize filopodia either by "surfing" along them, much like sliding down a railing, or by being actively pulled inward when the filopodia contract.</p><p>This mode of transport efficiently captures vesicles from the surrounding environment and moves them from the outer edge of the cell to the cell body, where they can internalize and thereby deliver their contents to the host cell.</p><p>Using advanced high-resolution microscopy techniques, the team was able to observe vesicles interacting with filopodia in real time and even measure their speed as they surfed forward or were pulled inward.</p><p>“The speed when they surfed forward was an average of 1 nanometer per second. When they were pulled inward, it was faster, an average of 30 nanometers per second, which means it moved about its own length in one to two seconds,” says Zia Ur Rehman.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Universal strategy in bacteria</h2><p>“Importantly, we saw that the vesicles use the same transport mechanism regardless of which bacterium the vesicles came from, or which tissue the recipient cells belonged to. This suggests that this is a universal strategy that bacteria use,” says Anna Arnqvist.</p><p>Because vesicles mimic the surface of their parent bacteria and carry a wide range of molecules, they can affect host cells in many ways. In addition to delivering harmful substances, the vesicles can act as "decoys" to protect bacteria from attack by the immune system.</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Preventing and treating infections</h2><p>Since bacterial vesicles already play a key role in infection biology medicine, for example as delivery systems for drugs or vaccines, this study provides important new knowledge about the very first contact with the host cell.</p><p>“Our long-term goal with the research is to understand how bacterial vesicles hijack host cells and translate this knowledge into new methods that can prevent or treat infections,” says Anna Arnqvist.</p><p>The study has been published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles. It has been funded by the Swedish Cancer Society. The analyses were carried out at the Biochemical Imaging Centre Umeå (BICU) and Umeå Centre for Electron Microcopy (UCEM) at Umeå University.</p>/en/news/new-discovery--bacterial-bubbles-hitchhike-to-reach-the-cell-surface_12145601//en/news/abisko-stay-strengthens-research-on-digital-statehood_12143605/Abisko stay strengthens research on digital statehoodFor Dr. Michel Rouleau-Dick, three days in Abisko meant more than access to scientific resources—it was also his first encounter with the Arctic landscape, which will shape his research and his life in the North.Tue, 07 Oct 2025 15:58:59 +0200<h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Advancing research on digital statehood</h2><p>From 22 to 25 September, Dr. Michel Rouleau-Dick, postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Transdisciplinary AI and newly appointed Arctic Six Fellow, spent three days at the Abisko Scientific Research Station to develop his research on digital statehood and multi-layered sovereignty. During the visit, he took advantage of the station’s extensive library resources, which provided unique materials to enhance and refine his project.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Connecting with the Arctic environment</h2><p>This stay above the Arctic Circle also allowed Dr. Rouleau-Dick with the chance to familiarise himself with the region, as he only recently moved to the North earlier this year. Besides the scientific work, the Arctic landscape itself became a source of inspiration. An enthusiastic amateur photographer, he explored the area and captured the dramatic seasonal change—from vibrant birch forests in yellow and orange to the snow-covered peaks that surround the station.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="a3226d7c-8c15-4377-9234-a633bb90aeb0" data-contentname="BILD TOP">{}</div><p class="quote-center">Spending time in Abisko has provided me with not only access to exceptional scientific resources but also a deeper connection to the Arctic environment.</p><p>Reflecting on his experience, Dr. Rouleau-Dick noted:</p><p>"Spending time in Abisko has provided me with not only access to exceptional scientific resources but also a deeper connection to the Arctic environment. Experiencing the landscape firsthand adds a new dimension to my research and reinforces my commitment to exploring the complexities of sovereignty in this region."</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="087ddb4c-72d6-4b34-bea9-57b2c2b2d2ec" data-contentname="BILD Abisko">{}</div><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Engaging with ongoing research</h2><p>During his visit, Dr. Rouleau-Dick also attended a lecture by Keith Larson, Director of the Arctic Centre, who shared insights from his long-term research on permafrost thaw. This project, which involves collaborations with high school students in collecting soil samples, demonstrates how Arctic research combines advanced science with local participation.</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Looking ahead</h2><p>Returning from Abisko, Dr. Rouleau-Dick brings not only valuable academic insights but also a personal connection to the Arctic environment that will influence his future work. His time at the research station marks a significant step in anchoring his project in the region's realities, blending scholarly investigation with the firsthand experience of the North.</p>/en/news/abisko-stay-strengthens-research-on-digital-statehood_12143605//en/news/continued-support-for-important-infrastructures_12145076/“Blood circulation” for research - continued support for important infrastructuresThe Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) has recently awarded grants to the two research infrastructures SwedPop and ArchLab, for which Umeå University is the fund administrator. SwedPop makes historical Swedish population data available for research, while ArchLab is an infrastructure for archaeological research. Both are considered by the Swedish Research Council to be research infrastructures of national interest.  Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:26:33 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/caa1e8caa38f44d18e3ff82639358789/olofsson_thomas_6873_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/caa1e8caa38f44d18e3ff82639358789/olofsson_thomas_6873_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/caa1e8caa38f44d18e3ff82639358789/olofsson_thomas_6873_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/caa1e8caa38f44d18e3ff82639358789/olofsson_thomas_6873_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/caa1e8caa38f44d18e3ff82639358789/olofsson_thomas_6873_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/caa1e8caa38f44d18e3ff82639358789/olofsson_thomas_6873_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Thomas Olofsson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of research at Umeå University. Photo: Hans Karlsson</p></div></div><p>– Infrastructure such as this at our university can be seen as part of the “blood circulation” that is essential for many of our researchers, as well as researchers throughout the country, to continue conducting excellent research. It is therefore very gratifying that the funding we applied for has now been secured for several years to come, says Thomas Olofsson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of research at Umeå University.  </p><p>Other research infrastructures linked to Umeå University that were also awarded funding from this call for proposals from the Swedish Research Council were InfraVis, SwePrint, Protein Production Sweden (PPS) 2.0, SWERVE 2.0, SwedNMR and the Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), in which the university is participating as a co-applicant. In total, the Swedish Research Council granted approximately SEK 743 million for the years 2026-2030 to 20 infrastructures at eleven universities and institutions.</p><h3>More high-quality applications</h3><p>– This time, we received full funding for our applications to the Swedish Research Council. This success really shows that we are competitive and that it pays to write applications, so let's be inspired by the fact that we received full funding in this allocation and increase the number of applications going forward!  </p><p><em>Read more about "Grant for research infrastructure of national interest" at <a href="https://www.vr.se/english/applying-for-funding/decisions/2025-07-02-grant-for-research-infrastructure-of-national-interest.html">Swedish Research Council's website</a>.</em></p>/en/news/continued-support-for-important-infrastructures_12145076//en/news/researchers-card-game-teaches-children-about-microorganisms_12144957/Researchers' card game teaches children about microorganismsTwo researchers at Umeå University have developed a card game about microorganisms. With the help of playful game cards, they hope to spark curiosity in children and adults about life beneath the water’s surface – and to show that most microorganisms are actually helpful allies in our ecosystems.Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:35:20 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_curiosum_micromates_capo-6_adaeliasson2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_curiosum_micromates_capo-6_adaeliasson2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_curiosum_micromates_capo-6_adaeliasson2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_curiosum_micromates_capo-6_adaeliasson2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_curiosum_micromates_capo-6_adaeliasson2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_curiosum_micromates_capo-6_adaeliasson2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Eric Capo plays the game MicroMates with visitors during ForskarFredag at Curiosum.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Gabrielle Beans</span></div></div><p>Eric Capo and Meifang Zhong study microorganisms in fjords and lakes, and how they respond to environmental changes. Together, they came up with an original way to share their knowledge: a card game.</p><p>The idea was born during a seminar, when Eric Capo and his colleagues found it difficult at times to keep up with a talk on microorganism – despite it being their own research topic.</p><p>“That’s when we came up with the idea of creating a card game, partly for ourselves but also to make it easier for people without a research background to understand the lives of microorganisms in the water,” says Eric Capo, who has always had a strong interest in science communication.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Works with an artist</h2><p>The game consists of cards representing different microorganisms, vividly illustrated by the French artist Thomas Cerigny.</p><p>In the game, microorganisms are called "mates", and the aim is to help them survive environmental changes while also fighting other microorganisms and threats from their surroundings. The game is highly collaborative and players can exchange attacks and support cards between each other.</p><p>“Our main target group is children from the age of six. At this very beginning, we expect mainly to reach science enthusiasts – and hopefully their children,” says Meifang Zhong.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_micromates_capo_finn_elodie_libby-162.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_micromates_capo_finn_elodie_libby-162.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_micromates_capo_finn_elodie_libby-162.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_micromates_capo_finn_elodie_libby-162.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_micromates_capo_finn_elodie_libby-162.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/271d86f09def4d29baa039c3a476da5f/ff2025_micromates_capo_finn_elodie_libby-162.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Each playing card represents a microorganism.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Gabrielle Beans</span></div></div><p><strong>What is the purpose of the game?</strong></p><p>“We want children to learn that microorganisms are naturally present in the environment, that not all of them are bad (most are actually good), and that they live in ecosystems that are affected by environmental changes, such as lack of oxygen in the water.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Positive feedback</h2><p>At present, the game consists of 30 mate cards. It is still in a development phase, and the team is receiving business support from the innovation support at Umeå University. The aim is a full launch in the coming years with a collection of 100 mate cards, around 40 help cards, and game rules in Swedish.</p><p>The game was showcased for the first time during Researchers' Night (ForskarFredag) at Curiosum on 26 September 2025.</p><p>“Overall, we received positive feedback. Many children came by to try the game. There is still a lot of work ahead for us to improve the gameplay and make it simpler for kids, as our main goal is for them to play and learn important knowledge without even realising it,” says Eric Capo.</p><p>Read more about the game at <a href="http://micromates.se" target="_blank" rel="noopener">micromates.se</a>.</p>/en/news/researchers-card-game-teaches-children-about-microorganisms_12144957//en/news/high-expectations-for-a-polar-research-school-at-umea-university_12144900/High expectations for a Polar Research School at Umeå UniversityOn 30 September, Associate Professor Linda Lundmark and Professor Paul Zieger submitted a project application to the Swedish Research Council to establish an interdisciplinary research school in polar research at Umeå University and Stockholm University between 2026 and 2029. They have applied for a total of almost 40 million SEK for the project.Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:43:39 +0200<p>On 27 August, the Swedish Research Council announced a call titled “Research School within Polar Research”, an initiative based on a government mandate with the purpose of ensuring the growth of excellent researchers and strengthening Sweden’s international impact in polar research. Associate Professor Linda Lundmark at Umeå University was quick to respond and began drafting an application to establish a polar research school at Umeå University, together with collaborating researcher Paul Zieger, Professor at Stockholm University. Linda Lundmark is currently the director of the Arctic Graduate School at Umeå University and believes that a polar research school is a perfect development for the university:</p><p>“It would mean that we expand the geographical scope of our current research school to also include Antarctica. It would also mean that we strengthen our collaboration between Stockholm and Umeå, allowing us to pool our resources when it comes to polar research. Polar research is important for how we as a society will be able to face a future increasingly characterized by uncertainty, not least regarding the climate. We do this by promoting interdisciplinary research that integrates different research fields while also meeting society’s expectations that results should lead to change.”</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">The SPIRS project aims to prepare the polar research experts of the future</h2><p>In their project application, funding is requested to establish a Swedish Polar Interdisciplinary Research School (SPIRS) that will begin in January 2026 and run for four years, and finance up to 75% of the participants’ salaries.</p><p>The purpose of the project is to safeguard Sweden’s long-term expertise, coordination, and logistical knowledge in the polar regions. These regions are greatly affected by the rapid and large-scale global changes in the cryosphere, ecosystems, and local communities due to climate change and human activity. Because of this, the next generation of polar researchers needs to be experts capable of working effectively across disciplinary boundaries, contributing to evidence-based solutions, and bridging the gap between research and policy.</p><p>To achieve this, a polar research school will be established to prepare Doctoral students of today to become polar research experts of the future.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Short timeframe to announce doctoral projects for the research school</h2><p>If the project application is approved, the research school will be established as early as January 2026, which means that the timeframe for announcing doctoral projects for the school will be short. The project will therefore begin the call for applications immediately upon approval, covering projects at both Umeå University and Stockholm University.</p><p>“We will receive a decision in December at the latest, and the project starts in January. By then, we need to have the doctoral projects ready so that we can start recruiting Doctoral students. We will therefore announce doctoral projects within all research fields, spread across all faculties at the university. We encourage our colleagues to already start considering whether they want to apply,” says Linda.</p>/en/news/high-expectations-for-a-polar-research-school-at-umea-university_12144900//en/news/klas-markstrom-appointed-to-the-swedish-research-councils-new-committee_12144835/Klas Markström appointed to the Swedish Research Council’s new committeeThe Swedish Research Council has established a new Committee for Engineering Sciences. One of the appointed members is Klas Markström, Professor at Umeå University.Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:49:38 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/31e9327898e045dba87e8bcbc2ff734f/markstrom_klas_0026_210426_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/31e9327898e045dba87e8bcbc2ff734f/markstrom_klas_0026_210426_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/31e9327898e045dba87e8bcbc2ff734f/markstrom_klas_0026_210426_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/31e9327898e045dba87e8bcbc2ff734f/markstrom_klas_0026_210426_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/31e9327898e045dba87e8bcbc2ff734f/markstrom_klas_0026_210426_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/31e9327898e045dba87e8bcbc2ff734f/markstrom_klas_0026_210426_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Klas Markström, Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Earlier this year, the Swedish Research Council decided to establish a dedicated committee for engineering sciences. The background is the Government’s Research and Innovation Bill 2024, which highlights the rapid technological development and the need for major investments in the field.</p><p>The Swedish Research Council will therefore divide the current Scientific Council for Natural and Engineering Sciences into two separate councils. Since the new Council for Engineering Sciences cannot be established immediately, a committee has been appointed to serve during the transition period until 2028.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Researchers with strong expertise</h2><p>“During that time, the committee will, among other tasks, manage several initiatives on excellence clusters in engineering sciences and, together with the current Scientific Council for Natural and Engineering Sciences, prepare for the new council,” says Klas Markström, Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics.</p><p>The Committee for Engineering Sciences will consist of eleven members. At present, nine researchers with strong expertise in engineering and natural sciences have been appointed, while two representatives of research outside academia will be appointed at a later stage.</p>/en/news/klas-markstrom-appointed-to-the-swedish-research-councils-new-committee_12144835//en/news/when-listeria-bacteria-go-to-fine-dining_12144793/When Listeria bacteria go to fine diningJörgen Johansson, professor of molecular biology at Umeå University, has studied the Listeria bacteria for 25 years. He is following the outbreak at a top restaurant in Stockholm this week with great interest. We ask him five curious questions:Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:01:18 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/dag1_mg_07083.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/dag1_mg_07083.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/dag1_mg_07083.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/dag1_mg_07083.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/dag1_mg_07083.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/dag1_mg_07083.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Listeria can grow on agar plates at incredibly low temperatures. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Eva-Maria Diehl</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">For a healthy individual, it takes an incredible number of bacteria – several billion! – to get really sick</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">How serious is the current outbreak in Stockholm, and what are you following particularly closely in its development?</h2><p>“The outbreak is serious because it has affected so many healthy people in a short period of time. Normally, people who have some form of weakened immune system are affected, such as pregnant women, the elderly and cancer patients. It is also remarkable that it has happened so quickly, from some of those involved, getting the infection to becoming seriously ill."</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/jorgen_johansson_bild.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/jorgen_johansson_bild.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/jorgen_johansson_bild.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/jorgen_johansson_bild.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/jorgen_johansson_bild.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ee5557ec51cb4204948951ba39c5df2a/jorgen_johansson_bild.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jörgen Johansson is professor at the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>privat</span></div></div><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">You have been researching the listeria bacteria for over two decades – what makes it so fascinating from a scientific perspective?</h2><p>“Listeria is a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as it can live in the soil and multiply without any problems. Sometimes, however, it can enter the food chain, usually through dairy production or in fishery products, and then become an extremely aggressive and "successful" pathogen that can have a mortality rate of up to 30 percent.”</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">What do we know today about how Listeria manages to enter the human body and cause disease?</h2><p>“Listeria is probably one of the bacteria that we know best about how it causes disease and how it interacts with the human cell. The bacterium enters the body by eating food contaminated with Listeria and enters the intestinal epithelial layer.”</p><p>“For a healthy individual, it takes an incredible number of bacteria – several billion! – to get really sick. In those cases, the bacteria make their way from the epithelial cells into the bloodstream where they usually spread to the liver and spleen and multiply. In a healthy individual, the immune system takes care of the bacteria, but if you have a weakened immune system, the bacteria can spread into the blood and cause sepsis or get into the brain and cause meningitis. In pregnant women, the bacteria can enter through the amniotic sac to the fetus. The later stages of the infection have a mortality rate of up to 30 percent.”</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Is there something about Listeria in particular that makes it extra difficult to control in food handling?</h2><p>“Listeria can grow at incredibly low temperatures. In my lab, for example, we have grown the bacteria on agar plates that we have placed on ice. Even if you buy a food with few Listeria bacteria, its ability to grow at low temperatures means that after a week or so you can have enormous amounts of bacteria in the food. In addition, it can withstand very high salt concentrations. I usually use Paris as an example where I was a postdoctoral fellow at the Pasteur Institute. Just a few hundred meters away, on certain days you can buy cheese at a food market that is made from unpasteurized cheese. Even if there are few bacteria when you buy it, there can be an incredible number of bacteria if you take it home and eat it after a few weeks.”</p><h2 id="info4" data-magellan-target="info4">What about Listeria and antibiotic resistance?</h2><p>“Listeria is still (mostly) susceptible to antibiotics. However, it can be good to be prepared for the fact that it will at some point become antibiotic resistant, which is true for all pathogenic bacteria.”</p>/en/news/when-listeria-bacteria-go-to-fine-dining_12144793//en/news/natural-barriers-disrupt-the-ecosystems-in-northern-swedens-rivers_12144622/Natural barriers disrupt the ecosystems in northern Sweden’s riversRivers in northern Sweden do not always become wider or richer in species further downstream. Natural barriers shape the flow and stop plants from spreading, new research from Umeå University shows.Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:00:07 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>The terrain in northern Sweden was shaped by the last Ice Age.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Richard Mason</span></div></div><p>“Our results suggest that many foundational assumptions in river science may not apply here,” says Lina Polvi Sjöberg, Associate Professor at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Geoscience at Umeå University.</p><p>The rivers in northern Sweden flow through terrain shaped by the last Ice Age. The landscape is dotted with lakes and covered in sediment brought by the ice: sand, gravel and plenty of boulders. A news study from Umeå University shows that this creates natural barriers that disrupt the flow of water. It also hinders the transport of sediment and the dispersal of plant seeds. All of this affects both the shape of the streams and the mix of plant types found along the shores.</p><p>“We found that these landscapes are naturally fragmented, and that local conditions – such as sediment type and proximity to lakes – play a much larger role than previously thought,” says Lina Polvi Sjöberg.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">The streams do not become wider</h2><p>Together with researcher Lovisa Lind, she studied two catchments in northern Sweden, Bjurbäcken and Hjuksån, located above and below the highest coastline after the last glaciation. Using maps and field studies, they analysed the shape of the streams and the plant life along tens of kilometers of the shores.</p><p>Their findings challenge widely accepted theories that streams become wider and more biologically diverse downstream. The researchers found no clear relationships between the drainage area and channel width, and no consistent increase in plant species diversity downstream within these medium-sized catchments.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="caa67b86-4359-46bf-90a5-0794d772f623" data-contentname="">{}</div><p>“In the catchment below the former highest coastline, we did see slightly stronger patterns, likely due to finer sediments from the sea. But overall, the presence of lakes and coarse glacial deposits breaks up the expected downstream trends,” says Lina Polvi Sjöberg.</p><p>The study shows that lakes stop the transport of plant seeds by water. This leads to differences in the composition of plant life between nearby parts of the rivers. The researchers also saw an unexpected pattern: that species density (the number of species in a given area) was constant – or even decreased – downstream.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Important for river restoration</h2><p>These results are important for river restoration in areas shaped by the Ice Age. In these fragmented systems, passive recovery – where plants recolonise naturally – will probably not succeed. Instead, active interventions such as planting and physically reshaping the stream channels might be necessary.</p><p>“Restoration strategies need to be adapted to these local realities,” says Lina Polvi Sjöberg.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="5b0a16dc-6974-4612-a2b0-0f1beda1f8d0" data-contentname="">{}</div>/en/news/natural-barriers-disrupt-the-ecosystems-in-northern-swedens-rivers_12144622//en/news/ai-and-cultural-memory-in-focus-for-new-research-cluster_12144188/<description>A new research cluster, AI Futures of Culture and Memory, brings together scholars from the humanities, arts, and technology to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping cultural heritage and creative expression. The initiative is part of WASP-HS's investment in research on AI's societal impact and spans five years.</description><pubDate>Thu, 02 Oct 2025 16:20:15 +0200</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/e1c954a622634ea1ad885853666f6f22/wasp-hs_cluster3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/e1c954a622634ea1ad885853666f6f22/wasp-hs_cluster3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/e1c954a622634ea1ad885853666f6f22/wasp-hs_cluster3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/e1c954a622634ea1ad885853666f6f22/wasp-hs_cluster3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/e1c954a622634ea1ad885853666f6f22/wasp-hs_cluster3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/e1c954a622634ea1ad885853666f6f22/wasp-hs_cluster3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Kıvanç Tatar, Coppélie Cocq, Andre Holzapfel, Anna Foka & Koraljka Golub.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Privat</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">We are proud to announce the launch of AI Futures of Culture and Memory.</p><p>The initiative is one of five newly established research clusters funded under the <a href="https://wasp-hs.org">WASP-HS program</a>, which supports research on the societal implications of artificial intelligence. The projects will run over a five-year period.</p><p>"The call for proposals was an opportunity to rethink our research interests and expand our networks", says Coppélie Cocq, professor at Humlab and co-PI.</p><p>The cluster aims to ensure that AI’s integration into cultural life is ethical, inclusive, and sustainable. Researchers will address key issues such as transparency in AI development, bias mitigation, and the representation of diverse voices.</p><p>Through exhibitions, artistic performances, public lectures, and educational initiatives, the cluster seeks to engage both academic and broader audiences. The cluster also supports early-career researchers through coordinated doctoral and postdoctoral positions across the participating universities.</p><p>The initiative is a collaboration between five Swedish universities: Uppsala University, Chalmers University of Technology, Linnaeus University, Umeå University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.</p><p>The cluster is led by a team of principal investigators: Anna Foka (CDHU, UU – Cluster Director), Coppélie Cocq (Humlab, Umeå University), Koraljka Golub (Linnaeus University), Andre Holzapfel (KTH), and Kıvanç Tatar (Chalmers).</p><p>In addition to its national foundation, the cluster will collaborate with an international network of academic partners and guest professors. Through this integrated approach, AI Futures of Culture and Memory aims to shape a future in which technological innovation enriches, rather than diminishes, our shared cultural heritage and creative expression.</p></atom:content><link>/en/news/ai-and-cultural-memory-in-focus-for-new-research-cluster_12144188/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/time-for-the-annual-celebration-week--a-smorgasbord-of-knowledge_12144630/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/time-for-the-annual-celebration-week--a-smorgasbord-of-knowledge_12144630/</guid><title>Time for the Annual Celebration Week – “A smorgasbord of knowledge” Teaching Awardee Panels , exhibition, lectures and the ceremony with the promotion of honorary doctors and the installation of new professors, this year also including the awarding of medals of merit. The annual celebration week is just around the corner. Thu, 02 Oct 2025 11:46:17 +0200<p>The Annual Celebration is one of Umeå University’s most significant academic traditions, with ceremonial elements that trace their origins back to the founding of European universities in the 13th century. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/a258eba5c3234c08b643ad102b0d52c4/skold_peter_2836_210914_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/a258eba5c3234c08b643ad102b0d52c4/skold_peter_2836_210914_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/a258eba5c3234c08b643ad102b0d52c4/skold_peter_2836_210914_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/a258eba5c3234c08b643ad102b0d52c4/skold_peter_2836_210914_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/a258eba5c3234c08b643ad102b0d52c4/skold_peter_2836_210914_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/a258eba5c3234c08b643ad102b0d52c4/skold_peter_2836_210914_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Peter Sköld, master of ceremonies for the academic celebrations at Umeå University.  </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>“Of course, things have evolved over time, but there is something deeply meaningful about feeling the presence of history in a fast-paced world. It’s something we truly value,” says Peter Sköld, Master of Ceremonies at Umeå University. </p><p>The celebration also serves as an opportunity to honour individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to the university.</p><p>“Above all, it’s wonderful to have a dedicated occasion to recognise our researchers, educators and others who continue to contribute to education and research for a more sustainable future,” says Peter Sköld. </p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Important discussions about learning and pedagogy</h2><p>The annual celebration week includes a variety of events. On the morning of Thursday, 16 October, there will be a Teaching Awardee Panels, where pedagogical award winners and appointed excellent teachers from Umeå University who will explore current and important topics related to learning and student support.</p><p>The discussions will be held in the Teacher Education Building and are open to anyone interested. During the event, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Cathrine Norberg will present the award winners with their diplomas. The discussions can also be viewed afterwards.</p><p><a href="~/link/261a5e0ea26c4efb8219e899b7b16b9d.aspx">Read more about who will be participating in the discussions, as well as the time and place.  </a></p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Opening of the Annual Celebration</h2><p>Inauguration of the Annual Celebration Ceremony will take place on Friday, 17 October. Umeå University Library will host an exhibition about new professors, honorary doctors and scientific award winners. The exhibition consists of photographs and publications.</p><p>During the opening ceremony, there will be live music, light refreshments and a short lecture by Marie Lundström, who is known from, among other things, Swedish Radio's literary weekly magazine ‘Lundström's Book Radio’. She is one of those who will be awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy by the Faculty of Humanities.     </p><p>Due to ongoing renovations at the University Library, this year’s opening will take place in Vardagsrummet in the Humanities Building. The exhibition will be shorter than in previous years, so visitors are encouraged to attend on Friday. </p><p><a href="~/link/db907987c6d94cf9a5be6c9b279611c9.aspx">See the calendar event for the exact time.  </a></p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Almost 40 lectures</h2><p>On Saturday morning, all newly appointed professors, honorary doctors and scientific award recipients will deliver short popular science lectures, open to the public. <br>Topics this year include:</p><ul><li>"Exercise in pill form – the next generation of drugs for obesity and diabetes"</li><li>"Crisis, humour and resistance – what memes can teach us about digital culture"</li><li>"Milking lions – performance-based conservation compensation in practice"</li></ul><p>"I really recommend everyone who has the opportunity to come and take part in this smorgasbord of knowledge," says Peter Sköld. </p><p>A total of 38 lectures will be held, each lasting 20 minutes, in lecture halls across Campus Umeå. Scientific award recipients will be honoured immediately following their presentations. </p><p><a href="~/link/50656af0ec4e4e328d4bf998ff34895f.aspx">See the programme for the day. </a></p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">The highlight of the Annual Celebration Week</h2><p>In the evening, the highlight of the Annual Celebration Week takes place – the ceremonial celebration. In a festive setting, the university's new professors are installed and new honorary doctors are conferred. This year, Umeå University's medals of merit will also be awarded. This is done every three years and is given to people who have made particularly significant contributions to the university. This year, Inge-Bert Täljedal and Ellinor Ädelroth will receive them.   <br>  <br>"It is a great pleasure to invite our new professors, honorary doctors and medal recipients to an evening of splendour. They deserve it," says Peter Sköld.   </p><p>Live music will be performed during the ceremony, including by the Umeå Student Choir.</p><p>The ceremony is open to the public, but can also be followed digitally via ͯ��Ƶ. </p><p><a href="/live/">Link to the broadcast. </a></p><p>The ceremony will be followed by a festive banquet for invited guests at Universum. </p>/en/news/time-for-the-annual-celebration-week--a-smorgasbord-of-knowledge_12144630//en/news/highlighting-arctic-sustainability-at-conference-for-young-researchers_12144366/<description>On 22–23 September, the recently re-established organisation APECS Sweden held its first conference for young researchers, focusing on sustainability in Arctic research. The two-day event offered a wide range of activities for the participants.</description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Oct 2025 14:04:38 +0200</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><p>APECS Sweden is an organisation for early-career researchers working on topics related to the Arctic and Antarctic. It was founded in 2016, but the activities came to a halt during the pandemic. Since 2024, the organisation has been revived, and on 22–23 September, it held its first conference in Umeå, with around 40 young researchers and students participating.</p><p>“I am incredibly happy that so many enthusiastic people joined our conference. It is an indescribable feeling to see all these new faces who have traveled from all over the country to take part, and who want to help build something new. I am very proud of what we have accomplished,” says APECS Sweden board member and conference organiser Rebecca Tapper.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">A varied program with many activities</h2><p>The aim of the conference was to create a meeting place for young polar researchers and to discuss the challenges and opportunities of polar research from sustainability and Indigenous perspectives. In addition to traditional expert panel discussions, participants joined a guided tour at Västerbotten’s Museum, and took part in an interactive game based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which demonstrated how sustainable decisions can affect the world.</p><p class="quote-center">I am very proud of what we have accomplished.</p><p>The conference featured two panel discussions where one focused on sustainability in the Arctic, and the other on sustainability from an Indigenous perspective. In total, nine experts shared their experiences and insights with the audience. Sustainability issues in the North were addressed from multiple angles, including historical, political, geological, social, and demographic perspectives, as well as from ethical, historical, and social Indigenous perspectives. The panelists also encouraged participants in their future research to remain humble and curious, not be afraid to explore unknown areas, build relationships, and stay open to perspectives different from their own.</p><p>“The panels were excellent. I believe and hope they were valuable for young researchers who want to work on similar issues and/or in collaboration with Indigenous peoples,” said APECS Sweden board member and panel moderator Marcus Aronsson.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="f82af38f-1f64-4c5d-a063-f5d5bf8f77c3" data-contentname="BILD APECS Panel">{}</div><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">A game that shines a light on the Sustainable Development Goals</h2><p>The first day ended with the interactive game “2030 SDGs Game”, which is based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and is designed to show how individual decisions can affect the world. The game was originally developed in Japan, and the conference invited the only two facilitators in the Nordic from Tromsø: Emma Vogel and Alexandra Abrahams. They led a session where the participants together make out a fictional world and are assigned goals to achieve by investing time and money into projects. These projects then influence the global economy, the environment, and social well-being. Participants were then able to clearly see how their decisions shaped outcomes for the world.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="397457b1-7956-422b-bcb1-b0cfc6d77166" data-contentname="BILD APECS Spel">{}</div><p>Game facilitator Emma Vogel notes that the results are different every time the game is played.</p><p>“It depends on the players. The interesting part is the discussion afterwards, when players reflect on the process and results. Our goal is to show how the world can look and change, and how our choices impact the world.”</p><p>Participants reflected afterward that everyone initially acted very individualistically, and that it was not until they reached their own goals that they began to help others achieve theirs and thus contribute to a more balanced world. For example, one participant expressed that she wanted to carry out just one more economically advantageous project before she would start thinking about the environment.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">A guided tour through Västerbotten’s history and golden autumn leaves</h2><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="a46f8e8e-457c-4e99-a2f9-fde67492a086" data-contentname="BILD APECS Gammlia">{}</div><p>The second day of the conference began with a guided tour through Västerbotten Museum’s outdoor site “Gammlia.” Participants visited Wallmarksgården, a Västerbotten farmstead from the late 1700s, as well as the Sámi dwellings located in the area. The day offered brilliant sunshine and golden birch leaves.</p><p>“It turned out really well. The activity sparked many exciting discussions among the participants, and everyone appreciated being outdoors and experiencing something new, instead of only sitting inside listening,” says Rebecca Tapper.</p><p>After the conference, APECS Sweden held its annual meeting, where some board members stepped down and new ones were elected. The board hopes that APECS Sweden will continue to grow and strengthen the careers of young Arctic researchers.</p><p>“Now that we have finally gotten started for real, I hope we can continue to build something robust that lasts over time, attracts more people to the research field, and creates a network that strengthens careers, research, and the future,” concludes Rebecca Tapper.</p><p><em>This conference was co-financed by Umeå Tranformation Research Initiative (UTRI) and Arctic Centre at Umeå University.</em></p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="feac3e2e-912b-4541-b32e-4f9931b24288" data-contentname="Fakta APECS">{}</div></atom:content><link>/en/news/highlighting-arctic-sustainability-at-conference-for-young-researchers_12144366/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/we-must-protect-both-security-and-freedom_12144314/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/we-must-protect-both-security-and-freedom_12144314/</guid><title>Police counterterrorism work examined in new thesisHow can society respond to a growing terrorist threat without undermining democracy? This question is at the heart of Susanna Bellander's doctoral thesis at Umeå University. "We must stop viewing security and freedom as a zero-sum game. In times of unrest, we need to protect both, simultaneously," says Susanna Bellander, doctoral student at Unit for Police Work. Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:51:36 +0200<p>Susanna Bellander has been a police officer for 15 years and has worked as an investigator of serious crimes and intelligence operations, as well as with terrorism and counter-terrorism, both operationally and strategically. In her research, she has combined document analysis, interviews with police employees in 2022 and 2025, and a national survey study following the terrorist attack in Stockholm in 2017.</p><p>The results show that security measures are often prioritised at the expense of preventive efforts and democracy-building work. According to Susanna Bellander, there is a clear imbalance, with reactive measures being given better conditions for implementation than democracy-building efforts.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/5b247777fa044554a1e677c137cc9e5e/susanna_bellander2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/5b247777fa044554a1e677c137cc9e5e/susanna_bellander2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/5b247777fa044554a1e677c137cc9e5e/susanna_bellander2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/5b247777fa044554a1e677c137cc9e5e/susanna_bellander2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/5b247777fa044554a1e677c137cc9e5e/susanna_bellander2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/5b247777fa044554a1e677c137cc9e5e/susanna_bellander2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Susanna Bellander, affiliated as doctoral student at Unit of Police Work. Photo: Sophia Nilsson Södertörns högskola.</p></div></div><p>"As a police officer, I have seen the need for strong measures in critical situations. As a researcher, I have learned that long-term security requires something more – a constant awareness of what we risk losing if democracy is compromised in the name of protection," says Susanna Bellander.</p><h3>Vulnerable members of society are hit harder</h3><p>Research also shows that people with a low quality of life, or a weak sense of belonging to Swedish society, are hit harder by fear and reduced trust in the wake of terrorist attacks. This points to the need for inclusive strategies that strengthen the resilience of society as a whole – not just protect against threats. The thesis argues that effective counter-terrorism must be proportionate, responsible and integrated – with a focus on both protection and rights.</p><p>Susanna Bellander has defended her thesis at the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, which she believes is obvious:</p><p>"Terrorism has a profound impact on people's health – from direct victims to emergency services personnel, witnesses and society as a whole. Counterterrorism also has extensive health aspects that are important to study."</p>/en/news/we-must-protect-both-security-and-freedom_12144314//en/news/after-the-cyberattack--umea-university-analyses-the-system_12143938/After the cyberattack – Umeå University analyses the systemThe cyberattack against Miljödata at the end of August affects many people. Umeå University is conducting a risk and vulnerability analysis before the system becomes available again. At the same time, all employees and students are encouraged to learn more about cybersecurity. Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:47:01 +0200<p>“We sincerely regret that the cyberattack is affecting employees and understand that it may cause concern that personal data in the systems used by the university is not secure. We have a good systematic approach aimed at preventing cyberattacks, but this work needs to be constantly developed,” says Lars Nordlander, HR manager at Umeå University.</p><p>The cyberattack targeted Miljödata, the supplier of Adato, the system support used by Umeå University in the rehabilitation process for employees. More than 100 organisations in Sweden were affected and personal data was leaked from Adato. The attacker then spread it on the internet, including on the Darknet. <br>  <br><a href="~/link/3301b3e780d6442d968db31adca4894c.aspx">Read previous news at ͯ��Ƶ.</a><br><br>Umeå University immediately shut down Adato when the attack was discovered, and the system is not yet in use at the university. Before it is reopened, the university will conduct a risk and vulnerability analysis.   </p><p>"In the university's current agreement with Miljödata, we have set high standards for security and the handling of personal data, but the attackers got past that in this case. We want to get as clear a picture as possible of the measures Miljödata has taken after the attack before we start using the system again. We have been in close contact with Miljödata since the attack and know that they have worked intensively and thoroughly to create greater resistance to attacks," says Per Ragnarsson, Deputy University Director and Chair of the University's Crisis Management Group.  </p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">How to be safe in the future</h2><p>October is Cybersecurity Month in Sweden and Europe. During this month, Umeå University will highlight information pages and internal training courses that employees and students can access to learn more and become better equipped to deal with cyber attacks.</p><p>"Knowledge is the strongest weapon. I hope that many employees and students will take this opportunity to learn more about cyber security and find out how to better protect themselves against attacks, as well as how to act if they are affected or suspect any irregularities," says Per Ragnarsson. </p>/en/news/after-the-cyberattack--umea-university-analyses-the-system_12143938//en/news/a-shopping-trip-to-chem-store--the-store-that-supports-research-at-a-daily-basis_12129057/A shopping trip to Chem Store – the store that supports research at a daily basisThe autumn semester is in full swing. Just as students stock up on notebooks and literature, many researchers are restocking their labs. Located in the KBC building, Chem Store is perhaps the university’s most well-stocked store – but it’s no ordinary store. Here, researchers can quickly and easily get hold of pipettes, petri dishes, chemicals, and much more. Come along for a shopping trip in June, just before the summer break, and get inspired for your future shopping. Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:00:07 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jeanette Blomberg, researcher at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, gets help from Boris Jonsson to find everything she needs from the Chem Store.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>Jeanette Blomberg, researcher at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, visits the Chem Store before the staff go on summer holiday.</p><p>“It’s important to stock up on all the essentials that might be needed,” Jeanette explains, showing a small shopping list scribbled on a post-it note.</p><p>With the help of Boris Jonsson, who works at Chem Store, she fills her shopping cart with pipette tips, petri dishes, microtiter plates, and a yellow barrel for hazardous waste. Having lab equipment, chemicals, and solvents close at hand makes daily lab work much smoother. While only a few litres of solvents, such as ethanol or acetone, can be stored in the lab environment, the Chem Store keeps a steady large supply.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="5505b12b-76a1-4a96-969b-0966f9c80259" data-contentname="Photo chemicals">{}</div><p>“I usually come here often – several times a month – and I always get great help from the staff in finding what I need,” says Jeanette.</p><p>Boris has worked at the Chem Store for 15 years and has a broad background in customer service and sales – from electronics to being a spare parts manager for Scania, VW, and Audi. But the Chem Store, he notes, is one of the most meaningful jobs he’s had, and he appreciates being able to help and contribute to the exciting and varied research taking place in KBC and across the university every day.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="dbdb30e2-ac00-4449-a301-b222a5dd59c8" data-contentname="Photo Boris">{}</div><p>“It’s fun to work in such an international environment. Every day, we help postdocs and visiting professors from all over the world navigate the store or order special products,” says Boris.<br> <br>The strangest order request Boris has ever received came from a researcher looking for needles small enough, and angled just right, to draw blood from white-tailed sea eagles. </p><p>“That really made me raise my eyebrows and scratch my head for a while, but I knew of a supplier so that we could have the needles custom-made,” Boris recalls. </p><p class="quote-center">We’re here for the whole university, taking care of the things researchers shouldn’t have to spend time on</p><p>Jeanette is nearly done with her shopping – everything on her list has been checked off and loaded onto the lab cart. <br>“Do you have enough gloves in the lab?” Boris asks. <br>“You can never have too many lab gloves,” Jeanette replies, picking up a few boxes in different sizes. </p><p>Gloves are one of many staple items at the Chem Store, used by everyone – from chemists, biologists, and physicists to students and researchers at the Umeå Academy of Fine Arts. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Boris Jonsson and Jeanette Blomberg in the Chem Store.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>Jeanette barely has time to wave goodbye with her full lab cart before the next researcher peeks into the store. On a typical day, around 25–30 researchers and students stop by, and Boris and his colleagues assist them all as smoothly as possible. </p><p>“We’re here for the whole university, taking care of the things researchers shouldn’t have to spend time on – finding suppliers, handling administration, managing procurement and contracts, updating the purchaser on delivery status, receiving packages, ensuring sensitive products are stored correctly – in short, everything from purchase to delivery,” Boris says proudly.</p>/en/news/a-shopping-trip-to-chem-store--the-store-that-supports-research-at-a-daily-basis_12129057//en/news/cell-death-in-microalgae-resembles-that-in-humans_12143823/Cell death in microalgae resembles that in humansFor the first time, researchers at Umeå University have observed the same type of programmed cell death in microalgae as in humans. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, shows that this central biological process is older than previously thought.Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:55:15 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/starter_notransformation3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/starter_notransformation3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/starter_notransformation3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/starter_notransformation3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/starter_notransformation3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/starter_notransformation3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Under the microscope, it is possible to see for the first time how microalgae undergo the same type of programmed cell death as animal cells. (Microalgae in purple and apoptotic bodies as small dots.)</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Luisa Fernanda Corredor Arias</span></div></div><p>“This is the first photosynthetic organism, and the first single-cell organism, shown to produce so called apoptotic bodies during cell death. This proves that apoptosis, a pathway of programmed cell death which was thought to be unique to animals, is more ancient and widespread than previously believed,” says Christiane Funk, Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Umeå University.</p><p>Cells can die naturally from age or disease, but organisms can also actively trigger the death of certain cells when needed. This is known as programmed cell death (PCD), a central biological system that allows the development of organs in our bodies and provides advantage during an organism’s life cycle. One example is the differentiation of fingers in a developing human embryo, others are the control of cell numbers or the elimination of non-functional cells.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Challenges previous understanding</h2><p>There are several pathways leading to PCD, the best studied being apoptosis. The clearest sign of apoptosis is the formation and release of membrane-enclosed extracellular vesicles called apoptotic bodies. Although other pathways have been described in plants, yeast, protozoa and phytoplankton, the production of apoptotic bodies has been thought to be limited to multicellular animals.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/funk_christiane_8620_191218_sjn_ok2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/funk_christiane_8620_191218_sjn_ok2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/funk_christiane_8620_191218_sjn_ok2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/funk_christiane_8620_191218_sjn_ok2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/funk_christiane_8620_191218_sjn_ok2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0c95231c41be49b89cde314e5acffada/funk_christiane_8620_191218_sjn_ok2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Christiane Funk, Professor at the Department of Chemistry.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>For the first time the group of Christiane Funk at Umeå University has now been able to observe the formation of apoptotic bodies in microalgae.</p><p>“Our results demonstrate that the microalga Guillardia theta experiences apoptotic cell death in physiological conditions, similar to animal cells. Since these algae already existed prior to the origin of multicellularity, our discovery questions the evolutionary origin of PCD,” says Christiane Funk.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Can have multiple uses</h2><p>The new findings may also have long-term implications beyond basic research. If scientists could one day induce or prevent programmed cell death in microorganisms, it might be possible to both manage harmful algal blooms and improve the harvesting of algal products in biotechnology.</p><p>“But this is still far ahead of our current study,” emphasises Christiane Funk.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="f4450458-4856-4d1b-a587-3895fd0611a6" data-contentname="About the study">{}</div>/en/news/cell-death-in-microalgae-resembles-that-in-humans_12143823//en/news/nobel-prize-winner-returns-to-umea_12143903/Nobel Prize laureate returns to Umeå – thanks the university and the research community"The most important thing about the Nobel Prize is not the person behind the prize, but rather that it shines a light on research and science, especially now in a world where science is increasingly being questioned," said Emmanuelle Charpentier, Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry and former employee at Umeå University, when she answered questions from high school students in a packed Aula Nordica on Friday. Tue, 30 Sep 2025 10:40:53 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1758-250926-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1758-250926-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1758-250926-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1758-250926-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1758-250926-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1758-250926-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Emmanuelle Charpentier (centre) was joined on stage at Aula Nordica by (from left) Margalida Esteva Socias, Doctoral student at Department of Molecular Biology, Iryna Yakovenko, Postdoctoral fellow at Department of Clinical Microbiology, and Ronnie Berntsson, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, all at Umeå University. Conference host Annakarin Nyberg, Associate professor at Department of Informatics at Umeå University, listens at the lectern on the right. Photo: Mattias Pettersson.</p></div></div><p>"It is clear that both Umeå and Umeå University have played a very important role in my research, so it is really nice to be back and receive this welcome," said Emmanuelle Charpentier.</p><p>The conversation in Aula Nordica was opened by Marie-Louise Rönnmark, Mayor of Umeå, and Patrik Danielson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University. The moderator was Annakarin Nyberg, Associate professor at Department of Informatics at Umeå University. She had received a series of questions from upper secondary school students in advance. Among other things, Emmanuelle Charpentier was asked whether the high level of trust among the citizens of Umeå and at the university played a role in her research.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1832-250926-mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1832-250926-mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1832-250926-mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1832-250926-mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1832-250926-mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1832-250926-mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Emmanuelle Charpentier is today director at Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin. Photo: Mattias Pettersson.</p></div></div><p>"Yes, here in Umeå I found a warm community among researchers, a community based on curiosity, where your scientific status and where you have published your articles are less important. Of course, these things are important for your career as a researcher, but they are not everything. Many people focus solely on publications, but we also need to have a story. And a love for the story of the research you do. You need colleagues who help you shape it, who believe in it, who believe in you, and I found that here," Emmanuelle Charpentier told high school students, interested residents of Umeå and students and staff at Umeå University.</p><p>Earlier in the day, Emmanuelle Charpentier was also awarded the title of honorary citizen of Umeå at a ceremony at the Norrlandsoperan, where she said that the crunchy sound of walking in the snow in Umeå sounded like the name of the gene scissors, CRISPR-Cas9. But she also said that she loves salad, and the first salad she saw when she went shopping in Umeå was a <em>crisp salad</em>, which she thought was a sign that she should continue working with gene editing. But what really convinced her to move from Vienna to Umeå in 2008 was all the friendly and pleasant colleagues she met when she was here for her job interview and how warmly everyone welcomed her to Umeå and the university.</p><p>The Nobel Prize laureate concluded her visit to the university by visiting her former colleagues at MIMS (The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden), where she worked as a group leader when she made the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9 in 2012, which has been called the sharpest tool in genetic engineering and has revolutionised molecular biology and cell biology research. In 2020, she and Jennifer A. Doudna, at the University of California, Berkeley, USA, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1200-250926-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1200-250926-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1200-250926-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1200-250926-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1200-250926-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/7aeaad6b34214c6aa6b6eeeb1745e869/emmanuelle-charpentier-1200-250926-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Emmanuelle Charpentier stands in front of a large information board describing her research. The information board is located on Rådhusesplanden in central Umeå and is one of several posters put up by the municipality of Umeå to mark the 60th anniversary of the inauguration of Umeå University. Photo: Mattias Pettersson.</p></div></div>/en/news/nobel-prize-winner-returns-to-umea_12143903//en/news/how-umea-university-celebrated-its-60th-anniversary_12141745/How Umeå University celebrated its 60th anniversary Cosy, friendly, large but close to everything, open and in the right place in the country. Students and staff who celebrated Umeå University's 60th anniversary were asked what they thought was the best thing about the University. See pictures from the celebration. Fri, 26 Sep 2025 17:16:27 +0200<p>On 17 September, the University held a celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of its inauguration. Staff and students were treated to musical entertainment and speeches by Vice-Chancellor Tora Holmberg and Willie Dahl, Vice-President of the Medical Student Union.  </p><p>Everyone who attended was also served coffee, non-alcoholic sparkling drink and a pastry, which was served in a coffee cup that guests could take home with them afterwards as a gift. The cup featured the university logo and the word “TACK” (thank you) in capital letters. The message behind the entire celebration was to thank all students and staff for their contributions, in their own different ways, to what Umeå University has become and will become in the future. This was also the message conveyed by the Vice-Chancellor in her speech. </p><p><a title="Speech" href="~/link/86dfe945b61a472287c26bfbf6c2853e.aspx">Read the entire speech afterwards. </a> </p>/en/news/how-umea-university-celebrated-its-60th-anniversary_12141745//en/news/land-use-and-restoration-affects-carbon-storage-in-mangroves--_12143736/Land use and restoration affects carbon storage in mangroves A new study from Umeå University shows that the restoration of mangroves can increase carbon storage. However, the researchers, who studied carbon locked up in Vietnamese mangrove forests, found these new ecosystems may not regain a normal function.Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:59:43 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/blue_carbon_heidi_burdett.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/blue_carbon_heidi_burdett.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/blue_carbon_heidi_burdett.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/blue_carbon_heidi_burdett.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/blue_carbon_heidi_burdett.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/blue_carbon_heidi_burdett.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Sediment coring in old-forest mangrove within a shrimp farm pond in the Red River delta, northern Vietnam.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Heidi Burdett</span></div></div><p>Marine coastal ecosystems play an important role in capturing and storing large amounts of carbon in the sediment, so-called "blue carbon". One of the most important ecosystems for this are mangrove forests. </p><p>“Compared to some other marine ecosystems, there are good opportunities to succeed in the reforestation and restoration of mangrove forests. Therefore, they hold exciting potential for achieving climate policy goals," says Heidi Burdett, Associate Professor at the Department of Ecology, Environment & Geoscience, and Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/heidi_burdett.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/heidi_burdett.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/heidi_burdett.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/heidi_burdett.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/heidi_burdett.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/e21f65d4513343eb843fd9511450cf8e/heidi_burdett.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Heidi Burdett, Associate professor at Department of Ecology and Environmental Science and Umeå Marine Sciences Centre (UMF).</p><p> </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Heidi Burdett</span></div></div><p>However, the amount of carbon that is taken up and locked away can vary greatly between different areas. To find out what factors affect carbon storage, the researchers examined mangrove forests in northern Vietnam, comparing older untouched forests with areas of natural regrowth and where restoration has taken place.</p><p>Changes in carbon storage over time followed patterns linked to coastal land use, inland dam construction, and alternating dry and wet climate periods.</p><p>“Our results highlight how vulnerable mangrove carbon storage is to human activities, which might be happening hundreds of kilometers away,” says Heidi.</p><p>The study shows that the deposition of sediment generally increased in the mangrove forests over the past few decades, but this increase did not match how much carbon accumulated. This indicates that the efficiency of carbon burial has declined.</p><p>“The exception was in restored areas, which since the 1960s has had higher amounts of stored carbon, peaking in the 1990s. One explanation may be that restored mangrove forests are ecologically different, becoming more closed-off from external inputs of carbon,” says Heidi.</p><p>The researchers suggest that mangrove restoration may therefore be a useful way to increase coastal carbon storage, but caution against assuming that restored ecosystems will always perform like their older counterparts.</p><p> </p><p>Read the full article:<br><a href="https://journals.plos.org/sustainabilitytransformation/article?id=10.1371/journal.pstr.0000197">Burdett et al (2025) Land use change drives decadal-scale persistence of sediment organic carbon storage of restored mangrove. Plos Sustainability and Transformation, 4:e0000197.</a> </p>/en/news/land-use-and-restoration-affects-carbon-storage-in-mangroves--_12143736//en/news/collaboration-in-focus-as-umea-hosted-ec2u-coordinators-meeting_12143418/Collaboration in focus as Umeå University hosted EC2U coordinators meetingBetween 16–18 September 2025, Umeå University welcomed over 30 delegates from across Europe for the EC2U local coordinators meeting. The gathering marked an important step in strengthening the European Campus of City-Universities (EC2U) alliance and in planning its continued development. Umeå University has been an official member of the alliance since 1 May 2025.Thu, 25 Sep 2025 20:41:35 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/f600b83a0354445d971fbf41418fef55/ec2u_meeting_umea_a_2025-09-17_mattias_pettersson_umea_university.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f600b83a0354445d971fbf41418fef55/ec2u_meeting_umea_a_2025-09-17_mattias_pettersson_umea_university.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f600b83a0354445d971fbf41418fef55/ec2u_meeting_umea_a_2025-09-17_mattias_pettersson_umea_university.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/f600b83a0354445d971fbf41418fef55/ec2u_meeting_umea_a_2025-09-17_mattias_pettersson_umea_university.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f600b83a0354445d971fbf41418fef55/ec2u_meeting_umea_a_2025-09-17_mattias_pettersson_umea_university.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f600b83a0354445d971fbf41418fef55/ec2u_meeting_umea_a_2025-09-17_mattias_pettersson_umea_university.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p> </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Over the three days, local coordinators and communication officers from all nine EC2U partner universities gathered to exchange experiences, align strategies, and plan the next stages of the alliance’s development. Key discussions focused on monitoring work packages and budgets, onboarding new coordinators and task groups, enhancing communication channels, and ensuring sustainable contributions to EC2U’s projects and goals.<br><br>The programme also included strategic conversations on national cooperation within the European Universities Initiative, developing an alumni network for EC2U’s joint master’s programmes, and strengthening impact dissemination. A special focus group was dedicated to the alliance’s mid-term report, ensuring transparency and accountability for future progress.<br><br>Beyond the meetings, participants had the opportunity to explore Umeå University and the city’s vibrant cultural and academic environment. Highlights included a guided tour of the Bildmuseet contemporary art museum, participation in the University’s 60th anniversary celebration, a visit to the IKSU sports centre under the “Health on Campus” initiative, and an introduction to Swedish culture and student life.<br><br>Vice-Chancellor Tora Holmberg highlighted the importance of EC2U in Umeå University’s internationalisation efforts:</p><p>"Hosting this local coordinators meeting reflects Umeå University’s strong commitment to EC2U," said Tora Holmberg. "Together, we are building long-term collaborations that benefit our students and researchers while helping shape a more sustainable and connected Europe."</p><p>The EC2U alliance unites universities across Europe to foster education, mobility, and cooperation. The local coordinators meeting in Umeå laid a strong foundation for collaboration and highlighted Umeå University’s active role in this European university initiative.</p>/en/news/collaboration-in-focus-as-umea-hosted-ec2u-coordinators-meeting_12143418//en/news/anne-bridges-virology-and-cardiology-as-new-myocarditis-research-emerges_12142115/Virology and cardiology are combined in new research on the heartMyocarditis is a serious inflammation of the heart muscle that can hit young, healthy people hard—and without warning. In the worst cases, it can lead to heart failure or sudden cardiac death. Researcher Anne Tuiskunen Bäck is working to close key knowledge gaps in diagnostics, risk assessment, and follow-up of patients.Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:33:02 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/anne_och_amina2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/anne_och_amina2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/anne_och_amina2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/anne_och_amina2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/anne_och_amina2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/anne_och_amina2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Researcher Anne Tuiskunen Bäck and her PhD Amina Hayat.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Ingrid Söderbergh</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">it is very important to obtain new knowledge</p><p>“It is very important to obtain new knowledge, so that we can more easily make the correct diagnosis and find risk groups. Most people with myocarditis recover on their own, but some patients develop heart complications. If we can identify these patients early, we could implement preventive measures,” says Anne Tuiskunen Bäck, a specialist in cardiology at Norrland University Hospital and a researcher at Umeå University.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Viruses most common cause</h2><p>You often hear that you should avoid exercise when you have a cold – and there is a good reason: the risk of myocarditis. In the Western world, myocarditis is most often caused by viruses, but bacteria, fungi, parasites, side effects of certain cancer drugs or autoimmune diseases can also be behind it. In the disease, the immune system overreacts and attacks the heart muscle, which can impair the heart's ability to pump blood around the body.</p><p>“No specific treatments exist, and in most cases, the disease is mild and transient. We usually let go of patients completely when the myocarditis appears to have healed and all tests have normalized. We urge them to avoid physical activity for a couple of months, which can be difficult, especially for younger people, to follow,” says Anne Tuiskunen Bäck.</p><p>However, myocarditis can cause long-term complications and, in some cases, become chronic if the inflammation does not heal completely. Over time, the heart loses its elasticity and enlarges, as the heart wall thins when heart muscle cells are replaced by scar tissue. In the most severe cases, this can lead to terminal heart failure, where a heart transplant becomes necessary to survive. Today, there is a lack of knowledge about how to identify early on which patients are at risk of being affected.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/hjartbild_14.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/hjartbild_14.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/hjartbild_14.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/hjartbild_14.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/hjartbild_14.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/hjartbild_14.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Patients who come to the hospital experience symptoms such as unexplained chest pain, shortness of breath and palpitations.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Johnér bildbyrå</span></div></div><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Lack of research</h2><p>Anne Tuiskunen Bäck got the idea for her research project two years ago when her clinic director asked her to look through the clinical management plan for myocarditis patients, which is based on the European Society of Cardiology guidelines.</p><p>“I was surprised; the guidelines were from 2013! Unlike the guidelines for myocardial infarction, which are updated every five years. The lack of updated guidelines is due to the absence of large clinical studies on myocarditis,” says Anne Tuiskunen Bäck.</p><p>In the scientific literature, Anne saw a clear lack of research on how infections affect myocarditis. She also reacted to the lack of communication between virology and cardiology – two fields that would benefit from collaborating more. That is where the interest was sparked.</p><p>“I got involved in how we could improve the routines for long-term follow-up, to identify patients at risk of developing severe cardiac complications and also to look for better tools for diagnosing myocarditis,” says Anne.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Follow-up for 25 years</h2><p>Last year, Anne Tuiskunen Bäck began the extensive work of preparing the clinical study – a process that requires careful planning and extensive administration. Since the study involves data from humans, approval is required from the Swedish Ethics Review Authority, an authority for all clinical research in Sweden. Anne eventually received permission to follow newly diagnosed patients until the year 2050 and previous cases of myocarditis in Västerbotten since 2009.</p><p>The study is now operating at a high level of activity. The newly diagnosed patients (the acute patient group) submit repeated samples during the days they are hospitalized and then at return visits. The other patient group who has had myocarditis previously submits a blood sample via their local health care centre.</p><p>“We will follow each patient for a really long time through medical records regarding their heart health and compare with what we see in their samples to find new diagnostic and risk markers.”</p><p>Anne Tuiskunen Bäck has recently been awarded 500,000 kronor from the Norrländska Hjärtfonden for the research project, an addition that gives the work a new boost. She has recruited Amina Hayat, a specialist in cardiology, as a doctoral student. Amina is responsible, among other things, for contacting new participants in the study. In the Autumn, the research group will be further strengthened when two postdoctoral fellows join to work on the project.</p><p>“The turnout of participants is overwhelming. One 20-year-old even said that it felt like a privilege to be part of the study, that makes it extra fun!”</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/biomedicinsk-analytiker_7295-250513-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/biomedicinsk-analytiker_7295-250513-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/biomedicinsk-analytiker_7295-250513-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/biomedicinsk-analytiker_7295-250513-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/biomedicinsk-analytiker_7295-250513-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c00ba5c48dc341d3a9ec62440fdb461c/biomedicinsk-analytiker_7295-250513-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The patients being followed are asked to provide blood samples. <span class="photo" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Image</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Mattias Pettersson</span></p></div></div><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">New biomarkers for diagnosis</h2><p>It is difficult to diagnose suspected myocarditis. The doctor performs a physical examination and looks at the patient's symptoms, takes blood samples, an ECG, a cardiac ultrasound and performs an MRI scan of the heart. Early biopsy – a tissue sample from the heart – is the most reliable way to make a diagnosis but is also fraught with several limitations and uncertainties.</p><p>“For this reason, we do it extremely rarely. If the patient is not terminally ill with their heart disease, there is very little benefit in retrieving a biopsy from the heart. That is the reasoning.”</p><p>As a result, the diagnosis is often based on a probability assessment rather than a definitive conclusion. The fact that many cases probably also go under the radar is another reason for the lack of reliable statistics on how many people are affected by myocarditis in Sweden each year.</p><p>The second part of the project focuses on finding new biomarkers for diagnosing myocarditis. Anne Tuiskunen Bäck is investigating whether a blood test can replace tissue tests. She and her colleagues analyse lab samples from the patients, including using metagenomics to find out which virus is involved, and also map the patients' genome to see if genetic factors increase the risk. In collaboration with other research groups, they will study the immune response and metabolomics of the patients at a later stage.</p><h2 id="info4" data-magellan-target="info4">Cardiology and virology in combination</h2><p>This is a typical example of a translational project, which means that basic research solves questions raised in the clinic. In this way, Anne Tuiskunen Bäck uses both her knowledge in virology and her clinical competence as a medical doctor. The research is also interdisciplinary and spans virology, cardiology and genetics.</p><p>The study is extensive. It involves several clinics, many colleagues and patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly. There are also discussions about scaling up the study to other hospitals in Sweden.</p><p>Cardiology is a dynamic and research-intensive field that naturally interacts with virology, notes Anne Tuiskunen Bäck.</p><p>“It is both exciting and fun to combine two fields. Having one foot in virology and one in cardiology works great – and feels innovative.”</p>/en/news/anne-bridges-virology-and-cardiology-as-new-myocarditis-research-emerges_12142115//en/news/when-trees-become-co-actors_12142895/<description>How can art shift our perception of forests—from raw material to living companions? Through installations and performances in Umeå and abroad, Puerto Rican artist and architect Luis Berríos-Negrón, associate professor at Umeå School of Architecture, explores ways of listening to, nurturing, and co-existing with trees. His work opens new spaces for reckoning with the climate crisis, industrialisation, and colonialism, while reimagining reforestation as a cultural and relational practice. </description><pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:09:57 +0200</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">From Lab to Stage: Guataubá Turns Science into Sensory Experience </h2><p>In December 2024, Berríos-Negrón transformed the UPSC Wallenberg Tree Phenotyping Platform—generally reserved for highly technical plant research—into a space of art and encounter. His performance Guataubá unfolded as a multisensory tree nursery, where sound, movement, and choral voices invited the audience to imagine trees as sentient beings rather than economic resources. Collaborating with Copenhagen-based artist Félix Becker and the Umeå Barockkör, he blurred the boundaries between science and ritual, observation and care. </p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Caudex at Arboretum Norr – An Infrastructure for Tree Care </h2><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="bac50304-74d6-4c1b-bdb2-54bd37662733" data-contentname="BILD Caudex_2">{}</div><p>Earlier this year, Berríos-Negrón unveiled Caudex at Arboretum Norr in Baggböle, Umeå. Developed together with Arboretum staff, the installation is designed as a long-term support structure for “tree nursing”—the practice of listening to and caring for young treelings. To inaugurate this living infrastructure, he staged the performance Trophic Auscultation, featuring local musicians who played alongside the trees in acts of attunement and reciprocity. The work highlights the importance of collaboration between artists, scientists, and the wider community in shaping more sustainable relations with nature.</p><p>“For me, tree nursing is not only about nurturing diversity for young trees, but about learning, again, how to live in co-inhabitancy with forests. It’s a practice of personhood—listening, caring, and recognising that trees are as much actors as humans are in our shared future,” says Luis Berríos-Negrón</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Rethinking Reforestation – Between Puerto Rico, Denmark, and Sweden</h2><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="7694af8c-5cdd-4ef9-80d0-804408e1bc69" data-contentname="Bild Caudex_3">{}</div><p>These works build on Berríos-Negrón’s postdoctoral research, which compares reforestation efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria (2017–2022) with initiatives in Denmark and Sweden. While replanting trees is often framed as a technical fix for global warming and a cornerstone of the “Green Transition,” his work raises deeper questions: Whose knowledge counts in these processes? How can reforestation respond to biodiversity loss without repeating industrial and colonial patterns? By placing different regions in dialogue, he highlights how art can open new ways of seeing and practising reforestation beyond economic and technocratic frames.</p><p class="quote-center">For me, tree nursing is not only about nurturing diversity for young trees, but about learning, again, how to live in co-inhabitancy with forests.</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Art as Geo-Aesthetics and Practice of Care </h2><p>Across installations, performances, and video essays, Berríos-Negrón develops what he calls “tree nursing” as both a gesture and a method. By attending to trees as co-actors, his work reimagines reforestation as a geo-aesthetic practice under revision—one that listens to landscapes, acknowledges colonial trauma, and nurtures rituals of care across borders and species. This perspective invites us to rethink not only how forests are managed, but also how humans situate themselves in relation to the more-than-human world. </p><p>Later this autumn, Berríos-Negrón will present these works at the<strong> 6th International Geomedia Conference in Karlstad</strong>, bringing Umeå’s art–science collaborations into an international dialogue. </p></atom:content><link>/en/news/when-trees-become-co-actors_12142895/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/milk-derived-molecule-strengthens-gut-health-even-with-unhealthy-diet_12142933/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/milk-derived-molecule-strengthens-gut-health-even-with-unhealthy-diet_12142933/</guid><title>Milk-derived molecule strengthens gut health even with unhealthy dietA Western diet, rich in fat and poor in fibre, can weaken the gut protective mucosa and increase the risk of infection and inflammation. Now, Umeå researchers have identified a milk-derived molecule that can significantly strengthen the function of the intestinal mucosa and pave the way for new dietary strategies.Thu, 25 Sep 2025 14:08:59 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/4_img_3433_kopiera3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/4_img_3433_kopiera3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/4_img_3433_kopiera3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/4_img_3433_kopiera3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/4_img_3433_kopiera3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/4_img_3433_kopiera3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Researcher Björn Schröder and postdoctoral fellow Supapit Wongkuna have identified a milk-based molecule that can significantly strengthen the function of the gut mucosa.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Ingrid Söderbergh</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">the molecule can act as as a decoy substrate for mucus-degrading bacteria</p><p>“Our study shows that the milk-derived molecule can act as as a decoy substrate for mucus-degrading bacteria, which helps to protect the host's mucus barrier even in the fibre-deficient conditions, says researcher Björn Schröder, Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University, who has led the study.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Positive effects on the gut</h2><p>The molecule in question, casein glycomacropeptide (CGMP), is a protein with sugar molecules that occurs naturally in cheese whey. In studies on mice fed on a "Western diet", Björn Schröder and his team were able to show that CGMP has several positive effects on the gut. It stimulated the production of mucus, made the gut wall less permeable and favoured the growth of beneficial bacteria – especially Bifidobacterium.</p><p>The effects depended on how much sugar was attached to the molecule, a modification called sialylation. The researchers also saw that CGMP increased the amount of small fatty acids in the gut, especially propionate. This fatty acid is known to strengthen the gut protective barrier and contribute to a healthy mucosa.</p><p>“This is a clear example of how something we eat can positively affect the interaction between the body and gut bacteria,” says Supapit Wongkuna, postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University, and first author of the study.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Crucial collaboration with industry</h2><p>The study was conducted in collaboration with Arla Foods Ingredients in Denmark, a global player in dairy-based ingredients. The collaboration was crucial for the researchers to have access to tailor-made CGMP fractions with varying levels of sialylation.</p><p>For Arla, the collaboration not only means a contribution to research, but also the opportunity to further develop its ingredients based on scientific results.</p><p>“We are proud to be able to support research that investigates the health-promoting potential of proteins in whey. This study shows that CGMP has value far beyond its traditional uses,” says Ann Bjørnshave, project manager at Arla Foods Ingredients.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Prebiotics for gut health</h2><p>The research highlights the possibility of reusing dairy compounds as a prebiotic food supplement.</p><p>“We see a very promising opportunity to not only counteract the negative effects of a Western diet, but also actively promote gut health and well-being”, says Björn Schröder</p><p>The results are published in the scientific journal Food Research International.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/2_img_3492_besk2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/2_img_3492_besk2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/2_img_3492_besk2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/2_img_3492_besk2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/2_img_3492_besk2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/901353848d8741eba0f0469b1fa4ad09/2_img_3492_besk2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Supapit Wongkuna and Björn Schröder hope for a future new prebiotic.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>[Ingrid Söderbergh]</span></div></div>/en/news/milk-derived-molecule-strengthens-gut-health-even-with-unhealthy-diet_12142933//en/news/new-programme-in-public-procurement---a-groundbreaking-initiative_12142907/New education in public procurement - a groundbreaking initiativeStarting in autumn 2026, the Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics at Umeå University will launch a brand-new Master’s Programme in Public Procurement – a location-independent distance programme that marks a historic step for Swedish higher education. At the same time, public procurement will be established as a main field of study.Mon, 22 Sep 2025 15:29:19 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/890d87a889b3408580015b9e6208e920/sofia_lundberg_och_tom_madell3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/890d87a889b3408580015b9e6208e920/sofia_lundberg_och_tom_madell3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/890d87a889b3408580015b9e6208e920/sofia_lundberg_och_tom_madell3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/890d87a889b3408580015b9e6208e920/sofia_lundberg_och_tom_madell3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/890d87a889b3408580015b9e6208e920/sofia_lundberg_och_tom_madell3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/890d87a889b3408580015b9e6208e920/sofia_lundberg_och_tom_madell3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Sofia Lundberg and Tom Madell.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Malin Gronborg</span></div></div><p>This programme is the first of its kind in Sweden and will lead to a Master of Science degree in Public Procurement. It is aimed at both professionals and graduates from, for example, business administration, engineering, or social science bachelor’s programmes, and will be offered both full-time and part-time to meet different needs. The new Master’s programme is interdisciplinary and rests on a scientific foundation and a strong research environment, including economics, law, and informatics. The development of the programme is led by, among others, Professor Sofia Lundberg (Economics) and Professor Tom Madell (Law), who are also the programme directors.</p><h3>How do you think this programme will impact the supply of expertise in the public sector and business community? </h3><p>– Nationally and internationally, the demand for procurement professionals is high and continues to grow. The reason for this increasing demand is that public procurement is an expanding field where the strategic role of procurement professionals is becoming more significant, and the requirements for professionalising the role are increasing. The demand for procurement professionals is rising, and the job market for those who want to work in this field and have the right skills is strong. Despite this, Sweden lacks university-level programmes in public procurement. Among practitioners and industry organisations, the need for education in public procurement has been raised repeatedly, while surveys show that the supplier side calls for improved competence among procurement professionals. The Swedish Association of Public Purchasers (SOI) has developed a competency profile for public purchasers. The profile covers 13 scientific areas and reflects a complex and challenging role that is of increasing central importance in public organisations. As complexity and demands increase, so do competency requirements. The programme does not cover all 13 areas specified by SOI, but it provides broader competence than the courses currently available. The establishment of the main field of study is a prerequisite for the broad entry into the programme. Around 4,000 organisations in Sweden are covered by the legislation and regularly organise public procurements or freedom-of-choice systems, say Sofia and Tom.</p><p>Public procurement, which is regulated by EU directives and Swedish legislation, is a strategically important area. It amounts to approximately SEK 900 billion annually in Sweden – almost 18 percent of GDP – and covers everything from relatively standardized products to complex services and construction contracts. Through the programme, students gain in-depth knowledge of the legal, socio-economic, and digital dimensions of procurement, and how it can be used as a policy tool for sustainable development, innovation, and inclusion.</p><h3>What needs or gaps in today’s educational offerings did you identify that made this programme relevant to develop?</h3><p> – Over the years, as mentioned, we have been approached with requests for education in public procurement. We have also seen the need ourselves through our contacts with the business community and the public sector. This led to initiatives in the form of independent courses (which have been very successful). When Tom returned to Umeå University, it felt natural to revive the idea of an advanced-level programme that we had already developed in 2012. For various reasons, and because we were involved in other projects, the idea was put on hold, says Sofia.</p><p>The programme is based on current research and practical relevance. It is an impressive example of how the Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics takes responsibility for societal development and meets labour market needs with high-quality, research-based education. The fact that the university is now establishing itself as a national pioneer in public procurement is nothing short of fantastic and a testament to both academic foresight and strategic action.</p><h3>What has been most challenging in the process of establishing an entirely new main field of study and programme, and how have you solved it? </h3><p>– The process itself is rigorous, and for good reason. Establishing a main field of study and a programme has an impact on the organisation. Part of the process was to justify the establishment in a way that could be received by people outside the research group in public procurement. The fact that we have two successful independent courses with a socio-economic focus and could demonstrate competitiveness compared to the existing offerings in the procurement field (primarily law courses) has probably contributed to our proposal being well received. Also, we have established networks within and outside Umeå University where dialogues and research on public procurement are ongoing, Sofia and Tom continue.</p><h3>What are you most proud of with this programme – and what do you hope students will take with them after graduation? </h3><p>– According to the Swedish Competition Authority, Umeå University brings together teachers from Sweden’s strongest research environment in public procurement, and on a personal level, it is gratifying to be able to build on this and offer a degree programme in the subject. We hope thereby to strengthen Umeå University’s educational offering and do something that benefits the organisation. By (further) educating experts in public procurement, Umeå University can help ensure that the resources of procuring organisations are used more efficiently and sustainably, which in turn can lead to significant economic and societal gains. The knowledge gained from the programme can provide students with insights into how to develop procurement strategies for sustainable development and strengthen society’s preparedness.</p>/en/news/new-programme-in-public-procurement---a-groundbreaking-initiative_12142907//en/news/from-student-to-phd-researcher_12141335/From student to PhD researcher – Jennifer explores sustainable data culturesAfter graduating from the BIT programme at Umeå University, Jennifer Israelsson has now returned to the Department of Informatics – this time as a PhD student. In collaboration with the municipal company Vakin, she will investigate how data-driven methods and AI can be introduced in ways that are both effective and sustainable.Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:24:39 +0200<p>"I’m really excited to get started! It feels both thrilling and challenging at the same time. This is a fantastic opportunity to dive deeper into questions about how technology interacts with organizations and society, especially in a municipal context", says Jennifer Israelsson, PhD student at the Department of Informatics and the Industrial Doctoral School.</p><p>Her research will focus on sustainable data cultures, with Vakin – the regional water and waste management company – as a key partner. The project is part of the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University, which, together with Vakin, is funding the doctoral position.</p><p>"I will look at how Vakin works with data and how they can implement AI responsibly. My work will involve workshops, interviews and on-site observations. At Vakin, my main contact is Ingrid Undén Lindehall, while my supervisors at the university are professors Mikael Wiberg and Johan Sandberg," she explains.</p><p>Jennifer’s interest in the topic was sparked during her bachelor’s studies in the BIT programme.</p><p>"During my degree, I explored how technology affects organizational cultures and employees in many different contexts. That gave me a strong foundation, which I now bring into my doctoral research," Jennifer says.</p>/en/news/from-student-to-phd-researcher_12141335//en/news/ice-dissolves-iron-faster-than-liquid-water_12142036/Ice dissolves iron faster than liquid waterIce can dissolve iron minerals more effectively than liquid water, according to a new study from Umeå University. The discovery could help explain why many Arctic rivers are now turning rusty orange as permafrost thaws in a warming climate.Mon, 22 Sep 2025 08:00:13 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>When ice freezes and thaws repeatedly, chemical reactions are fuelled that can have significant impact on ecosystems. The photo was taken in Stordalen, Abisko.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Jean-François Boily</span></div></div><p>The study, recently published in the scientific journal PNAS, shows that ice at minus ten degrees Celsius releases more iron from common minerals than liquid water at four degrees Celsius. This challenges the long-held belief that frozen environments slow down chemical reactions.</p><p>“It may sound counterintuitive, but ice is not a passive frozen block,” says Jean-François Boily, Professor at Umeå University and co-author of the study. “Freezing creates microscopic pockets of liquid water between ice crystals. These act like chemical reactors, where compounds become concentrated and extremely acidic. This means they can react with iron minerals even at temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius.”</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Releases organic compounds</h2><p>To understand the process, the researchers studied goethite – a widespread iron oxide mineral – together with a naturally occurring organic acid, using advanced microscopy and experiments.</p><p>They discovered that repeated freeze-thaw cycles make iron dissolve more efficiently. As the ice freezes and thaws, organic compounds that were previously trapped in the ice are released, fuelling further chemical reactions. Salinity also plays a crucial role: fresh and brackish water increase dissolution, while seawater can suppress it.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">From mines to the atmosphere</h2><p>The findings apply mainly to acidic environments, such as mine drainage sites, frozen dust in the atmosphere, acid sulfate soils along the Baltic Sea coast, or in any acidic frozen environment where iron minerals interact with organics.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Angelo Sebaaly, doctoral student at the Department of Chemistry.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Giacomo Gorza</span></div></div><p>The next step is to find out if the same is true for all iron-bearing ice. This is what ongoing research in the Boily laboratory will soon reveal.</p><p>“As the climate warms, freeze-thaw cycles become more frequent,” says Angelo Pio Sebaaly, doctoral student and first author of the study. “Each cycle releases iron from soils and permafrost into the water. This can affect water quality and aquatic ecosystems across vast areas.”</p><p>The findings show that ice is not a passive storage medium, but an active player. As freezing and thawing increase in polar and mountain regions, for the impact on ecosystems. and the natural cycling of elements could be significant.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="6c6957ec-b8a6-4209-aaaa-6316dd66fec6" data-contentname="About the article">{}</div>/en/news/ice-dissolves-iron-faster-than-liquid-water_12142036//en/news/arctic-and-sami-research-in-focus-as-university-of-northern-british-columbia-visited-umea-university_12139837/Arctic and Sámi Research in Focus as University of Northern British Columbia Visited Umeå UniversityDr. Paula Wood-Adams, Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), visited Umeå University on 10 September to learn more about current Arctic and Sámi research and to explore potential areas for collaboration.Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:28:44 +0200<p class="quote-center">The Arctic Centre aims to facilitate meetings […] and promote more sustainable and interconnected Arctic research.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Arctic research in focus</h2><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="158ae3ec-c05b-4031-a3b5-34f4f41d1727" data-contentname="BILD UNBC SO">{}</div><p>Throughout the day, Arctic Centre-associated researchers presented projects ranging from the impacts of climate change on ecosystems to health systems in sparsely populated areas, as well as issues related to tourism and security. These insights provided a valuable basis for discussing how international partnerships can strengthen knowledge development for the benefit of remote and Arctic communities.</p><p>"The Arctic Centre aims to facilitate meetings like this, where representatives from other universities can connect with our researchers, find inspiration, and establish the foundation for future collaboration. The visit from UNBC highlights the importance of cross-border dialogue and knowledge exchange, utilising existing platforms such as UArctic to promote more sustainable and interconnected Arctic research," says Simon Oja, Deputy Director of the Arctic Centre at Umeå University.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Sámi and Indigenous research deepens understanding </h2><p>The Várdduo – Centre for Sámi Research – presented its activities and highlighted the importance of Indigenous knowledge in Arctic research. Topics of language, identity, and sustainable community development and cultural revitalisation were discussed, alongside new research that offers a deeper understanding of the historical and contemporary circumstances of Sámi communities. These perspectives collectively emphasise the vital role of Sámi research in developing more inclusive and socially relevant Arctic knowledge.</p><p class="quote-center">Sámi research is a crucial aspect of Umeå University’s Arctic profile.</p><p>"Sámi research is a crucial aspect of Umeå University’s Arctic profile. By incorporating Indigenous perspectives, we enhance the research and its societal relevance. International collaborations, such as the one with UNBC, create opportunities for valuable comparisons and mutual learning between Indigenous peoples in different regions of the world," says Kristina Sehlin MacNeil, Deputy Director of Várdduo – Centre for Sámi Research at Umeå University.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">UArctic as a key to collaboration</h2><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="4095e446-bd9a-4f45-aab2-fefec893f470" data-contentname="BILD UNBC PWA">{}</div><p>Discussions included the University of the Arctic (UArctic), an international network of almost 200 member institutions, as a key platform for future collaboration. Through UArctic, researchers at Umeå University and UNBC can build on existing partnerships through thematic networks and the North2North mobility program, while also creating new initiatives in education and research.<br>The visit showcased the diverse research at Umeå University through the Arctic Centre, Várdduo – Centre for Sámi Research, and others. The presentations provided UNBC’s representative with insights into the various perspectives shaping today’s Arctic research landscape. The programme concluded with a meeting involving Deputy Vice-Chancellor Patrik Danielsson, Vice-Chancellor’s Adviser Thomas Olofsson, and Helena Gradin, Assistant Head of Division at the International Office.</p>/en/news/arctic-and-sami-research-in-focus-as-university-of-northern-british-columbia-visited-umea-university_12139837//en/news/inauguration-of-the-aurora-examination-building-and-the-artwork-outside_12141673/<description>The latest addition to Campus Umeå, the new building Aurora, has been welcoming students and staff since May, but has now also been officially inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor Tora Holmberg. At the same time, the artwork "Stjärnlikt grenverk", created by artist Thomas Hämén and erected on a hill just outside the building, was also inaugurated.</description><pubDate>Fri, 19 Sep 2025 07:57:25 +0200</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9594-250917-mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9594-250917-mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9594-250917-mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9594-250917-mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9594-250917-mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9594-250917-mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Umeå University Vice-Chancellor Tora Holmberg cuts the ribbon and inaugurates the new building Aurora with Anna Edholm (left), Head of unit at Campus Services Office at Umeå University, and Marie Löwling, Property Area Manager for Region North at Akademiska Hus. Photo: Mattias Pettersson.</p></div></div><p>"We hope that by bringing the exam hall closer to campus, we will provide students with a more accessible and secure environment that can help reduce stress. And look how beautiful it has turned out! It's fantastic," said Tora Holmberg, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University, in her opening speech before cutting the ribbon in front of representatives from both Akademiska Hus and all the university departments that assisted with the construction, move-in and start-up.</p><p>The Aurora building covers 9,500 square metres over seven floors and, in addition to examination rooms, also houses teaching rooms, offices, study areas and, soon, a café on the third floor. The house was designed by LINK arkitektur, Jens Hoff, and the interior designers were AFRY Ark Studio with Tord Berggren.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9735-250917-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9735-250917-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9735-250917-mpn4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9735-250917-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9735-250917-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f7a5debbac524d7aacb08ca009e9dc6a/invigning_aurora-9735-250917-mpn4.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The artwork ‘Stjärnlikt grenverk’ just outside Aurora was inaugurated by (from left in the picture) Jun-Hi Wennergren and Björn Norberg, both of whom work at the Swedish National Public Art Council, and the artist Thomas Hämén. Photo: Mattias Pettersson.</p></div></div><p><span style="text-align: center;">The artwork 'Stjärnlikt grenverk' just outside Aurora was also inaugurated by Björn Norberg and Jun-Hi Wennergren from the Swedish National Public Art Council, as well as artist Thomas Hämén, who explained the ideas behind the artwork:</span></p><p>"It is a star map and at the same time a reminder of the reindeer lichen that was important here before Umeå University was built, when this was still reindeer grazing land for the Rans Sami community. The artwork has the anatomy of a reindeer lichen, the window lichen, but also the shape of Laniakea, which is a supercluster in the universe. It is a galactic structure that was mapped in 2014 and is the largest structure in the universe that we know we are part of. So the Milky Way is included in one of the flowers in the artwork, and the branches are the paths that this galactic cluster takes through space."</p><p>"The artwork is a way of combining the history of the land with modern astronomy, while reminding students writing their exams that there are bigger things to think about than just this exam."</p><p>A supercluster is a loose collection of galaxy groups/clusters with up to tens of thousands of galaxies and a span of several hundred million light years. The artwork 'Stjärnlikt grenverk', and the 40 or so other artworks in Aurora, have been created and placed by the Swedish National Public Art Council in collaboration with Umeå University and Akademiska hus.</p></atom:content><link>/en/news/inauguration-of-the-aurora-examination-building-and-the-artwork-outside_12141673/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/collaboration-with-biotechnology-companies-opens-new-doors-for-umea-chemist_12141643/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/collaboration-with-biotechnology-companies-opens-new-doors-for-umea-chemist_12141643/</guid><title>Research collaboration with biotechnology company opens new doors for Umeå chemistAn unexpected collaboration between professor Magnus Wolf-Watz at Umeå University and the biotech company Vakona is a prime example of how fundamental research can gain new relevance and impact. By combining academic curiosity with industrial application, the project has led to technological breakthroughs and new research — while also contributing to societal benefit in form of acne treatment.Wed, 24 Sep 2025 09:33:07 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/wolf-watz_magnus_5402_180823_soj2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/wolf-watz_magnus_5402_180823_soj2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/wolf-watz_magnus_5402_180823_soj2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/wolf-watz_magnus_5402_180823_soj2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/wolf-watz_magnus_5402_180823_soj2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/wolf-watz_magnus_5402_180823_soj2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Magnus Wolf-Watz, professor at the Department of Chemistry at Umeå Univerisiy has a succesful cooperation with the company Vacona.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">the project bridges practical application with biological mechanisms</p><p>“The greatest value is how the project bridges practical application with biological mechanisms,” says Magnus Wolf Watz, Professor of Biophysical Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, Umeå University.</p><p>The partnership began when Umeå-based Vakona reached out to Magnus to discuss patent related to the enzyme BMD. What started as a conversation quickly evolved into a collaboration of growing scope and significance.</p><p>Acne arises from several interacting factors. A key cause is an imbalance in the skin’s microbiome. The bacterium <em>Propionibacterium acnes</em> can proliferate and form a protective biofilm, which contributes to the disease and makes antibiotic treatment more difficult.</p><p>Vakona’s product is based on research by Dr. Oleg Alexeyev, Department of Medical Biosciences, and is designed as a skincare solution using a naturally occurring bacterial enzyme that breaks down the protective biofilm formed by <em>P. acnes</em>. Their need for structural biology expertise aligned perfectly with Magnus’s research group’s ambition to make a technological leap in cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM), a method that has become central to the project.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Fundamental research with clear application</h2><p>For Magnus, whose background is in structural enzymology, the project has been a welcome step toward research with direct societal relevance. Working with an enzyme that could potentially be used in acne treatment makes the research easier to communicate — to both funders and the general public.</p><p>“It’s exciting to be able to describe your research in one sentence, we’re developing a therapy for acne. It makes it easier to explain and sparks interest.”</p><p>The collaboration has also led to new research funding. Magnus and Oleg Alexeyev were awarded SEK 1.1 million from the Kempe Foundations to fund a two-year postdoctoral position fully dedicated to the Vakona project. Magnus also supervises a PhD student working on the project with support from the university’s structural biology platform.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">New methods, new perspectives</h2><p>The project has marked a technical leap for Magnus’s lab, which has traditionally focused on nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Through the collaboration with Vakona, the group has now established Cryo-EM as a new method, opening up significant opportunities for other projects as well.</p><p>“This step will be hugely important for us. We already have other collaborations using the technique, including one with KTH, where we hope to publish soon.”</p><p>At the same time, the partnership has brought new challenges, particularly around patents and publishing. Balancing corporate interests has influenced research methods, and numerous meetings were needed to find a middle ground between openness and confidentiality.</p><p>“You have to align your goals. Industry wants to make money, we want to publish. But we’ve found a good plan for that.”</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Lessons learned and looking ahead</h2><p>For Magnus, the project has been both educational and inspiring. It’s his first time collaborating with a company, offering insights into how researchers and businesses can work together and how to navigate the intersection between academic freedom and commercial interests.</p><p>“There’s a societal push for these kinds of collaborations. It’s important to understand the basic premises before entering a project.”</p><p>He encourages other researchers to seize the opportunity if it arises but to be diligent about discussing patents and publishing from the outset.</p><p>“It’s a solid setup. We hope the collaboration leads to a strong publication, that the company secures funding, and can hire people. It’s a win-win.”</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">An innovation ecosystem</h2><p>The partnership between Umeå University and Vakona illustrates how academic research can contribute to a local innovation ecosystem. Growth in spin-off companies can create new jobs for trained researchers, strengthening both the university’s role and regional development.</p><p>“If we can contribute in that way and help create a job market, that’s fantastic.”</p><p>The project also demonstrates that research with clear applications can have greater impact both within academia and beyond.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/akne2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/akne2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/akne2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/akne2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/akne2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1929bd7b551a4972a1bb716b1920f684/akne2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Acne mainly affects teenagers, especially during puberty when hormonal changes increase sebum production.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>plainpicture</span></div></div>/en/news/collaboration-with-biotechnology-companies-opens-new-doors-for-umea-chemist_12141643//en/news/methane-production-may-increase-as-arctic-lakes-warm_12141395/Methane production may increase as Arctic lakes warmA warmer and wetter climate makes lakes more productive – which in turn leads to more methane being released from sediments. A new study involving Umeå University shows that Arctic lakes may contribute even more to the greenhouse effect in the future.Thu, 18 Sep 2025 08:00:03 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Fältarbete vid sjöar nära Abisko naturvetenskapliga station.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Sofia Kjellman</span></div></div><p>Methane is more than 25 times stronger as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Arctic lakes account for a significant share of global methane emissions, but until now, knowledge about the processes in northern lakes has been limited. An international team of researchers from Norway, Sweden and Spain has now shown that methane production varies greatly between lakes and is closely linked to their characteristics.</p><p>The researchers investigated ten lakes on Svalbard and in the subarctic region of Scandinavia, three of them via the Abisko Scientific Research Station. They found that most methane production occurs in the top ten centimetres of lake sediments, where there is abundant organic matter and favorable conditions for microbes.</p><p>“The Arctic is already greening in response to the warmer and wetter climate, and longer summers up north, impacting the inputs of organic matter fueling methane production in lakes”, says Alexandra Rouillard, Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University, and co-supervisor of the study.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Bottles in which methane was collected in Abisko.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Alexandra Rouillard</span></div></div><p>The study clearly showed that especially shallower lakes, with many algae, bottom plants, and surrounding vegetation, generate higher methane production. However, the amount of gas produced varied greatly between lakes.</p><p>The researchers compared their results with data from more than 60 lakes worldwide. They found that lakes in tropical and temperate regions generally have higher methane production. However, the large number of lakes at northern latitudes, combined with the strong variation between them, still makes the total emissions significant.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Link to publication:</strong> <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JG008508">https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JG008508</a></p><p><strong>Contact:</strong> <br>Alexandra Rouillard, +46 738 400 273<br>Umeå Marine Sciences Centre & Climate Impacts Research Centre<br>Department of Ecology, Environment and Geoscience<br>Umeå University</p><p><a href="mailto:alexandra.rouillard@ͯ��Ƶ">alexandra.rouillard@ͯ��Ƶ</a></p>/en/news/methane-production-may-increase-as-arctic-lakes-warm_12141395//en/news/dna-folding-more-important-for-cell-function-than-previously-thought_12131336/DNA folding more important for cell function than previously thoughtTiny tweaks in DNA folding can have big effects. A study from Umeå University shows that even the most subtle changes in DNA’s shape have an important influence on gene activity and energy production. This discovery challenges the view of DNA as passive storage of information and points to its active role in cell behavior, offering new possibilities for understanding diseases like cancer and diabetes. Tue, 16 Sep 2025 10:06:08 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4924.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4924.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4924.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4924.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4924.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4924.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Nasim Sabouri, Pallabi Sengupta, and Ikenna Obi at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics have used the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the shape of a DNA structure in yeast, which affected the yeast cells’ energy production.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">We’ve shown that even a small tweak to DNA’s shape can ripple through the entire cell</p><p>“We are very excited about these results, as they broaden our understanding of DNA’s role as a dynamic regulator, not just as a static blueprint,” says Nasim Sabouri, Professor at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, who has led a study published in Nucleic Acids Research.  <br><br>Just like a single piece of paper can be folded into different origami shapes, like a bird or a plane, DNA can also fold in ways beyond the classical double helix. One of these shapes, called a G-quadruplex or G4, appears in parts of the genome that are crucial for how cells grow, manage energy and regulate which genes are turned on or off.   <br><br>“In humans, G4 structures have often been associated with disruptive and negative effects, linked to cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. But we wanted to explore a different angle: could a single G4 structure actually play a constructive, positive role in regulating gene activity?” says Nasim Sabouri. </p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="0805b563-aff9-4cb8-ac1e-5944d47cf39d" data-contentname="Image Ikenna">{}</div><p>Using yeast and the gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9, they introduced subtle mutations into G4 that sits near genes important for the cell’s energy balance. Their goal was to see how changing the shape of the G4 – not removing it entirely – would affect the cell’s behavior. <br><br>“What we found was both exciting and unexpected,” says Ikenna Obi, staff scientist in Sabouri’s research group and first-author of the study.</p><p>They discovered that the mutations to the G4 structure triggered widespread changes in the cell’s metabolism and expression of genes. Most notably, it disrupted one of the central energy systems in cells.  <br><br>“We’ve shown that even a small tweak to DNA’s shape can ripple through the entire cell, affecting how it grows and functions,” says Pallabi Sengupta, postdoc in Sabouri’s research group, who also contributed to the study. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4552.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4552.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4552.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4552.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4552.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_4552.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Ikenna Obi, Nasim Sabouri, and Pallabi Sengupta used the Swedish Metabolomics Centre in Umeå, a SciLifeLab unit, to analyse the yeast cells’ response to the mutation.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>This is the first time scientists have shown that a single G4 structure in yeast can regulate both gene activity and metabolism, challenging the idea that G4s are mostly problematic. It also highlights DNA’s role not just as a static blueprint, but as a dynamic regulator of cellular function. <br><br>“We expected some change in gene expression,” Sabouri explains, “but the scale of the downstream metabolic shifts was surprising.”<br><br>By revealing how G4 regulates gene activity and energy balance in the cell, this research can lead to new ways of understanding – and potentially treating – conditions like cancer and metabolic disorders like diabetes, where gene regulation and energy balance go awry.<br><br>“Our findings open up exciting possibilities for both basic biology and applied science,” Nasim Sabouri concludes.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_5072.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_5072.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_5072.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_5072.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_5072.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/390ec9ae1a554f75ab748ca76199434f/sabouri_obi_sengupta_5072.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The researchers hope that the study may lead to new understandings of diseases such as cancer and diabetes. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div>/en/news/dna-folding-more-important-for-cell-function-than-previously-thought_12131336//en/news/from-cookstoves-to-sustainable-bioenergy--energy-solutions-for-africa_12140937/From cookstoves to sustainable bioenergy – energy solutions for AfricaMillions of households in Africa still cook on smoky, inefficient stoves that harm both health and the environment. In his doctoral thesis at Umeå University, Natxo García-López shows how improved cookstoves and bioenergy systems can make a real difference, for people and for the environment. Tue, 16 Sep 2025 16:29:14 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/bild_4_13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/bild_4_13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/bild_4_13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/bild_4_13.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/bild_4_13.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/bild_4_13.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Participants at a workshop in the village of Rusagara, Rwanda. Natxo García-López presented results from one of the studies.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Natxo García-López.</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">The work is challenging and complex</p><p>“The work is challenging and complex, but through interdisciplinary projects in Africa we can create cleaner air, better health, and a more sustainable energy future,” says Natxo García-López, PhD student at the Department at of Applied Physics and Electronics at Umeå University.</p><p>Access to clean and reliable energy remains a major challenge in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Millions of families still use traditional and inefficient cookstoves, which pollute homes with smoke, cause respiratory illness, place heavy burdens on women who collect firewood, and contribute to environmental degradation. In his doctoral thesis at Umeå University, Natxo García-López examines how more sustainable bioenergy solutions can address these challenges.</p><p>His work combines laboratory studies, field experiments in Rwanda, systematic reviews, and a perspective study that explores new bioenergy approaches. The findings highlight the value of improved cookstoves, which burn more efficiently and reduce both emissions and health risks. Still, García-López’s research extends beyond stoves to integrated energy solutions. In his thesis, he broadens the perspective to the community level, examining how bioenergy can be scaled and integrated into broader frameworks of rural development and energy access.</p><p>By integrating agroforestry with bioenergy, he outlines a model in which farmland serves more than its traditional role of producing food. Sustainably managed trees and crops can supply households with cleaner cooking fuel while also generating surplus biomass for electricity production through gasification. In this way, everyday cooking becomes directly connected to rural development, energy security and access to modern energy services.</p><p> “It’s a blueprint for scalable, community-level energy solutions,” he says.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Fieldwork challenging but rewarding</h2><p>Conducting research in rural Rwanda was demanding, both logistically and scientifically. It involved traveling to remote areas, working with limited resources, and operating advanced instruments under difficult conditions. At the same time, it created opportunities to work closely with local communities and to collect data directly from rural households, offering valuable insights into their everyday challenges.</p><p>“It gave me a first-hand understanding of the challenges rural households and of how cleaner technologies can truly make a difference,” says García-López.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Beyond technology – a matter of people’s lives</h2><p>Although the thesis devotes considerable attention to the technical analysis of combustion processes, emissions and particles, its implications reach far beyond engineering. It sheds light on the everyday realities of people in rural Africa, particularly the lack of access to modern energy services such as clean cooking and electricity. The findings also resonate with several pressing global challenges – from public health and gender equality to climate change and environmental sustainability.</p><p>“Cleaner cookstoves can make indoor environments safer, reduce disease risks, and help preserve both forests and climate,” says García-López.</p><p>Beyond the technical contributions, García-López hopes that his work can spark dialogue among decision-makers and practitioners. Its true impact will depend on how it is received by the research community, policymakers, NGOs and other actors, but his ambition is that it will make a positive difference for people in rural sub-Saharan Africa who remain without access to modern energy services.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">The way forward</h2><p>While the dissertation provides new evidence and technical insights, it also opens the door to future research directions. García-López sees his work not as an endpoint but as the beginning of a broader research journey, one that blends technological innovation with real-world application in countries with developing economies.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/img_59662.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/img_59662.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/img_59662.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/img_59662.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/img_59662.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/bea0ba91c90c4a17b4ec339b38a79f5f/img_59662.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>García-López during fieldwork in the village of Rusagara, Rwanda. Data collection with advanced instruments in rural environments involves many challenges.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Sabine Ingabire</span></div></div>/en/news/from-cookstoves-to-sustainable-bioenergy--energy-solutions-for-africa_12140937//en/news/leaked-information-has-been-disseminated--please-be-vigilant_12140604/Leaked information has been disseminated – please be vigilantOn 14 September it became known that personal data leaked in connection with the cyberattack on Miljödata has been disseminated. It is now important that everyone affected is particularly cautious about disclosing further information.Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:16:55 +0200<p>Miljödata is the supplier of Adato, the system support used by Umeå University in the rehabilitation process for employees. On 23 August, Miljödata was subjected to a cyber attack. It subsequently became clear that certain personal data belonging to all current employees and some former employees at Umeå University had been leaked from Adato to the attacker. Umeå University is one of more than 100 organisations in Sweden that have been affected.   </p><p><a title="In english" href="~/link/ba6f49fb0a7d422bb9399a44a06a30e4.aspx">Read previous news item. </a></p><p>After the attack, Miljödata launched a forensic investigation into the incident. On 11 September, the final report was published and Miljödata was able to announce that no further information than previously known had been leaked.   </p><p>Over the weekend, however, it emerged that the attacker had spread the leaked information via the Darknet, which is an umbrella term for a specific part of the internet (see facts below), and that it had then spread to the public part of the internet.</p><p>The information leaked from Adato includes:</p><ul><li>Names</li><li>personal identification numbers</li><li>contact details</li><li>Gender</li><li>number of sick days (over 15 days) </li></ul><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Be vigilant</h2><p>The leaked contact details include both private and work contact information. There is now a risk that the attacker will use this contact information to access more information.   </p><p>You should always be cautious about disclosing information such as passwords, bank/card details and such. However, it is now particularly important that everyone affected is vigilant and suspicious of emails, phone calls, text messages or other contacts requesting this type of information, or if you are asked to click on, for example, a link or attachment.   <br>The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency's, MSB:s, website has info and tips on how to spot some of the most common ways attackers try to trick people. There are also checklists on what you can do to protect yourself extra or if you happen to click on a suspicious link or attachment.   </p><p><a title="MSB website" href="https://www.msb.se/en/advice-for-individuals/digital-security/phishing-and-malware/">Read more at MSB:s website </a></p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Contact the police</h2><p>If one suspect that someone is attempting to or has stolen personal information contact the police.</p><p><a title="polisen.se" href="https://polisen.se/en/victims-of-crime/making-a-report/">More information at polisen.se</a></p><p>If those who work at Umeå University receive suspicious emails or spam through contact details linked to the University, should report this to <a href="mailto:abuse@ͯ��Ƶ">abuse@ͯ��Ƶ</a>. </p><p>Those who are an employee or former employee and have any questions regarding the cyber attack or the information that has been leaked, could contact the Human Resources Department at Umeå University by emailing: <a title="HR" href="mailto:ah.adm@ͯ��Ƶ">ah.adm@ͯ��Ƶ</a>. </p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="a3ae46ff-3103-4b35-aed3-86a812d72740" data-contentname="What is Darknet?">{}</div>/en/news/leaked-information-has-been-disseminated--please-be-vigilant_12140604//en/news/carlos-wins-european-best-poster-prize-in-great-competition_12139856/Carlos wins European best poster prize in great competitionWinning a poster award at an academic conference validates your research, showcases communication skills, and boosts future academic prospects. Carlos Hernandez Ortego, doctoral student at Umeå University, returned from Europe’s biggest conference in microbiology winning a prize among 1200 posters. We ask 5 curious questions how he managed to achieve this.Fri, 12 Sep 2025 16:45:21 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/9f1f8a8f82ea4304aaeadcb42187d6b1/carlos_besk.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9f1f8a8f82ea4304aaeadcb42187d6b1/carlos_besk.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9f1f8a8f82ea4304aaeadcb42187d6b1/carlos_besk.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/9f1f8a8f82ea4304aaeadcb42187d6b1/carlos_besk.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9f1f8a8f82ea4304aaeadcb42187d6b1/carlos_besk.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9f1f8a8f82ea4304aaeadcb42187d6b1/carlos_besk.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The FEMS MICRO 2025 poster prize was awarded to Carlos Hernández-Ortego, PhD at the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University, by the FEMS journal microLife. Pictured left, Dr Clare Taylor presenting the award. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Liza Holiarchuk</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">I had never won a poster prize before</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">How does it feel?</h2><p>“When they first announced the winners in the morning of the last day via email I did not believe my eyes, but I was happy! I did see a sticker on my poster from one of the FEMS journals when I went to remove my poster, apparently, they are interested in publishing our data. This was a good indication, but I still did not expect to get a prize. There were more than 1200 posters, and I had never won a poster prize before, so I thought the chances would be minimal.”</p><p>“They gave seven prices; one awarded for each of the FEMS different scientific journals. Mine was FEMS microLife.”</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">What was your poster about?</h2><p>“In my poster I tried to summarise my PhD project that I have been working on for the last four years. It is about our discovery of how intestinal bacteria can degrade extracellular ATP, a powerful proinflammatory molecule. We discovered the enzymes responsible for the eATP degradation pathway, and we characterised exactly how they degrade eATP to hypoxanthine. We also showed the implications using mutants and cell cultures. Currently we are also expanding to in vivo mouse models."</p><p>"I think people enjoyed the story because it is well structured and an (almost) completed story. People can easily see the gap in the current knowledge about the topic, and how we filled it with our data. It is also a rather basic research topic, focused on basic knowledge of bacterial physiology, which can attract people from all different fields, in contrast to more specific, more applied kind of science. Our data has potential implications in health, natural environment or industry. Importantly, we have a lot of data on the topic, so most of the questions and concerns of the jury could be addressed.“</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">How have you worked to visualize and communicate your research on the poster?</h2><p>“I made my poster during the course <em>Visualize your Science</em>, a renowned science communication course in Sweden. They are quite successful at helping people generate high-quality posters. The course was very helpful in providing me feedback and advice. In general, I would say that the best way to go when creating a poster is to ask for feedback from a lot of different people. They will always have some useful input on what is unclear or not looking good."</p><p>"Since my project has a lot of data, the decision of what to include and what to leave out on the poster was a big challenge. I tried minimizing the amount of “noise”, keeping things simple, not saturating the poster with data. When you spend half a year to generate a figure, you of course want to add it, but maybe it is detrimental for the whole flow or understanding of the poster. To be able to <em>kill your darlings</em> is important.”</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">What do you think stood out in your poster?</h2><p>“Most posters nowadays have beautiful layout and nice colours. Young researchers are good at those things.  For me, I had to learn design by force, attending courses and looking for examples. I think the winning point was actually my presentation of the poster. Presenting has always felt natural to me. I think the way I explain the data, very simplified and trying to avoid overcomplicated experiments or terms made people engaged and appreciating the poster a lot more. Additionally, not learning what you are going to say by heart and improvise instead, helps to keep things very casual, so people are more relaxed and feel more encouraged to ask questions."</p><p>"I did talk to<em> a lot</em> of people during the poster presentation, and it looked like most of them were interested.”</p><h2 id="info4" data-magellan-target="info4">What was the biggest benefit for you with presenting a poster about your research?</h2><p>“I got to know some research teams that work on similar things as my group at Umeå University and we had interesting discussions. I also exchange contact information with them; in case we want to do a collaborative work together. I had long discussions with PIs and journal editors who were interested. To summarise, it was a great opportunity to make new contacts and find new possible collaborators."</p>/en/news/carlos-wins-european-best-poster-prize-in-great-competition_12139856//en/news/intimate-partner-violence-services-fall-short-for-women-with-disabilities_12139505/Intimate partner violence services fall short for women with disabilitiesWomen with disabilities who are exposed to intimate partner violence are doubly affected – both by abuse and by the inadequacy of society's support system. This is shown in a new thesis at Umeå University with recommendations for structural changes.Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:25:49 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/67a664f6227c4458941f4d410d46daeb/anyango_catrine_2523_210908_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/67a664f6227c4458941f4d410d46daeb/anyango_catrine_2523_210908_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/67a664f6227c4458941f4d410d46daeb/anyango_catrine_2523_210908_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/67a664f6227c4458941f4d410d46daeb/anyango_catrine_2523_210908_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/67a664f6227c4458941f4d410d46daeb/anyango_catrine_2523_210908_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/67a664f6227c4458941f4d410d46daeb/anyango_catrine_2523_210908_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Cartrine Anyango, doctoral student at the Department of Epidemiology and Global Health. <span class="bildPhotografer" style="white-space: nowrap;"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></p></div></div><p>"Even if there is support, in practice it is not available to everyone. Coordination, inclusion and humanity are needed to build a 'bridge' from violence to safety, justice and dignity," says Cartrine Anyango.</p><p class="quote-left">a bridge from violence to safety</p><p>In her doctoral thesis in public health, Cartrine Anyango has interviewed eleven women with disabilities who have suffered from violence in close relationships, interviewed 18 professionals in support institutions, police, social services, health care and women's shelters and conducted a survey with 1,151 professionals in those institutions.</p><p>The interviewed women described how they had been exposed to several types of violence, both physical and psychological, sexual, digital and financial. It was also about actions directly linked to their disability, such as degrading comments or that help was withheld. It was not only a partner who was responsible for the violence, it could also come from family members, colleagues or assistants.</p><p>Psychological violence was particularly difficult, something that the women felt was often not taken seriously and which could continue even after a relationship ended, for example in the case of shared custody or financial dependence. The women felt unseen and misunderstood when they sought help for abuse.</p><p>Many of the providers stated that they had met women with disabilities who had been subjected to violence. But more than half did not indicate whether they routinely ask women with disabilities about violence. Where  disability specific guidelines existed, they were often not followed.</p><p>"Despite the fact that Sweden is a relatively equal welfare country, society's support system can inadvertently exclude this group if their complex and doubly vulnerable situation is not taken into account," says Cartrine Anyango.</p><p>The thesis concludes that structural changes are needed. Psychological violence must be taken seriously, accessibility to support must be ensured, training of those working in support systems needs to take place and be designed in consultation with women who have experienced different types of violence.</p><p><em>Cartrine Anyango grew up in Nakuru, Kenya. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Maseno university in Kisumu, Kenya and a master’s degree in public health from Umeå University.</em></p>/en/news/intimate-partner-violence-services-fall-short-for-women-with-disabilities_12139505//en/news/new-campus-plan-for-the-development-of-umea-arts-campus_12139545/New campus plan for the development of Umeå Arts CampusThe University Board has decided on a campus plan for Umeå Arts Campus, effective from 1 July 2025 until further notice. This new vision document is intended to guide the physical development of Umeå Arts Campus based on the site’s unique characteristics.Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:02:44 +0200<p>The aim is to create a vibrant, sustainable, and attractive area for students, staff, and visitors. The campus plan will support the continued development of the site’s distinctive qualities, including the river landscape, architecture, arts education, and public attractions. This includes enabling the integration of the campus area into Umeå’s urban development, preserving and enhancing architectural and environmental values, and strengthening recreational opportunities. Umeå University and the property owner will also establish a joint sustainability initiative.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">The themes of the campus plan are:</h2><ol><li>A unique, vibrant, sustainable, and attractive campus</li><li>Sustainable provision of premises</li><li>Shared sustainability focus</li></ol><p>The planning process began in February 2024. The working group gathered information through meetings with Umeå Municipality, workshops, interviews, and site visits. Feedback from internal university stakeholders, student unions, and trade unions has been taken into account as far as possible to reflect the perspectives and needs of the organisation.</p><p>Umeå University is committed to the long-term development of its campus environments. Previously decided plans include the Campus plan for the main campus (2015) and the Campus plan for Norrland University Hospital in Umeå (2017).</p><p><a href="~/link/6566ac4bbc5e4c40a959a08e46909dc8.aspx">Read the Campus plan for Umeå Arts Campus</a><br><a href="~/link/48ec5bc2718741ccac44ba8b04c317f9.aspx">Read the Campus Plan for the Main Campus (In Swedish)</a></p>/en/news/new-campus-plan-for-the-development-of-umea-arts-campus_12139545//en/news/jan-researches-the-role-of-bacteria-in-periodontal-disease_12138880/Jan researches the role of bacteria in periodontal diseasePeriodontitis is a common but often overlooked disease. Jan Oscarsson at Umeå University is researching how this can be detected early and treated effectively – using cell and molecular biology methods. We ask him five curious questions.Wed, 10 Sep 2025 08:10:21 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/jan_pa_labb3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/jan_pa_labb3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/jan_pa_labb3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/jan_pa_labb3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/jan_pa_labb3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/jan_pa_labb3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jan Oscarsson is a researcher at the Department of Odonthology at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Ingrid Söderbergh</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">These bacteria gradually break down the tissues that hold the teeth in place</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">What is periodontal disease and what causes the disease?</h2><p>“Periodontitis, or gum disease, is a chronic inflammation of the mouth that is initially caused by bacteria. These bacteria gradually break down the tissues that hold the teeth in place. Due to this inflammation, our own osteoclasts ultimately cause the breakdown of jawbone. The disease is widespread worldwide, especially among the elderly, and one of the biggest risk factors is poor oral hygiene.”</p><p>“When bacteria accumulate around the teeth, the risk of the gums becoming inflamed increases. Over time, an environment is created that is both oxygen-free and rich in proteins – perfect conditions for certain bacteria in the oral flora to grow and worsen the condition.”</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">What is the research focus in your group?</h2><p>“We are studying how bacteria linked to periodontitis can trigger inflammatory processes in the mouth. The focus is both on how the bacteria interact with each other and on identifying genetic markers in particularly aggressive bacterial strains – something that could improve the possibilities for early diagnosis in the future.”</p><p>“As model organisms, we use, among others, <em>Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans</em>, a bacterium that is often found in aggressive forms of periodontitis in younger people. We are also investigating <em>Filifactor alocis</em>, a relatively newly discovered possible pathogen in the oral cavity.”</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">What is the dream goal of the research?</h2><p>“One of our goals is to find reliable markers that make it possible to identify young people who carry particularly aggressive bacterial strains with a simple saliva sample – and thus run an increased risk of developing periodontitis at an early stage.”</p><p>“Another track in the research is about understanding the mechanisms that bacteria use to trigger inflammation. By mapping these processes, we hope to find ways to block them – without having to kill the bacteria, which is the case with antibiotic treatment.”</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Tell us about new knowledge you have developed!</h2><p>“In a study among young people in Västerbotten, we found signs that saliva samples may be sufficient to analyse bacteria linked to periodontitis – a finding that was presented in Mark Lindholm’s doctoral thesis. In collaboration with researchers at Karolinska Institutet, we have also identified a previously unknown toxin and possible virulence factor in the bacterium <em>Filifactor alocis</em>. In a broader research collaboration, which also includes colleagues from the Department of Molecular Biology, we have shown that<em> Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans</em> – a bacterium linked to aggressive forms of periodontitis – can be killed by its closest relative <em>Aggregatibacter aphrophilus</em> via a so-called type VI secretion system. Since <em>A. aphrophilus</em>, that is also found in the mouth, is not associated with the disease, the question arises: could it contribute to better oral health?”</p><h2 id="info4" data-magellan-target="info4">Tell us a little about your background!</h2><p>“I grew up in Brån outside of Vännäs and completed my undergraduate education at Umeå University, where I also received my PhD in molecular biology in 1999. After a postdoctoral period at Karolinska Institutet, I have been active in odontology at Umeå University for almost two decades.”</p><p>“My interest in bacterial–host interactions developed towards the end of my undergraduate education, if I remember correctly. I was lucky enough to delve into the subject as a doctoral student under the supervision of Professor Bernt Eric Uhlin – and it has remained a central focus of my research ever since.”</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/filifactor_alocis_-_kolonier_pa_blodagarplatta2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/filifactor_alocis_-_kolonier_pa_blodagarplatta2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/filifactor_alocis_-_kolonier_pa_blodagarplatta2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/filifactor_alocis_-_kolonier_pa_blodagarplatta2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/filifactor_alocis_-_kolonier_pa_blodagarplatta2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/37d082f09b2b43c182e1f61df4efa3b5/filifactor_alocis_-_kolonier_pa_blodagarplatta2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p><em>Filifactor alocis</em> may be an oral pathogen, but it looks kind and "hearty" when cultivated.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Jan Oscarsson lab</span></div></div>/en/news/jan-researches-the-role-of-bacteria-in-periodontal-disease_12138880//en/news/uid-launches-international-bachelors-in-industrial-design_12137626/UID launches international bachelor’s in industrial designUmeå Institute of Design (UID) introduces its bachelor’s programme in industrial design in English, opening doors to international students. Previously offered exclusively in Swedish, this transition marks a significant step towards internationalisation and inclusivity. Applications opened in mid-October 2025.Thu, 27 Nov 2025 10:36:55 +0100<h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Design tomorrow at one of Europe's leading design schools</h2><p>UID is inviting prospective designers to develop their skills within an international, creative environment focused on sustainable design practices. The programme is shaped to take ideas from vision to reality through a creative, people-centred design process. Small class sizes foster a tight-knit community that benefits from cultural diversity and collaborative learning.</p><p>"By offering the programme in English, we have not only expanded our potential student base but also taken the opportunity to reimagine our curriculum. This includes new content such as interaction design, service design, design research, and a strong sustainability perspective, ensuring our students are well-equipped to tackle contemporary design challenges," says Eva-Lena Bäckström, programme director.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Industry-integrated learning experience</h2><p>Students develop their concepts through traditional sketching and prototyping techniques, alongside hands-on experience in well-equipped workshops and digital labs. This combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills forms the foundation of the UID educational experience.</p><p>A cornerstone of the programme is its practical approach, with students engaging in collaborative projects with business partners, public sector organisations, and authorities. These real-world challenges span diverse areas including digital solutions, medical equipment, and industrial applications. The programme’s strong links with industry, including a ten-week internship, enhance graduates' employability.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Exploration and individual pathways</h2><p>The programme embraces a philosophy of exploration, experimentation, and play, allowing students to forge their own paths as designers. Professional industrial designers guide students in developing research-based, norm-critical approaches that challenge existing systems and conventions within the field.</p><p>"We believe in nurturing individuality and critical thinking, enabling our students to become agents of change in the design world," says Per Sihlén, lecturer.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="448294cc-d535-4a1f-af9b-41ae563f5625" data-contentname="BFA ID">{}</div>/en/news/uid-launches-international-bachelors-in-industrial-design_12137626//en/news/some-information-has-been-leaked-following-the-cyber-attack_12137367/Some information has been leaked following the cyber attackIT supplier Miljödata has investigated the consequences of the cyber attack. It is now known that some information about employees and former employees at Umeå University has been leaked. Mon, 08 Sep 2025 09:14:55 +0200<p>Last week, it became known that Miljödata, the supplier of Adato, the system support used by Umeå University in the rehabilitation process for employees, had been subjected to a cyberattack. A number of measures have been taken and a thorough investigation is underway into the incident and its consequences.      </p><p>It has now become known that certain personal data belonging to all current employees and some former employees of Umeå University has been leaked from Adato to the attacker.</p><p>The data that has been leaked includes:</p><ul><li>names</li><li>personal identification numbers</li><li>contact details</li><li>gender</li><li>number of sick days (over 15 days)</li></ul><p>Miljödata emphasises that no information containing details of medical certificates, union membership, notes made by managers or information about the reasons for rehabilitation plans has been leaked.  </p><p>Individuals at Umeå University who have protected personal data have not had their protected data disclosed.  </p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">The investigation continues</h2><p>Miljödata has reported the incident to the police and is continuing its intensive work to investigate what happened and what consequences it may have. Miljödata has reinstalled the Adato system with additional security measures to prevent future intrusion attempts.</p><p>In accordance with its procedures, Umeå University has reported the matter to the Swedish Data Protection Authority (IMY) and is monitoring developments closely.   </p><p>At present, Umeå University has decided to keep the Adato system shut down.</p><p>If you are an employee or former employee and have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the <a href="mailto:ah.adm@ͯ��Ƶ">Human Resources Department by emailing</a>: ah.adm@ͯ��Ƶ.   </p>/en/news/some-information-has-been-leaked-following-the-cyber-attack_12137367//en/news/researchers-uncover-how-immune-cells-use-zinc-to-fight-infections--challenging-long-held-beliefs_12137001/Researchers uncover how immune cells use zinc to fight infections — challenging long-held beliefsA research team from Umeå University, in collaboration with Ghent University, has made a groundbreaking discovery about how the body's first immune defense, neutrophils, orchestrate the mobilization of zinc to fight microbes. The study is published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:43:58 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7048-250902-mpn.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7048-250902-mpn.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7048-250902-mpn.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7048-250902-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7048-250902-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7048-250902-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Professor Constantin Urban and postdoc Nadeem Ullah at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">Our results reveal the delicate balance of trace metals in the immune system</p><p>“We show that immune cells drain microbes of zinc, making them more vulnerable. At the same time, the ability of neutrophils to kill microbes is clearly affected by how much zinc is available. Our results reveal the delicate balance of trace metals in the immune system,” says Constantin Urban, professor at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå University.</p><p>Neutrophils are specialized immune cells that respond rapidly to infections by capturing and destroying microbes – a process called phagocytosis. During phagocytosis, the cell surrounds the microbe with its membrane and forms a fluid-filled vesicle, a phagosome, where the microbe is digested.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Intense struggle for trace metals</h2><p>Trace metals such as zinc, copper, and manganese are vital for the survival of all living organisms, from animals to microbes. During an infection, an intense struggle for these metals occurs, with both disease-causing microbes and the body's immune system trying to gain access to them. This phenomenon is called "nutritional immunity."</p><p>Until now, it has been uncertain whether neutrophils can extract zinc ions from microbes inside the phagosome. The prevailing hypothetical model suggests that neutrophils intoxicate microbes by pumping excess zinc into the phagosome.</p><p>To answer this question, Constantin Urban and his colleagues used cutting-edge high-resolution chemical imaging techniques to monitor the redistribution of zinc in real-time in neutrophils during phagocytosis. The study used the common model organism <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em> – yeast.</p><p>Surprisingly, their data showed that the prevailing theory is incorrect.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7150-250902-mpn.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7150-250902-mpn.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7150-250902-mpn.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7150-250902-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7150-250902-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/876c0d6826604573b292dfc7667a33f4/constantin-och-nadeem-_7150-250902-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Yeast cells stained with FluoZin-3 AM, a striking green fluorescence recorded at 40X magnification using Agilent BioTek Cytation 5. This breakthrough visualization highlights zinc distribution inside cells and sheds light on how essential metal like Zinc shapes cellular biology.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>“We can show that the movement of zinc is tightly coordinated by the neutrophils, which dynamically regulate the availability of zinc in the phagosome,” says Nadeem Ullah, postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå University.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Regulated balance</h2><p>The study shows that zinc levels affect the efficiency of neutrophils. When zinc levels were low, yeast cells were killed more efficiently, while high zinc levels in the phagocytized yeast cell significantly impaired the neutrophil's ability to fight microbes. This highlights the importance of a carefully regulated balance of trace metals for a strong immune response.</p><p>“Our findings open up new ways to strengthen the immune system,” says Nadeem Ullah. “By adjusting zinc levels, we could help neutrophils fight infections more effectively. Understanding how metals, especially zinc, affect immune cells could lead to new treatments for infections and conditions where immune function is weakened.”</p><p>The research group now plans to continue with studies that focus on the molecular mechanisms behind zinc mobilization.</p><p>“In upcoming projects, we want to identify the membrane transporters that control the flow of zinc ions between the phagosome and the microbe,” says Constantin Urban.</p>/en/news/researchers-uncover-how-immune-cells-use-zinc-to-fight-infections--challenging-long-held-beliefs_12137001//en/news/erc-funding-for-research-on-sami-in-swedish-farming-areas_12136489/ERC funding for research on Sámi in Swedish farming areasGudrun Norstedt, researcher at Várdduo – Centre for Sámi Research, has been awarded ERC Starting Grant. This prestigious funding enables in-depth research into the history of Sámi living in farming areas.Thu, 04 Sep 2025 12:14:03 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/7b2c81eb30cb4ea7b5c71da5ddaabce9/gudrun_norstedt_img_3214-33.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/7b2c81eb30cb4ea7b5c71da5ddaabce9/gudrun_norstedt_img_3214-33.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/7b2c81eb30cb4ea7b5c71da5ddaabce9/gudrun_norstedt_img_3214-33.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/7b2c81eb30cb4ea7b5c71da5ddaabce9/gudrun_norstedt_img_3214-33.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/7b2c81eb30cb4ea7b5c71da5ddaabce9/gudrun_norstedt_img_3214-33.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/7b2c81eb30cb4ea7b5c71da5ddaabce9/gudrun_norstedt_img_3214-33.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Gudrun Norstedt, Várdduo – Centre for Sámi Research, has been awarded ERC Starting Grant.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Per Melander</span></div></div><p>The grant provides five years of funding for the project <em>Sesame — Unlocking Hidden History: The Sami in Swedish Farming Areas.</em> The research focuses on Sámi people who lived and worked in farming areas outside the traditional Sámi territories (known as “lappmarker”) prior to the 20th century. Through this project, Gudrun Norstedt aims to increase knowledge about where and for how long Sámi have lived in these areas. The project seeks a broad understanding of this group—not only in Sweden, but also by examining their social ties and family connections with similar groups in Finland and Norway.<br><br>“I want to present a multifaceted picture of Sámi life and conditions outside the traditional Sámi districts, and above all understand the role that Sámi played in agrarian society,” says Gudrun Norstedt.</p><h3>Studies of historical sources and place names</h3><p>Gudrun will work with historical material such as church records, court documents, and royal letters. These sources allow the research back to the mid-1600s. For even earlier periods, the origin of place names will be studied.<br><br>“My previous experience identifying individuals and locations in historical material and reconstructing kinship and networks will be of great importance in this work,” she says.</p><h3>Funding enables extensive research previously lacking</h3><p>Some research of Sámi living in farming areas already exists, but it is mostly focused on southern Norrland, portraying that group as isolated from the traditional Sámi territories. Gudrun hopes her research will fill previous gaps in knowledge and deepen the understanding of how different Sámi groups interacted.<br><br>“I want to investigate to what extent Sámi living in farming areas descended from and interacted with Sámi living in the traditional Sámi territories," Gudrun explains.</p><p>Historically, Sámi living in farming areas have been a highly mobile group, making it difficult to trace their family ties and social networks. Such research requires extensive efforts to provide a coherent picture of the group's history. Thanks to the funding now received from the European Research Council (ERC), this type of in-depth research is possible.<br><br>“This means that over the next five years, I will be able to devote most of my time to researching a subject that I am truly passionate about," says Gudrun.<br><br>“Gudrun Norstedt’s receipt of this prestigious grant is truly gratifying. It is important for her research, and for the entire research environment at Várdduo. I hope that Gudrun's success will inspire other researchers at the faculty to submit applications to the ERC,” says Christer Nordlund, <br>Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.</p>/en/news/erc-funding-for-research-on-sami-in-swedish-farming-areas_12136489//en/news/emmanuelle-charpentier-visits-umea-university_12135910/Emmanuelle Charpentier visits Umeå UniversityIn 2023, it was announced that the municipality of Umeå appoints Emmanuelle Charpentier, Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry and former employee at Umeå University, as an honorary citizen of Umeå. In September, she will make a long-awaited visit to her former workplace.Tue, 09 Sep 2025 08:33:31 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/94c4701f6a4146e4bb2a1d3cb15a9cec/dsc_43233.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/94c4701f6a4146e4bb2a1d3cb15a9cec/dsc_43233.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/94c4701f6a4146e4bb2a1d3cb15a9cec/dsc_43233.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/94c4701f6a4146e4bb2a1d3cb15a9cec/dsc_43233.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/94c4701f6a4146e4bb2a1d3cb15a9cec/dsc_43233.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/94c4701f6a4146e4bb2a1d3cb15a9cec/dsc_43233.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Emmanuelle Charpentier, Honorary Doctor at Umeå University and former group leader at the Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS).</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hallbauer&Fioretti</span></div></div><p>In autumn 2023, it was announced that Umeå Municipality would appoint Emmanuelle Charpentier as an honorary citizen of Umeå.</p><p>And now, on 26 September, Charpentier will make a long-awaited visit to Umeå in connection with the honorary citizenship ceremony organised by Umeå Municipality. On the same day, the Nobel Prize laureate will visit her former workplace for a talk in Aula Nordica before colleagues, students and other interested parties.</p><p>The talk will focus on the important role of research and researchers in society, the future of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool, and what it is really like to be awarded a Nobel Prize. Upper secondary school students have also been invited and encouraged to contribute questions.</p><p><a href="~/link/7bf2f104217040aaa9af5a7e89a08e0c.aspx">Read more about the event at Umeå University, and register to attend, here.</a></p><p>Emmanuelle Charpentier is the fifth person to be named an honorary citizen of Umeå. Previous recipients of the award include Stieg Larsson, Anita Ingegerd Gradin, Gunnar Nordahl and Lars Widding.</p>/en/news/emmanuelle-charpentier-visits-umea-university_12135910//en/news/ai-designed-paint-can-cool-buildings-during-heatwaves_12135258/AI-designed paint can cool buildings during heatwavesResearchers have used artificial intelligence to develop a paint that can keep buildings cooler. The method, presented in Nature, may lead to both energy savings and more comfortable indoor climates. Max Yan at Umeå University has contributed to developing the method and interpreting the results.Tue, 02 Sep 2025 08:00:08 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>The new paint, developed using AI, reflects solar radiation and helps buildings maintain a more comfortable indoor temperature.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Johnér Bildbyrå AB</span></div></div><p>On a sunny day, buildings absorb much of the sun’s radiation and quickly heat up. Now, researchers from the USA, China, Singapore and Sweden have succeeded in creating a variety of advanced thin metamaterials which not only block solar radiation but also emit heat, hence lowering the indoor temperature. One of the materials can be sprayed or brushed from paint.</p><p>“A roof painted with the specially designed material maintained an indoor temperature 5.6 degrees lower than another building painted with conventional white paint,” says Max Yan, Associate Professor at Umeå University and co-author of the study published in the scientific journal Nature.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Machine learning creates complex structures</h2><p>Metamaterials are artificially engineered materials with properties that are superior to those found in natural materials. Developing cooling metamaterials has previously been a time-consuming process where researchers had to rely on trial and error. The new method is based on machine learning and artificial intelligence, which in just a few days can generate thousands of complex structures with the desired properties of reflecting solar radiation and emitting thermal radiation. The best candidates are then identified in terms of mass producibility and cost.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Max Yan, Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p>The new paint can provide significant energy savings by reducing the need for air conditioning. Calculations show that if the paint is applied to the roof of a typical four-storey apartment building with a roof area of 780 square metres in Bangkok, it could save about 12,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.</p><p>In addition to being used on buildings, the new paint can be applied to other objects, such as cars, trains, or machines. The need for effective cooling is increasing as the climate changes and heatwaves become more frequent and intense.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Saves energy in a warming world</h2><p>“This type of material can contribute both to improved living environments and considerable energy saving,” says Max Yan.</p><p>In the longer term, the technology might be used for regulating the climate on a global scale.</p><p>“Will massive deployment of this type of radiative cooling metamaterial help to slow down global warming? I have not spent much time on this question, but I would say it is worth investigating,” says Max Yan.</p><p>In countries with cold winters, like Sweden, the AI approach can be adapted to design thin materials or paints that can help retain heat in buildings.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="44c6c286-a629-4b6c-81fc-bb26c9388bb6" data-contentname="About the study">{}</div>/en/news/ai-designed-paint-can-cool-buildings-during-heatwaves_12135258//en/news/the-2024-sustainability-report-for-umea-university-shows-progress_12134285/<description>The 2024 sustainability report is completed. It reflects Umeå University's activities in relation to the global sustainable development goals, and includes a reflection on both weaknesses and strengths in the work.</description><pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2025 10:29:21 +0200</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><p>Umeå University’s third sustainability report highlights the University’s progress in advancing sustainable development, which is evident in improved positions in rankings and ongoing initiatives for a healthy campus.</p><p>“Umeå University has high ambitions in the area of sustainability. I am pleased that the results in the 2024 sustainability report show that our efforts are leading to clear progress. The report is also an important basis for new measures that will drive Umeå University’s sustainability work forward”, says University Director Hans Wiklund.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Particularly strong results for three sustainable development goals</h2><p>Umeå University shows particularly strong results in relation to the global sustainable development goals (SDG): SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).</p><p>This is largely due to prominent research in combination with a high level of engagement across the University in these areas, for example the adoption of clear climate targets in the University’s Action plan – climate and sustainability and the investment in a healthy campus.</p><h3>Umeå University’s contribution to climate neutrality</h3><p>As a higher education institution, Umeå University is to contribute to the Net Zero City and of the implementation of Agenda 2030. The University pursues this through education, research, collaboration, and by actions in our own operations.</p><p>An inspiring example is Building Back Better within SDG 1 (No Poverty), where students from Umeå school of architecture contributed with their knowledge and commitment in a collaboration on strategies for sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine.</p><h3>About Umeå University’s sustainability report</h3><p>The sustainability report serves as a basis for the University’s submissions to international sustainability rankings, including the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking and the QS Sustainability Ranking. It is based on data from the analysis tool Scival, the annual report and input from the University’s own operations.</p><p>The report’s content has been compiled by the sustainability team at the Property Management Office, and Umeå University’s environmental and sustainability strategist has summarised the reflection included for each sustainable development goal.</p><p><a title="Umeå University’s strategic environmental sustainability work" href="~/link/2a6aaf07b6ec4b32a4a4baff390ab3a0.aspx">Read Umeå University’s Sustainability Report for 2024</a></p><p><a title="A healthy campus" href="~/link/2e3efcd57c9d4ccea98950db1767bb0f.aspx">Read about Umeå University’s efforts for a healthy campus</a></p><p><a title="Umeå University climbs in QS ranking" href="~/link/2fbaa22b4b7c4cd19154818ea8a02ebd.aspx">Read the news: Umeå University climbs in the QS ranking</a></p></atom:content><link>/en/news/the-2024-sustainability-report-for-umea-university-shows-progress_12134285/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/moving-the-faculty-forward-together_12133923/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/moving-the-faculty-forward-together_12133923/</guid><title>Moving the faculty forward togetherWith curiosity and a strong commitment to both education and research, Thomas Wågberg and Karolina Broman are stepping into their new roles as dean and deputy dean. For them, leadership is above all about teamwork and developing the faculty together.Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:11:33 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/61dc6ff17300453d8f9ff98e1a635db5/thomas-o-karolina4355-250819-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/61dc6ff17300453d8f9ff98e1a635db5/thomas-o-karolina4355-250819-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/61dc6ff17300453d8f9ff98e1a635db5/thomas-o-karolina4355-250819-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/61dc6ff17300453d8f9ff98e1a635db5/thomas-o-karolina4355-250819-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/61dc6ff17300453d8f9ff98e1a635db5/thomas-o-karolina4355-250819-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/61dc6ff17300453d8f9ff98e1a635db5/thomas-o-karolina4355-250819-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Thomas Wågberg and Karolina Broman, dean and deputy dean at the Faculty of Science and Technology.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>On 1 July, Thomas Wågberg took office as dean and Karolina Broman as deputy dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology. Together with the faculty board, they form the faculty’s highest academic leadership and are responsible for developing its core activities: education, research and collaboration.</p><p>Both are alumni of Umeå University. Thomas studied physics, while Karolina trained as an upper secondary school teacher in chemistry and biology. For the past eight years, Thomas has been head of the Department of Physics while continuing his research in nanomaterials and materials physics, with applications in areas such as hydrogen technologies and solar cells. He also has a strong passion for teaching.</p><p>“Meeting students gives me an incredible amount of energy; it is one of the things I enjoy most,” he says.</p><p>For Karolina Broman, teaching has always been the common thread. She worked as an upper secondary school teacher for five years before pursuing a doctorate and becoming a researcher in chemistry education. In 2017 she became a member of the faculty board, and from 2022 she served as associate dean with responsibility for education and educational collaboration.</p><p>Their experiences have given them both valuable insight into the organisation and a wide network of contacts. They describe the faculty as well-functioning and humbly step into their new assignments as dean and deputy dean.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Strengths of the faculty</h2><p>“The faculty’s strength lies in its staff and students. In addition, the STEM strategy provides political incentives to work with subjects linked to our faculty. Our programmes are in demand, and we attract talented staff,” says Karolina Broman.</p><p class="quote-center">We need to work to put Umeå University on the map and compete for the most prestigious grants.</p><p>Thomas Wågberg highlights the faculty’s development in recent years:</p><p>“The faculty has been on a very positive trajectory, not only thanks to its strong breadth but also its excellence, which we aim to develop further. We want to achieve breakthrough research – the major discoveries that truly make a difference in the world.”</p><p>He also points to the international mix of colleagues and the many collaborations between the faculty’s research groups, departments and centres that create a dynamic research and educational environment.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Challenges and ambitions</h2><p>The appointments as dean and deputy dean cover 75 per cent of their working time and also include serving as chair and vice-chair of the faculty board. The board makes decisions on issues such as finances, organisation and administration.</p><p>While research and education are Thomas Wågberg’s and Karolina Broman’s respective main areas of responsibility, they will work closely together. On the research side, Thomas wants to continue strengthening the faculty’s competitiveness.</p><p>“Funding is a challenge; costs are rising faster than resources. We need to work to put Umeå University on the map and compete for the most prestigious grants. In five years, I hope every department will have one or more projects funded by an ERC grant,” he says.</p><p class="quote-center">I want to talk about education not only in terms of what we teach, i.e. the subjects, but also how and why we teach.</p><p>Karolina Broman, in turn, wants to raise the profile of educational matters within the university.</p><p>“I want to talk about education not only in terms of <em>what</em> we teach, i.e. the subjects, but also <em>how</em> and <em>why</em> we teach,” she says.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">A team effort</h2><p>For both Thomas and Karolina, the appointments are an opportunity to develop and to work closely with others. They are curious and enthusiastic about the coming four years of their mandate.</p><p>“Above all, I am a team player. It feels both challenging and rewarding to work for the whole faculty,” says Thomas.</p><p>Karolina agrees:</p><p>“The faculty is a ‘we’. It feels reassuring to take on this role together with Thomas, knowing that we are both rooted in the core activities.”</p><p>Most of all, they look forward to working with issues they are truly passionate about.</p><p>“To be able to do something so meaningful is a privilege. I am truly grateful for it,” says Karolina Broman.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="77d6362b-b2ba-488f-b832-6b2db8dffc2c" data-contentname="About the faculty">{}</div>/en/news/moving-the-faculty-forward-together_12133923//en/news/pride-on-campus--umea-universitys-new-rainbow-week_12133058/Pride on campus – Umeå University's new rainbow weekLast year, Umeå University participated for the first time as an official part of the Pride parade in Umeå. This year, the commitment has developed into an entire Pride week in rainbow colours, with everything from lunch lectures to craft workshops and Pride coffee. Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:04:41 +0200<p>Umeå University works for equal rights and opportunities for all, and against all forms of discrimination. The Student Health Service at Umeå University is also an LGBTQI-certified organisation according to RFSL guidelines. These values are of great importance all year round, but in connection with the Umepride event, the university takes the opportunity to show it a little extra.</p><p>In autumn 2024, Umeå University participated for the first time as an official part of the Pride parade in Umeå, where both students and staff marched in the large parade. We are doing the same this year, and our commitment is expanding into a whole week of events: Pride on campus, 22–26 September.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/28c1173d9e1d4c5cb5a31e0b9a44c04b/persson_jenny_saba_366_03092024_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/28c1173d9e1d4c5cb5a31e0b9a44c04b/persson_jenny_saba_366_03092024_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/28c1173d9e1d4c5cb5a31e0b9a44c04b/persson_jenny_saba_366_03092024_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/28c1173d9e1d4c5cb5a31e0b9a44c04b/persson_jenny_saba_366_03092024_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/28c1173d9e1d4c5cb5a31e0b9a44c04b/persson_jenny_saba_366_03092024_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/28c1173d9e1d4c5cb5a31e0b9a44c04b/persson_jenny_saba_366_03092024_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jenny Saba Persson, coordinator of working environment and equal conditions for students, at the Student Services Office.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p>“Standing up for equal rights for all is particularly important in times when these rights are increasingly being called into question. It is so wonderful to see the great commitment and willingness to come together around Pride on campus. Working together on important issues gives us strength and energy in our continued work for equal conditions at Umeå University,” says Jenny Saba Persson, who works with working environment and equal conditions for students, and is involved in coordinating Pride on campus at the Student Services Office.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Different organizers involved</h2><p>The programme includes lectures, a craft workshop and general Pride hangouts, all in rainbow colours, of course. There will be opportunities to learn more about minority stress, heteronormativity and tools for creating a good working environment for LGBTQI people, as well as just meeting up and socialising. In addition, rainbow flags will be hoisted at the Umeå University campuses.</p><p>In addition to Umeå University's organizers, led by the Student Services Office and the Human Resources Office, the University Chaplaincy, student unions and trade unions are also involved in various ways. All events are free and open to everyone, but some require pre-registration.</p><p><a href="~/link/710266c95d5748f8aca57c8c4e585a79.aspx">The entire Pride on Campus programme can be found on this page (for the events in Swedish, see the Swedish page version)</a></p><p><a href="~/link/1c2f3248c3e5493baa6070ffd905a171.aspx">Here you can read more about this year's Pride parade and how to register to participate with Umeå University</a></p>/en/news/pride-on-campus--umea-universitys-new-rainbow-week_12133058//en/news/life-at-the-limits-meet-the-lab-that-hunts-for-life-on-mars_12133579/Life at the limits: Meet the lab that hunts for life on MarsIn the cellar of the KBC building, a group of researchers are collecting signatures of life. In the windowless room, with artificial UV-lights, freezers and saline solutions, they put microorganisms like yeast and cyanobacteria through extreme environments, pushing them to their limits. Their goal? To discover biosignatures on their favorite planet: Mars.Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:22:00 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813574.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813574.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813574.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813574.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813574.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813574.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Group leader and assistant professor Merve Yeşilbaş, postdoc Alef dos Santos, student assistant Frida Folkesson Ragnebrandt, PhD student Zoe Asimaki and postdoc Surendra Vikram Singh. Together, they are searching for biosignatures on Mars.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>“We needed a place that is dark, cold and alone, just like space, so this is perfect,” laughs Merve Yeşilbaş, assistant professor at the Department of Chemistry, as she opens the door to her lab.<br><br>When she arrived in Umeå for the first time, in 2010, it was as an Erasmus student with the goal to study spectroscopy. It was a record cold January with metre-high piles of snow – extreme weather that set the course for her research. “Being born and raised in Istanbul, my dad joked that I was going the North pole,” she says.<br><br>Falling in love with spectroscopy in Umeå, her Erasmus turned into a master’s degree in physics and a PhD in chemistry. Ultimately, this led her to her childhood dream: NASA, where she spent 3 years as a postdoc. <a href="~/link/eb1c3aa9422d41299815da4d19dab3b4.aspx">In 2022</a>, Merve Yeşilbaş had just returned to Umeå and was setting up her own space lab in an old storage room.<br> <br>Now, three years later, I visited the lab to see how far things have come, and to talk about mentoring, the vision of the lab, and of course: Mars.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812402.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812402.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812402.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812402.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812402.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812402.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>In the space lab, bacteria and yeast are cultivated and exposed to UV, cold, and salty environments similar to those on Mars. What chemical signals do the microorganisms emit? By creating a catalogue of these signals, the hunt for life becomes clearer. <span class="photo" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Image</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Rebecca Forsberg</span></p></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Icy cool science </h2><p>Merve Yeşilbaş radiates energy as she shows me around the lab. Her team – two postdocs, a PhD candidate and a student assistant – move between workstations where experiments are being prepared. In one corner, a newly installed spectrometer hums with a sign saying: “Experiment in progress.” A small Tintin figurine with his rocket to the Moon keeps watch besides a Mars globe covered in sticky notes.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="afd75a1c-1ce5-47a7-8c60-68c8fcfef83d" data-contentname="Photo cyano">{}</div><p>Postdoc Alef dos Santos, with a background in organic chemistry, tends to cultures of cyanobacteria and bacteria from Antarctica, growing them in salty solutions similar to those on Mars.</p><p>“They are like my babies,” he says, explaining that on Earth cyanobacteria survive in some of the most hostile places imaginable – inside rocks, lava tubes and below the upper surface. “Perhaps it’s the same on Mars, waiting to be discovered underneath the surface” he says in <a href="~/link/061a6b03a0654828a56b865951762483.aspx">an interview</a> from earlier this year. <br> <br>By another bench, PhD student Zoe Asimaki, with a background in biology and planetary science, is busy grinding rocks into fine powders. <br>– I’m preparing Mars regolith analogues, by exposing the powder to oxidation and radiation, she explains.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813142.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813142.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813142.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813142.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813142.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81813142.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>PhD student Zoe Asimaki has hammered and ground down rock into a fine powder. The purpose is to create dust – regolith – similar to that on Mars surface. <span class="photo" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Image</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Rebecca Forsberg</span></p></div></div><p>But what really makes the Yesilbas lab unique is its focus on ice. “We believe biosignatures on Mars will be found in the ice,” says Merve Yeşilbaş. Just as heat can drive chemical reactions, so can cold. Mars cycles through extremes, from –100°C nights to days that barely reach +20°C, repeatedly freezing and thawing. This process can trap salts, dust and organics within ice layers, preserving traces of life, or chemistry that resembles it.</p><p>“Ice chemistry is very fascinating,” says postdoc Surendra Vikram Singh, who, although he has a background in physics, now studies how RNA reacts to icy Martian conditions. “It’s key to understanding how and where we might detect life on Mars.”<br><br>“At NASA, I was taught to be a brave scientist, to ask outside-the-box questions and to dare to dream big,” says Merve Yeşilbaş, a legacy she is passing on to her team. “I feel a lot of trust from Merve in our ability to do the right thing, which gives freedom to explore and learn,” says Zoe Asimaki.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812823.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812823.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812823.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812823.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812823.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/704200515a1d4761bb87d8580de1ab8d/p81812823.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>During the summer, Alef dos Santos, together with student assistant Frida Folkesson Ragnebrandt, studied extremophiles – organisms that survive in extreme environments on Earth. <span class="photo" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Image</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Rebecca Forsberg</span></p></div></div><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence </h2><p>The phrase “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”, popularised by astronomer Carl Sagan, is the foundation for the team's research. The spacelab does not work in a vacuum, and to get the most data out of their samples, the lab collaborates with several scientists, groups and infrastructures at the Chemical-Biological Centre. “Having close access to infrastructures like the <a href="~/link/b3535c2f6803442f8cf20120b93e6074.aspx">Swedish Metabolomics Centre</a>, <a href="~/link/7ad40d1b1e824ed090819213088c0afb.aspx">NMR</a>, <a href="~/link/fb48be8ddb6347308d7622d64012b103.aspx">UCEM</a>, and the expertise of the helpful staff scientists, is invaluable for our research,” says Alef dos Santos.</p><p>Having a diverse set of backgrounds is what makes the team so successful. “In a way you have to shift your identity, from being a biologist to something more diverse” says Zoe Asimaki. “Although reading papers that are outside of your own field might take a bit longer, we get help from each other and in the end, we know more as a team.” </p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="9ddbe845-f6b9-49b8-990b-cda2600388b0" data-contentname="Photo tintin">{}</div><p>The aim of the lab is to build a catalogue of both abiotic and astrobiological signatures – traces of processes that are biological in origin, and those that are not. “On broad terms, we are pioneering the way we search for life,” Zoe Asimaki says, Merve Yeşilbaş filling in: “The key is to have a common vision, sharing a goal. I believe that the learning progress is endless, and every day we explore together.”</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">From the cellar to space</h2><p>Today, the lab is filled with ambition and laughter. “I’ve made this room into my happy place, where everything is possible. Now, I’m in a good place,” says Merve Yeşilbaş.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="f93f1438-77c1-4f4d-b8a6-ef2476285a04" data-contentname="Photo Surendra">{}</div><p>Student assistant Frida Folkesson Ragnebrandt describes the atmosphere as supportive. “Everyone  shares the fascination with space, and that makes it fun to come here”.<br> <br>So where is the lab going next, up and beyond? Together, they are preparing for the next generation of Mars missions, aiming to equip ESA and NASA with tools and constraints for detecting reliable biosignatures. Merve Yeşilbaş, who still collaborates closely with NASA, hopes to expand the lab, and continue to influence and be involved with future Mars- and space missions.</p>/en/news/life-at-the-limits-meet-the-lab-that-hunts-for-life-on-mars_12133579//en/news/a-unique-shopwith-a-50-year-legacy_12129043/A unique shop with a 50-year legacy – he built it from the ground upFor over 50 years, the Chemistry Store “Chem Store”, or Kemiförrådet, has been the central hub for chemicals and laboratory equipment at Umeå University. Just in time for the university’s 60th anniversary, Hans Sjöström – the man behind the shop's development – shares the story of how a cluttered collection of metal cabinets became a well-oiled research service. Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:16:08 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p6241123-25.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p6241123-25.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p6241123-25.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p6241123-25.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p6241123-25.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p6241123-25.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Boris Jonsson at Chem Store (Kemiförrådet) and Hans Sjöström who spent 40 years of his working life to develop the shop into the research support it is today.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">I have never regretted accepting that job, not for a second</p><p>“When I arrived here in 1976, it became something of a small revolution,” says Hans Sjöström, formerly employed at the Department of Chemistry, who developed the Chem Store from the ground up.</p><p>In the 1970s, the store was simply a small storage space at the Department of Chemistry. It wasn’t until Hans came on board and began to organise the operations that the shop the researchers know today began to take shape. He started by cleaning and tidying, putting up a blackboard for orders, and removing the doors from the numerous metal cabinets. Making all equipment visible and easy to access was important – both for efficiency and for creating a pleasant work environment.</p><p>“It gave me a much better overview of what we had and what needed to be purchased,” Hans recalls. In the first decade, he kept track of everything bought and sold, along with every researcher’s customer number, neatly organised in binders. Those customer numbers, still in use today, are second nature to Hans.</p><p>“Back then, every research group had its own number, a bit like an area code, and I knew everyone in the building,” he says.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p62411332.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p62411332.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p62411332.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p62411332.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p62411332.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/afe4c672ddb14a658fcce07b7c28d70e/p62411332.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Old "Vi på Kemikum" ("We at Kemikum") and catalogues from Chem Store.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">From the lathe to logistics </h2><p>Hans began his career as an instrument maker at the mechanical workshop “Blockverkstaden” (later known as <a href="~/link/ed1b42f2b42d46ae9203fa0e3bc432cb.aspx">UNIMEG</a>). When the stationary work by the lathe started giving Hans back problems, he began looking for other work – preferably something more active. He heard about a position at the Department of Chemistry and decided to give it a try, despite having limited knowledge of chemistry.</p><p>“I was simply really interested in stacking goods and playing shop at home – this was exactly what I wanted to do. I have never regretted accepting that job, not for a second,” says Hans.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="a1c5ec95-02b8-4c13-a4a8-d3fbbf6ea81e" data-contentname="Photo Hans Sjöström">{}</div><p>He quickly discovered the international nature of the work and had to learn English to communicate with visiting researchers from all over the world. <br>“I felt immediately at home – I find it easy to talk to people, and there were a lot of people coming and going to talk to.” </p><p>But running Chem Store in its early days was hard work. Among other things, it initially produced its own liquid nitrogen, with staff on call for urgent needs. </p><p>“Liquid nitrogen is a staple in laboratories for cooling instruments and samples – it’s like milk and butter for a researcher – so naturally, everyone wanted access to it as often as possible.” </p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">A facility in constant development </h2><p>Over time, word spread about the well-stocked and service-oriented Chem Store, and researchers from several departments began using it. In 1986, a computerised system for bookkeeping and inventory management was introduced, making the work significantly easier. </p><p>Hans remained at Chem Store for 40 years. Although he retired eight years ago, he still visits every year to catch up with his former colleague, Boris Jonsson.</p><p class="quote-center">With the digital system we have today, we’re light-years ahead of other facilities trying to get started elsewhere in the country</p><p>“The Chem Store is quite unique – apart from Umeå and Stockholm University, there’s nothing quite like it in Sweden, as far as we know,” explains Boris, adding that Karolinska Institutet has made site visits to learn from the effective system developed at Umeå. <br> <br>“With the digital system we have today, we’re light-years ahead of other facilities trying to get started elsewhere in the country,” Boris notes.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="1af124d1-4ab0-4c3d-b4aa-aea837a1c002" data-contentname="Photo Boris Jonsson by desk">{}</div><p>Thanks to the system that Hans helped to establish, four people now work at the Chem Store, assisting researchers with purchases and orders in line with current procurement agreements (in accordance with the Swedish Public Procurement Act, LOU).</p><p>The time researchers save by not having to find suppliers and contracts themselves, Hans and Boris hope, is spent doing what they do best – research.</p><p>“The Chem Store is here for everyone at the university,” they conclude. </p>/en/news/a-unique-shopwith-a-50-year-legacy_12129043//en/news/global-climate-issues-through-an-arctic-lens_12131710/Global climate issues through an Arctic lens as the WMO President visits UmeåThe visit of Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, the President of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), to Umeå on 15 August underscores the global significance of the Arctic Centre. Through long-term strategic initiatives, Umeå University’s Arctic research engages directly with international organisations tackling climate change. The visit reaffirms the university’s role in polar science and shows that WMO regard the Arctic as vital to future climate solutions.Thu, 21 Aug 2025 11:35:55 +0200<p class="quote-center">When the world’s leading organisations in climate and meteorology choose to visit Umeå University, it shows that we are more than a strong research environment – we are a natural partner in the effort for building a sustainable Arctic</p><p>The Arctic plays a pivotal role as the Earth’s cooling system, and knowledge connects it far beyond its borders. That WMO President Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, who also serves as Director General of the United Arab Emirates’ National Centre of Meteorology, chose to visit the Arctic Centre in Umeå highlights the international relevance and appeal of the university’s research and position in the Arctic.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="c4711aa5-3dfe-4db4-8bff-6ef9b96c1b61" data-contentname="PIC WMO">{}</div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Arctic research in breadth and depth</h2><p>The Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Thomas Olofsson, welcomed the delegation and introduced Umeå University and the Arctic Centre. The programme continued with presentations from researchers showcasing the breadth of Arctic science at Umeå: permafrost hydrology, space weather, ecosystem modelling, and indigenous livelihoods. Key national and European organisations, including the Sámi Council, the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, and the European Polar Board, presented other important perspectives.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="f4ed22d7-01d6-4560-94b4-984894013317" data-contentname="PIC WMO audience">{}</div><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">International dialogue for a sustainable Arctic</h2><p>The discussions highlighted the need for stronger international collaboration in preparing for major initiatives such as the International Polar Year 2032–33 and the Emirates Polar Research Programme launch—a clear signal of the country’s ambition to become an active partner in international polar science.</p><p>“When the world’s leading organisations in climate and meteorology choose to visit Umeå University, it shows that we are more than a strong research environment – we are a natural partner in the effort for building a sustainable Arctic,” says Keith Larson, Director of the Arctic Centre.</p><p>He also emphasises the importance of visits like this:</p><p>“By creating meeting places where research connects with society and decision-makers, we can drive forward knowledge that makes a difference. Our ambition is to support societally relevant research and be the primary contact point for those seeking to contribute to a positive Arctic future.”</p><p>The visit underlines the global weight of the Arctic issues discussed in Umeå and the university’s role in bringing together researchers, decision-makers, and societal actors. Through such encounters, new knowledge gains momentum and becomes a catalyst for change – in the Arctic and beyond.</p>/en/news/global-climate-issues-through-an-arctic-lens_12131710//en/news/engaging-workshop-on-the-energy-districts-of-the-future_12131958/Engaging workshop on the Energy Districts of the FutureHow can future cities produce more energy than they consume? That question was at the center when researchers, students, and stakeholders from Umeå gathered for a workshop on Positive Energy Districts.Thu, 21 Aug 2025 09:28:54 +0200<p>On 15 May 2025, representatives from Umeå Energy, Umeå Municipality, researchers from TFE, and students from the Master of Science program in Energy Engineering took part in a half-day workshop on Positive Energy Districts.</p><p>The discussions focused on the challenges of the energy transition, new business models to accelerate change, and ways to engage different stakeholders in the process.</p><p>The workshop was moderated by Bahanur Nasya from the Austrian organization Wonderland and was characterized by lively discussions and strong engagement.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/f8a9206d321f4d9ca07de10cc435acac/gireesh_workshop_23.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f8a9206d321f4d9ca07de10cc435acac/gireesh_workshop_23.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f8a9206d321f4d9ca07de10cc435acac/gireesh_workshop_23.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/f8a9206d321f4d9ca07de10cc435acac/gireesh_workshop_23.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f8a9206d321f4d9ca07de10cc435acac/gireesh_workshop_23.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f8a9206d321f4d9ca07de10cc435acac/gireesh_workshop_23.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span></span></div></div><p>The event was part of the PED-ACT project, a collaboration between Sweden, Türkiye, and Austria. The project is funded within the framework of JPI Urban Europe and the strategic innovation program Viable Cities, which is supported by Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency, and Formas.</p>/en/news/engaging-workshop-on-the-energy-districts-of-the-future_12131958//en/news/gonorrhoea-is-spreading-and-outsmarting-antibiotics_12131315/Gonorrhoea is spreading and outsmarting antibioticsThe sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea have increased in the past ten years. No one knows exactly why gonorrhoea is spreading—but experts suspect a mix of better testing and changing sexual habits. At the same time, we face reduced treatment options due to antimicrobial resistance.Wed, 20 Aug 2025 14:41:01 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/tomas_gustafsson.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/tomas_gustafsson.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/tomas_gustafsson.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/tomas_gustafsson.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/tomas_gustafsson.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/tomas_gustafsson.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Tomas Gustafsson is infectious disease physician at Sunderby Hospital and researcher at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Frida jakobsson</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">resistance is increasing against the current first line treatment ceftriaxone, which is very troublesome</p><p>“Over the years, the bacteria that cause gonorrhoea has developed resistance to antibiotic after antibiotic and resistance is increasing against the current first line treatment ceftriaxone, which is very troublesome”, says Tomas Gustafsson, infectious disease physician at Sunderby Hospital and researcher at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå University.</p><p>Gonorrhoea is caused by the bacterium n<em>eisseria gonorrhoeae</em> (gonococci). It spreads through sexual contact, and it is the second most common sexually transmitted disease (STD). The incubation period is short – from a couple of days to a few weeks.   </p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">No symptoms to infertility</h2><p>The most common symptoms of gonorrhoea are burning or discomfort when urinating and discharge from the urethra, vagina or rectum but can also give throat symptoms. However, many—especially women—may have no symptoms, which makes it easy to spread unknowingly.</p><p>“The disease is quite contagious. The best way to avoid gonorrhoea is to use a condom which also gives protection against other STDs and HIV, but also to get tested if you have symptoms and participate in contact tracing” says Tomas Gustafsson.</p><p>Gonorrhoea is rarely fatal, but if left untreated it can give rise to endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), prostatitis and sometimes septic arthritis.</p><p>“If gonorrhoea is not treated, it can even lead to infertility in women because the infection can cause lasting damage to the reproductive organs”, says Tomas Gustafsson.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Reduced treatment options </h2><p>Gonorrhoea has developed resistance to nearly all antibiotics historically used to treat it, and in recent years antibiotic resistance has increased rapidly.</p><p>Tomas Gustafsson splits his time between treating patients as an infectious disease physician and conducting research at Umeå University. This dual role gives him a unique perspective on the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance.</p><p>“I see the consequences of resistant infections firsthand in the clinic,” he says. “That experience is what pushed me to explore new treatment options in the lab.”</p><p>While working with an antibiotic candidate which originally focused on other bacteria, he decided to test it against gonococci. Since then, the focus has mostly shifted towards development of methods to facilitate the drug-development process against gonococci, which are often much more challenging to work with than other bacteria.</p><p>“We are trying to patch up some holes in the drug development pipeline to prevent it from running dry.”</p><p><em><strong>What is the dream goal with your research?</strong></em></p><p>“I guess I share it with most researchers involved in antibiotic development… to see an antibiotic candidate you have worked on, enter the clinic and be used to cure patients. That would be great!”</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/2017-04-13_n._gonorrhoeae_vs_aur_img_56052.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/2017-04-13_n._gonorrhoeae_vs_aur_img_56052.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/2017-04-13_n._gonorrhoeae_vs_aur_img_56052.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/2017-04-13_n._gonorrhoeae_vs_aur_img_56052.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/2017-04-13_n._gonorrhoeae_vs_aur_img_56052.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cccca061546d43e9bedd877894559fab/2017-04-13_n._gonorrhoeae_vs_aur_img_56052.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Disc diffusion test with an investigational compounds with activity against gonococci.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Tomas Gustafsson</span></div></div>/en/news/gonorrhoea-is-spreading-and-outsmarting-antibiotics_12131315/