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News/A RSS feed provided by Umeå Universityen-usThu, 01 May 2025 11:11:48 +0200/en/news/chemist-lisa-lundin-receives-faculty-pedagogical-award_12087189/<description>Lisa Lundin, associate professor at the Department of Chemistry at Umeå University, is awarded the Faculty of Science and Technology's pedagogical award 2025. She receives the prize primarily for her great commitment to leading and developing courses and distance learning programmes. </description><pubDate>Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:19:06 +0200</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/696c26b1b7f448209ee38e2fb57f53a2/lundin_lisa_9382_230131_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/696c26b1b7f448209ee38e2fb57f53a2/lundin_lisa_9382_230131_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/696c26b1b7f448209ee38e2fb57f53a2/lundin_lisa_9382_230131_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/696c26b1b7f448209ee38e2fb57f53a2/lundin_lisa_9382_230131_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/696c26b1b7f448209ee38e2fb57f53a2/lundin_lisa_9382_230131_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/696c26b1b7f448209ee38e2fb57f53a2/lundin_lisa_9382_230131_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Lisa Lundin is awarded the Faculty of Science and Technology's pedagogical award 2025.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p>“I am very proud, happy and surprised! It feels incredibly nice that the work I have put into developing teaching and learning in recent years is being recognized” says Lisa Lundin.</p><p>Lisa Lundin is associate professor at the Department of Chemistry. Since 2022, she has been the programme director for the Master of Science in Technical Chemistry Engineering programme. During the years 2017-2022, she was programme director for the previous programme for process operators. She also teaches and has course responsibility for a number of courses. She also participates in pedagogical development work for other courses offered by the faculty.</p><p>She receives the faculty pedagogical award for her great commitment and skill in leading and developing courses and distance learning programmes. She is a valued teacher who successfully led the development of the new Master of Science in Technical Chemistry Engineering programme and the previous university programme for process operators, both remotely.</p><p>Lisa Lundin has shown a special ability to adapt both content and examination forms for distance formats, while focusing on the content level and students' learning.</p><p>She has a unique ability to create learning environments where students develop, both as chemists and as problem solvers. She also actively participates in international educational collaboration with a university in Florida that also conducts distance education in chemistry. </p><p><em>What are your main driving forces when it comes to teaching and developing our programmes?</em></p><p>“The cliché answer is to see when students develop, when they find joy in the subject of chemistry and what they can achieve with their knowledge of chemistry. But also that there is a great need for engineers in technical chemistry and chemists in the labor market and being able to contribute to our ability to meet that need is very important to me.” </p><p><em>What interests you most in education right now?</em></p><p>“I want to develop distance education as a form of education and make it at least as sought-after as on-campus education” says Lisa Lundin. “There are so many possibilities with all the digital tools we have access to today that allow us to meet students regardless of where they live and what kind of life situation they are in.” </p><p class="quote-left">I want to develop distance education as a form of education and make it at least as sought-after as on-campus education</p><p>“There is clearly a need for alternatives to campus education and the students who make it through distance education have something that is very sought-after in the job market today: a combination of being very independent and working in a group, as well as working remotely  in digital environments.”</p><p><em>Tell us a little about the collaboration with the University of Florida on distance education.</em></p><p>“I came into contact with Nicole Lapeyrouse at the University of Central Florida, UCF, when she was on an extended stay at the Department of Chemistry in the spring of 2023. We found each other, and after that we have continued to collaborate on distance education. I have just returned from the US where I have been at UCF for five weeks, thanks to an internationalisation check from the faculty, to work further on developing the MSc in Technical Chemistry Engineering.” </p><p>“I have brought back many good ways to improve our distance learning in the programme and have made contacts that open opportunities for collaboration between students in the engineering programmes at Umeå University and at UCF. We have several plans for how to build on what we have done so far, and I look forward to making our courses even more flexible to create the best possible learning environment for our students who choose to study remotely” says Lisa Lundin. </p><p>The prize sum is 30,000 SEK and it will be awarded at the university's annual celebration in October.</p><p> </p></atom:content><link>/en/news/chemist-lisa-lundin-receives-faculty-pedagogical-award_12087189/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/research-infrastructure-at-umea-university-essential-for-fois-on-investigating-radiation-induced-damage_12085531/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/research-infrastructure-at-umea-university-essential-for-fois-on-investigating-radiation-induced-damage_12085531/</guid><title>Research infrastructure at Umeå university essential for FOI's on investigating radiation-induced damageThe Swedish Defence Research Agency (Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut, FOI) conducts research to support national security and defence, including developing tools to detect and protect against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. Ionising radiation damages cells and tissue, which can lead to chronic diseases such as cancer and fibrosis. In order to obtain a better understanding of this process, FOI turned to the Swedish Metabolomics Centre for help.Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:24:25 +0200<p><em>This text was originally posted on <a href="https://www.scilifelab.se/news/user-case-scilifelab-essential-for-fois-research-on-investigating-radiation-induced-damage/">scilifelab.se</a>.</em></p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/umu3000x15004.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/umu3000x15004.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/umu3000x15004.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/umu3000x15004.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/umu3000x15004.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/umu3000x15004.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Annika Johansson, research coordinator and Head of Unit of Swedish Metabolomics Centre at Umeå University, SLU and SciLifeLab.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mikael Wallerstedt</span></div></div><p class="quote-center"><em>At SMC, they’re experts at finding what you don’t even know you’re looking for</em></p><p>“We observed that when cells are exposed to radiation, although they may not die, they are altered and begin to release different substances into the cell culture media around them, which we call ‘conditioned media’,” says Pernilla Lindén, researcher at FOI’s Department for Chemical Agents.  <br> <br>When unirradiated cells were exposed to this ‘conditioned media’, they began showing symptoms of radiation damage, despite never being directly exposed to radiation.  <br><br>“This suggests that something is being secreted from the irradiated cells, something that can cause serious systemic effects in the body, but can also be used as a potential marker of radiation exposure” Lindén explains.<br><br>At FOI they have the ability to measure targeted metabolites – known molecules they can detect and quantify – but lacks the advanced tools to detect and identify large sets of metabolites. Lindén reached out to Annika Johansson, Head of Unit at the <a href="~/link/b3535c2f6803442f8cf20120b93e6074.aspx">Swedish Metabolomics Centre, SMC</a>, in Umeå.<br><br>At SMC, metabolomics is performed using advanced mass spectrometry – a technology that allows researchers to detect metabolites in biological samples. Unlike targeted methods, untargeted metabolomics can identify and quantify a vast range of metabolites, including those not initially anticipated. “At SMC, they’re experts at finding what you don’t even know you’re looking for,” says Lindén.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/swedish_metabolomics_centre_5129_121204_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/swedish_metabolomics_centre_5129_121204_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/swedish_metabolomics_centre_5129_121204_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/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/swedish_metabolomics_centre_5129_121204_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/swedish_metabolomics_centre_5129_121204_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/swedish_metabolomics_centre_5129_121204_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The advanced instrument that was used for the experiment.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Finding the invisible </h2><p>Together, their teams designed the experimental setup to find what the irradiated cells secreted into their environment. <br> <br>“The challenge with metabolomics is that it’s not a method that measures everything. It’s not like CSI — you don’t just put a sample in and get a clear answer about unknown compounds,” says Annika Johansson. With metabolomics, there is lot of manual work involved, and the researchers need to make sure that they are not overwhelming the user with data.  <br> <br>“The key is to understand what really matters. Our goal is always to deliver insights that move the research forward. In this case, we wanted to help FOI understand what was happening in the cells and the surrounding media,” says Johansson.</p><p>To get the most value out of the data, the teams went back and forth with preparing the test and reference samples whilst planning the experiments in detail. <br> <br>The experiment was successful, and whilst the exact compounds responsible for the effects are still being investigated, the results revealed biological pathways consistent with radiation response — promising clues for future studies. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/annika_johansson_mikael_wallerstedt2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/annika_johansson_mikael_wallerstedt2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/annika_johansson_mikael_wallerstedt2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/annika_johansson_mikael_wallerstedt2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/annika_johansson_mikael_wallerstedt2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/995670c4ffde43d9a4f714140a6e1b53/annika_johansson_mikael_wallerstedt2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Annika Johansson, research coordinator and Head of Unit of Swedish Metabolomics Centre at Umeå University, SLU and SciLifeLab.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mikael Wallerstedt</span></div></div><p id="info1" class="quote-center" data-magellan-target="info1">The long-term goal would be a non-invasive method to quickly determine whether a person has been harmed by radiation or chemical agents</p><p>The collaboration has now expanded to develop ways to identify airborne tracers of exposure to radiation and chemical agents such as toxic industrial chemicals and nerve gases. This time, SMC helped analyze metabolites that can be detected in both plasma and breath samples — again aiming to detect early biochemical signals of exposure.<br><br>“The long-term goal would be a non-invasive method to quickly determine whether a person has been harmed by radiation or chemical agents, and what kind of medical care they might need,” says Lindén.<br><br>Critical to the project’s success was SMC’s vast in-house library of known metabolites and lipids, its specialized software for interpreting complex data, and the hands-on training FOI’s team received on how to analyze the raw data themselves. “We also needed Annika’s help to select what samples to include in the analysis in order to be able to answer the questions we had,” says Lindén.<br>  <br>From first contact to completed analysis, the project took only a few months, which Johansson attributes to the strong communication and clear experimental design. “It’s exciting to see how access to the right infrastructure and expertise can help with such an important purpose,” Johansson concludes.  </p>/en/news/research-infrastructure-at-umea-university-essential-for-fois-on-investigating-radiation-induced-damage_12085531//en/news/largest-study-to-date-shows-pharmaceutical-pollution-alters-migration-in-atlantic-salmon_12076632/Largest study to date shows pharmaceutical pollution alters migration in Atlantic salmonUmeå researcher Jerker Fick, together with researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, has conducted the largest study to date investigating how pharmaceutical pollution affects the behaviour and migration of Atlantic salmon. They found that typical environmental levels of a pharmaceutical used for sleep disorders influenced the migration success of juvenile salmon in the wild. Thu, 10 Apr 2025 20:13:57 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/image6_credit_michael_bertram3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/image6_credit_michael_bertram3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/image6_credit_michael_bertram3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/image6_credit_michael_bertram3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/image6_credit_michael_bertram3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/image6_credit_michael_bertram3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The researchers Daniel Cerveny and Marcus Michelangeli from SLU in Umeå are collecting juvenile salmon in the Dal River. The juvenile salmon formed the foundation of the study published in Science.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Michael Bertram</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">Pharmaceuticals are present in most surface waters globally</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Pharmaceuticals in aquatic ecosystems – a growing issue </h2><p>“The presence of pharmaceuticals in our surface waters has been studied for two decades now,” says Jerker Fick, Associate professor at the Department of Chemistry who contributed to the study published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp7174">Science</a>. “Pharmaceuticals are present in most surface waters globally, often in low concentrations. However, there are hotspots, for instance near production facilities and in densely populated, water-scarce areas. On top of that, we also know that the usages of pharmaceuticals are increasing globally,” he says. <br> <br>Psychoactive pollutants, such as antidepressants and pain medications, are of particular concern, due to their ability to influence brain function and alter the behaviour of wildlife species.<br><br>“Almost all of the existing research into the effects of pharmaceutical pollution on wildlife has investigated the effect under simplified conditions in the laboratory that do not capture real-world complexity,” says Michael Bertram, Assistant Professor SLU, senior author of the study. Animal behaviour is very sensitive to environmental conditions, and behavioural effects of drug exposure seen in the laboratory may not be reflective of behavioural responses in the wild. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/p4042087-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/p4042087-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/p4042087-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/p4042087-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/p4042087-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/p4042087-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jerker Fick, researcher at the Deparmtent of Chemistry, contributed to the study with his expertise of measuring pharmaceutical pollutants using mass spectrometry.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div></div><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Moving out of the laboratory </h2><p>The research team conducted the largest field-based study to date that investigates the effects of exposure to pharmaceutical pollutants. They used newly developed slow-release pharmaceutical implants and animal-tracking transmitters to investigate how exposure to clobazam – a drug often prescribed for sleep disorders – and the opioid painkiller tramadol affected the behaviour and migration of juvenile Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar. The study took place in the Dal River, Sweden, and looked at the salmon's migration to the Baltic Sea.<br>  <br>“We found that the salmon exposed to clobazam passed hydropower dams faster than the unexposed fish. It also meant that more of the medicated salmon eventually reached the Baltic Sea," says Jack Brand, researcher at SLU and first author of the publication, in a press release from SLU.<br> <br>“Our results demonstrate the capacity for pharmaceutical pollution to influence key behaviours of animals in the wild, with potentially wide-ranging consequences”, he says in a <a href="https://www.slu.se/en/ew-news/2025/4/pharmaceutical-pollution-affects-migration-in-atlantic-salmon/">press release from SLU</a>.  </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/img_14022.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/img_14022.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/img_14022.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/img_14022.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/img_14022.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/img_14022.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The dam in Älvkarleby, Uppland. The dam is one of the obstacles that juvenile salmon must navigate in the Dal River on their migration toward the Baltic Sea, and one of the two dams included in the study published in Science</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">A way towards less-polluted wildlife </h2><p>Atlantic salmon are an ecologically, economically, and culturally important species that recently was classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in parts of Europe. While overexploitation (e.g., from fishing), habitat loss, and fragmentation are the primary drivers of this worrying trend, the results of this experiment suggest that pharmaceutical pollution may alter behaviours during events that are key for the survival in migratory fish.  <br> <br>Nonetheless, pharmaceuticals play a key role in modern human and animal health and will remain important for disease management and prevention into the future.  <br><br>“However, most pharmaceuticals exhibit poor biodegradability, and wastewater treatment processes often fail to completely remove these substances,” says Professor Tomas Brodin, previously researcher at Umeå University, now at SLU and co-author of the study.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/tomas_och_jerker_9502_180508_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/tomas_och_jerker_9502_180508_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/tomas_och_jerker_9502_180508_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/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/tomas_och_jerker_9502_180508_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/tomas_och_jerker_9502_180508_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dcbb39c6097d414aa4b9b8ce81cf86c3/tomas_och_jerker_9502_180508_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jerker Fick, researcher at the Department of Chemistry, here with Tomas Brodin, researcher at SLU, co-author of the study, and previously a research at the Department of Ecology and Enviornmental Science, EMG. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">A multi-pronged approach will be required to mitigate the threat of pharmaceutical contaminants</p><p>Whilst several advanced wastewater treatment methods have been successful in reducing pharmaceutical contamination, they remain unavailable in many parts of the world due to economic and infrastructure reasons. <br><br>“While addressing pharmaceutical pollution is not simple, it is clear that a multi-pronged approach will be required to mitigate the threat of pharmaceutical contaminants to wildlife health into the future,” says Michael Bertram. <br><br>Jerker Fick concludes that these findings would have been much harder to obtain without the collaborative efforts of the large study: “It is very fulfilling to be able to collaborate with experts in different research fields and together investigate the effects of these pollutants.” </p>/en/news/largest-study-to-date-shows-pharmaceutical-pollution-alters-migration-in-atlantic-salmon_12076632//en/news/collaboration-with-industry-research-collaboration-with-astrazeneca-provides-insights-into-virus-infections_12076762/Collaboration with industry: Research collaboration with AstraZeneca provides insights into virus infectionsUmeå professor Mikael Elofsson has since 2018 been engaged in a research collaboration with the global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. The focus is on understanding how viruses infect human cells – knowledge that could pave the way for new antiviral treatments. Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:17:13 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_2012-23.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_2012-23.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_2012-23.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_2012-23.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_2012-23.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_2012-23.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Mikael Elofsson, Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, is collaborating with AstraZeneca to pave the way for antiviral treatments.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">It has been incredibly exciting and rewarding to combine our expertise in academic research with that of a large pharmaceutical company</p><p>The collaboration began following a conference on academic drug development in Cambridge, UK, in 2016. There, a partnership was established between <a href="https://openinnovation.astrazeneca.com/">AstraZeneca's Open Innovation</a> initiative and the national infrastructure network <a href="~/link/20bec7eca47a4fb8be32d19d683d1161.aspx">Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, CBCS</a>, which became the gateway to the research collaboration.<br><br>– In the first part of 2018, project plans took shape. The experimental work could begin later that same year, says Mikael Elofsson, Professor at the <a href="~/link/f1741951a05e464ea0b74d28b589f4a5.aspx">Department of Chemistry</a> and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Umeå University.<br><br>The project is a collaboration between Mikael Elofsson and Magnus Evander, Professor at the <a href="~/link/c83cd08f50de4355a42d25d4846d9830.aspx">Department of Clinical Microbiology</a>. Together, they combine expertise in chemistry and virology to map how a virus interacts with the host cell during the various stages of the infection cycle.<br><br>– The goal is to understand which human proteins and signaling pathways are critical for infection. Today, we can only treat a fraction of all virus-caused diseases, so the need for new antiviral drugs is enormous, not least to be prepared for future pandemics, says Mikael Elofsson, who also is a research leader at <a href="~/link/7411b104249c4027951f7bfc334415ab.aspx">Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, UCMR</a>.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_210830_all_img_11042.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_210830_all_img_11042.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_210830_all_img_11042.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_210830_all_img_11042.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_210830_all_img_11042.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/cd482f2fccb94e8196a001f0700ace86/mikael_elofsson_210830_all_img_11042.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Mikael Elofsson and Stina Berglund Fick, Head of Unit at the Chemical Biological Consortium Sweden, CBCS, an infrastructure unit at SciLifeLab. The collaboration between AstraZeneca's Open Innovation initiative and CBCS pawed the way for Mikael Elofssons collaboration with AstraZeneca.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna-Lena Lindskog</span></div></div><p>The collaboration has led to several scientific breakthroughs. Among other things, the researchers have identified a protein family important for how adenovirus – which can caus fever, cough, and diarrhea – infects cells.<br><br>– We have had a close and very productive collaboration throughout the project period, which is still ongoing! It has been incredibly exciting and rewarding to combine our expertise in academic research with that of a large pharmaceutical company.<br><br>The results of the collaboration were presented at the 8th European Congress of Virology in 2023, and a scientific article summarising the research has now been submitted for publication.<br><br>– We are also investigating whether more relevant protein families can be identified for further research together with AstraZeneca, says Mikael Elofsson.</p><p class="quote-center">There are great possibilities to accomplish things together that you cannot do alone</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Synergies between industry and academia </h2><p>Combining academic and industrial research has proven successful. Mikael Elofsson highlights the synergies that arise when different areas of expertise meet: <br>– Our academic research questions and the results we have built up over 20 years form the core of the project. The collaboration with AstraZeneca enables us to take bold steps toward new goals.<br><br>Although the collaboration has required some adjustment to industrial workflows and timelines, he does not see this as a hindrance as it is a natural part of an ambitious, interdisciplinary project. <br>– We have faced challenges, but they mainly relate to things like developing robust testing methods, which is part of the everyday work in experimental research, he explains.<br><br>Elofsson has long been in favour of collaboration between academia and industry, something that shaped his research career from the outset.<br><br>– My postdoctoral research led to an approved cancer drug, so I know that collaboration can lead to tangible results. I truly encourage other researchers to seize the opportunity – there are great possibilities to accomplish things together that you cannot do alone.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="00b08673-035c-4fd9-b291-8fd0686dc419" data-contentname="Movie AstraZeneca seminar">{}</div>/en/news/collaboration-with-industry-research-collaboration-with-astrazeneca-provides-insights-into-virus-infections_12076762//en/news/physicist-awarded-eu-fellowship-to-explore-the-role-of-light-in-future-computing_12074773/Physicist awarded EU fellowship to explore the role of light in future computingBen Johns, 'Excellence by Choise' postdoctoral researcher at Umeå University, has been awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship from the EU to investigate how light-based technologies could make future computing both faster and more energy efficient.Mon, 07 Apr 2025 13:47:51 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/9007fcb982b543b9a6960212bb7c0cfc/johns-ben-7079_240605-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9007fcb982b543b9a6960212bb7c0cfc/johns-ben-7079_240605-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9007fcb982b543b9a6960212bb7c0cfc/johns-ben-7079_240605-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/9007fcb982b543b9a6960212bb7c0cfc/johns-ben-7079_240605-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9007fcb982b543b9a6960212bb7c0cfc/johns-ben-7079_240605-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9007fcb982b543b9a6960212bb7c0cfc/johns-ben-7079_240605-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Ben Johns, postdoctoral fellow in the research group Ultrafast Nanoscience at the Department of Physics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Can we use only light to perform data processing and computations in the future? That is the question Ben Johns hopes to answer, now with support from a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) postdoctoral fellowship. His research focuses on so-called polaritons – a hybrid of light and matter particles that exhibits unique properties.</p><p>“In my project, I will investigate polaritons to study their suitability for all-optical technologies which can be much faster than current electronics-based systems while also being potentially more energy efficient”, says Ben Johns.</p><p>His goal is to understand how polaritons behave after interacting with extremely short pulses of light. These ‘ultrafast’ dynamics can shed new light the properties of polaritons that may make them useful in designing all-optical technologies in the future.</p><p>“My research is primarily focused on fundamental science. But since interest in polaritons is growing rapidly, this could lead to practical applications in the not-too-distant future,” he says.</p><p>The MSCA fellowship allows Ben Johns to pursue his ambitious research idea with a high degree of independence and to lay the foundation for a long-term research programme in the field.</p><p><a href="~/link/7984db287ff94883ba81f31cb27d0998.aspx">Read a longer interview with Ben Johns</a></p>/en/news/physicist-awarded-eu-fellowship-to-explore-the-role-of-light-in-future-computing_12074773//en/news/how-quicklime-production-can-be-electrified-without-losing-quality_12073643/How quicklime production can be electrified without losing qualityA transition to electrified quicklime production could significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. However, process modifications may impact product quality. New research from Umeå University and the Industrial Doctoral School explores how different process conditions affect quicklime quality and offers insights for a more sustainable industry.Thu, 03 Apr 2025 08:00:07 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jutjärn limestone quarry located in Dalarna, Sweden.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Katarzyna Olovsson</span></div></div><p>Quicklime is an essential material used in various industries, including steel production, where its quality is crucial. Currently, the process of quicklime production takes place in fuel-fired high-temperature kilns, emitting large quantities of carbon dioxide. Most of these emissions come from the decomposition of limestone, while the rest originate from the burning of the fossil fuels.</p><p>A possible route for carbon dioxide mitigation is electrification of the production process, which, in combination with carbon capture, could enable net-zero emissions in the long run. However, this would lead to altering the process conditions, which in turn could affect the quicklime quality.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Tested different temperatures</h2><p>Katarzyna Olovsson, doctoral student at the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics at Umeå University, has investigated several quality measures of quicklime. One important quality measure is slaking reactivity. Especially in steel production, high reactivity quicklime is required.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Katarzyna Olovsson, doctoral student at the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Jonas Olovsson</span></div></div><p>“In the experiments simulating an electrified heating process, we tested how different burning temperatures and durations affect the slaking reactivity. Our results showed that all quicklime samples had medium to high reactivity, demonstrating the possibility of achieving this quality in an electrically heated process,” says Katarzyna Olovsson.</p><p>Another important quality aspect is carbonation, which can occur in the cooling zone of a kiln and lowers the quality of the quicklime product.</p><p>In her research, Katarzyna Olovsson found substantial variations in carbonation depending on the type of limestone and the atmosphere in which it is processed. She studied the microstructure of two different types of limestone, sedimentary and metamorphic, and how it changed during heating and carbonation in three different atmospheres, representing conventional combustion and electrically headed kilns.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Quality is crucial</h2><p>“The quality of limestone and of quicklime is important for the suppliers, producers and their customers. Depending on the industrial application, requirements can vary, and increased knowledge of the factors that affect the quality is very important. Our results should be taken into consideration while designing a cooling zone of an electrified quicklime production kiln,” says Katarzyna Olovsson.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Currently, the process of quicklime production takes place in fuel-fired high-temperature kilns, emitting large quantities of carbon dioxide.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Katarzyna Olovsson</span></div></div><p>The study provides useful insights for industries looking to make quicklime production more sustainable. As the focus on cutting carbon dioxide emissions increases, electrifying high-temperature processes is emerging as a promising solution.</p><p><em>Katarzyna Olovsson’s doctoral project has been funded by the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University, SMA Mineral, Heidelberg Materials, Nordkalk och Swedish Mineral Processing Research Association – MinFo.</em></p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="9e859f01-7c01-4d35-8163-fcc6a5a67fe1" data-contentname="">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="74b92039-6a80-4930-ba4f-6ad48cdf6752" data-contentname="Fakta Företagsforskarskolan (standard)">{}</div>/en/news/how-quicklime-production-can-be-electrified-without-losing-quality_12073643//en/news/catalytic-system-turns-biomass-waste-to-renewable-chemical-stock_12065887/Catalytic system turns biomass waste to renewable chemical stockResearchers at Umeå University in Sweden, in collaboration with scientists from Finland, Vietnam, India, and Italy, have developed a catalytic system to convert lignin structures into highly valuable chemicals. This innovative technology offers promising solutions to pressing environmental and energy challenges.Wed, 02 Apr 2025 08:00:06 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Van Minh Dinh in the lab at the Department of Chemistry, Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Huton Nguyen</span></div></div><p>As fossil fuel reserves deplete and the challenges of climate change intensify, renewable and sustainable resources are emerging as a key solution. Among these, biofuels and commodity chemicals derived from biomass, particularly lignin, have gained increasing attention.</p><p>Lignin constitutes about 30 percent of plant dry mass, with 50-70 million tons released annually, mainly as a byproduct in the paper and pulp industry. Despite its abundance, lignin’s complex structure makes it difficult to convert into valuable products, limiting its potential as a sustainable resource.</p><p>To tackle this challenge, researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, alongside scientists from Finland, Vietnam, India, and Italy, have designed a catalytic system that efficiently breaks down structures in lignin. Their results are presented in Van Minh Dinh’s doctoral thesis at the Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Sweden.</p><p>“We first evaluate the performance of the catalytic system using lignin-model compounds” says Van Minh Dinh. “They are small molecules that closely resemble lignin’s structure, making them an ideal model for our research” he explains.</p><p class="quote-left">An exciting aspect of our research is the catalyst’s excellent reusability</p><p>Under optimal conditions, the catalytic system selectively cleaves chemical bonds in lignin models, producing a variety of value-added products, such as hydrocarbons for jet fuel additives or oxygenates for industrial chemicals.</p><p>“An exciting aspect of our research is the catalyst’s excellent reusability” Van Minh Dinh adds. “It remains structurally stable across a broad range of test conditions, while maintaining high activity over multiple cycles.”</p><p>The research team is now focused on scaling up the catalytic system using lignin samples from around Sweden. The research has the potential to drive further innovation in biomass conversion strategies and contribute to replacing fossil fuels with renewable resources.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="7af3f8a3-84fa-49dd-aa90-9b2665d03686" data-contentname="About the dissertation">{}</div><p><strong>For more information, please contact:</strong></p><p>Van Minh Dinh, doctoral student, Department of Chemistry, Umeå University<br>E-mail: van.dinh@umu.se <br>Phone: (+46) 76 390 16 68</p>/en/news/catalytic-system-turns-biomass-waste-to-renewable-chemical-stock_12065887//en/news/unlocking-metabolomics-data-through-open-science_12071653/Unlocking metabolomics data through Open Science On March 19–20, researchers and companies gathered at Umeå University for the workshop and conference “Current Trends in Applied Mass Spectrometry”. One of the highlights was the Open Science session, which introduced the FAIR data principles and provided hands-on guidance on how to share metabolomics data in an accessible way. Fri, 28 Mar 2025 15:26:47 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011987-2_rebeccaforsberg2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011987-2_rebeccaforsberg2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011987-2_rebeccaforsberg2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011987-2_rebeccaforsberg2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011987-2_rebeccaforsberg2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011987-2_rebeccaforsberg2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Open Science workshop during the conference “Current Trends in Applied Mass Spectrometry”, where researchers got hand-on experience using the public database MetaboLights.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>Mass spectrometry is a key analytical technique in metabolomics research, allowing scientists to identify and quantify small molecules – metabolites – found in biological samples. Metabolomics plays a crucial role in understanding biochemical processes in organisms and ecosystems. It has broad applications, from diagnosing diseases and studying human health to improving crop resilience. <br><br>As metabolomics datasets grow in size and complexity, Open Science practices are becoming essential. Research data, and other research outputs, are no longer only the underlying material that supports the results of scientific manuscripts but valuable outputs on their own that can be made accessible in trusted repositories and cited. As such, Open Science has changed scholarly publishing for good, promoting transparency, collaboration, and accessibility in research, ensuring that valuable datasets become available to more than one lab. <br><br>To maximize the impact of metabolomics research, data needs to be well-organised, shareable, and reusable across studies. This is where the FAIR data principles – Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable – come in. A FAIR-compliant dataset might include metadata such as organism, tissue type, and analytical method used, allowing others to re-analyse or compare it with their own work. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011983-2_rebeccaforsberg3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011983-2_rebeccaforsberg3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011983-2_rebeccaforsberg3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011983-2_rebeccaforsberg3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011983-2_rebeccaforsberg3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/p1011983-2_rebeccaforsberg3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Open Science workshop on MetaboLights</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Shining a light on metabolites with MetaboLight </h2><p>The Open Science session was organised by <a href="~/link/721b6734d99f48cfa7cb22db4b7c97d3.aspx">Umeå University Library</a>, <a href="~/link/b3535c2f6803442f8cf20120b93e6074.aspx">Swedish Metabolomics Centre, SMC</a> and <a href="https://kemisamfundet.se/sektioner/svenska-masspektrometrisallskapet-smss/">Swedish Mass Spectrometry Society, SMSS</a>, in collaboration with <a href="https://www.ebi.ac.uk/">EMBL-EBI</a>, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory – European Bioinformatics Institute. The instructors introduced Open Science and guided the participants through how to apply the FAIR principles to create high quality metadata for MetaboLights, a public repository for metabolomics data.  <br><br>The session featured both online and on-site instructors, including Noemi Tejera and Ozgur Yurekten from EMBL-EBI, as well as Annika Johansson, Head of unit, SMC, and Theresa Kieselbach, Umeå University Library. Through hands-on exercises, participants worked in pairs to get experience with the MetaboLights submission process, including standardised formats and controlled vocabularies. <br> <br>Theresa Kieselbach is very grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the MetaboLights team and was delighted that experts from EMBL-EBI could join and and share their expertise with the participants of this workshop.  <br><br>Katie Bennett, scientific coordinator for the Computational Metabolomics Group in Umeå, highlighted the workshop’s importance: “I found it very useful, as tools such as MetaboLights are becoming increasingly important for advancing metabolomics research and ensuring open, FAIR data sharing. Understanding these resources helps us better support researchers in computational metabolomics.” </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/photo_1_adjusted2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/photo_1_adjusted2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/photo_1_adjusted2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/photo_1_adjusted2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/photo_1_adjusted2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/acc0d2f3997e4e479219bc4b2ac8b9c0/photo_1_adjusted2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Dr. Kate Bennett (CASP) and Dr. Ilona Dudka (Swedish NMR Centre), combining expertise and working together as part of the Computational Metabolomics Group, SciLifeLab.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><p>By equipping researchers with the tools to navigate Open Science requirements, the workshop strengthened the foundation for more transparent and impactful metabolomics research – helping scientists turn complex biochemical data into lasting, citable contributions to science. </p>/en/news/unlocking-metabolomics-data-through-open-science_12071653//en/news/scholarship-awarded-to-umea-researcher-for-work-on-salmon-populations_12069261/Grants awarded to Umeå researcher for work on salmon populationsAlexandra Rouillard’s analysis of e-DNA in sediments aims to contribute knowledge about changes in salmon populations in the Gulf of Bothnia from the mid-19th century to the present.Mon, 31 Mar 2025 15:12:03 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/642668482b75495e89efeb0d3e3d56bb/thumbnail_p8040346_fix5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/642668482b75495e89efeb0d3e3d56bb/thumbnail_p8040346_fix5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/642668482b75495e89efeb0d3e3d56bb/thumbnail_p8040346_fix5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/642668482b75495e89efeb0d3e3d56bb/thumbnail_p8040346_fix5.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/642668482b75495e89efeb0d3e3d56bb/thumbnail_p8040346_fix5.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/642668482b75495e89efeb0d3e3d56bb/thumbnail_p8040346_fix5.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Alexandra Rouillard, postdoc at Department of Ecology and Environmental Science and Umeå Marine Sciences Centre.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mateusz Strzelecki</span></div></div><p>For the fourth consecutive year, BalticWaters is awarding grants to early-career researchers - Baltic Sea Fellows. This year, two researchers have been selected, one of whom is Alexandra Rouillard, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, as well as Umeå Marine Sciences Centre at Umeå University. Her research project, Historical Genomics of Salmon in the Gulf of Bothnia, aims to map changes in salmon populations from the mid-1800s to the present.</p><p>The project is based on analyses of environmental DNA (e-DNA) in sediment samples, providing a unique opportunity to trace how salmon populations have been affected by changes in water quality. By linking these analyses to historical data on water flow and water quality, researchers can better understand how factors such as land use and climate change have influenced salmon habitats.</p><p>Read more about <a href="https://balticwaters.org/en/congratulations-to-the-2025-grant-holders/">Baltic Sea Fellows</a>. </p>/en/news/scholarship-awarded-to-umea-researcher-for-work-on-salmon-populations_12069261//en/news/the-devastating-impact-of-humans-on-biodiversity_12069113/The devastating impact of humans on biodiversityHumans are having a highly detrimental impact on biodiversity worldwide. Not only are the numbers of species declining, but the composition of species communities is also changing. This is shown by a study by Eawag and the University of Zurich, in collaboration with Umeå University, published in the scientific journal Nature.Wed, 26 Mar 2025 17:00:05 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Studies from around the world, including from the Ume River, have been compared to map human impacts on plant and animal life.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Biological diversity is under threat. More and more plant and animal species are disappearing worldwide. Humans are responsible for this. Until now, however, there has been no synthesis of the severity of human interventions in nature and whether the effects can be found everywhere in the world and in all groups of organisms.</p><p>In order to close these research gaps, a team lead from the aquatic research institute Eawag and the University of Zurich has now conducted one of the largest syntheses studies ever of the effects of humans on biodiversity. One of the co-authors of the study, which has just been published in the journal “Nature”, is Eric Capo, Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science at Umeå University.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Covers all groups of organisms</h2><p>The researchers collaborated to compile data from around 2,100 studies that compared biodiversity at almost 50,000 sites affected by humans with almost 50,000 reference sites that were unaffected. Several of the studies were conducted in Sweden.</p><p>The studies cover terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats around the world, and all groups of organisms, from microbes and fungi to plants and invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals. Among the included studies are, for example, comparisons of habitat changes in the Ume River and the effect of pollution on aquatic life in Swedish lakes.</p><p>“This kind of meta-analysis project may soon be replaced by AI tools, but digging into papers – published across different decades and by different research groups – still requires scientific expertise and a human eye. For example, to identify which images show samples taken before and after a perturbation, or which represent control versus experimental groups,” says Eric Capo.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Striking results</h2><p>The findings of the study are unequivocal and leave no doubt as to the devastating impact humans are having on biodiversity worldwide.</p><p>“We have analysed the effect of the five main human impacts on biodiversity: habitat changes, direct exploitation such as hunting or fishing, climate change, pollution and invasive species. Our findings show that all five factors have a strong impact on biodiversity worldwide, in all groups of organisms and all ecosystems,” says François Keck, the lead author of the study.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>According to the study, environmental pollution, such as from the spraying of pesticides, and habitat changes have a particularly negative impact on the number of species and the composition of species communities.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Pixabay</span></div></div><p>On average, the number of species at impacted sites was almost twenty percent lower than at unaffected sites. Particularly severe species losses across all biogeographic regions are found in vertebrates such as reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Their populations are usually much smaller than those of the invertebrates; this increases the probability of extinction.</p><p>“This study illustrates why the biological monitoring of ecosystems is important, both in non-impacted and human polluted areas. Without data from before human impact, it is more difficult to fully understand how – and to what extent – ecosystems and their services are altered by human societies,” says Eric Capo.</p><p><em>Text:Sara-Lena Brännström (Umeå University) / Simon Koechlin (Eawag)</em></p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="f225729f-6414-41df-9352-9beb237ceaf7" data-contentname="">{}</div>/en/news/the-devastating-impact-of-humans-on-biodiversity_12069113//en/news/social-simulations-will-assist-in-the-policymaking-process_12069245/Social simulations will assist in the policymaking processMaking decisions that affect large groups of people can be challenging as we all relate to norms in different ways. In his doctoral work, Christian Kammler at Umeå University has studied how social simulations can help decision-makers understand how their decisions affect people, specifically based on individuals' perspective on norms.Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:28:24 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/8b409b93e3ff4d98b7c50f1cbad05b4a/christian_kammler_1692.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8b409b93e3ff4d98b7c50f1cbad05b4a/christian_kammler_1692.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8b409b93e3ff4d98b7c50f1cbad05b4a/christian_kammler_1692.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/8b409b93e3ff4d98b7c50f1cbad05b4a/christian_kammler_1692.png?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8b409b93e3ff4d98b7c50f1cbad05b4a/christian_kammler_1692.png?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8b409b93e3ff4d98b7c50f1cbad05b4a/christian_kammler_1692.png?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Christian Kammler, Doctoral student at the Department of Computing Science, Umeå University</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Private</span></div></div><p>"It is challenging for decision-makers to make well-founded decisions because some people follow the norm while others try to circumvent it. There are, of course, also those who completely break the norm," says Christian Kammler, doctoral student at the Department of Computer Science, Umeå University.</p><p>Christian’s doctoral work has led to an agent-based decision system, where virtual agents—simulated individuals or groups—interact within social simulations to model real-world behaviors. This system helps explore how people respond to policies from different perspectives, providing insights into societal dynamics.</p><p>"Decision-makers need intuitive tools that help them change and create new norms, understand how people behave, and analyze the potential impacts of their intended policies", says Christian.</p><p>Christan’s system relies on three key elements to determine how individuals react to a norm: needs, which drive what we do right away; values, which guide our behavior on a larger scale; and social affordances, which help individuals understand what actions are possible based on how they see the world.</p><p>Models using Christian’s agent-based decision system allow decision-makers to see the consequences of their decisions before they are implemented and can be adjusted accordingly. In this way, potentially negative consequences can be detected in good time.</p><p>"A central aspect of this system is the ability for decision-makers to modify norms in real-time within the simulation. This feature makes it possible to test and adjust policies dynamically and observe potential effects before they are put into practice," says Christian.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Part of Sweden's largest research initiative on the impact of AI</h2><p>Christian Kammler is a researcher within the national research program Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanity and Society (WASP-HS). WASP-HS enables cutting-edge research, expertise, and capacity building in the humanities and social sciences on how artificial intelligence affects humanity and society and vice versa. The program is coordinated from Umeå University. <a href="https://wasp-hs.org/">Read more about WASP-HS.</a></p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">About the thesis</h2><p>Christian Kammler, Department of Computer Science, Umeå University, will defend his doctoral thesis "Modeling Norms for Social Simulations: Increasing Realism in Social Simulations to Support Decision-Makers in Their Decision-Making" on Friday, April 4, 2025. The faculty opponent is Javier Vázquez-Salceda from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain. <br><a href="https://umu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?aq2=%5B%5B%5D%5D&c=75&af=%5B%5D&searchType=LIST_LATEST&sortOrder2=title_sort_asc&query=&language=sv&pid=diva2%3A1942906&aq=%5B%5B%5D%5D&sf=all&aqe=%5B%5D&sortOrder=author_sort_asc&onlyFullText=false&noOfRows=50&dswid=7078">Read the full thesis.</a></p>/en/news/social-simulations-will-assist-in-the-policymaking-process_12069245//en/news/ciphepeoples-interpretations-central-in-new-framework-for-evaluating-ai_12068551/<description>How can we ensure that systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) perform tasks correctly? According to Anton Eklund, Department of Computer Science, Umeå University, humans must always be involved in the evaluation process. In his dissertation work, he has developed an evaluation framework to support organizations in these types of processes.</description><pubDate>Mon, 24 Mar 2025 11:48:32 +0100</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/6380a93a0b9c4cd996eaa7f0e2514bc6/anton-eklund4.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6380a93a0b9c4cd996eaa7f0e2514bc6/anton-eklund4.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6380a93a0b9c4cd996eaa7f0e2514bc6/anton-eklund4.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/6380a93a0b9c4cd996eaa7f0e2514bc6/anton-eklund4.png?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6380a93a0b9c4cd996eaa7f0e2514bc6/anton-eklund4.png?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6380a93a0b9c4cd996eaa7f0e2514bc6/anton-eklund4.png?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Anton Eklund, Department of Computing Science.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hanna Nordin</span></div></div><p>Should an article about pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis' world record be classified as sports, athletics, or pole vaulting? When Mondo Duplantis is mentioned twice—does this automatically make it a sports article? Most people would probably not call this a sports article, but an AI system can easily make that mistake, says Anton Eklund, industrial doctoral student at the Department of Computer Science, Umeå University.</p><p>Together with colleagues, he has therefore developed an evaluation framework called "Cluster Interpretation and Precision from Human Exploration" (CIPHE).</p><p>— Through CIPHE, we let people assess whether an AI system has grouped articles correctly or not. Participants in the assessment also characterize the articles based on human aspects such as emotional reaction or estimated societal impact.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Focus on Human Semantic Abilities for Quality</h2><p>Anton explains that it is absolutely necessary to develop methods for evaluating AI systems so that they can be used with confidence in industry or as tools in the public sector.</p><p>— Continuous human involvement is needed somewhere in the chain, especially for tasks that lack definitive answers such as human perception, interpretation, or feeling, he says.</p><p>As an industrial doctoral student, Anton has been employed at the startup company Aeterna Labs. The company performs so-called contextual advertising, which means placing advertisements next to suitable articles based on their content. This differs from more conventional types of advertising where user data is analyzed and ads are presented based on previous preferences.</p><p>— To automatically categorize news into different subjects, I have used similar language models to those that ChatGPT is built on. Since the categorization is intended to be used for placing advertisements, the quality of the categories needs to be checked by humans before they can be sold to advertisers, says Anton.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Adaptable to Environment and Context</h2><p>It is becoming increasingly common to evaluate AI systems using AI itself, but this also presents a challenge: there is often less insight into whether the system is doing the right thing from a human perspective. The quality of the evaluation is therefore not guaranteed, and it becomes more difficult to adjust and adapt the process. With the new framework, this is not a problem.</p><p>— In CIPHE, we can adjust what counts as approved categorizations, making it possible to tailor the framework for specific environments and contexts, says Anton.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">About the Dissertation</h2><p>On Thursday, April 3, Anton Eklund, Department of Computer Science, will defend his dissertation titled "Evaluation of Document Clusters through Human Interpretation." The defense will take place at 13:15 in UB.A.230 Lindellhallen 3.</p><p><a href="http://Ska en artikel om stavhopparen Mondo Duplantis världsrekord klassas som sport, friidrott eller stavhopp? När Mondo Duplantis nu nämns två gånger — blir detta då automatiskt en sportartikel? De flesta skulle nog inte kalla detta en sportartikel, men ett AI-system kan lätt göra det misstaget, menar Anton Eklund, industridoktorand vid Institutionen för datavetenskap, Umeå universitet. Tillsammans med kollegor har han därför utvecklat ett utvärderingsramverk som kallas “Cluster Interpretation and Precision from Human Exploration” (CIPHE). — Genom CIPHE låter vi människor bedöma om ett AI-system har grupperat artiklar på ett bra sätt eller inte. Deltagarna i bedömningen får också karaktärisera artiklarna utifrån mänskliga aspekter såsom känslomässig reaktion eller uppskattad samhällspåverkan. Fokus på människans semantiska förmågor för kvalitét Anton berättar att det är absolut nödvändigt att ta fram metoder för att utvärdera AI-system så att de ska kunna användas med tillit i industrin eller som verktyg i offentlig sektor. — Det behövs kontinuerlig mänsklig insats någonstans i kedjan, särskilt för uppgifter som saknar definitiva svar såsom mänsklig uppfattning, tolkning eller känsla, säger han. Som industridoktorand har Anton varit anställd vid startupbolaget Aeterna Labs. Bolaget utför så kallad kontextuell annonsering, vilket betyder att man placerar reklamannonser bredvid passande artiklar baserat på dess innehåll. Detta skiljer sig från mer konventionell typ av annonsering där användarens data analyseras och presenterar annonser efter tidigare preferenser. — För att kunna dela in nyheter i olika ämnen automatiskt har jag använt liknande språkmodeller som exempelvis ChatGPT är byggd på. Eftersom kategoriseringen sker i syfte att användas för att placera reklam så behöver kvalitén av kategorierna kontrolleras av människor innan de kan säljas till annonsörer, menar Anton. Anpassningsbar utefter miljö och kontext Det blir allt vanligare att utvärdera AI-system med hjälp av just AI, men detta innebär också en utmaning: man har ofta sämre insyn i om systemet gör rätt utifrån mänskligt perspektiv. Kvaliteten på utvärderingen är därför inte garanterad, och det blir svårare att justera och anpassa processen. Med det nya ramverket är detta inget problem. — I CIPHE kan vi anpassa vad som räknas som godkända kategoriseringar, vilket gör det möjligt att skräddarsy ramverket för specifika miljöer och kontexter, säger Anton. Om disputationen Torsdag den 3 april försvarar Anton Eklund, Institutionen för datavetenskap, sin avhandling med titeln ”Utvärdering av dokumentkluster genom mänsklig tolkning.” Disputationen äger rum kl. 13:15 i UB.A.230 Lindellhallen 3. Läs hela avhandlingen">Read the full dissertation.</a></p></atom:content><link>/en/news/ciphepeoples-interpretations-central-in-new-framework-for-evaluating-ai_12068551/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/tora-holmberg-has-been-appointed-vice-chancellor-of-umea-university_12066752/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/tora-holmberg-has-been-appointed-vice-chancellor-of-umea-university_12066752/</guid><title>Tora Holmberg has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of Umeå UniversityAfter a proposal from the University Board, the Swedish Government has today appointed Professor Tora Holmberg as new Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University for the six-year period 2025–2031. “I’m incredibly proud to have been entrusted this assignment, and I’m looking forward to settling in Umeå and getting to know my new university,” says Tora Holmberg.Thu, 20 Mar 2025 15:19:50 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/2a6e69355a4e48a2b97764217a765e27/rektor_tora_holmberg_1825_241205_mgg_33.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2a6e69355a4e48a2b97764217a765e27/rektor_tora_holmberg_1825_241205_mgg_33.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2a6e69355a4e48a2b97764217a765e27/rektor_tora_holmberg_1825_241205_mgg_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/2a6e69355a4e48a2b97764217a765e27/rektor_tora_holmberg_1825_241205_mgg_33.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2a6e69355a4e48a2b97764217a765e27/rektor_tora_holmberg_1825_241205_mgg_33.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2a6e69355a4e48a2b97764217a765e27/rektor_tora_holmberg_1825_241205_mgg_33.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Tora Holmberg will become Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University on 1 April, taking over from Hans Adolfsson, who is now Vice-Chancellor of Stockholm University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Malin Grönborg</span></div></div><p>Tora Holmberg takes office as new Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University on 1 April. She has been active at Uppsala University, not least as professor of sociology, but also as deputy vice-chancellor of humanities and social sciences in 2020–2025.</p><p>“What I bring with me, of course, is a conviction of the value of a comprehensive university and the knowledge of how it works and can be governed. In addition, I have experience of dealing with several strategic research and education issues at Uppsala University during my almost five years as deputy vice-chancellor.”</p><p>“I also aim to be a voice for academic freedom, collegiality and the important role of universities in a democratic community. I’m pleased that my commitment in these areas was valued in the recruitment process and emphasised in the University Board's comments to the decision on new vice-chancellor.”</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">“Harnessing the power”</h2><p>“In my leadership, I strive to ensure that everyone is involved and takes responsibility, and that together we harness the power of staff and students’ knowledge and commitment. I felt early on that it was very rewarding and fun to see others develop and take steps forward, both colleagues, students and doctoral students. Over time, I’ve also realised that I have an ability to bring people together to achieve common goals.”</p><p class="quote-center">Umeå University is highly regarded and plays an important role in the development of the city, the region and Sweden as a whole. This is something I want us to nurture and develop together.</p><p>Since its inauguration in 1965, Umeå University has played a crucial role in the talent acquisition and social development throughout northern Sweden. The University's rapid and constant expansion has also gone hand in hand with Umeå’s growth and development, and this is of course something Tora Holmberg also wants to develop on.</p><p>“Umeå University is highly regarded and plays an important role in the development of the city, the region and Sweden as a whole. This is something I want us to nurture and develop together. At the same time, we are and have the ambition to continue to be a university with international competitiveness. Important issues going forward are to strengthen educational collaboration and increase the University’s competitiveness for research grants from the EU. That’s why I’m also looking forward to getting involved in the European Campus of City-Universities (EC2U) alliance, which consists of nine universities, and which Umeå University is now joining.”</p><p class="quote-center">The place also harbours a strong symbolism. All disciplines can meet there and form a greater whole – a university!</p><p>Umeå University's unified campus creates creative environments for education and research, invites collaboration across disciplines and creates opportunities for an active student life, which is something Tora Holmberg has already experienced during her visits to the University.</p><p>“It really feels like everything revolves around the Campus Pond. Although we have important activities at the Umeå Arts Campus on the riverside, Campus NUS in the hospital area, and other locations in northern Sweden, I think the feeling around the pond captures the heart and soul of this comprehensive university. The place also harbours a strong symbolism. All disciplines can meet there and form a greater whole – a university!”</p>/en/news/tora-holmberg-has-been-appointed-vice-chancellor-of-umea-university_12066752//en/news/bottniska-viken-pa-vag-mot-overgodning_12066347/Gulf of Bothnia heading towards eutrophicationThe Gulf of Bothnia seems to be heading towards eutrophication. It is not only the increasing blooms of cyanobacteria that indicate this. An analysis of many years of monitoring data shows that phosphorus concentrations are increasing and the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus is decreasing. A research group from the Umeå Marine Sciences Centre at Umeå University has analysed nutrient dynamics and how human activity has affected the situation.Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:12:21 +0100<p>The Gulf of Bothnia, with its two sea basins the Bothnian Sea and the Bothnian Bay, has long been considered to be spared from eutrophication. At present, for example, the requirements for nitrogen removal only apply to the treatment plants located south of the Gulf of Bothnia. In 2022, a revised wastewater directive was issued in which the rules were tightened and will apply to all of Sweden's coastal areas. This has raised the question of where the situation in the Gulf of Bothnia is heading, and what we really know about it. There has been criticism against that nitrogen removal should also be required in the Gulf of Bothnia, but the results from the recently published study show that it is relevant to re-evaluate the issue of nitrogen removal in the Gulf of Bothnia as well.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/vattenprovtagning_4075__210917_mjn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/vattenprovtagning_4075__210917_mjn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/vattenprovtagning_4075__210917_mjn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/vattenprovtagning_4075__210917_mjn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/vattenprovtagning_4075__210917_mjn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/vattenprovtagning_4075__210917_mjn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Water sampling from the research vessel KBV 181. Sampling is carried out all year round in the Gulf of Bothnia, as part of the national environmental monitoring.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Marlene Johansson</span></div></div><h3>Increasing nitrogen sensitivity</h3><p>The issue of eutrophication is very much about the balance between the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus. If the amounts of phosphorus increase, the system will become nitrogen-sensitive, which means that the production of, for example, phytoplankton will increase if more nitrogen is added. In a nitrogen-sensitive system, the risks for problems with eutrophication increase significantly. One effect may be that potentially toxic algal blooms increase, as the imbalance between nitrogen and phosphorus favours nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria. The study clearly shows that nitrogen sensitivity is increasing in both the Bothnian Sea and the Bothnian Bay, although the situation has not yet reached as far in the Bothnian Bay. In the Bothnian Sea, cyanobacteria blooms have already increased.</p><h3>Phosphorus-rich water from the south</h3><p>Why are we seeing this development in the Gulf of Bothnia? The explanation that may seem obvious is that the wastewater treatment plants' emissions have caused the problems. Therefore, a review of measurement data from water both upstream and downstream treatment plants was made at a large number of premises along the coast. It was not possible to trace the cause of the change in nutrient balance to the treatment plants. Does this show that the emissions from the treatment plants have no significance?</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/ulvon_algblomning2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/ulvon_algblomning2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/ulvon_algblomning2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/ulvon_algblomning2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/ulvon_algblomning2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/e91a7555fe26402f8ec008d4e781f539/ulvon_algblomning2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Cyanobacteria blooms increase when marine areas become nitrogen-sensitive. The photo is taken in Ulvöhamn in the Bothnian Sea in summer 2024.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Kristina Viklund</span></div></div><p>"Probably not," says Joakim Ahlgren, environmental analyst at Umeå Marine Research Centre and one of the researchers behind the study. "The measurement programs at the treatment plants are not designed to answer that question. In addition, there is a dilution effect from the large rivers, which further complicates the analysis."</p><p>What can be shown, however, is that some of the problems stem from the Baltic Proper. Through the passage around Åland, phosphorus-rich water flows in from the Baltic Proper, causing the balance between nitrogen and phosphorus to change in the Bothnian Sea. Water also flows northwards in the area between the Bothnian Sea and the Bothnian Bay, the northern Quark. The already known problems in the Baltic Proper are thus spreading to the entire Gulf of Bothnia.</p><p>"The question is no longer IF the Gulf of Bothnia will have problems with eutrophication, but rather WHEN. Knowledge about nutrient conditions and ecosystem responses in the Gulf of Bothnia has so far been very limited. By compiling data from both Sweden and Finland, we have gained a clearer picture of how the situation has been, is and how it can be expected to develop," says Joakim.</p><h3>Advice for marine management</h3><p>The report contains a lot of concrete advice for marine management and arouses great interest among the authorities responsible for the marine environment in the Gulf of Bothnia.</p><p>"The report will provide input throughout the chain from mapping the conditions to planning measures linked to eutrophication. The fact that there is now nitrogen limitation in the Bothnian Sea is an important finding they have been able to make, together with the conclusion that the supply of nutrients from the Baltic Proper plays a major role in the nutrient situation in the entire Gulf of Bothnia. We will take this with us when we start the work of planning measures in the autumn. " says Anneli Sedin, environmental officer at the County Administrative Board of Västerbotten.</p><p>The researchers will now deepen their knowledge further through detailed studies of what is happening in the southern and northern Quark.</p><p>"This is where it all happens. By examining the water flows over these passages, we can get an even clearer picture of the development in these sea areas," says Agneta Andersson, project manager and professor at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University.</p><p><a href="https://www.naturvardsverket.se/publikationer/7100/978-91-620-7178-3/">Report Naturvårdsverket 2025 (in Swedish, summary in English)</a></p><p><a href="https://www.naturvardsverket.se/om-oss/aktuellt/nyheter-och-pressmeddelanden/2025/mars/ny-forskning-visar-att-fosforhalterna-okar-i-bottniska-viken/">Press release Naturvårdsverket (In Swedish)</a></p>/en/news/bottniska-viken-pa-vag-mot-overgodning_12066347//en/news/groundbreaking-steel-project-develops-robust-steel-with-lower-co2-emissions_12061920/Groundbreaking Steel Project Develops Robust Steel with Lower EmissionsResearch project AUSNANITE aims to revolutionize steel technology. Between July 2025 and December 2028, researchers in Germany, Spain, and Sweden—including four experts from the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics at Umeå University—will work to optimize steel manufacturing processes. The goal: stronger, more cost-effective steel with a reduced environmental footprint.Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:07:31 +0100<p>By utilizing a new type of ausferritic nanostructure, the steel becomes stronger and more robust while also being cheaper to produce. Additionally, the manufacturing process requires significantly less energy, leading to lower CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.</p><p class="quote-center">This method minimizes both energy consumption and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions while also being significantly cheaper</p><p>Compared to conventional mild steels, today’s ultra-high-strength steels rely on a higher carbon content combined with a heat treatment (QT) that rapidly cools the material in an oil bath, resulting in a large carbon footprint—especially in countries that use fossil fuels in production.</p><p>"This new paradigm involves adding a high silicon content and hardening through austempering—cooling and heat-holding in a molten salt bath. For certain material dimensions, the ausferrite can begin forming during air cooling after hot rolling of bars or after hot forging and then be ‘baked’ in air at a low temperature. This method minimizes both energy consumption and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions while also being significantly cheaper than all other through-hardening methods for steel," says Richard Larker, Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics at Umeå University, and the initiator of the project. </p><h3>Collaborations with Industry</h3><p>To ensure that ausferritic steels offer competitive advantages, AUSNANITE collaborates with several leading companies, including the Spanish steel bar manufacturer Sidenor, Epiroc, and Rototilt, where Richard Larker previously served as Head of Research. These partners will manufacture and test the steel under extreme loads, also subject to impact and wear. </p><h3>Part of the EU’s Sustainable Materials Initiative</h3><p>The project aligns with the EU’s Green Deal, as the high silicon content reduces the need for more critical alloying elements, while the process itself requires less energy and lowers environmental impact during hardening. If 10% of traditionally produced steel were replaced with ausferritic steel, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by approximately 100,000 tons of CO<sub>2</sub> per year.</p><h3>A Bright Future for Steel</h3><p>In summary, AUSNANITE has the potential to take steel technology to the next level. By combining research and industrial practices with a strong focus on sustainability, the project could pave the way for more robust and long-lasting industrial materials while also strengthening Europe’s competitiveness.</p><p><em><strong>More information can be found in this article published in the <a href="~/link/7e1e105d0e0f428cbf0e359f951a315e.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">magazine "Gjuteriet" in 2021</a>. </strong></em></p>/en/news/groundbreaking-steel-project-develops-robust-steel-with-lower-co2-emissions_12061920//en/news/high-school-students-get-a-glimpse-into-the-world-of-research_12062491/High school students get a glimpse into the world of researchThis spring, nearly 140 high school students from natural science programs at schools in Umeå, Skellefteå, Piteå, Luleå, and Finland will visit Umeå University. The students will have the opportunity to meet researchers, explore advanced laboratories and equipment, and receive information about studying here in Umeå.Fri, 14 Mar 2025 08:40:55 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p10119163.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p10119163.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p10119163.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p10119163.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p10119163.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p10119163.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Staff scientist at UCEM, Nils Hauff, shows high school student Simon Blind how he can zoom in on the details of a fly using one of the university's sophisticated electron microscopes at UCEM.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>The first visit took place today, when 15 students studying natural science and biotechnology at Balderskolan in Skellefteå came to Umeå. Among other things, they met researchers developing complex molecules that can be used in cancer treatment. <br><br>"I find everything related to the human body and medicine very interesting," says Tilda Brännström Skilling, who has long set her sights on becoming a dentist. "But I’m trying to keep my options open in case something else seems exciting," she adds. <br><br>Rocky Jonsson, who is studying natural science to build a broad foundation for the future, particularly enjoys the hands-on aspect of biotechnology.  <br>"I like working practically and could see myself doing something in architecture," he says. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011897.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011897.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011897.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011897.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011897.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011897.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Nils Hauff shows students Tilda Brännström Skilling, Rocky Andersson, Lovisa Wikman and Leona Stål the large electronmicroscope at UCEM.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>Among the students, there are dreams of pursuing careers ranging from medicine to police, while some are keeping their future more open. <br>"I’m not entirely sure what I want to study yet, but visiting like this is not only fun but also important to see what opportunities exist," says Simon Blind. <br><br>The students also had the chance to visit advanced laboratories and try using high-resolution electron microscopes to study microscopic structures at Umeå Centre for Electron Microscopy (UCEM). </p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="4f46ece6-a272-4e2b-8763-b66c0bc76ff7" data-contentname="Image display visit">{}</div><p>"These visits are always incredibly appreciated, which is why we keep coming back every year," says Fredrik Morén, chemistry teacher at Balderskolan. <br><br>As the final highlight of the day, the students received information about the Bachelor's program in Life Science and the Engineering program in technical chemistry. <br><br>"We hope to inspire these young people to study here, whether in science, technology, or another field. We need well-educated people to help us face the future," concludes Tobias Sparrman, staff scientist and head of the NMR Core facility, who has been organising the visits from Skellefteå since 2010. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011967.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011967.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011967.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011967.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011967.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c9078cf6592c471a81f23691b88df049/p1011967.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Liquid nitrogen is always fun, isn’t it? Tobias Sparrman, staff scientist and head of the NMR Core facility, demonstrates small experiments with liquid nitrogen for the high school students.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div>/en/news/high-school-students-get-a-glimpse-into-the-world-of-research_12062491//en/news/technological-advancement-can-make-cement-production-both-more-energy-efficient-and-sustainable_12061451/Technological advancement can make cement production both more energy-efficient and sustainableConcrete is the world's most widely used building material – but the production of cement, its key component, generates significant carbon dioxide emissions. New research at Umeå University shows how electrification and carbon capture can make production both more energy-efficient and climate-smart.Thu, 13 Mar 2025 08:00:05 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Through advanced experiments and analysis of cement clinker composition, José Aguirre Castillo, a doctoral student at Umeå University, has demonstrated how new methods can enable more sustainable cement production.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Heidelberg Materials</span></div></div><p>The cement industry accounts for approximately eight percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. These emissions mainly originate from chemical reactions when limestone is heated and from the fossil fuels used in production. By electrifying the production process and implementing carbon capture, emissions can be reduced. This has been investigated in a doctoral thesis at Umeå University.</p><p>José Aguirre Castillo, an industrial doctoral student at Umeå University and process engineer at Heidelberg Materials Cement Sweden, has examined how different carbon capture technologies – such as electrified plasma heating, oxy-fuel combustion, and calcium looping – affect cement production. In these technologies, cement is produced in environments with extremely high carbon dioxide concentrations. José Aguirre Castillo has discovered that this can actually enhance production efficiency, as it facilitates the formation of key minerals in the cement.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Promote chemical reactions</h2><p>“Our results show that high carbon dioxide levels can promote high-temperature reactions. By leveraging this, we have optimised the material with promising results, improving both the product's properties and reducing its climate impact,” says José Aguirre Castillo.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>The rotary kiln in the “rock lab” at Tec-lab, Umeå University, is designed for experiments under high carbon dioxide levels. The kiln's silica tubes can be heated up to 1600 degrees Celcius and was set to 1450 degrees for these experiments. The image shows fully sintered cement clinker produced according to an optimised recipe.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>José Aguirre Castillo</span></div></div><p>The research shows that a key component of cement, the mineral tricalcium silicate, can be formed more efficiently with carbon capture. Since tricalcium silicate normally requires a lot of energy to produce, production adjustments made to reduce emissions could also lead to a more energy-efficient production process and improved cement quality.</p><p>José Aguirre Castillo has also explored how the composition and particle size of raw material can be adjusted to lower energy consumption while making the clinker more reactive. Increased reactivity creates the conditions for diluting the cement with alternative binders, such as volcanic material, further reducing the climate impact.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Extensive research on cement</h2><p>Umeå University is conducting extensive research on sustainable cement and quicklime production in collaboration with Sweden’s leading industrial players in the field. Several studies have contributed valuable knowledge to support the transition that the cement industry is facing.</p><p>José Aguirre Castillo's doctoral thesis shows that carbon capture can be integrated into existing cement plants without compromising cement quality. This enables the industry to reduce emissions while maintaining the strength and durability of the cement.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="bbc1906b-2fb3-440a-804b-ac9f0e579199" data-contentname="About the thesis defence">{}</div>/en/news/technological-advancement-can-make-cement-production-both-more-energy-efficient-and-sustainable_12061451//en/news/how-plants-adapt-to-the-cold_12059463/How plants adapt to the cold – new research reveals key mechanismsAs climate conditions become increasingly unpredictable, understanding how plants respond to cold is crucial for securing future crop resilience. In her doctoral thesis, Varvara Dikaya at Umeå University has studied the protein PORCUPINE, which plays a central role in how plants adapt to low temperatures. Her research reveals that this protein is part of multiple intertwined signalling pathways that help plants survive.Fri, 07 Mar 2025 13:57:03 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/3e9af4db14414cebac054ee1a9268bb6/17403398642833.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/3e9af4db14414cebac054ee1a9268bb6/17403398642833.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/3e9af4db14414cebac054ee1a9268bb6/17403398642833.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/3e9af4db14414cebac054ee1a9268bb6/17403398642833.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/3e9af4db14414cebac054ee1a9268bb6/17403398642833.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/3e9af4db14414cebac054ee1a9268bb6/17403398642833.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Doctoral student Varvara Dikaya has studied how plants adjust to cold by focussing on the protein PORCUPINE.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Nabila El Arbi</span></div></div><p>Plants cannot seek shelter from the cold – they must adapt at the cellular level. Much of the research on plant cold responses has focused on molecules such as amino acids and sugars that prevent freezing and on the core mechanisms of the temperature response. However, there are many new players that are still disconnected from the big picture.</p><p>Varvara Dikaya’s research sheds light on an essential part of this puzzle: RNA splicing, a process that determines which proteins are produced in a plant’s cells.</p><p>“Splicing acts as a central hub controlling the information flow from DNA to RNA defining which proteins are synthesised from a certain gene,” explains Varvara Dikaya, doctoral student in the Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University and Umeå Plant Science Centre.</p><p>The protein she studied, PORCUPINE, was discovered because plants with a mutation in this gene became particularly cold-sensitive. The name comes from the spiky shape of the shoot tip in these mutants.</p><p>“The PORCUPINE mutant appears normal under ambient temperature conditions but cannot develop properly in case of even a mild temperature drop. Already at 16 degrees, the mutant grows shorter roots with increased root hair density and much smaller rosettes than normal. This is very special.”</p><p>Varvara Dikaya’s research reveals that PORCUPINE is involved in multiple cellular processes. On one hand, colder temperatures increase the amount of PORCUPINE RNA in cells, suggesting that more of the protein is produced. On the other hand, this protein is part of the spliceosome, a molecular complex that modifies RNA before it is translated into proteins.</p><p>Varvara Dikaya and her colleagues also identified several genes regulated by PORCUPINE that play key roles in how plants respond to temperature changes.</p><p>“Our findings show the complexity of the cold response in plants. It is important to understand all aspects and identify fundamental mechanisms that could be applied later on in a practical manner. Such knowledge will be essential to create more resilient plants capable of withstanding environmental challenges in the future, even though it is still a long way to go.”</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="78f30fab-ca4d-4a63-8d07-e6a26a0f3e52" data-contentname="About the doctoral thesis">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="1d25738e-0a9f-4d78-8213-405de509bdc4" data-contentname="Contact">{}</div>/en/news/how-plants-adapt-to-the-cold_12059463//en/news/dynamic-battle-between-mars-atmosphere-and-the-solar-wind_12058948/New research unveils the dynamic battle between Mars atmosphere and the solar windQi Zhang, a doctoral student at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics and Umeå University, explores in her doctoral thesis the interaction between Mars and the stream of charged particles from the sun, the solar wind. Her research provides new insights for understanding how the atmosphere of Mars have evolved over time.Thu, 06 Mar 2025 13:53:04 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/44f82b62137d45e6968771be65b647a9/pressbild_qi-zhang3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/44f82b62137d45e6968771be65b647a9/pressbild_qi-zhang3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/44f82b62137d45e6968771be65b647a9/pressbild_qi-zhang3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/44f82b62137d45e6968771be65b647a9/pressbild_qi-zhang3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/44f82b62137d45e6968771be65b647a9/pressbild_qi-zhang3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/44f82b62137d45e6968771be65b647a9/pressbild_qi-zhang3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Qi Zhang's research at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics and Umeå University, provides insights into how the atmosphere on Mars has evolved over time and may look like in the future. Photo: IRF.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Swedish Institute of Space Physics</span></div></div><p>Unlike Earth, Mars lacks a global magnetic field and interacts with the solar wind directly. Over billions of years, this interaction has stripped much of the Martian atmosphere, transforming the planet from a warm, wet world into the cold, arid landscape we see today.</p><p>Qi Zhang’s research introduces a groundbreaking approach to study this process, focusing on the escape of heavy ions from Mars.</p><p>By combining data from Mars satellites with advanced computer models, the study unveils how solar activity – such as solar radiation, solar dynamic pressure and interplanetary magnetic field – affects the atmospheric escape rate.</p><p>“My method allows us to estimate how much of Mars’ atmosphere is being lost to space under different conditions and understand the forces driving this process. This is crucial for piecing together the planet’s history and predicting its future,” says Qi Zhang. </p><p>One of Qi Zhang’s key discoveries is the concept of a degenerate induced magnetosphere – a state in which extreme solar wind conditions trigger a unique interaction feature and a surge in atmospheric escape. These findings have broader implications for planetary science, including the study of exoplanets and their interactions with stellar winds.</p><p>Qi Zhang’s studies not only deepen our understanding of Mars but also have practical implications for future exploration.</p><p>Her research is based on computer models and observations from scientific instruments, as IRF’s Analyzer of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3), onboard the ESA spacecraft Mars Express and NASA’s spacecraft MAVEN, both of which orbit around Mars.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="b904a91e-e18f-408b-aee7-e255a3d2d36c" data-contentname="About the dissertation">{}</div>/en/news/dynamic-battle-between-mars-atmosphere-and-the-solar-wind_12058948//en/news/kbc-relay-2025---a-new-team-in-town-and-amazing-costumes_12055573/KBC Relay 2025 - A new team in town, and amazing costumesThe annual KBC Relay, the race where the sweat drips and the laughter is loud, took place yesterday on the Campus Fields in Umeå. Despite the week's unpredictable weather, a total of 23 teams competed in the relay, along with four quartets who impressively made their way around the 1-kilometer track on their "battleships." Fri, 28 Feb 2025 13:40:06 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/250227_stafetten_danieledlerfoto-1102.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/250227_stafetten_danieledlerfoto-1102.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/250227_stafetten_danieledlerfoto-1102.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/250227_stafetten_danieledlerfoto-1102.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/250227_stafetten_danieledlerfoto-1102.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/250227_stafetten_danieledlerfoto-1102.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The team Skirassic Park, with Laura Herzog, Shuang Li, Patricia Morejon-Garcia and Anton Schindel won the best costume of KBC Relay 2025.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Daniel Edler</span></div></div><p><em>See video from the day at the end.</em><br><br>The weather over the past weekend and earlier this week left much to be desired, and the organisers of the KBC Relay nervously watched as the snow quickly melted away in the rain. But where there's a will, there's a way — there would be a relay!<br><br>On race day, the weather held up, and it was cold enough for the tracks around the Campus Fields to freeze, providing impressively smooth gliding conditions. A total of 23 teams participated — ranging from enthusiastic recreational skiers to international colleagues who had not had skis since childhood, and of course, the KBC's elite who flew across the tracks.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/20250227_1002063.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/20250227_1002063.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/20250227_1002063.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/20250227_1002063.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/20250227_1002063.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8df563bc3f2745b797005d5b084c9fd4/20250227_1002063.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The "battleships" are a staple of the KBC Relay, where quartets compete on skis with four bindings. Costumes are encouraged!</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Clas Wikström</span></div></div><p>In the end, a team from SLU took home the victory at impressivly 11 minutes, while the highly favored "Snökanonerna” (eng: Snow cannons) from previous years had to settle for third place. A shot at revenge next year, perhaps? <a href="https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=381821">Find all teams' results here</a>.<br><br>Four teams completed the race on "battleships" — skis with four bindings that test teamwork as they strive to reach the finish line. <a href="~/link/342643bfd44746eeb6472d031c3fbdd5.aspx">Learn more about KBC Relay 2025 here</a>. <br><br>This year's costumes were also something truly special. Check out the video below, and make sure to bring your skis next year!</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="096e3257-c9bc-4252-bb5b-a44eae22ddd2" data-contentname="KBC Relay 2025">{}</div>/en/news/kbc-relay-2025---a-new-team-in-town-and-amazing-costumes_12055573//en/news/the-way-forward-for-the-european-cbrne-center_12054436/The way forward for the European CBRNE CenterIt was during the summer of 2024 that Niklas Eklund, Professor of Political Science at the Department of Political Science, received an exciting question from the University Management: Would he be interested in taking over as Director of the European CBRNE Center? After a period of reflection and internal processes, it became clear that he would take on the responsibility in the beginning of 2025. Fri, 28 Feb 2025 08:47:49 +0100<p>The fact that the choice fell on a political scientist and not a biologist or chemist may, given the subject area CBRNE, seem unexpected but Niklas belives his background in security policy change, geopolitics and Arctic security, led to him being entrusted with the position. The European CBRNE Center has a tradition of initiating, participating in and coordinating EU projects, and within these there is an increasing demand for interdisciplinary perspectives, including Social sciences and Humanities.</p><p>Niklas is also not new to the task of leading a center. He was previously the Director of <a href="~/link/d00e699181f84765bc083ac4784453b2.aspx">the Arctic Center</a> at Umeå University, which gave him valuable experience.</p><p>”As a political scientist, I am of course a great believer in good governance, but I also realise that all organisations have their inherent logic. I really hope to combine a sense of order with flexibility at the European CBRNE Center. It is always an exciting journey to try to take on genuinely interdisciplinary environments. At the moment, I'm still learning the ropes here at the center, but the opportunity to work across departments and disciplines is very exciting.”</p><h3>Challenges and future perspectives</h3><p>As for the challenges and perspectives on CBRNE issues in Sweden and Europe, Niklas believes the growing availability of information and connections online, along with the rapid development of new technology, is changing current and future threat scenarios.</p><p>”We live in complex times, especially with the technological possibilities that exist today to acquire materials and methods for using CBRNE substances in an antagonistic way. Look at the explosions that take place around Sweden almost daily, it makes you wonder what could happen if malicious people or groups gain access and the skills to use other methods or dangerous substances, such as chemical or biological. Another challenge, not only related to CBRNE, is the question of trust in sources of information, will 'people' continue to listen to scientists and authorities, or will they in the future obtain their information mainly through other channels or from other actors? And if so, which ones?”</p><p>He also believes that the European CBRNE Centers' contribution and CBRNE issues in general will be of much bigger importance in the years to come.</p><p class="quote-center">I believe that CBRNE issues will become increasingly important in the renewal of our various defense models in the Nordic region. I also see extensive security policy change underway both within and across national borders here in the north, and it would be a shame if Umeå University with its broad range of competence would not take part in that change.</p><h3>Umeå's role as a CBRNE hotspot</h3><p>What Niklas is looking forward to is building on the centre's strong contacts with authorities, organisations and actors. The steering committee and the collaboration with the centre's partner organisations represent a great potential in further developing collaborations that strengthen Swedish, Nordic and European security.</p><p>”Although I have only met the steering committee twice so far, I look forward to continuing the work and together exploring the way forward for the European CBRNE Center.”</p><p><strong>How do you see Umeå's role, position and importance within the CBRNE topics contributing to the work of the European CBRNE Center?</strong></p><p>”In the Umeå region, we sometimes talk about the 'CBRNE cluster'. Although it sounds like a strange expression, it stands for something important. In the region, CBRNE expertise is close, between the Swedish Armed Forces, FOI and Umeå University. There are also good contacts with other central actors such as the Swedish Police, the Swedish Fortifications Agency, Umeå Municipality, Region Västerbotten and the County Administrative Board of Västerbotten, among others. There is a critical mass here in both research and practice that makes the Umeå region unique.”</p><p>And outside work? Then there is another passion that perhaps not everyone knows about.</p><p>”Not many people know that I have a soft spot for old cars. And not only that, I own one myself. Niklas says with a smile and excuses himself to continue his workday and his mission as Director of the European CBRNE Center.”</p>/en/news/the-way-forward-for-the-european-cbrne-center_12054436//en/news/scilifelab-site-umea-celebrates-16-new-group-leaders_12053865/<description>In February, Umeå welcomed 16 new SciLifeLab Group Leaders, marking an important step in strengthening Umeå’s life science research community. Group Leaders are researchers with key scientific and technological contributions to SciLifeLab’s mission: advancing life science research through national collaboration. </description><pubDate>Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:39:58 +0100</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_20254.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_20254.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_20254.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_20254.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_20254.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_20254.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>SciLifeLab Umeå's Group Leaders</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">Having this excellence in research and skills gathered here is very important for Umeå</p><p>“With the new Group Leaders, the SciLifeLab and life science community grows stronger in Umeå”, says Linda Sandblad, one of the Group Leaders and the site Director in Umeå.  <br><br>The Group Leaders’ research spans a wide set of life science topics, from diabetes and cancer research, to infection biology and pandemic preparedness, to proteins and DNA sequencing, to the development of sophisticated imaging and computational techniques (to mention a few!).  <br><br>Over SciLifeLab-green princess cakes, the Group Leaders got to meet each other, share their common research interests and goals, and celebrate the years ahead.  </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/scilifelab_nya_gruppledare2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/scilifelab_nya_gruppledare2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/scilifelab_nya_gruppledare2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/scilifelab_nya_gruppledare2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/scilifelab_nya_gruppledare2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/scilifelab_nya_gruppledare2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>SciLifeLab’s new Group Leaders in Umeå celebrated with a SciLifeLab-green princess cake. Annika Johansson, head of unit of <a href="~/link/b3535c2f6803442f8cf20120b93e6074.aspx">Swedish Metabolomics Centre, SMC</a>, cuts the first slice.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>“The Group Leaders has been chosen based on their valuable involvements in infrastructure development, and contributions to shared data resources. Having this excellence in research and skills gathered here is very important for Umeå”, says Linda Sandblad.  <br><br>The Group Leader concept aims to create collaborative communities within the SciLifeLab ecosystem. The key goals are to enhance interdisciplinary research and collaboration, enhance technology development and provide cutting edge research infrastructure </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_20253.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_20253.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_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/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_20253.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_20253.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ac6dccc4bc6c4916b7b1f0aee47594dc/gruppledare_scilifelab_umea_20253.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>SciLifeLab Umeå's new Group Leaders met over cake to celebrate talk about shared research interests.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><ul><li>Find all of SciLifeLab Umeå’s Group Leaders <a href="~/link/52e57ab9a42840cb8203dae90538af55.aspx">here</a>. </li><li><a href="https://www.scilifelab.se/news/scilifelab-welcomes-new-group-leaders/">Read more</a> about the national announcement of 213 new Group Leaders all over SciLifeLab’s national sites. </li></ul></atom:content><link>/en/news/scilifelab-site-umea-celebrates-16-new-group-leaders_12053865/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/scientists-unlock-one-of-the-toughest-biomaterials-and-find-clues-to-pollens-expiration-date_12048528/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/scientists-unlock-one-of-the-toughest-biomaterials-and-find-clues-to-pollens-expiration-date_12048528/</guid><title>Scientists unlock one of the toughest biomaterials and find clues to pollen's expiration dateScientists at Umeå University have found a way to break open the protective walls of pollen grains – one of the hardest biomaterials in the world – without damaging the inside cell and its components. This achievement opened the possibility to isolate and study mitochondria – parts of the cell essential for energy production. To their surprise, several proteins that are key for maintaining the energy production of the mitochondria, were nowhere to be found.Tue, 18 Feb 2025 06:53:44 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/p1011441-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/p1011441-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/p1011441-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/p1011441-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/p1011441-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/p1011441-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Researchers Olivier Keech and Clément Boussardon at the Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, are studying pollen grains from Arabidopsis plants in the Umeå Plant Science Centre's green house.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">This tough outer wall is largely made of one of the most resistant biomaterials known on this planet.</p><h3>Pollen Grains: Nature's Resilient Capsules </h3><p>“Flowering plants are dependent on pollen to reproduce, and the pollen grains are very special in many ways,” says Olivier Keech, Associate Professor at the Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University and group leader at Umeå Plant Science Centre, UPSC.</p><p>He explains that each pollen grain contains a tiny capsule, a cell that carries the male genetic material necessary for the next generation of plants. <br> <br>When a pollen grain encounters a female plant of the same species, fertilization may happen and can give rise to a new generation. But immediate contact is not always a given. To survive harsh environments, pollen grain has developed a specific outer structure that protects the cell, allowing it to travel long distances with the wind or pollinators, such as insects, birds or reptiles.<br><br>“This tough outer wall is largely made of one of the most resistant biomaterials known on this planet. This makes the pollen grain wall highly resistant to environmental damage and some pollen grains can remain preserved in sedimentary rocks for millions of years,” says Olivier Keech. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/olivier_keech_151127_141033_jgs2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/olivier_keech_151127_141033_jgs2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/olivier_keech_151127_141033_jgs2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/olivier_keech_151127_141033_jgs2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/olivier_keech_151127_141033_jgs2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/olivier_keech_151127_141033_jgs2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Olivier Keech, Associate Professor at the Department of Plant Physiology and UPSC, Umeå University. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Johan Gunséus</span></div></div><p>That a pollen grain can survive for such long time span is thanks to an in-house energy production – the mitochondria. “It’s a tiny compartment of the cell that is essential for its survival,” says Olivier Keech.   <br> <br>The mitochondria have its own genetic material, essential for its biological activity, and notably for producing the energy that keeps the cell alive. But to study the pollen mitochondria, they had to break open the protective wall.   </p><p class="quote-center">These are biological structures, a million times smaller than a meter, encapsulated in a tiny safe – dynamite was not an option!</p><h3>A Surprising Discovery and a Collaborative Success  </h3><p>The idea to study pollen mitochondria germinated at a conference in 2019. Olivier Keech and his colleague at UPSC, Clement Boussardon, presented a new technique developed in Umeå, that enables trapping and isolation of mitochondria. This innovative technique intrigued collaborators who studied pollen cells.  <br><br>However, from the birth of the idea, it took a few years to reveal the secrets of pollen, quite literally. “Breaking up pollen grains and isolating intact mitochondria was truly challenging. These are biological structures, a million times smaller than a meter, encapsulated in a tiny safe – dynamite was not an option!” says Clement Boussardon, staft scientist in Keech’s group and first author of the study published in Current Biology.  </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/dsc_01372.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/dsc_01372.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/dsc_01372.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/dsc_01372.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/dsc_01372.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fe0910a233304c20a5f83138cce41581/dsc_01372.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Staff scientist Clément Boussardon at the Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, are studying mitochondria from Arabidopsis pollen grains.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>Clément Boussardon, together with their collaborator Matthieu Simon from INRAE in France, spent over four years perfecting their method to open the pollen grains while preserving the cell. What they discovered, was not what they expected. <br> <br>“What we found was quite surprising,” says Olivier Keech. “We discovered that the proteins that are associated with maintenance and the expression of the genetic material in mitochondria, essential for keeping it alive, were nowhere to be found.” <br><br>“This is a bit like mitochondria were ready to produce energy but were not equipped for any repairs if needed. This discovery may explain why a pollen grain in the end has a limited lifetime, and why it is fine tuned to survive for the duration of its unique mission – fertilization,” says Olivier Keech.  </p><p class="quote-center">Combining the expertise of our diverse research teams has been a great pleasure and was key to this success</p><p>Olivier Keech and Clement Boussardon credit their success to the multidisciplinary nature of the study, which brought together researchers from Germany, France, New Zealand, and of course Umeå. <br><br>“Combining the expertise of our diverse research teams has been a great pleasure and was key to this success,” concludes Clement Boussardon.  </p>/en/news/scientists-unlock-one-of-the-toughest-biomaterials-and-find-clues-to-pollens-expiration-date_12048528//en/news/new-ultra-sensitive-method-for-detecting-bacterial-spores_12047886/New ultra-sensitive method for detecting bacterial sporesResearchers at Umeå University have recently developed a highly sensitive method for detecting bacterial spores — tough microorganisms that survive extreme conditions and can cause both food poisoning and infections. This method could help improve food safety and healthcare.Thu, 13 Feb 2025 09:01:33 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/9af5ee5d37254367bdbf14f9f38a6310/dsc066412.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9af5ee5d37254367bdbf14f9f38a6310/dsc066412.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9af5ee5d37254367bdbf14f9f38a6310/dsc066412.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/9af5ee5d37254367bdbf14f9f38a6310/dsc066412.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9af5ee5d37254367bdbf14f9f38a6310/dsc066412.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9af5ee5d37254367bdbf14f9f38a6310/dsc066412.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jonas Segervald and Dmitry Malyshev in the lab.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Daniel Nilsson</span></div></div><p>Bacterial spores are one of nature’s most resilient organisms. These tiny, seed-like structures form when bacteria enter a dormant state to survive unfavorable conditions. They can endure extreme environments, including boiling water, common disinfectants and radiation — conditions that would kill most bacteria. Their resilience and ability to reactivate when conditions improve make them a major problem in healthcare, agriculture and food production.</p><p>“In this interdisciplinary study, we have developed a new, ultra-sensitive method to detect bacterial spores by combining nanoscience and biophysics," says Jonas Segervald, a doctoral student at the Department of Physics, Umeå University. He is one of the researchers behind the new discovery, which was recently published in the scientific journal ACS Sensors.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Early detection crucial in industry</h2><p>The method uses gold nanorods and laser technology to amplify signals from a unique molecule found in spores. This technique, called surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), enables the identification of incredibly small amounts of chemicals — down to individual molecules. It allows for early detection of bacterial spores even at very low concentrations, which is important in many industries, as preventive measures can be applied at an early stage.</p><p>“Spores are highly problematic in hospitals and the food industry, as they can cause recurring contamination by attaching to surfaces and equipment, leading to illness, spoilage and costly cleaning measures,” says Dmitry Malyshev, staff scientist at the Department of Physics and co-author of the article.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Health risks in dairy production</h2><p>One promising use of this new method is in the dairy industry, where bacterial spores, particularly from Bacillus species, pose a significant risk. Contamination in dairy production lines can lead to spoilage, product recalls and potential health risks. As milk and dairy products are a central part in Sweden's diet, ensuring a high level of food safety is a top priority. In line with this goal, the researchers successfully detected spores in a contaminated sample of milk, demonstrating the method’s potential in improving food safety.</p><p>“Our method offers enhanced sensitivity, allowing us to detect much smaller amounts of bacterial spores than previously possible. Although we are still in the early stages, we are actively working to improve this technology into a practical sensor that can be customized for industries at risk of spore contamination," says Jonas Segervald.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="52bdfa36-719b-470b-bc53-4436cd559dd9" data-contentname="About the scientific article">{}</div>/en/news/new-ultra-sensitive-method-for-detecting-bacterial-spores_12047886//en/news/call-arctic-six-fellow-2025_12040194/Call: Arctic Six Fellow 2025In the beginning of your research career? Become an Arctic Six Fellow! Apply before 21 March 2025.Tue, 04 Feb 2025 08:26:30 +0100<p><strong>If you are a doctoral student with at least two years of doctoral studies or an early career researcher, you can apply for the two-year Arctic Six Fellow Programme. As an Arctic Six Fellow from Umeå University, you will be granted a funding of up to SEK 50 000 for guest research at one or several Arctic Six universities. Deadline for application is 21 March 2025.</strong></p><p>As an Arctic Six Fellow you will have the opportunity to develop your network within Arctic research and education to build a foundation for a career within The Arctic Six. The overarching aim of the programme is to secure external funding to the Arctic Six universities, and in this way, help meet the goals of finding research-based solutions to joint problems facing our societies in the Arctic.</p><p>There are two different categories of Arctic Six Fellows:</p><ol><li><strong>Junior Arctic Six Fellow</strong>: PhD student who is at least two years into their PhD research, and registered to an Arctic Six University.</li><li><strong>Senior Arctic Six Fellow</strong>: postdoctoral graduate who is 1–4 years into their research career, and employed or affiliated to an Arctic Six University.</li></ol><p>To be accepted as an Arctic Six Fellow, you should belong to one of the universities within The Arctic Six. The project that you apply with should already be a part of your academic work or build on that academic work. The project should aim at advancing and spreading knowledge, developing education, and creating innovations for the advancement of sustainability in this Arctic region.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">How to apply</h2><p>Learn more about how to apply at the <a href="https://www.arcticsix.org/arctic-six/news/news-archive/2025-02-03-in-the-beginning-of-your-research-career-become-an-arctic-six-fellow">Arctic Six website</a></p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">More about The Arctic Six</h2><p>The Arctic Six is a partnership between Luleå University of Technology, Umeå University, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Nord University, the University of Lapland, and the University of Oulu, and together we aim to lead the way on Arctic issues. Through this alliance we advance and share knowledge, develop education, undertake research and create innovations for the development of our region and a sustainable Arctic.</p><p><a href="https://www.arcticsix.org/">The Arctic Six website</a></p><p><a href="~/link/c3453cabf57b48d1aac1928f36d19d6f.aspx">The Arctic Six at Umeå University</a></p>/en/news/call-arctic-six-fellow-2025_12040194//en/news/the-internship-in-germany-was-an-eye-opener_12043405/The internship in Germany was an eye-openerDoing an internship abroad is a chance to both broaden your skills and gain new perspectives on working methods and cultures. For Andreas Eriksson, a doctoral student at the Industrial Doctoral School, a stay at the Sartorius research lab in Germany was an experience filled with lessons, insights and some surprising challenges. "It was a unique opportunity to see product development up close in a lab environment that was completely different from the academic research world," says Andreas. Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:26:26 +0100<p class="quote-center">All the documentation was in German, which I wasn't really prepared for.</p><p>Andreas Eriksson is running a research project within the Industrial Doctoral School that is about improving the production of biological drugs, together with the company Sartorius, which has locations around the world, including Umeå.</p><p>For two weeks in September 2024, Andreas worked at Sartorius' plant outside Bielefeld. The company manufactures cell medium, liquid mixtures of nutrients used to grow living cells for drug production, and the research lab works to analyze and characterize these complex biochemical processes.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">From theory to state-of-the-art practice</h2><p>Andreas, who is used to the research environment at the university, describes the contrast between academic labs and the high-tech production environment as striking.</p><p>“A research lab is usually smaller and designed around specific instruments that are used in a narrow area. At Sartorius' lab, the environment was much larger and the range of instruments was significantly broader than I had previously experienced,” he says.</p><p>The state-of-the-art equipment not only meant new opportunities, but also a steep learning curve because the instruments he had to work with in Germany were from a different manufacturer than those used in Sweden.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/eriksson_andreas_5308_231205_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/eriksson_andreas_5308_231205_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/eriksson_andreas_5308_231205_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/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/eriksson_andreas_5308_231205_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/eriksson_andreas_5308_231205_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/eriksson_andreas_5308_231205_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Andreas Eriksson is a doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry and the Industrial Doctoral School.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p>“They also used a different principle to quantify chemical compounds. It was a challenge, but it feels like I've added a new tool to my toolbox,” says Andreas Eriksson.</p><p>Although many of his colleagues spoke good English, the language became an unexpected challenge for Andreas.</p><p>“All the documentation was in German, which I wasn't really prepared for. I often had to use translation tools and figure things out, even though German is close to Swedish. It gave me a new respect for the role of language in working life.”</p><p>He also reflects on how easy it is to take for granted that English works everywhere.</p><p>“In Sweden, we are so used to English working in most contexts, but this is not always the case in other countries. It was a useful insight.”</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Cross-border knowledge exchange</h2><p>In addition to the technical aspect of the internship, the informal conversations with German colleagues became an important part of the experience.</p><p>“I talked a lot with my colleagues about the differences and similarities between Germany and Sweden, both in terms of work and everyday life. It's conversations like that that make you really get to know other people's ways of thinking and living,” he says.</p><p>The cultural differences were also evident in small details, such as how work was organised and what expectations there were in the workplace.</p><p>“It was interesting to see how the precision and structure of their work processes differ from how we do things here at home. We exchanged many ideas on how to improve the workflow.”</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/sartorius-campus-goettingen-data2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/sartorius-campus-goettingen-data2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/sartorius-campus-goettingen-data2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/sartorius-campus-goettingen-data2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/sartorius-campus-goettingen-data2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/3780975f21014a0c8103163d03e8cf57/sartorius-campus-goettingen-data2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Andreas Eriksson also visited the headquarters, Sartorius Campus, in Göttingen for a few days during his stay.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Marco Bühl, Sartorius AG</span></div></div><p>Andreas also took the opportunity to explore Germany during his stay – and he wants to advise others who do internships abroad to do the same. For his part, the weekends were perfect opportunities to explore nearby towns and try out local restaurants.</p><p>“If you can, stay a few extra days and discover the country. It's easy to get stuck in work and miss out on all the other things that a stay abroad can bring. I tried to eat dinner in different places every night and learn as much as I could about the local culture,” he says.</p><p>So far, Andreas has used two of the three months offered by the Industrial Doctoral School's doctoral programme for internships. He has worked both on-site in Germany and remotely with data analysis for Sartorius.</p><p>“We plan to use the third month in the future as well. It will probably be an arrangement where I continue to assist with data analysis remotely. There may also be a shorter visit to Germany, but nothing long-term like last autumn.”</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">An experience to recommend</h2><p>For Andreas, the internship has been a positive experience that has provided both professional and personal development. He hopes that more people will take the opportunity to do an internship abroad if the opportunity arises.</p><p>“I was able to broaden my knowledge and gain new perspectives. I would definitely recommend it to others. It's an experience that I will carry with me for a long time,” says Andreas Eriksson.</p><p><a href="~/link/73eeb92474f44f07902e5fef5c2e7a59.aspx">Read more about Andreas Erikssons research project</a></p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="f5669cea-b5a7-48cc-9281-3f365d46d0f0" data-contentname="Företagsforskarskolan och praktiken ENG">{}</div>/en/news/the-internship-in-germany-was-an-eye-opener_12043405//en/news/aleksandra-foltynowicz-elected-optica-fellow_12043321/Aleksandra Foltynowicz elected Optica FellowOptica, the leading society for scientists and other professionals in the science of light, has elected Aleksandra Foltynowicz a Fellow Member in recognition of her significant contributions to her field of research.Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:20:07 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/a7f75c08f71a4767b20a0be6c505939c/foltynowicz_matyba_aleksandra_220120255334_hkn7.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/a7f75c08f71a4767b20a0be6c505939c/foltynowicz_matyba_aleksandra_220120255334_hkn7.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/a7f75c08f71a4767b20a0be6c505939c/foltynowicz_matyba_aleksandra_220120255334_hkn7.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/a7f75c08f71a4767b20a0be6c505939c/foltynowicz_matyba_aleksandra_220120255334_hkn7.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/a7f75c08f71a4767b20a0be6c505939c/foltynowicz_matyba_aleksandra_220120255334_hkn7.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/a7f75c08f71a4767b20a0be6c505939c/foltynowicz_matyba_aleksandra_220120255334_hkn7.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Aleksandra Foltynowicz, Professor at the Department of Physics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p>Founded in 1916, Optica is dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving, and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Fellow membership is an honorary distinction reserved for members who have served with distinction in the advancement of optics and photonics.</p><p>Aleksandra Foltynowicz is being honored specifically “for outstanding and sustained contributions to research in precision molecular spectroscopy and frequency comb spectrometers”.</p><p>121 members were elected Optica Fellows in 2025, with Aleksandra Foltynowicz being the only one from Sweden.</p><p><a href="https://www.optica.org/get_involved/awards_and_honors/fellow_members/elected_fellows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">List of all new Fellows</a> (Optica.org)</p>/en/news/aleksandra-foltynowicz-elected-optica-fellow_12043321//en/news/ukrainian-researchers-visited-umea-for-collaboration-and-inspiration_12041064/<description>With Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, most of laboratory research came to a halt. With bombing of institutes, frequent loss of electricity, and nights spent in bomb shelters, the life of the researchers has changed drastically. When most of the teaching and research takes place online, the visit to Umeå University provided not only a break from the war, but a source of inspiration and possible collaborations. </description><pubDate>Fri, 31 Jan 2025 09:03:29 +0100</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10111423.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10111423.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10111423.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10111423.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10111423.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10111423.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Annika Johansson, Head of unit at the Swedish Metabolomics Center (SMC) at Umeå university and SLU, introduces the metabolomics research that takes place at SMC. SMC is part of the Metabolomics platform at SciLifeLab. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>"I think this visit will inspire them for the rest of the lives," says Olena Myronycheva, associate senior lecturer at Luleå University of Technology, during their visit to Umeå University. She is behind UNSTE, Ukraine Natural Science Talent Empowerment, a project with the aim of empowering young Ukrainian researchers and training them in natural science topics.<br><br>“Since February 2022, most of our activities and research take place online”, explains visitor Tetiana Konovalenko, who organised the trip to Sweden together with Olena Myronycheva. As part of her PhD thesis, she studies the impact of international projects on higher education in Ukraine, and hopes to use the visit as the basis for her work.<br><br>“I study how research benefits from international cooperation, and the need for connections and collaborations outside of Ukraine is immense right now, as is access to equipment and labs,” she says. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10110612.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10110612.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10110612.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10110612.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10110612.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10110612.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Linda Sandblad, researcher at the Department of Chemistry, Director for SciLifeLab site Umeå and Umeå Centre for Electron Microscopy, introduces the facilities and possible collaboration oppurtunities. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>As a part of UNSTE, several PhD students and young researchers in molecular biology, biotechnology, and plant science at Ukrainian universities, were selected to visit the Swedish universities in the north, spending two days at Umeå University, SciLifeLab and Umeå Plant Science Centre. </p><p>“During my studies and research in Sweden I have always had good collaborations with Umeå and wanted to show the possibilities here to the students. I think they could have many opportunities here,” says Olena Myronycheva.  </p><p class="quote-center">Meeting the researchers and seeing the labs here in Umeå shows us what is possible</p><p>During the two-day visit, they visited several of the labs and infrastructures at the Chemical Biological Center, KBC, learned about opportunities through SciLifeLab and the upcoming SciLifeLab postdoctoral programme, PULSE, Umeå Plant Science Centre as well as connected with researchers here in Umeå and sparked ideas for collaborations. All participants from Ukraine expressed great gratitude to all researchers and staff at Umeå that gave extensive information about advanced research methods and equipment. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10112222.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10112222.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10112222.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10112222.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10112222.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10112222.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Tobias Sparrman, staff scientist at the NMR facility, introduces the visitors to the techniques and methods used at the unit. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><h3>We still have a future</h3><p>“The high level of the equipment and labs here are something that I could only dream of in Ukraine right now”, says Alina Kerner, a PhD student at the M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv.<br><br>As part of her PhD, she is researching how certain fungi might help address chemicals that contain fluorine –– chemicals that are often difficult to break down and can be harmful to the environment. “Meeting everyone here in Umeå has been a very happy event and inspirational boost,” she says.<br><br>Her colleague, PhD student Svitlana Bondaruk, who also studies fungi usages in biotransformation, says that “meeting the researchers and seeing the labs here in Umeå shows us what is possible”.<br><br>During the visit, Umeå university also provided information and advice on grants and funding, support which Alina Kerner and Svitlana Bondaruk explains are invaluable in their situation.<br><br>They explain that although they now have access to their laboratories in Kyiv “we experience more or less daily cuts in electricity, and the labs shake due to close bombing”. They share about starting over experiments from scratch when there is an electricity shortage, or if they have to leave for the bomb shelter.  <br><br>“Many times, I’ve brought my laptop to the shelter to continue analysis of data,” says Svitlana Bondaruk.  </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10113092.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10113092.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10113092.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10113092.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10113092.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/68de3c6520fb4415bd4c2065329a1b6d/p10113092.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>From left to right: Alina Kerner, Svitlana Bondaruk, PhD students at the National University of Food Technologies, Keiv, and Daria Pylypenko, associate professor State Biotechnological University, Kharkiv.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>Although the many difficulties in conducting the research, their interest in the science keeps them going, and they hope to one day make an impact in science that reminds the scientific community that Ukraine is still standing. “If I publish a paper in an international journal, the world will see that we are still alive, we are still doing research, and we still have a future,” says Alina Kerner.<br><br>“It has been amazing to see the facilities here in Umeå, the labs and infrastructures. Everyone has been very welcoming, and we are very grateful for the opportunity to visit and ignite collaborations,” says Daria Pylypenko, associate professor at the State Biotechnological University in Kharkiv, Ukraine. </p></atom:content><link>/en/news/ukrainian-researchers-visited-umea-for-collaboration-and-inspiration_12041064/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/new-light-tuned-chemical-tools-control-processes-in-living-cells_12040145/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/new-light-tuned-chemical-tools-control-processes-in-living-cells_12040145/</guid><title>New light-tuned chemical tools control processes in living cellsA research group at Umeå University has developed new advanced light-controlled tools that enable precise control of proteins in real time in living cells. This groundbreaking research opens doors to new methods for studying complex processes in cells and could pave the way for significant advances in medicine and synthetic biology.Thu, 30 Jan 2025 09:51:00 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/yaowen_and_collegues3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/yaowen_and_collegues3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/yaowen_and_collegues3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/yaowen_and_collegues3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/yaowen_and_collegues3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/yaowen_and_collegues3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jun Zhang, Laura Herzog and Yaowen Wu have found a way to control proteins in living cells.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Shuang Li</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">In our experiments, we were able to demonstrate precise control over several processes in the cell</p><p>“Cellular processes are complex and constantly change depending on when and where in the cell they occur. Our new chemical tool with light switches will make it easier to control processes in the cell and study how cells function in real time. We can also determine where we make such regulation with a resolution of micrometres within a cell or tissue”, says Yaowen Wu, professor at the Department of Chemistry and SciLifeLab Group leader at Umeå University.</p><p>The intricate choreography of what happens in a cell is based on the precise distribution and interaction of proteins over time and space. Controlling protein or gene function is a cornerstone of modern biological research. However, traditional genetic techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 often operate on a longer time scale, which risks causing cells to adapt. In addition, the techniques lack the spatial and temporal precision required to study highly dynamic cellular processes.</p><p>To address these challenges, so-called chemo-optogenetic systems have emerged as powerful tools. 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. Professor Yaowen Wu’s lab is at the forefront of developing chemo-optogenetic systems.</p><p>Previously, Yaowen Wu’s lab introduced systems based on a type of molecular glue. These work by bringing two proteins close together to change the localization or activity of a protein. The molecular glues are activated or deactivated by light by removing or cleaving a light-sensitive group. Although these tools represented significant advances, they had limitations in their use and insufficient photo- and chemical stability.</p><p>In two new publications selected as hot papers in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition and Chemistry – A European Journal, researchers in the Wu lab have developed next-generation chemo-optogenetic tools based on photoswitchable molecular glues. These improve on previous systems and overcome limitations. Through the modified molecular design, these molecular glues can be turned “on” or “off” like a light switch using light of specific wavelengths, allowing for multiple activation cycles where the two different states either promote or inhibit protein function.</p><p>” The new modular design enables enormous versatility of the system with adaptable properties and more stability”, says Jun Zhang, staff scientist at the Department of Chemistry at Umeå University.</p><p>“In our experiments, we were able to demonstrate precise control over several processes in the cell, including protein function and localization, organelle positioning and protein levels”, says Laura Herzog, postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Chemistry at Umeå University.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/fotomask_final3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/fotomask_final3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/fotomask_final3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/fotomask_final3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/fotomask_final3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/5694cbbb42eb464a8c9f0837866b232d/fotomask_final3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The activity of a luminescent protein can be tuned by light using the photoswitchable molecular glues developed in these studies. Cells in which the protein is active will produce a luminescent signal. By guiding the light through photomasks, exposing certain cells to light while shielding others, the researchers were able to produce patterns on cell populations.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Laura Herzog</span></div></div>/en/news/new-light-tuned-chemical-tools-control-processes-in-living-cells_12040145//en/news/jens-wants-more-students-to-study-abroad-and-get-a-double-degree_12033582/Jens wants more students to study abroad and get a double degree What help would I want if I were a new student in a foreign country? That is physicist Jens Zamanian's starting point when he meets exchange students. Since the beginning of the year, he has been the new internationalization manager at the Faculty of Science and Technology. Fri, 17 Jan 2025 09:40:36 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/527a2705e3d04405a231a2003baaf406/zamanian_jens_6354_200224_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/527a2705e3d04405a231a2003baaf406/zamanian_jens_6354_200224_hkn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/527a2705e3d04405a231a2003baaf406/zamanian_jens_6354_200224_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/527a2705e3d04405a231a2003baaf406/zamanian_jens_6354_200224_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/527a2705e3d04405a231a2003baaf406/zamanian_jens_6354_200224_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/527a2705e3d04405a231a2003baaf406/zamanian_jens_6354_200224_hkn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jens Zamanian is new in the role of managing internationalization at the Faculty of Science and Technology.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p>“It feels really fun and a chance to kind of see "the big picture" when you think about which universities we should collaborate with” he says. “What is relevant for our faculty and our students?”</p><p>Jens Zamanian does a lot of teaching in his job. Among other things, he is responsible for the Classical Mechanics course that about a hundred MSc engineering students take every year. When he was awarded the faculty's pedagogical prize in 2024, his valued work with international students was also highlighted.</p><p>Since 2014, he has been international contact person at the Department of Physics. There, he has worked on everything from signing exchange agreements with universities in other countries to guiding incoming students.</p><p>“You are a bit vulnerable when you come to a foreign country. Many have travelled halfway around the world and don't understand the language. I usually think about what I would have wanted help with if it were me.”</p><h3>Long exams a shock</h3><p>Students often come to him for support in matching which courses they should take, especially if they are courses given at several different institutions. Jens also gets to explain how the study system in Sweden works.</p><p class="quote-left">You are a bit vulnerable when you come to a foreign country</p><p>“Many are quite shocked that we can have six-hour exams. They may be used to two hours, but then you are in a hurry and can't get all the assignments done.”</p><p>“I also usually talk a little about Swedish culture when I meet them and explain that it is okay to address your teachers by their first names. Then the International Office does a great job with Orientation Day and other activities! It has made the care of international students much better.”</p><p><em>What makes working with international students fun, in your opinion?</em></p><p>“I get an insight into how they study in other countries, what the differences are compared to here and how they view it. And many students are very nice and fun to talk to!”</p><h3>Fewer after the pandemic</h3><p>Before the pandemic, the Physics Department received around 70 exchange students each year. Currently, 40-50 come per year. Significantly fewer Swedish students take the chance to study abroad.</p><p>“It’s about two to four students. Things were turning around, one year we had more than that going to Hong Kong and South Korea. The following year I had nominated 16 who wanted to go, but then the riots in Hong Kong came and then the pandemic.”</p><p><em>How can we get more domestic students to choose to study abroad?</em></p><p>“I think what has the most effect is that those who have gone abroad can come and tell others here about their experiences.”</p><p>Most of the foreign students that the Physics Department receives come from Germany, France, Turkey, Spain, Portugal and China.</p><p>“We offer quite a few courses at advanced level and the exchange students allow us to maintain a wider range of courses than we otherwise could.”</p><h3>Increased independence</h3><p><em>What do you see as the biggest benefits for students participating in exchange studies?</em></p><p>“That they feel more independent, that they can go out into the world and feel that they can handle it. For some who come here from other countries, when they move away from home to study, they live in a college, have food served and their room cleaned. Here they have to manage everything themselves. Another big advantage, which the students themselves may not always think about, is that they get the opportunity to study courses that are not available at their home university.”</p><p><em>Have you been abroad as an exchange student yourself?</em></p><p>“No, but after my dissertation I was a post doc in Strasbourg in France. I didn't know the French language and took evening classes and such, but it was still tough and I was quite isolated. But, of course, more research work was done instead.”</p><p>Now Jens will have to take a bigger grip on the internationalization work than at his own department. Step one is to familiarize himself with all the agreements that exist and continue the work that his predecessor Konrad Abramowicz started.</p><p>“He started with meetings for all departments' international contact persons and to have a joint call for applications for outgoing students. This has simplified a lot, but I think there are more opportunities for collaboration and that we may be able to encourage more departments to have similar agreements as we have for double degrees.”</p><h3>Double degrees bring advantages</h3><p>The Physics Department has agreements with two Chinese universities, Shenzhen and South West University, which give students the opportunity to obtain a bachelor's degree from two countries at the same time. The students study three years at their home university and one year in Umeå, including their degree project.</p><p>“They can count their studies in China towards their degree from here and vice versa. It shows more clearly that they have studied in two places. It also makes it easier if they want to study further in Europe, then they have a Swedish bachelor's degree. We also drill them quite hard, they have several advanced courses in their bachelor's degree, which gives a stronger bachelor's degree. That is also an advantage for them.”</p><p>A similar model could be viable at more departments, as well as inspire more Swedish students to obtain a double degree, Jens Zamanian believes.</p><p>“When we had a visit from Shenzhen, Konrad, Markus Ådahl and Victor Falgas-Ravry from the mathematics department were there and met them. If mathematics is interested, I think more people might be.”</p><p>“I also know that sometimes several departments have exchange agreements with the same university. There may be advantages in combining these into a faculty agreement.”</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="3d311aac-589d-4bc1-a0cc-06f5073c831b" data-contentname="ABOUT Jens Zamanian">{}</div>/en/news/jens-wants-more-students-to-study-abroad-and-get-a-double-degree_12033582//en/news/permafrost-thaw-threatens-up-to-three-million-people-in-the-arctic_12032685/Permafrost thaw threatens up to three million people in the ArcticPermafrost thaw poses multiple risks to local Arctic communities, their livelihoods, infrastructure and environment. A transdisciplinary study led by Umeå University and others has identified key risks across four Arctic regions. This allows communities to adapt and make informed decisions.Thu, 16 Jan 2025 11:00:05 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Like in many regions of the Arctic, in Ilulissat, Greenland, roads built on sensitive permafrost terrains are particularly prone to ground surface deformations. Faced with limited budgets and numerous challenges, local stakeholders are concerned about the costs of repeated maintenance, and difficulty of prioritizing and planning on the long-term.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Johanna Scheer</span></div></div><p>Permafrost underlies about 15 percent of the northern hemisphere's land area and is rapidly degrading due to climate change. Thawing permafrost not only poses a global threat through the release of greenhouse gases, but is also expected to have far-reaching implications for about three million Arctic inhabitants who live in areas most susceptible to permafrost degradation.</p><p>“In Sweden, permafrost lands are important as soil carbon reservoirs and for traditional land use practices, such as reindeer herding. Like in other regions of the Arctic, permafrost thaw is causing landscape changes and hazards that impact local ecosystems and livelihoods,” says Johanna Scheer, postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science at Umeå University.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Johanna Scheer, postdoktor vid Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Johanna Scheer</span></div></div><p>As part of an EU-funded project, a team of scientists, led by Umeå University, University of Vienna and Technical University of Denmark, investigated permafrost thaw risks alongside local stakeholders in four Arctic regions: Longyearbyen (Svalbard, Norway), the Avannaata municipality (Greenland), the Beaufort Sea region and the Mackenzie River Delta (Canada), and the Bulunskiy district (Republic of Sakha, Russia).</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Five key hazards</h2><p>The researchers identified five key hazards related to infrastructure, mobility and supply, water quality, food security and health. The findings have been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications Earth and Environment.</p><p>“The physical processes, hazards and societal consequences associated with permafrost thaw constitute risks that are perceived differently across the Arctic depending on the local context and place-dependent specificities. Understanding the complex nature of these risks is essential to support the resilience and adaptive capacity of Arctic communities,” says Johanna Scheer.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Endanger local ecosystems</h2><p>Infrastructure failure and disruptions of mobility and supplies raised concerns across all regions due to their widespread impacts on society and the economy. In Canada, the release of contaminants from failing industrial legacy infrastructure, such as abandoned oil and gas wells, was notably considered a serious threat to both animal and human health. Finally, in regions where traditional land use practices and subsistence are important parts of local populations’ cultural identity, permafrost thaw’s negative effects on food security also represented a major concern.</p><p>Permafrost thaw risks considerably endanger local ecosystem and population health. In the follow-up ILLUQ EU-funded project, researchers at Umeå University are now focusing on the complex relationships between permafrost thaw, vegetation changes, pollution and land use. By combining field-based and remote sensing techniques, their focus will specifically be directed towards mapping and assessing the impacts of legacy oil wells and permafrost thaw on vegetation in the Mackenzie River Delta region, Canada.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="a50e7a81-55b5-4b79-9c8b-c3817f3a4345" data-contentname="">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="ef90df20-3f03-48a7-a388-5a491a6e4edf" data-contentname="">{}</div>/en/news/permafrost-thaw-threatens-up-to-three-million-people-in-the-arctic_12032685//en/news/chemistry-professor-in-new-role-at-swedish-environmental-research-institute-ivl_12033114/Chemistry professor in new role at Swedish Environmental Research Institute IVLChemistry professor Patrik Andersson, Umeå University takes up a new role with IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, with the aim of increasing collaboration between academia and the sector when it comes to “safe” use of chemicals.Fri, 17 Jan 2025 16:09:56 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/c2810c8088ac4af99b4d411ced55645f/patrikandersson_foto_annastrom3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c2810c8088ac4af99b4d411ced55645f/patrikandersson_foto_annastrom3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c2810c8088ac4af99b4d411ced55645f/patrikandersson_foto_annastrom3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/c2810c8088ac4af99b4d411ced55645f/patrikandersson_foto_annastrom3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/c2810c8088ac4af99b4d411ced55645f/patrikandersson_foto_annastrom3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/c2810c8088ac4af99b4d411ced55645f/patrikandersson_foto_annastrom3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Patrik Andersson.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Strom</span></div></div><p>“This is a time where organisations and projects are aimed at making society sustainable. I am excited to be part of this effort. I will have the possibility to shape this role”, said Andersson, a longstanding member of the Department of Chemistry.</p><p>Previously part of its management team, focusing on education, he sees his new role as Innovation Coordinator for Sustainable Chemistry with IVL both as an opportunity to promote graduate education and to deepen sectoral collaboration on “safe” chemicals.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Doing the right thing from the start</h2><p>As a scientist, Andersson has been part of developing screening and testing of chemicals. In a string of projects his team focused on understanding the fate and effects of substances on various host organisms and the development of computational techniques, he said.</p><p>Funds from the Swedish government bodies Swedish Research Council and Formas have allowed for multiannual studies and Andersson has held work packages in European Union projects, of which Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals that kicked off in 2022.</p><p>“We should do the right thing from the start”, Andersson said;</p><p>“This is why we talk about safe and sustainable chemicals by design”.</p><p>His approach echoes that of leading public health researchers, calling for a new global “precautionary” approach, in a recent article in New England Journal of Medicine, that would only allow chemical products on the market if their manufacturers could establish through independent testing that the chemicals are not toxic at anticipated exposure levels.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Smart substitution of risky chemicals</h2><p>Swedish IVL, meanwhile, offers research and consulting services in the areas of environment and sustainability and has an overarching aim of bringing together industry, policymakers, higher learning institutions and relevant international organisations to work on the topical areas it oversees, according to its website.</p><p>It also plays host to the coordination of multiannual projects backed by Swedish national funders, such as Mistra SafeChem, where Andersson is new director and previous member of the Board.</p><p>Riding on the concept of substitution of chemicals deemed to pose a risk to people and the environment under the 2007 EU Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals and related rules, Mistra SafeChem focuses on “smart” substitution in the field of organic synthesis and catalysis, in particular.</p><p>“I am going to work with key players including companies in the sector. I think that we can deepen the collaboration”.</p><p>Andersson will continue to work part time as a scientific research leader at Umeå University, and will be one of two IVL representatives based at Umeå, Sweden.</p><p>“I hope that I can contribute with a different perspective. I see the academic world and can highlight its advantages”, he said;</p><p>“As a researcher, you may have very little contact with industry”.</p><p>Andersson stepped into his new role of innovation coordinator and programme director 1 January 2025.</p>/en/news/chemistry-professor-in-new-role-at-swedish-environmental-research-institute-ivl_12033114//en/news/new-documentary-on-the-challenges-of-climate-research_12017646/New documentary on the challenges of climate researchWhat does a fjord in northern Norway have in common with the climate challenges of the future? More than you might think. In the new documentary Fjords Frontiers: Digging into the Future of Climate Change, researchers Eric Capo and Erik Björn take us on a journey through the fjord. Here, under the ice-covered surface of Rossfjordsvatnet, we explore how toxic compounds are formed in oxygen-free environments and what clues these waters can provide about our future in an increasingly warmer world.Wed, 08 Jan 2025 13:54:50 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4577ef6d4e2a437f9ec340a34d4bd7de/fjords_frontiers_documentary3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4577ef6d4e2a437f9ec340a34d4bd7de/fjords_frontiers_documentary3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4577ef6d4e2a437f9ec340a34d4bd7de/fjords_frontiers_documentary3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4577ef6d4e2a437f9ec340a34d4bd7de/fjords_frontiers_documentary3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4577ef6d4e2a437f9ec340a34d4bd7de/fjords_frontiers_documentary3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4577ef6d4e2a437f9ec340a34d4bd7de/fjords_frontiers_documentary3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Photo from the film Fjords Frontiers: Digging into the future of climate change</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Eric Capo</span></div></div><p>A sharp breeze sweeps over Rossfjordsvatnet in northern Norway. On the surface, the fjord is still and seemingly untouched, but beneath its surface hides a history that stretches back tens of thousands of years – and which may provide clues to what our future will look like. Right here, researchers Eric Capo and Erik Björn, both at Umeå University, have dug deep into the fjord's sediments and water masses to investigate one of climate research's most burning topics: how toxic compounds such as methylmercury are formed and spread in oxygen-free ecosystems.</p><p>Their work is not only documented in scientific articles but also in films. The documentary Fjords Frontiers: Digging into the Future of Climate Change premiered on December 12 at Curiosum, and the researchers are looking forward to sharing their research with a wider audience.</p><h3>Reading the fjord as an archive</h3><p>At the heart of their research is the question of how oxygen deprivation in aquatic ecosystems, which is exacerbated by climate change and eutrophication, affects the formation of methylmercury. This extremely toxic compound can be produced by microorganisms in oxygen-free environments and accumulate in fish, which can ultimately pose a health risk to humans.</p><p>"We see that oxygen depletion in coastal zones and oceans increases with global warming, and this can lead to an increase in methylmercury production. We want to understand the key processes that govern this, in order to be able to predict which areas are most vulnerable in the future," says Erik Björn, professor at the Department of Chemistry.</p><p class="quote-left">We wanted to give a picture of what it means to be a researcher and work with climate change. At the same time, we hope to inspire young people to become researchers and get involved in the major environmental challenges</p><p>By analysing the sediment archive in Rossfjordsvatnet and studying the microbial diversity in the fjord, the research team has gained new knowledge about how these processes work. An early finding is that methylmercury levels increase sharply in oxygen-free water – a result that now forms the basis for further analyses.</p><p>"It was in line with our expectations, but the really important thing is to find out whether this is controlled by the chemical properties of the mercury or by the biology of the microorganisms," says Eric Capo, Associate Senior Lecturer at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences.</p><h3>From lab to film screen</h3><p>Documenting the research in film format was a new approach for Eric and Erik. The idea was born out of a desire to show people how research is done and what issues drive science forward.</p><p>"We wanted to give a picture of what it means to be a researcher and work with climate change. At the same time, we hope to inspire young people to become researchers and get involved in the major environmental challenges," says Eric Capo.</p><p>The documentary gives viewers an insight into everything from on-site sampling to advanced analyses in the laboratory. By combining beautiful nature images with educational explanations, the researchers hope that the film will be both engaging and educational.</p><h3>Premiere nerve and public issues</h3><p>Premiering the film felt both nervous and exciting, according to Eric and Erik. Their hope is that the film will lead to conversation and reflection on climate issues. They look forward to meeting viewers' questions, which often challenge them to think outside the box.</p><p>"Discussions with the public can really enrich research. Questions from people outside academia can provide new perspectives that we ourselves have not thought of," says Erik Björn.</p><p>Although the film is now finished, the research continues. The project started in September 2023 and will run for at least another 2–3 years. During that time, the team hopes to add more pieces to the puzzle of how methylmercury is formed and which ecosystems are most vulnerable.</p><p>"Our hope is that the results can be used to protect marine ecosystems and reduce risks to human health," says Eric Capo.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="f66b6839-93f5-45d8-8f6e-54c404650ab7" data-contentname="Documentary film">{}</div>/en/news/new-documentary-on-the-challenges-of-climate-research_12017646//en/news/the-science-behind-christmas-trees-how-conifers-brave-winters-worst_12020740/The science behind Christmas trees: How conifers brave winter's worstAs the festive season approaches, evergreen conifers like spruce and pine adorn homes worldwide. But while Christmas trees bring warmth and joy into our lives, they endure some of the harshest conditions on Earth in their natural habitats. Most people take it for granted that they maintain their needles lush and green in freezing winters and blinding sunlight in the boreal forests but now scientists can unwrap the science behind conifers’ winter survival. Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:00:04 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Conifers have special strategies to survive the harsh winters in the north.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Johnér Bildbyrå AB</span></div></div><p>The photosynthetic process of most green plants is highly conserved; it functions overall the same in green algae, tulips and redwood trees. Yet, there are differences and scientists are gradually understanding more about both the differences and commonalities.</p><p>Conifers have extraordinary winter survival strategies, some of them were not understood until recently. Scientists from Umeå University have, together with colleagues, summarized recent breakthroughs in an article published in Trends in Plant Science.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Dissipates extra energy</h2><p>One of the two main findings, both of which this group of researchers have contributed to, is that conifers change the structure of their thylakoid membranes – where photosynthesis takes place – making Photosystem I (PSI) and Photosystem II (PSII), which otherwise by large remain separated, come in winter closer to each other and work together in a special way named spill-over.</p><p>“This helps them to safely dissipate extra energy and avoid damage from too much sunlight in the cold,” says Stefan Jansson, Professor at Umeå Plant Science Centre at Umeå University.</p><p>Others have previously, without understanding the mechanism, named the process ‘Sustained Quenching’ as it could put photosynthesis into a lock down mode for days.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>The findings could be used for breeding conifers that are resilient to extreme weather conditions.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Stefan Jansson and Pushan Bag</span></div></div><p>The second strategy, operating in parallel to spillover, is that conifers use special routes for moving the electrons in photosynthesis. These paths, known as alternative electron flow, involve flavodiiron proteins and help keep the photosynthesis process balanced. This also prevents the system from becoming overloaded when there's too much light and freezing temperatures.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Conifers are the dominant species</h2><p>In addition, the photosynthetic apparatus of conifers differs from that of flowering plants (angiosperms) in a few other ways. They lack, for example, some so-called light-harvesting proteins found in other plants.</p><p>“All together this can explain why conifers are the dominant species in boreal forests, thriving where few others can, perhaps at the expense of advantages during less challenging conditions; few conifers, if any, grow where water, nutrients and temperature conditions are all favourable” says Pushan Bag, lead author who during his doctoral studies at Umeå Plant Science Centre studied these phenomena.</p><p>Understanding these mechanisms may also aid conservation and help predict forest responses to climate change and may in the longer perspective inform strategies for breeding crops that are resilient to extreme weather conditions.</p><p>Co-author Alexander Ivanov adds:</p><p>”This paper highlights the intricate adaptations of conifers to extreme winter conditions. By combining structural, molecular, and evolutionary insights, it advances our understanding of how these trees have come to dominate some of the harshest ecosystems on Earth.”</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="1c3ae6ff-c6a7-45df-b202-9668b500b32d" data-contentname="">{}</div><p> </p><p><strong>For more information, please contact:</strong></p><p>Dr. Pushan Bag, University of Oxford<br>Email: <a href="mailto:pushan.bag@biology.ox.ac.uk">pushan.bag@biology.ox.ac.uk</a></p><p>Stefan Jansson, professor at the Department of Plant Physiology and Umeå Plant Science Centre, Umeå University<br>Phone: +46 70 677 23 31<br>Email: <a href="mailto:stefan.jansson@umu.se">stefan.jansson@umu.se</a></p>/en/news/the-science-behind-christmas-trees-how-conifers-brave-winters-worst_12020740//en/news/life-science-umea-highlighted-in-documentary-project_12020144/Life Science Umeå highlighted in documentary projectUmeå has long been identified as a key actor within life science innovation and will soon be highlighted in an exciting new documentary project. Journalist and documentary filmmaker Luis Jachmann visited North Sweden to document Umeå's role as a life science hub. This marked one holding point in the year-long documentary project, which aims to explore innovative initiatives across Europe and their connection to an integrated European continent. Wed, 18 Dec 2024 17:03:32 +0100<p>The project focuses on how collaboration and funding by the European Union empower groundbreaking research and development.</p><p>”During my research I got the impression that this Northern European town is closely linked to the idea of a strong, integrated EU,” says Luis Jachmann.</p><p>The documentary will feature <a href="~/link/274d3c87105f4a7a82c425560b684571.aspx">Support Office for Life Science & Health (SOLH)</a> and Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) as important enablers of innovation in the region. An interview with Mats Falck, SOLH and Peter Jacobsson, UBI delved into how the project and the incubator function as launchpads for new project initiatives, fostering collaboration and driving progress.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">The Life Science Ecosystem in Umeå</h2><p>Jachmann’s four-day visit captured a wide array of interviews, activities and facilities, showcasing Umeå’s dynamic Life Science Ecosystem. This included an interview with Fredrik Almqvist, director of the Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), an engaging ice-skating session and interview in Tavelsjö with Emil Byström, CEO of SpinChem, and a visit at Lipum for a session with Susanne Lindquist and Pernilla Abrahamsson. A central question for the interviews was: What is the main goal of the initiatives, and how does European funding contribute to achieving it? Jachmann also got to tour the life science facilities at Umeå University and UBI, which featured advanced laboratories, instruments, and microscopes.</p><p>“Those few days gave me a precise insight of how life science research is a key branch in Umeå. I got an idea of how emerging companies are closely linked with high-quality research that is done at Umeå university. So these strong ties between academic world and business ideas can have, and are probably going to have, a strong impact on economic and demographic effects for the whole region. And by the end Europe benefits from the innovations that are born in Sweden's North,” says Jachmann.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Watch a sample video </h2><p>We eagerly anticipate the final documentary and look forward to seeing how Life Science Umeå is featured as part of a broader European narrative. Watch a short preview of the video material, the video below displays a sample from the ice skating in Tavelsjö.</p><p> </p>/en/news/life-science-umea-highlighted-in-documentary-project_12020144//en/news/pesticides-in-cambodian-agriculture-investigated-for-health-risks_12019043/Pesticides in Cambodian agriculture investigated for health risksResearchers at Umeå University have investigated a group of substances used to combat weeds and insects suspected of carrying risks to human health and inducing cancer.Wed, 18 Dec 2024 14:41:09 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/fd2483b4442b432eacc8384e06bb85b2/puthearyngin-thesis-defence_dec_20243.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fd2483b4442b432eacc8384e06bb85b2/puthearyngin-thesis-defence_dec_20243.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fd2483b4442b432eacc8384e06bb85b2/puthearyngin-thesis-defence_dec_20243.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/fd2483b4442b432eacc8384e06bb85b2/puthearyngin-thesis-defence_dec_20243.png?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fd2483b4442b432eacc8384e06bb85b2/puthearyngin-thesis-defence_dec_20243.png?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fd2483b4442b432eacc8384e06bb85b2/puthearyngin-thesis-defence_dec_20243.png?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Putheary Ngin, PhD student at the Department of Chemistry.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Private</span></div></div><p>They chose to study pollution loads and associated risks of such polar pesticides in the Southeast Asian country of Cambodia, and four provinces that share the Mekong River, important to biodiversity and livelihoods.</p><p>Putheary Ngin, Department of Chemistry, outlines their findings in a PhD dissertation that gives the concentrations of these modern pesticides, primarily in soils and water.</p><p>In 2022 the European Union banned one of the most common types and recommended in a regulation that polar pesticides be analysed both in plant and animal matrices. However, no comparable analyses had been performed in Cambodia since, according to the researchers.</p><p>There many farmers prefer to use imported products because of their relatively low price, but may not be able to understand the instructions on the package.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Pesticides in all foods</h2><p>"It was discovered ten years ago, around 2011, that pesticides were very common in all food in Cambodia. We selected these novel pesticides to see if there was a risk to human health and which matrix was most exposed", Ngin said.</p><p>The researchers started from the assumption that the use of polar pesticides could carry a risk of toxic pollution of crops and the environment. They performed an encompassing study entailing field sampling and laboratory testing.</p><p class="quote-center">This marks a previously undocumented environmental presence of these chemicals.</p><p>Ngin also interviewed a number of farmers who had used modern pesticides to spray crops.</p><p>"There is a tendency for overuse. Spread today, sell tomorrow. This is one of our main conclusions", according to Ngin.</p><p>Fifty-six new polar pesticides were found in surface water and 43 in soil samples.</p><p>"This marks a previously undocumented environmental presence of these chemicals… Ten per cent of these pesticides present a high or very high risks to aquatic life, particularly in the Mekong River, a vital ecosystem supporting biodiversity and livelihoods in the region".</p><p>It is well known to the scientific community studying these matters, that analysis of polar pesticides does not come easy, however.</p><p>The research team including PhD student Ngin and her academic supervisor Jerker Fick, associate professor, circumvented the issue by combining a range of sophisticated techniques for analysis, available to them at Umeå University in northern Sweden and in the academic cluster to which it is attached.</p><h2 data-magellan-target="info1">Farmer education</h2><p>"Results indicate that vegetables are the primary source of pesticide exposure, followed by rice and fish, with water identified as the least risky matrix", Ngin said.</p><p>The research results are aimed at policymakers, other scientists and public health campaigners.</p><p>"They also underscore the importance of targeted farmer education to prevent overuse and encourage sustainable agricultural practices".</p><p> </p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="db68b58a-15ae-42c3-be95-3e0dcc666f2a" data-contentname="About the doctoral thesis">{}</div>/en/news/pesticides-in-cambodian-agriculture-investigated-for-health-risks_12019043//en/news/students-found-few-resistant-bacteria-at-open-house_12018580/Students found few resistant bacteria at Open houseWhat bacteria and fungi do we carry, and are any of them antibiotic-resistant? That’s what two students in the Bachelor’s Programme in Life Science set out to investigate during the Open house at Umeå University – and the results were unexpected.Wed, 18 Dec 2024 13:10:07 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Hendi Lamaj, Sena Gizem Süer, and Pol Cuesta Turull at Open house.</p></div></div><p>Each square centimetre of our skin can host close to a million microorganisms – bacteria and fungi that play an important role in our daily lives. With this as their starting point, Hendi Lamaj and Pol Cuesta Turull, students in the Bachelor’s Programme in Life Science, conducted an experiment during the Open house on 6 November.</p><p>Visitors were invited to provide samples from their hands and everyday items, such as mobile phones and jewellery, by leaving prints on agar plates – Petri dishes used to culture microorganisms. Some of the plates also contained antibiotics to test for the presence of ampicillin-resistant bacteria. A total of 31 samples were collected from volunteers curious to learn more about the microorganisms in their surroundings.</p><p>“The experiment was a way to showcase our programme in an entertaining and engaging manner while also tackling the important issue of antibiotic resistance,” says Teresa Frisan, programme co-director with Erik Chorell for the Bachelor’s Programme in Life Science.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Example of bacterial and fungal growth on an agar plate without ampicillin. Two types of bacterial colonies can be observed as well-defined round items: white colonies and yellow colonies. Fungal growth appears as bigger and not-rounded items.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hendi Lamaj </span></div></div><p>After the samples were incubated for 48 hours at a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius, the results were analysed. All 31 regular agar plates showed growth of both bacteria and fungi. Among the plates with antibiotics, only two showed growth of microorganisms, in the form of small bacterial colonies.</p><p>“We are pleasantly surprised by the results gathered. The growth of bacteria was a lot lower than expected and the antibiotic-resistant growth was very minimal. This implies that the most common bacteria in the university environment do not carry ampicillin antimicrobial resistance yet,” says Teresa Frisan.</p>/en/news/students-found-few-resistant-bacteria-at-open-house_12018580//en/news/building-bridges-between-the-alps-and-the-arctic_12018640/Building Bridges Between the Alps and the Arctic: Swiss-Swedish Research DialoguesThe Deputy Head of Mission at the Swiss Embassy, Vincent Juillerat, visited Umeå University to discuss collaborations on the effects of climate change in the Arctic and the Alps. The focus was on the role of research in sustainable development, the integration of Indigenous knowledge, and global partnerships. The visit strengthens the ties between Switzerland and Sweden, paving the way for future collaborations in research and policy development.Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:49:31 +0100<h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Swiss Embassy Deputy Explores Umeå University’s Arctic Research</h2><p>On 9–10 December, Vincent Juillerat, Deputy Head of Mission at the Swiss Embassy in Stockholm, visited Umeå University to engage with its leading Arctic research units. This visit underscored the shared challenges and opportunities for collaboration between Switzerland and Sweden, particularly in addressing climate change impacts on ecosystems, tourism, and geopolitical dynamics in the Arctic and Alpine regions.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Strengthening Connections Between the Alps and the Arctic</h2><p>Switzerland and Sweden, though geographically distinct, face similar environmental and societal challenges in their Arctic and Alpine regions. These include the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, sustainable tourism, and integrating Indigenous knowledge into policymaking. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dieter Müller welcomed Juillerat, emphasising Umeå University’s strategic role in Arctic research and its potential to drive collaborative solutions.</p><p>“Arctic research requires global partnerships to succeed. Through dialogue with international actors like the Swiss Embassy, we strengthen the connections needed to address the complex challenges facing the Arctic today,” said Dieter Müller.</p><p class="quote-center">Arctic research requires global partnerships to succeed</p><p>Juillerat’s visit provided a comprehensive overview of Umeå University’s contributions to Arctic research, highlighting its leadership in the <strong>Arctic Six</strong> network and its role as the new host of the <strong>European Polar Board</strong>. These initiatives exemplify the university’s commitment to linking research, policy, and sustainable development.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">From Research Insights to Policy Impact</h2><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/8c7037ef684c456cb8ef770714c729e7/larsson_keith_8437_180110_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8c7037ef684c456cb8ef770714c729e7/larsson_keith_8437_180110_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8c7037ef684c456cb8ef770714c729e7/larsson_keith_8437_180110_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/8c7037ef684c456cb8ef770714c729e7/larsson_keith_8437_180110_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8c7037ef684c456cb8ef770714c729e7/larsson_keith_8437_180110_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8c7037ef684c456cb8ef770714c729e7/larsson_keith_8437_180110_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Keith Larson, director of the Arctic Centre at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>The program featured a keynote discussion by Keith Larson, Director of the <strong>Arctic Centre</strong>, who highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to Arctic challenges. Larson’s presentation explored how collaborative research can inform policy and drive solutions in the rapidly changing Arctic environment. This discussion set the stage for a broader exchange of ideas between Umeå University researchers and their Swiss counterparts.</p><p>Pär Byström, Director of the <strong>Climate Impacts Research Centre</strong>, provided a detailed analysis of climate change effects on Arctic ecosystems. He emphasised the interconnected changes in temperature, precipitation, and vegetation, linking these to Arctic lakes' browning and fish communities' shifts. Byström also stressed the increasing importance of winter research in understanding these dynamics.</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Indigenous Perspectives in Arctic Research</h2><p>A significant focus of the visit was integrating Indigenous knowledge into Arctic research. Kristina Selin MacNeil presented the work of <strong>Várdduo – Centre for Sámi Research</strong>, Sweden’s only Sámi research centre. She highlighted the importance of incorporating Sámi culture, history, and language into studies of the Arctic, particularly in addressing contentious regional issues. Juillerat expressed a strong interest in the challenges of recognising Indigenous perspectives and rights in policymaking.</p><p>“The inclusion of Indigenous knowledge is crucial for developing sustainable and equitable Arctic policies,” noted Keith Larson, underscoring Várdduo’s contributions to interdisciplinary approaches and policy-relevant research.</p><h2 id="info4" data-magellan-target="info4">Shared Interests in Tourism and Security</h2><p>Dieter Müller drew parallels between the Arctic and Swiss Alps' tourism sectors, emphasising the need for sustainable strategies in these environmentally sensitive regions. Additionally, Paul Schmidt addressed the Arctic’s growing geopolitical significance, highlighting the importance of fostering stability and international cooperation.</p><p>Linda Lundmark showcased the <strong>Arctic Graduate School</strong>, an initiative preparing early-career researchers to tackle the Arctic's complexities through innovative, interdisciplinary approaches.</p><h2 id="info5" data-magellan-target="info5">A Pathway to Future Collaboration</h2><p>The visit concluded by reaffirming the shared interests and mutual goals between Switzerland and Sweden. Both countries recognise the critical role of research in addressing global environmental and societal challenges. The dialogue reinforced Umeå University’s position as a hub for Arctic research and a key player in fostering international partnerships.</p><p>Looking ahead, the Swiss Embassy and Umeå University aim to explore joint activities to strengthen our shared research agendas.</p>/en/news/building-bridges-between-the-alps-and-the-arctic_12018640//en/news/per-erik-johansson-retires-as-director-of-the-european-cbrne-center_12015423/Per-Erik Johansson retires as Director of The European CBRNE CenterAfter nearly a decade as the Director of the European CBRNE Center, Per-Erik Johansson is stepping down at the end of the year to enjoy his retirement. During his years at the center, he has become an important and unifying figure within the European CBRNE community.Tue, 07 Jan 2025 15:05:06 +0100<p>Curiosity about the the European CBRNE center’s work led Per-Erik Johansson to accept an invitation for coffee from his predecessor, <a href="~/link/8d8b38b5d26149e6ba6b486ccca5b150.aspx">Dzenan Sahovic</a>. During their chat, Per-Erik learned that the position of Director for the European CBRNE Center was about to be announced. Having previously been involved in the center’s founding under Åke Sellström’s leadership, Per-Erik saw an opportunity to continue the important work of his predecessors while keeping his home base in Umeå, despite the job’s European focus.</p><p>Per-Erik applied for the position and, in July 2015, two staff members and the center’s steering committee welcomed him. In the early years, the focus was on securing research funding and building connections with relevant networks and stakeholders. After successful applications and networking efforts, the center coordinated and participated in several projects and initiatives at both national and international levels. As the workload grew, the center expanded its team with two additional staff members.</p><p>Since 2015, exciting projects such as <a href="~/link/f7f9868fd0ce4457ac1c12ae596b945e.aspx">Safety & Security Test Arena</a>, <a href="~/link/8f8982a705e4405da37b855a41bf564f.aspx">CELECTIVE</a>, and <a href="~/link/70faf26d0c4547ddbd1250934f8d5b8d.aspx">MELODY</a> have been initiated and completed. Per-Erik has plenty of stories and anecdotes about great ideas and results achieved, as well as setbacks and successes, which he shares with enthusiasm without forgetting a single name of those involved. One memory he holds dear is how the idea for the PROACTIVE project emerged during a reflective conversation after an exercise that had come to a halt when a guide dog (belonging to a blind participant) left first responders scratching their heads in confusion.</p><p>"During the exercise, the first responders didn’t know the best course of action to take with the dog, and it sparked thoughts about what other elements need to be considered when managing large, diverse groups, and how to care for people — and even animals — that previously haven’t been included in exercises. This became the starting point for what later became PROACTIVE, a groundbreaking project in CBRNE research with a focus on groups that may be considered as being particularly vulnerable during CBRNE incidents."</p><p>When asked about the most challenging aspect of his role, Per-Erik responds:</p><p>"It’s probably the slowness I perceive when it comes to applying innovations and new methods. Then again, patience isn’t my strongest trait," he says with a chuckle before answering the next question before it’s asked: "But I’ve enjoyed the job, especially meeting so many skilled colleagues at local, national, and international levels."</p><p>Per-Erik is looking forward to life as a retiree, with a lighter schedule, more time for outdoor activities, and much more photography. In January, he will hand over the reins to his successor, although he will remain at the center for a while to provide support, experienced advice, and perhaps a story or two.</p>/en/news/per-erik-johansson-retires-as-director-of-the-european-cbrne-center_12015423//en/news/mikael-elofsson-takes-a-seat-in-royal-academy_12012460/<description>Mikael Elofsson, professor of organic chemistry and Dean at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Umeå University, has been elected fellow in the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA).</description><pubDate>Thu, 05 Dec 2024 13:41:24 +0100</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/a440819e6cdf4484b2f8d901623a1e86/elofsson_mikael_0442_210615_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/a440819e6cdf4484b2f8d901623a1e86/elofsson_mikael_0442_210615_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/a440819e6cdf4484b2f8d901623a1e86/elofsson_mikael_0442_210615_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/a440819e6cdf4484b2f8d901623a1e86/elofsson_mikael_0442_210615_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/a440819e6cdf4484b2f8d901623a1e86/elofsson_mikael_0442_210615_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/a440819e6cdf4484b2f8d901623a1e86/elofsson_mikael_0442_210615_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Mikael Elofsson, Dean at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">I am very happy and honoured by the assignment</p><p>The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, IVA, has existed for over 100 years and is the world's oldest engineering academy. Its task is to promote technical and economic sciences and the development of business life, with the aim of being beneficial to society.</p><p>On Wednesday, IVA appointed 41 new fellows who will work in various ways to promote IVA's purposes. One of them is Mikael Elofsson, dean at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Umeå University since 2017.</p><p>“I am very happy and honoured by the assignment. Something I am particularly passionate about is basic research, which is of immense importance for the ability to meet the challenges of today and the future. In addition to the knowledge that is generated, basic research in a longer perspective leads to innovations and practical applications that in turn strengthen Sweden's competitiveness”, he says.</p><p>IVA consists of 12 divisions. Mikael Elofsson becomes a fellow in the Basic and interdisciplinary engineering sciences division.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">What do you think is IVA's most important mission right now in this area?</h2><p>“The green transition and the enormous challenges that climate change leads to due to human activity are issues that society must work intensively on to solve. Here, IVA is an important player that, with its broad competence, can contribute to a positive development.”</p><p>Mikael Elofsson has a degree of Master of science degree in engineering and a Doctor degree of technology, and is currently a member of the board of IVA Nord, which during the year, among other things, conducted the seminar series "The green social transformation in the North" in collaboration with Luleå University of Technology, Umeå University, University of Gävle and Mid Sweden University.</p><p>“It has been exciting and in November the series ended with a well-attended summarising seminar in Stockholm. Now we are thinking about activities to carry out next year”, he says.</p><p>IVA has approximately 1,300 Swedish fellows. Several of them have connections to Umeå University, including Kenneth Bodin, Virginia Dignum, and Emmanuelle Charpentier.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">More reading</h2><p><a href="https://www.iva.se/en/published/re-election-of-marcus-wallenberg-as-chair-of-iva-and-election-of-41-new-fellows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More about IVA and the whole list with new elected fellows</a></p><p> </p></atom:content><link>/en/news/mikael-elofsson-takes-a-seat-in-royal-academy_12012460/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/new-microscope-will-reveal-3d-cell-structures-at-nanoscales_12010819/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/new-microscope-will-reveal-3d-cell-structures-at-nanoscales_12010819/</guid><title>New microscope will reveal 3D cell structures at nanoscales Umeå Centre for Electron Microscopy (UCEM) recently inaugurated an advanced microscope which will contribute greatly to research in several life science fields. The new instrument is a FIB-SEM (Focused Ion Beam – Scanning Electron Microscope), specifically designed to reveal thin layers of cells whilst operating at extremely low temperatures, enabling detailed studies of biological samples at the nanoscale.Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:33:54 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning24.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning24.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning24.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning24.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning24.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning24.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Erin Schexnaydre, staff scientists at UCEM, shows the new FIB-SEM instrument "Aquilos 2". The microscope can image biological samples at nanoscales, whilst the sample is kept at freezin -180 degrees Celsius.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Operating at -180°C </h2><p>Here in Umeå, we are used to freezing conditions, but in the labs at Umeå Centre for Electron Microscopy (UCEM), they take the cold one step further.  <br> “Having cells frozen to very low temperatures preserve the biological structures within them, such as proteins, and allows us to study the functions of these proteins”, explains Erin Schexnaydre, staff scientist at UCEM, who will be the manager of the new instrument, named Aquilos 2.  <br> <br>Before the microscope is put to use, samples are frozen to below -180 °C. This is done in a rapid cooling process, preventing ice crystals from forming in the sample which would otherwise cause damage to the sensitive biological structures. <br><br>“However, the sample is at this stage too thick to be directly imaged by an electron microscope," says Erin Schexnaydre, “which is why we need the combination of both the focused ion beam and the electron microscope.” </p><p>By using a beam of charged particles – ions, Aquilos 2 can create thin layers of frozen samples – called cryo-lamella. Cryo-lamella can be as thin as 200 nanometers, which is 500 times thinner than human hair, and much thinner than the average size of a human cell. This technique opens the cell for detailed studies of its inner structures in 3D and is ideal for obtaining detailed images of the interior of cells.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Round-the-clock science </h2><p>Although purchase was finalised already at the end of last year, it has been a long wait for the new microscope to be up and running. Following some necessary room reconfigurations, the instrument is now in use and was celebrated with a cheerful inauguration at UCEM and a contest of the best electron microscope image. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning13.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning13.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2dc289fc3d224c2abf5b3d3fe5347f3a/aquilos2_invigning13.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Cheerful mood at UCEM as the new FIB-SEM microscope "Aquilos 2" was inaugurated in November. It was celebrated with drinks and a competition of the best electron microscopy image.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><p>“Aquilos 2 is designed to use the ion-beam overnight, which increases the throughput of cryo-lamella production and thus the collection of data,” says Erin Schexnaydre. Obtaining more data quicker allows the researchers to explore complex biological structures more efficiently, opening doors to new scientific discoveries. <br><br>Who has access to the new microscope? “Anyone at Umeå University, or collaborators in SciLifeLab, who have projects requiring this microscope can be trained by the UCEM staff to use the new instrument,” says Erin Schexnaydre, who hopes it will come in good use for many exciting research projects.</p>/en/news/new-microscope-will-reveal-3d-cell-structures-at-nanoscales_12010819//en/news/northern-lights-peak-season---space-physicist-explains-the-phenomenon_12009791/Northern Lights peak season - space physicist explains the phenomenonWinter is the peak season for seeing the northern lights. But what are the northern lights, when is the best time to see them and can you really hear them?Patrik Norqvist, a doctor of astrophysics at Umeå University, explains. "The best chance is when it is dark and clear in the evenings," he says.Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:51:35 +0200<p>They are nature’s fireworks with bright colours dancing across the sky. For both young and old, seeing the Northern Lights is a powerful experience, and many people travel long distances to Northern Europe just to see them. The light we see consists of small particles, primarily electrons, thrown off from the Sun and crashing into atoms in Earth’s upper atmosphere at high speeds.</p><p>“The phenomenon can be compared with what happens in a fluorescent tube or a neon sign. When the different shells around the atoms are hit by these electrons, light is emitted,” explains Patrik Norqvist, doctor of space physics and associate professor in physics at Umeå University.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/northen_lights_at_loberget_fredrik_larsson_visit_umea3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/northen_lights_at_loberget_fredrik_larsson_visit_umea3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/northen_lights_at_loberget_fredrik_larsson_visit_umea3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/northen_lights_at_loberget_fredrik_larsson_visit_umea3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/northen_lights_at_loberget_fredrik_larsson_visit_umea3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/northen_lights_at_loberget_fredrik_larsson_visit_umea3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Northern Lights over Loberget, Botsmark. But it doesn't have to be snow on the slopes or cold to be able to see the Northern Lights.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Fredrik Larsson / Visit Umeå</span></div></div><p>The colours we see in Northern Lights are result from the type of atom that the electrons hit. Some atoms, like oxygen, can emit more than one colour. Green often results from oxygen while hydrogen atoms usually emit purple or pink.</p><p>The high acceleration of electrons required to trigger Northern Lights and Southern Lights (also known as aurora borealis and aurora australis, respectively) only occurs around the Earth’s two magnetic poles in the southern and northern hemispheres. Northern Sweden is within the so called auroral zone in the northern hemisphere, allowing ample opportunities to see the Northern Lights.</p><p>“If the speed of the electrons is extremely high, the auroral zone can be pushed down into southern Sweden or in extreme cases into continental Europe. But reaching south of Sweden requires very high speeds. So Stockholm has less Northern Lights than Umeå and Umeå has less than Kiruna. When southern Sweden does see Northern Lights, however, they can be quite the show since they are the result of very strong Northern Lights,” says Patrik Norqvist.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Extreme periods of Northern Lights occur </h2><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norqvist_patrik_5010_220221_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norqvist_patrik_5010_220221_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norqvist_patrik_5010_220221_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/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norqvist_patrik_5010_220221_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norqvist_patrik_5010_220221_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norqvist_patrik_5010_220221_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Patrik Norqvist, doctor of space physics and associate professor in physics at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>There are periods when the Northern Lights are unusually visible, when the Sun is in a particularly chaotic phase that occurs every 11 years. This is when the sun's magnetic field changes direction, which, in simple terms, causes a lot of fuss and bother, with more sunspots and turbulent magnetic fields. As a result, more solar storms occur, which can affect everyday life on Earth through, for example, power cuts, air traffic disruptions or even the Northern Lights.</p><p>One such period occurred during the winter of 2024/2025.</p><p>“This ebbs and flows with a periodicity that we have been able to follow for hundreds of years and seems to be very stable in its 11-year cycle. The solar maximum of 2024/2025 provided lots of impressive Northern Lights.”</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">How to improve your chances of seeing Northern Lights</h2><p>To see Northern Lights, it needs to be dark and you need clear skies and as little light pollution as possible. So your best bet is to get away from the city centre.</p><p><strong>Is it a myth that it has to be cold?</strong></p><p>“In a way. It is important that it is clear, but cold weather often is associated with clear weather. The temperature doesn’t play a role though. The action up there is not impacted by whether it is -20 ° or +20 °. It needs to be dark and clear skies to see the stars. Of course, it is darker longer in the winter.”</p><p>There are now apps and websites that can forecast when Northern Lights might be visible by combining estimates of solar activity with the risk of cloud cover. These are dependable in the same way that weather apps show us the best estimate for weather conditions, explains Patrik.</p><p>An interesting aspect is that cameras tend to capture Northern Lights better than the human eye.</p><p>“It’s odd that Northern Lights are often better in pictures than when seeing them in real life. So one suggestion is to take your camera or mobile phone and take pictures even if you don’t see much.”</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norrsken-nydala-fredrik-larsson2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norrsken-nydala-fredrik-larsson2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norrsken-nydala-fredrik-larsson2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norrsken-nydala-fredrik-larsson2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norrsken-nydala-fredrik-larsson2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/edd02e8fad134a13bf30431c8ad9700a/norrsken-nydala-fredrik-larsson2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Northern Lights over Nydala Lake, Umeå.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Fredrik Larsson / Visit Umeå</span></div></div><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">No evidence that Northern Lights can be heard</h2><p>Can you hear Northern Lights? Probably not, explains Patrik.</p><p>"Many people say they have heard Northern Lights, even space physicists and people who I know well and have great confidence in. But as far as I know there is no evidence for hearing them, and no one has succeeded in recording any sounds, which is a strong indication that there aren’t any.”</p><p>Northern Lights occur much too far away, and it would take several minutes for the sound to reach us on the Earth’s surface. Additionally, the air is too thin to be able to convey sound waves to us. But there are other possible explanations.</p><p>“Perhaps the brain produces a sound to match what it sees? There is also a theory that Northern Lights could create electromagnetic waves that cause a crackling sound in the hair or in the hair in our ears in some way, a type of radio waves or artificial sound. But we can definitely eliminate the possibility that it would be a normal sound from the Northern Lights,” explains Patrik.</p>/en/news/northern-lights-peak-season---space-physicist-explains-the-phenomenon_12009791//en/news/david-wardle-on-the-list-of-the-worlds-most-cited-researchers_12007724/David Wardle on the list of the world's most cited researchersDavid Wardle, Professor of Ecology at Umeå University, is one of the most cited researchers on Clarivate's list 2024. The researchers on the list are in the top one percent and have an exceptional influence in their respective fields.Wed, 20 Nov 2024 15:31:30 +0100<p>The “Highly Cited Researchers” list is compiled by Clarivate, an analytics company which owns the Web of Science publication database, and lists the researchers whose work has been cited most frequently (top 1 percent) over the past decade.</p><p>One of them is David Wardle. He researches how environmental change affects ecosystems both above and below ground. He has conducted field studies in many parts of the world, including south-east Asia, New Zealand and northern Sweden. In 2023, he was appointed professor at the Department of Ecology and Environment Science at Umeå University.</p><p>The list of most cited researchers also includes a visiting professor at Umeå University: Linda Hollebeek at the Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics. Her home university is Sunway University in Malaysia.</p><p>In total, the list consists of 6,886 world-leading researchers, 60 of whom are from Swedish higher education institutions.</p><p><a href="https://clarivate.com/highly-cited-researchers/">To the list "Highly Cited Researchers" (Clarivate.com)</a></p>/en/news/david-wardle-on-the-list-of-the-worlds-most-cited-researchers_12007724//en/news/mixed-forests-reduce-the-risk-of-forest-damage-in-a-warmer-climate_12003407/Mixed forests reduce the risk of forest damage in a warmer climateForests with few tree species pose considerably higher risk of being damaged and especially vulnerable is the introduced lodgepole pine. This is shown in a new study by researchers from Umeå University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Science in Uppsala. The results can be useful for preventing forest damages and financial losses related to the forest industry.Wed, 20 Nov 2024 08:49:27 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4eb378a3bb6d42708a4ecbaf7f7bf295/blandskog2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4eb378a3bb6d42708a4ecbaf7f7bf295/blandskog2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4eb378a3bb6d42708a4ecbaf7f7bf295/blandskog2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4eb378a3bb6d42708a4ecbaf7f7bf295/blandskog2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4eb378a3bb6d42708a4ecbaf7f7bf295/blandskog2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4eb378a3bb6d42708a4ecbaf7f7bf295/blandskog2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>A mixed forest leads to less damage to trees, according to extensive data analysed by researchers.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Jan Bengtsson</span></div></div><p>Fungi, insects, fires and cervids, such as moose, are examples of natural factors behind tree damages in Swedish forests. Sometimes, the damages become so extensive that they impact the function of forest ecosystems, not least the ability of forests to provide wood and other tree products.</p><p>“In a warmer climate with more extreme weather and new pest organisms, and with a more intense forestry, forest damages are expected to become more common and more severe. It is therefore important to understand causes of forest damages and whether it can be prevented,” says researcher Micael Jonsson at Umeå University, who led the study.</p><p class="quote-center">Our results show that there is a potential to reduce the risk of forest damages via a changed forest management.</p><p>The Swedish national forest inventory has collected extensive data from Swedish forests. Since 2003, data on forest damages have also been collected.</p><p>In the current study, the research group has analyzed 15 years of these data from all over Sweden, to investigate which damages are most common and which factors determine the risk of a tree becoming damaged. The study is more extensive both in time and geographically than previous studies.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Wind and snow cause most damages</h2><p>The results show that wind and snow are the most common causes of tree damage, followed by forestry and then fungi. Damages from cervids – mostly moose – are on fifth place. 94 percent of all trees showed some kind of damage. Coniferous trees and young stands showed the highest risk of damage, and in warmer parts of Sweden, stands with few tree species showed a considerably higher risk of being damaged compared to stands with a higher number of tree species.</p><p>“Our results show that there is a potential to reduce the risk of forest damages via a changed forest management. Especially, a higher proportion of broadleaf trees in the otherwise so coniferous-dominated production forest would result in fewer damages. We can for example see that the lodgepole pine, introduced by the forestry industry, has the highest risk of damage. Its introduction therefore counteracts a profitable forestry,” says Micael Jonsson.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Weaknesses in data material</h2><p>The results also indicate that a higher number of tree species in a stand act as an insurance against extensive forest damages in a warmer climate.</p><p>“We must adapt Swedish forests and forest management methods to a future warmer climate. Including more tree species in production forests seems to be an adaptation that could work!” says co-author Jan Bengtsson at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science.</p><p>However, the study also shows that the data material has some weaknesses. For example, it has not been possible to establish the cause behind a large proportion of the damages.</p><p>“The national forest inventory collects important data for our understanding of the forest, but when it comes to the damage inventory, the data quality needs to improve to be fully usable in forestry practices,” says Jon Moen, co-author at Umeå University.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="cce2b626-7767-4834-ba80-7ad9e003b0ae" data-contentname="About the scientific article">{}</div>/en/news/mixed-forests-reduce-the-risk-of-forest-damage-in-a-warmer-climate_12003407//en/news/umea-university-hosted-scilifelab-leadership-for-a-full-day-tour-of-local-facilities_12006806/Umeå University hosted SciLifeLab Leadership for a Full-Day tour of Local Facilities Last week Umeå University hosted the new director for SciLifeLab, Jan Ellenberg, and SciLifeLab board chair Ylva Engström, for a full-day visit of Umeå and our facilities. The day included tours of the local research infrastructures, lunch with representatives of the University and meetings with the staff scientists who make the infrastructures accessible for national users within life science. Tue, 19 Nov 2024 08:40:24 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_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/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_13.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_13.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_13.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The new director for SciLifeLab, Jan Ellenberg, and SciLifeLab board chair Ylva Engström, visited Umeå for a full-day tour of infrastructures and meetings with members. Seen here with Tobias Sparrman, Jurgen Schleucher and Gerhard Gröbner in the NMR Core facility. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">The staff is key in running the infrastructures for the greater good of life science research</p><p>SciLifeLab, a national wide resource of sophisticated technologies and expertise available to researchers in life science, has since 2022 expanded with several local sites in Sweden, including Umeå.  By connecting the already existing cutting-edge infrastructures at Umeå with the national network, our community of researchers in areas such as biomedicine, ecology and evolution expands. <br> <br>As of this summer, SciLifeLab has a new director, Jan Ellenberg, who visited the site in Umeå for a full day of activities. The site director Linda Sandblad, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry and director of Umeå Center for Electron Microscopy (UCEM), kicked the day off with an introduction of SciLifeLab in Umeå, highlighting the strengths of the infrastructures being integrated with two universities, Umeå University and SLU, as well as Region Västerbotten through University Hospital of Umeå (Norrlands Universitetssjukhus, NUS).  </p><p>“Meeting Jan Ellenberg on site in Umeå was important for us. Jan’s experience of international research infrastructure development for life science is valuable for the continued development here in Umeå. Now, when he knows both staff scientists and our facilities, we can work more effectively together”, says Linda Sandblad. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_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/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Tobias Sparrman and Jurgen Schleucher shows Jan Ellenberg one of the many state-of-the-art instruments at NMR. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p><br> Tours of infrastructures started at the Swedish NMR Centre, followed by a meeting with Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), tours of Swedish Metabolomics Centre (SMC) and the Data Science Node, including High Performance Computer Center North (HPC2N), National Bioinformatic Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), and Data Driven Life Science (DDLS). Although much to see, there was still room for coffee and visits in some of the labs where the life science research takes place.  </p><p>“The staff is key in running the infrastructures for the greater good of life science research, and meeting the people who do the work at the sites is very important and something I cherish”, Jan Ellenberg said, stressing the importance of working together across the sites in order to both overcome shared problems, and achieve shared ambitions and goals. <br> <br>During the lunch with Umeå University representatives, including vice-chancellor Hans Adolfsson, and Mikael Elofsson, Dean at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Jan Ellenberg took the opportunity to present himself and his visions for how SciLifeLab and Umeå will strenghten its connections further. Jan Ellenberg provides great inspiration on how infrastructure and large scall research projects can synergise”, said Linda Sandblad.  </p><p>The lunch followed with facility tours at Clinical Genomics and UCEM. To summarise the visit, the delegation from SciLifeLab met with staff from Umeå University, to identify possibilities and map out ideas for the future, in order to make life science infrastructures accessible to as many as possible.  </p><p>“I feel that here in Umeå you have realised that there is much to gain from working together, with people coming together from different departments and areas of expertise, in order to create the infrastructures and facilities that are needed for the good of life science research”, Jan Ellenberg concluded.  </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_32.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_32.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_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/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_32.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_32.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b0bfe9b349884b85b48537a0645cd864/scilifelab_visit_32.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Annika Johansson, Head of Unit at the Swedish Metabolomics Centre (SMC) shows Jan Ellenberg and Ylva Engström the lab in Umeå. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div>/en/news/umea-university-hosted-scilifelab-leadership-for-a-full-day-tour-of-local-facilities_12006806//en/news/computer-scientist-new-representative-in-the-royal-swedish-academy-of-engineering-sciences_11993299/Computer Scientist new representative in the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA)Oliver Larsson, a doctoral student at the Department of Computing Science, Umeå University, has been selected to participate in the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences' Student Council. "It's a unique opportunity to bring a younger perspective to debates at high level in society. Personally, I have always enjoyed getting involved where there is an opportunity to make a difference. I am honoured, says Oliver Larsson. Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:25:14 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/317e67cd465e4eb298b1cf088929bb7c/oliver_larsson3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/317e67cd465e4eb298b1cf088929bb7c/oliver_larsson3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/317e67cd465e4eb298b1cf088929bb7c/oliver_larsson3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/317e67cd465e4eb298b1cf088929bb7c/oliver_larsson3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/317e67cd465e4eb298b1cf088929bb7c/oliver_larsson3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/317e67cd465e4eb298b1cf088929bb7c/oliver_larsson3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>"It feels good that I can contribute my perspective as a young engineer and researcher in northern Sweden", says Oliver Larsson, doctoral student at the Department of Computing Science, and new representative in IVA.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Larsson</span></div></div><p>The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) brings together expertise and experience from around 1,300 Academy members and 250 companies. For more than 100 years, it has been a meeting place that support humanity's capacity to contribute positively to society through the engineering and economic science. Now, <a href="~/link/a966302e32984ffdbf5bdab72d5e34c3.aspx">Oliver Larsson</a>, a doctoral student at the <a href="~/link/f1ccf1d251be4f538a13df854f18fb07.aspx">Department of Computing Science</a>, has been chosen to represent Umeå University in the Academy's Student Council. </p><p>"Only those with long experience and a proven impact on societal development are selected as members of the IVA, and younger perspectives tend to be missing. This is why the Student Council was formed. For me, it is important to contribute my perspective as a young engineer and researcher in northern Sweden. This is a demographic that has historically been underrepresented in these forums, says Oliver Larsson. </p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Perspectives from North Sweden </h2><p>IVA carries out activities that are important for the development of Sweden. The Academy works in various forums on issues relating to knowledgde, future business, climate, resources and energy. "The northern parts of Sweden is central to much of the technological development and there is a great need for sharp engineering expertise. There are incredible opportunities to develop both technology and society if we take advantage of this, and also make it more attractive for a young engineer to move up in the country. It feels good that I, as a representative of the north of Sweden, can participate in raising these issues", says Oliver Larsson. </p><h3>Projects already underway </h3><p>IVA's student council brings together 13 engineering and economic student and doctoral students from Sweden's universities and colleges, and the level of ambition is high. "We are just about to start work on a major project that we intend to implement in the coming year. We believe it can have a really positive impact on the future development of technology in Sweden", says Oliver Larsson. </p><p>The Student Council meets eight times a year and a weekend conference takes place every semester. In addition to his involvement in IVA, Oliver Larsson is also part of the <a href="~/link/3cb68daa1317460cab60e9e76435b68c.aspx">Autonomous Distributed Systems Lab</a> research group, where he is doing his doctoral thesis. "Autonomous systems can make their own decision and use AI to analyse data. Distributed systems consist of multiple computers or devices that work together to solve a task. This combination leads to systems such as self-driving cars and smart energy systems", Oliver Larsson explains. </p><h3>Learning from experience </h3><p>Looking ahead, Oliver Larsson hopes that the Student Council will give him an opportunity to develop both personally and professionally. Above all, he is looking forward to getting to know and learn from the experiences and wisdom of the elected Academy members. </p><p>"This is a community of people I would never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise, and their collective experience is unrivalled by any other group in the technology sector. IVA is an incredible platform to influence for the better, and I really want to take advantage of that opportunity," Larssons says. </p><p><em>Read more about <a href="https://www.iva.se/en/the-academy/the-history-of-iva/?epslanguage=en">The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) here.</a></em></p>/en/news/computer-scientist-new-representative-in-the-royal-swedish-academy-of-engineering-sciences_11993299//en/news/kbc-days-strengthens-interdisciplinary-collaboration_12005601/<description>The two-day annual conference of the Chemical Biological Centre (in Swedish “Kemiskt Biologiskt Centrum”, KBC) at Umeå University and SLU took place last week. In a celebration of interdisciplinary research and collaboration, the KBC invited keynote speakers, awarded researchers, young scientists, as well as infrastructure and industry representatives, to share their ideas and results, under the theme of “Sensing”. </description><pubDate>Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:27:51 +0100</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_2_rf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_2_rf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_2_rf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_2_rf3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_2_rf3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_2_rf3.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 edition of the KBC DAYS highlighted the theme "sensing", which was celebrated by invited keynote speakers. Here we see Dr. David McKee from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, and the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, who spoke about how the Arctic's light cycles affect marine life.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">Offering time to connect meant that people stayed together and really did talk</p><p>The KBC, an interdisciplinary research centre in collaboration between Umeå University and SLU, brings together life- and natural sciences, medicine and physics. Hosted in the KBC-building, the centre offers an innovative scientific environment, accommodating several research infrastructures. For 15 years in a row, the KBC Days conference has been a forum for discussing research, whilst highlighting research achievements, awards, and new faculty members at KBC. </p><p>“The KBC days bring together researchers at the university from different backgrounds, offering an opportunity to share knowledge across different research fields and to build interdisciplinary collaborations”, says Rachel Feeney, doctoral student at the Department of Molecular Biology, and part of the organising committee for KBC Days 2024.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="e2ed39ea-e7d3-4b8d-bc13-821334396c08" data-contentname="kbc days 2">{}</div><p>This year's KBC Days showcased cutting-edge research spanning everything from the light cycle in the Arctic, the noisy environment that plants live in, to intricate details of cell walls and the use of biomaterials in healthcare diagnostics, and much more. The first-mentioned topic was brought into a new light by invited keynote speaker David McKee, from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, and the Arctic University of Norway. He noted that:<br>“It is not an uncommon ambition to want to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, but it is notoriously difficult to do it well. I think the KBC Days approach is exemplary, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to take part in this fantastic event”. <br> <br>In-between the sessions with presentations, participants could learn more about the infrastructures at KBC, interact with representatives from the industry, and share ideas over a cup of coffee.</p><p>“Offering time to connect meant that people stayed together and really did talk! I think the social element is crucial in fostering new collaborations”, says David McKee. </p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Pitches and dinner </h2><p>The first day featured a session where doctoral students had the possibility to present either a poster or a 2-minute “Elevator Talk” of their research. The best talk, chosen by a committee, was awarded a travel voucher sponsored by the Umeå-based company Agrisera. </p><p>“Presenting in front of people scares me a lot, but I think it’s good to practice, because in science we always have to present our work”, says Sophia Hernandez, doctoral student at the Department of Molecular Biology, who won the Elevator Talk prize for her talk about the usage of the Nobel Prize-winning tool CRISPR for characterising malaria parasites. Sophia says she enjoyed the challenge of condensing her research into a few minutes: “it made me think about the really important aspects of my study”.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_3_as2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_3_as2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_3_as2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_3_as2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_3_as2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_3_as2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>During the doctoral session, PhD students from KBC gave "Elevator Talks", where Sophia Hernandez at the Department of Molecular Biology won a travel grant sponsored by Agrisera. Here with Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund from Agrisera and Stefan Björklund, coordinator at KBC and professor at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><p>The participants also voted on the best PhD Poster, which was awarded to Trung Nguyen at the Department of Chemistry, for his poster about sensing water on Mars.  <br> <br>The first day finalised with the conference dinner, where participants could continue to connect and celebrate awards given throughout the year and at the conference.</p><p>“The sounds of so many conversations filling the air while everyone shared a meal over candlelight was really special”, says David McKee to the organisers of the KBC Days.   </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_5_rf2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_5_rf2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_5_rf2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_5_rf2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_5_rf2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_5_rf2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The first day of the conference was finalised with a candle-lit dinner in the KBC-building.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Panel discussion and inclusivity </h2><p>During the second day, the KBC infrastructures presented the state-of-the-arts techniques offered in Umeå, and Umeå Postdoc Society arranged both Pitch presentations and a panel discussion on career paths. </p><p> “I think my favourite thing was hearing the range of presentations by the researchers, as it really highlights the broad range of research carried out in KBC”, says Ciaran Gilchrist, Postdoc at the Department of Molecular Biology, who won a prize for his Pitch Presentation about multidrug resistance. He shared the prize, sponsored by Umeå Biotech Incubator, with Ilian Giordano Ponce Pineda, Postdoc at the Department of Plant Physiology. </p><p>Gilchrist, enthusiastic by the recognition, says that:<br>“I've always enjoyed communicating my research to people, but I tend to be a bit nervous when it gets closer to the presentation – so it's really nice to receive a prize for something I enjoy!”.  </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_6_rf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_6_rf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_6_rf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_6_rf3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_6_rf3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_6_rf3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Umeå Postdoc Society arranged a session with “Postdoc Pitches” and an apprechiated panel discussion about career paths. The panel consisted of Nora Lehotai (Science Manager at MIMS), Dimitry Malyshev (Staff scientist, Department of Physics), Tulio Teruo Yoshinaga (EC scholar, Clinical Microbiology), Anton Kirch (MCSF scholar, Department of Physics), Sofia Mayans (Director of Business Development Diamyd Medical) and Fariba Mansourizadeh (Staff scientist, Department of Molecular Biology). The discussion was moderaded by Najat Dzaki (Postdoc Department of Molecular Biology).</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_7_rf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_7_rf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_7_rf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_7_rf3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_7_rf3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d2286743e94742e78c435bcbc6463f8b/kbc_days_2024_7_rf3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Ilian Giordano Ponce Pineda (left, postdoc at the Department of Plant Physiology) and Ciaran Gilchrist (middle, postdoc at the Department of Molecular Biology) won prizes for the Pitch Presentation. The prize was sponsored by Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) and handed out by Tobias Tovedal, business coach at UBI.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Rebecca Forsberg</span></div></div><p>Being interdisciplinary is one of the strengths of the KBC community, it is a challenge is to ensure that all research areas are represented in the conference schedule, both in terms of the local presenters and the invited keynote speakers.  </p><p>“To ensure that we have as fair representation as possible, the organising committee is formed of represenatives from the different departments within the KBC community”, Rachel Feeney explains.  <br> <br>Events like the KBC Days 2024 can only be possible by the combined efforts of the research community, and through the generous support of sponsors, whose contributions ensured a successful event. As the KBC looks forward to the future year to come, this year’s success stands as a testament to interdisciplinary collaboration in driving scientific progress and innovation. <br> <br>For more details on the sessions, keynote speakers and other highlights from the KBC Days 2024, please visit <a href="~/link/caa8d45e916e4395834e7f51e2e7eded.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KBC Days 2024 Event Page</a>. <br> </p></atom:content><link>/en/news/kbc-days-strengthens-interdisciplinary-collaboration_12005601/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/ion-motion-in-focus-when-a-comet-transforms-from-hibernating-to-active_12005277/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/ion-motion-in-focus-when-a-comet-transforms-from-hibernating-to-active_12005277/</guid><title>Ion motion in focus when a comet transforms from hibernating to activeA new doctoral thesis at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics, IRF,and Umeå University explains how the interaction between a certain comet and the flow of charged particles from the Sun, the solar wind, becomes complex when the comet approaches the Sun. Anja Möslinger studied the motion of individual ions to explain this complex state.Thu, 14 Nov 2024 13:55:00 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/81ace567db954547892722130ab2b007/press_image_cred_photo_irf_illustrations__esa_navcam_and_esa_atg_medialab3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/81ace567db954547892722130ab2b007/press_image_cred_photo_irf_illustrations__esa_navcam_and_esa_atg_medialab3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/81ace567db954547892722130ab2b007/press_image_cred_photo_irf_illustrations__esa_navcam_and_esa_atg_medialab3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/81ace567db954547892722130ab2b007/press_image_cred_photo_irf_illustrations__esa_navcam_and_esa_atg_medialab3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/81ace567db954547892722130ab2b007/press_image_cred_photo_irf_illustrations__esa_navcam_and_esa_atg_medialab3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/81ace567db954547892722130ab2b007/press_image_cred_photo_irf_illustrations__esa_navcam_and_esa_atg_medialab3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Anja Möslinger's doctoral thesis provides new insights into the interaction between a comet and the solar wind as the comet approaches the sun.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Annelie Klint Nilsson/IRF, Illustrations: ESA:NAVCAM and ESA:ATG medialab.jpg</span></div></div><p>The physics behind the interaction between a comet and the solar wind changes fundamentally when a comet gets closer to the Sun. While scientists already understand the physical processes of comet-solar wind interaction far away and close to the Sun quite well, the transition between has not been well-studied.</p><p>In her thesis, Anja has focused on how the charged particles in a cometary atmosphere, cometary ions, interact with the solar wind ions during this transition period. The results can help us understand what happens when the solar wind meets other objects with atmospheres in the solar system.</p><p>“I have analyzed how individual ions move to understand how the collection of ions behave and shape the comet magnetosphere. Instead of flowing in a streamlined fashion, some of the solar wind ions whirl in circles like leaves blown off trees during an autumn storm when they encounter the comet atmosphere. How energy is transferred from the solar wind to the cometary atmosphere and how the solar wind slows down during this transition period depends on the motion of these ions”, says Anja Möslinger, doctoral student at IRF and Umeå University.</p><p>How the solar wind is slowed down around obstacles it encounters is one of the fundamental problems in space physics. In particular the initial deceleration is little understood. Comets are excellent plasma laboratories for scientists to study the evolution of plasma interactions, since their distance to the Sun, and therefore their plasma environments, constantly change.</p><p>The thesis is based on data analysis from ESA’s Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and simulations using the numerical model Amitis.</p><p><em>Anja Möslinger, raised near Linz, Austria, had her first introduction to comet research in 2020 when working on the design of a particle instrument for the Comet Interceptor mission for her master thesis at IRF in Kiruna.</em></p><p><em>She will defend her doctoral thesis entitled “Physics at sub-ion-gyroradius scales near low-activity comets” at the auditorium at IRF in Kiruna, Sweden, on Friday 15 November, at 09.00. The faculty opponent is Professor Jan Egedal from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S.</em></p><p><a href="http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-230927">Read the doctoral thesis</a></p>/en/news/ion-motion-in-focus-when-a-comet-transforms-from-hibernating-to-active_12005277//en/news/a-new-research-centre-focuses-on-the-arctic-and-antarctic_12004519/<description>On 6 November in Kiruna, the Swedish Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic was established. This collaborative organisation between Luleå University of Technology, Umeå University, and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat will coordinate national and international activities that strengthen Swedish research and education related to the polar regions.</description><pubDate>Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:00:04 +0100</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Keith Larson, Arctic Centre, Umeå University; Dag Avango, Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic., Luleå University of Technology; Katarina Gårdfeldt, Swedish Polar Researech Secretariat</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Staffan Westerlund</span></div></div><p>“There are researchers at Swedish universities who are world leaders in polar research. Today, these competencies are scattered in different research environments. The Swedish Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic will be a hub that brings together Swedish research expertise in various projects and activities. We will now reach out to other universities with polar research in Sweden and invite them to join us,” says Katarina Gårdfeldt, Director of the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">The Arctic – a geopolitical hotspot</h2><p>Climate change is occurring up to four times faster in the polar regions than in the rest of the world. Polar regions matter globally as melting ice and thawing permafrost impact regions far from the poles. Global demand for raw materials is increasing, not least those needed to enable the green transition. Many of these are found in the Arctic, and the demand for raw materials reinforces conflicts of interest over land use, which often have deep historical roots. At the same time, a new security paradigm has emerged in the geostrategically important Arctic as a result of the military build-up following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and states challenging established institutions for the region.</p><p class="quote-center">We want to help ensure that Swedish polar research reaches out and is utilised in international and national collaborations.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Bringing together Swedish research</h2><p>The challenges posed by these global change processes have created a need for multi- and interdisciplinary research. Therefore, it is in Sweden's interest to strengthen its presence and research efforts in the polar regions. In response to this need, Sweden's two northernmost universities, Luleå University of Technology and Umeå University, are joining forces by collaborating in the joint organisation Swedish Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic.</p><p>The third partner in the collaboration is the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, the authority responsible for the research infrastructure on the icebreaker Oden (owned and operated by the Swedish Maritime Administration), the Abisko Scientific Research Station and the Wasa and Svea research stations in Antarctica. The Secretariat is responsible for planning and implementing expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Complementary strengths</h2><p>Research, education, and outreach is our university’s mission. The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat's mission includes planning plans and carrying out research expeditions, being responsible for infrastructure and providing expertise in international contexts. Working together within a typical organisation with complementary strengths can more easily coordinate and create synergies that strengthen Swedish polar research. For example, the Swedish Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic aim to play an essential central role in preparing for the Swedish chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2027–29 and the International Polar Year 2032–33.</p><p>“We want to help ensure that Swedish polar research reaches out and is utilised in international and national collaborations. We can also help initiate and support research efforts relating to major global challenges. The Centre can serve as a lever to help researchers get funding for their projects”, says Dag Avango, the director of the Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic at Luleå University of Technology.</p><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Collaborations outside academia</h2><p>The Swedish Centre for the Arctic and Antarctic aims to engage stakeholders and the public to increase knowledge about the polar regions. Annually, the Centre's “Forum for the Arctic and Antarctic” will serve as a platform for dialogue with stakeholders on critical issues, such as the green transition, security and sustainability issues. The first forum, held last week, established the Centre as a regional partner. In addition to creating stakeholder-driven outcomes, the Centre's facilities at our universities and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat's research station in Abisko offer opportunities for co-creation and co-production of new knowledge with Arctic stakeholders.</p><p>“The Centre is about collaboration in the places where research can benefit society. We will co-create and apply new research with stakeholders across the Arctic, including municipalities, regions, authorities and businesses. Civil society organisations, representatives of indigenous peoples, minorities and others in local communities are key stakeholders in enabling a just green transition in the North,” says Keith Larson, Director of the Arctic Centre at Umeå University.</p></atom:content><link>/en/news/a-new-research-centre-focuses-on-the-arctic-and-antarctic_12004519/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/taking-research-from-the-lab-to-real-world-practice_12004095/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/taking-research-from-the-lab-to-real-world-practice_12004095/</guid><title>Taking research from the lab to real-world practiceRasmus Öberg, a doctoral student at the Industrial Doctoral School, has spent his internship at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI, developing methods to detect hazardous chemical substances. These methods could become crucial tools for authorities in maintaining security and detecting threats.Tue, 12 Nov 2024 12:28:05 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/55c94956293e4577a5a2f689053a459d/oberg_rasmus_912_09102024_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/55c94956293e4577a5a2f689053a459d/oberg_rasmus_912_09102024_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/55c94956293e4577a5a2f689053a459d/oberg_rasmus_912_09102024_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/55c94956293e4577a5a2f689053a459d/oberg_rasmus_912_09102024_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/55c94956293e4577a5a2f689053a459d/oberg_rasmus_912_09102024_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/55c94956293e4577a5a2f689053a459d/oberg_rasmus_912_09102024_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Rasmus Öberg, doctoral student in the Department of Physics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p>Rasmus Öberg's research project at the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University focuses on detecting and identifying harmful biological and chemical agents, such as bacterial spores or chemical weapons. One of the main reasons he applied for the doctoral position was to see his research put to practical use.</p><p>“I think it's very important that what we discover doesn't just stay at the university,” he says.</p><p>In early 2024, Rasmus Öberg began his three-month paid internship at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI, which is his external partner within the Industrial Doctoral School.</p><p class="quote-center">My dream has always been to combine research and societal benefit</p><p>“Over the past few years, I've focused a lot on chemical substances, an area that many of FOI's partners are very interested in. FOI's work is heavily oriented toward detecting chemical warfare agents, but the techniques we use are also applicable for more civilian purposes. For example, drug detection is a hot topic due to ongoing drug epidemics both in the United States and here in Europe,” he says.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Translating research into practical benefits</h2><p>During his internship, Rasmus Öberg applied his research in practical settings by developing methods to detect extremely small amounts of hazardous substances in various environments, including a drug detection system that could hopefully be used by authorities in the field within a few years.</p><p>Rasmus Öberg uses laser-based methods – spectroscopy – in his research. When a substance is targeted with a laser, the light interacts with the chemical structures in a unique way depending on its components, allowing the identification of specific chemicals.</p><p>“Traditionally, these methods have required large, bulky instruments, but over time, they have become much smaller. Now, using certain types of surfaces with microscopic structures, we can amplify the signals from harmful substances. This allows us to achieve a high signal even with smaller systems. This means working with smaller lasers and detection systems, reducing the size of the entire detection process. Instead of an instrument in a large lab, you could, in theory, have the equipment in a specialized police car or a regular vehicle to detect threats in the field, whether they are drugs or chemical weapons,” says Rasmus Öberg.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Participating in an EU security project</h2><p>In addition to his work on drug detection, Rasmus Öberg also participated in an EU project during his internship. This project, conducted with researchers from several other European countries, focuses on developing so-called SERS surfaces, which amplify the signal from chemical agents thousands of times when targeted with a laser. This makes it possible to detect extremely small amounts of hazardous substances.</p><p>In 2025, Rasmus Öberg will defend his thesis, and after that, he hopes to pursue a postdoctoral position abroad with partners involved in the EU project. He wants to maintain his connection with FOI, further broaden his knowledge, and build a career that combines academic research with practical applications in society.</p><p>“The internship has helped me understand what I want to do after my PhD. My dream has always been to combine research and societal benefit. There are far too few researchers who have one foot in academia and the other in industry or public sector. I think that’s how I can make the most impact, and that’s what I find exciting.”</p><p>He describes how the combination of learning research and applying his knowledge in practice has been a rewarding experience within the Industrial Doctoral School, a unique opportunity.</p><p>“Compared to other doctoral students, you gain a broader perspective, especially if, like me, you have the privilege of working at two physical locations. You get more contacts, project opportunities, and ideas, and you learn so much more.”</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="f5669cea-b5a7-48cc-9281-3f365d46d0f0" data-contentname="Företagsforskarskolan och praktiken ENG">{}</div>/en/news/taking-research-from-the-lab-to-real-world-practice_12004095//en/news/environmental-science-students-reviewed-sustainability-on-campus_12002949/<description>How can Umeå University and its campus be improved from a sustainability point of view? This has been investigated by students on the Master's programme in Environmental science with a focus on sustainable development. They propose, among other things, a travel policy with individual carbon dioxide budgets for the university's employees and that the sustainability work gets its own team. </description><pubDate>Thu, 07 Nov 2024 13:14:06 +0100</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34872.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34872.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34872.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34872.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34872.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34872.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>“It is a bit vague in the communication from the university what sustainability is” says Elsa Örnerstig (centre) surrounded by Sara Brännström and Sara Eckerlid.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna-Lena Lindskog<br></span></div></div><p>“We think that more resources and more people who work with sustainability issues are needed for it to have a greater impact” says master's student Elsa Örnerstig. “Umeå University is very large, but only has one sustainability strategist, compared to, for example, KTH in Stockholm, which is a smaller university, but has a whole team of eight people working on sustainability.”</p><p>The first-year students in the Master's programme in Environmental science have been working on the sustainable campus project in parallel with other courses throughout the semester. Last week, they presented their work in a poster exhibition.</p><p>Elsa Örnerstig's group has investigated whether Umeå University engages in greenwashing, that is, whether it tries to present itself as better and more aware of sustainability issues than it really is.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_capus_241031_all_img_34472.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_capus_241031_all_img_34472.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_capus_241031_all_img_34472.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_capus_241031_all_img_34472.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_capus_241031_all_img_34472.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_capus_241031_all_img_34472.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>To stimulate restaurants and cafes to work more sustainably, the university could institute a prize, says master's student Agnes Alriksson. On the right Rinske de Ronde.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna-Lena Lindskog</span></div></div><p>They came to the conclusion quite quickly that this is not the case, rather the university does not communicate very much at all about sustainability and what is said is rather vague. Through interviews and reviewing the university's website, the students conclude that the institution's sustainability work is a little half-hearted.</p><h3>Personal carbon dioxide budgets</h3><p>“We think it may be because you are afraid to say too much and then not be able to live up to it, but also because sustainability work is not such a high priority” says Elsa.</p><p>To fly or not to fly within your work? The university's employees fly more than the average population, Elin Kannerby and Neema Tindwa show. Admittedly, Umeå is at a geographic disadvantage compared to other universities, but there are big differences in how much employees fly and thus there should be room for some to reduce their air travel, they say. They also state that the university lacks a travel policy, which they see as a major shortcoming.</p><p>“We suggest that a travel policy be drawn up and that you have carbon dioxide budgets that are personal for each employee” says Neema Tindwa. “The needs can of course vary and this must be taken into account, for example if you have small children and it is difficult to be away for a long time.”</p><p>If the university cannot come up with a travel policy for everyone, the departments should do it themselves as a first step, they suggest.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34882.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34882.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34882.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34882.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34882.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_34882.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The university is far from VG for its sustainability work when the students on the Master's programme in Environmental science put it under scrutiny. From left Asma Selhami, Elin Kannerby and teacher Heidi Burdett. In the background Felix Selin, Paula Attenkirch and Alexander Flyg.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna-Lena Lindskog</span></div></div><h3>Guidelines for eateries</h3><p>A third group sent surveys to restaurants and cafes on campus to investigate their sustainability efforts. They got few answers back and therefore concentrated on developing guidelines that they themselves think would improve the eateries. One thing is to give students more influence.</p><p>“The selection should reflect what the students want in restaurants and cafes” says Agnes Alriksson. “We also encourage to have fewer disposable items, to be more broad in their vegetarian options and to reduce the price of expired food.”</p><p>As restaurants and cafes are separate businesses, it is difficult for the university to control, the group notes. An incentive for change could be to institute a prize that rewards eateries that are good at sustainability work.</p><h3>Energy and water in laboratories</h3><p>In the fourth project group, the students asked departments about sustainability thinking in laboratory environments in terms of energy, water, waste and chemicals. They received responses from six labs that showed there is room for improvement.</p><p>“It is mainly in two areas that they lack sustainability work and that is energy and water” says Julia Svedh. “We investigated whether, for example, they switch off appliances when not in use or have energy-saving solutions such as LED lights. We saw quite a bit of effort from some labs, but there are also no rules from the university side to adhere to.”</p><p><a title="Read more about the Master's programme in Environmental science with a focus on sustainable development" href="~/link/b5fd182f0315408b938866f487695e8c.aspx">Read more about the Master's programme in Environmental science with a focus on sustainable development</a></p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_33902.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_33902.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_33902.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_33902.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_33902.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9bcde97e506b4a9eb356755e45502a68/redovisning_hallbart_campus_241031_all_img_33902.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Julia Svedh, Paula Attenkirch, Felix Selin and Asma Selhami have evaluated how laboratories at universities work with sustainability issues.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna-Lena Lindskog</span></div></div></atom:content><link>/en/news/environmental-science-students-reviewed-sustainability-on-campus_12002949/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/umea-researcher-receives-erc-synergy-grant-to-study-plant-development_12001651/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/umea-researcher-receives-erc-synergy-grant-to-study-plant-development_12001651/</guid><title>Umeå researcher receives ERC Synergy Grant to study plant developmentStephan Wenkel, Professor at Umeå University, is part of an international collaboration of plant scientists awarded the ERC Synergy Grant of €10 million aimed at tackling one of the most complex challenges in biological sciences – understanding how multicellular organisms generate their intricate forms.Tue, 05 Nov 2024 15:06:53 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/463da71365ce487398277c4b243319ce/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/463da71365ce487398277c4b243319ce/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/463da71365ce487398277c4b243319ce/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_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/463da71365ce487398277c4b243319ce/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/463da71365ce487398277c4b243319ce/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/463da71365ce487398277c4b243319ce/wenkel_stephan_8764_230405_mpn2.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 in the Department of Plant Physiology.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Despite substantial advancements in the field, the ability to predictively model and re-engineer developmental processes remains a grand challenge. This research is not only fundamental to our understanding of plant biology but also critical for and improving agriculture.</p><p>“We will deepen our understanding of protein regulation in plant development, which may open pathways for innovative bioengineering applications in plant biology and beyond,” says Stephan Wenkel, Professor in the Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University.</p><p>The grant will fund the RESYDE project, a six-year partnership between Umeå University, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin (Germany), University of Sydney (Australia), Sainsbury Laboratory and University of Cambridge (UK). The project seeks to unravel the complex processes in plant development called “symmetry breaking” using flowers as a model system.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">How an egg becomes a human</h2><p>Symmetry breaking refers to the process by which a symmetrical structure develops into patterns leading to diverse forms and functions. This fundamental phenomenon is crucial in all multicellular organisms. For example, how a single fertilised egg develops into a human body or how a set of identical plant cells develop into distinct floral organs.</p><p>The research teams will leverage their different expertise to take on this challenge in a multidisciplinary approach.</p><p>Stephan Wenkel's role, together with his research team, is to investigate microproteins and their role in flower development. Through experiments in which they induce new flower shapes, they want to learn more about the mechanisms that control flower development.</p><p>“Understanding how individual cells communicate and cooperate is vital in the progression of the development of flowers. We will also use a method to alter floral symmetry breaking processes to better understand evolutionary floral architectural changes,” says Stephan Wenkel.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Critical for future plant breeding</h2><p>Studying how flowers have developed and evolved their form is essential because it reveals the intricate co-evolutionary relationships between flowers and their pollinators, such as insects and animals. The complex tissues of flower organs must be fertilised and then develop into fruit and grain, so the specifics of flower function are critical for future plant breeding and agriculture.</p><p><em>Stephan Wenkel conducts his research at Umeå Plant Science Centre, UPSC. Another researcher from UPSC, Stéphanie Robert, Professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, also received an ERC Synergy Grant in this year’s call. <a href="https://www.slu.se/en/ew-news/2024/11/erc-synergy-grant-enables-mapping-of-the-functions-of-the-plant-hormone-auxin-within-plant-cells/">Read more about her here (SLU.se)</a>.</em></p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="ceabc29a-344a-4062-82ea-e4183a0d8b5d" data-contentname="About ERC Synergy Grant">{}</div>/en/news/umea-researcher-receives-erc-synergy-grant-to-study-plant-development_12001651//en/news/researcher-awarded-for-globally-renowned-centre_12000401/Researcher awarded for globally renowned centreLinda Sandblad, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry, has been awarded the Bo and Barbro Hammarström Prize. She receives the award for her outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Umeå Centre for Electron Microscopy. “I'm very happy. It's great that they highlight that we have built up our centre so that it can benefit researchers all over the world,” she says.Thu, 31 Oct 2024 10:15:11 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/img_8090_13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/img_8090_13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/img_8090_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/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/img_8090_13.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/img_8090_13.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/img_8090_13.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Barbro Hammarström and Bo Hammarström visiting Umeå Centre for Electron Microscopy, UCEM.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtsova</span></div></div><p>Umeå Centre for Electron Microscopy, UCEM, is one of Sweden's best-equipped facilities for electron microscopy, with seven different microscopes for high-resolution imaging of molecules, cells and surfaces.</p><p>“The reason why we use electrons in particular is because their wavelength is so small, which means that you can get very high resolution – you can see molecules down to the atomic level,” says Linda Sandblad, who is the coordinator of the centre.</p><p class="quote-center">These are methods and instruments that are in demand internationally</p><p>UCEM can be described as a research infrastructure where there are labs, advanced instruments and knowledgeable staff, so-called staff scientists, that researchers throughout Sweden – and the world – can use.</p><p>“At present, ten people are employed by the centre and they help other researchers to manage the equipment, which is very advanced. This means that the researchers learn the methods and can get results from the unique equipment. All research areas are welcome here, even if we are best at life sciences,” says Linda Sandblad.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/sandblad_linda_7383_220831_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/sandblad_linda_7383_220831_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/sandblad_linda_7383_220831_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/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/sandblad_linda_7383_220831_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/sandblad_linda_7383_220831_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/059e27edbd724d8b9a87bee3daa00bc4/sandblad_linda_7383_220831_mpn2.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="font-weight: 300;">Image</span><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><p>With the help of external funding from, for example, the Wallenberg Foundations and the Kempe Foundations, new methods for electron microscopy can be constantly developed in the centre.</p><p>“These are methods and instruments that are in demand internationally. Since 2016, the centre is not only linked to Umeå University, it’s a national centre,” says Linda Sandblad.</p><p>A number of projects within UCEM are driving the development forward for even higher resolution, better image quality and smart tools for displaying images digitally.</p><p>“All of this provides a greater understanding of the biological processes we cannot see with the eye. And in addition, it opens the doors to new innovations in industry.”</p><p>At the Annual Celebration at Umeå University, Linda Sandblad was awarded the Bo and Barbro Hammarström Prize of SEK 100,000.</p><p>The motivation reads:</p><p><em>Associate Professor Linda Sandblad receives the award for her outstanding contributions in the establishment of the current Umeå Centre for Electron Microscopy (UCEM), a joint resource for research and higher education in electron microscopy technology.</em></p><p>“I'm really happy about the award. Thanks to our centre, very good research has been conducted with good results. I am also proud that the centre is inclusive and invites researchers from all over the world to Umeå,” says Linda Sandblad.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="f5c8e239-3c7f-46d8-8512-a6bc30ff6d63" data-contentname="Bo and Barbro Hammarström">{}</div>/en/news/researcher-awarded-for-globally-renowned-centre_12000401//en/news/new-algorithms-increase-the-privacy-of-sensitive-data_11999516/New Algorithms Increase the Privacy of Sensitive DataSensitive and personal data, such as medical records and bank information, can now be stored more securely than before, thanks to new algorithms developed at Umeå University. These improved algorithms reduce the risk of data leakage during system updates, for example.Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:19:40 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/992e4894f69b4d59b797e0ca33bbcb7b/saloni_kwatra3.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/992e4894f69b4d59b797e0ca33bbcb7b/saloni_kwatra3.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/992e4894f69b4d59b797e0ca33bbcb7b/saloni_kwatra3.png?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/992e4894f69b4d59b797e0ca33bbcb7b/saloni_kwatra3.png?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/992e4894f69b4d59b797e0ca33bbcb7b/saloni_kwatra3.png?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/992e4894f69b4d59b797e0ca33bbcb7b/saloni_kwatra3.png?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Saloni Kwatra shows her thesis.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hanna Nordin</span></div></div><p>When you visit a doctor, information such as medication prescriptions, X-rays, and genetic tests is recorded to assist the physician. In these cases, a technology called federated learning, or collaborative learning, is used to reduce the risk of exposing sensitive data. This technology allows multiple devices to work together without sharing actual data with each other.</p><p>Saloni Kwatra, doctoral student at the Department of Computer Science, has identified flaws in the technology in her dissertation and developed new algorithms to enhance user security.</p><p>"Federated learning is often used to protect user privacy. However, during system updates, sensitive information can still leak. My research has led to algorithms that can prevent such leaks," says Saloni Kwatra.</p><p>To achieve this, she has used two techniques: k-anonymity and differential privacy. With k-anonymity, data is organized so that each combination of identifying details (such as height, age, or eye color) is shared by multiple individuals. This makes it difficult to distinguish or identify anyone, as they are grouped with others who have the same characteristics. Differential privacy, on the other hand, ensures that the results of an analysis are not significantly affected whether or not a specific individual is included in the dataset. This way, individual privacy is protected even when data is used for research or studies.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Methods to Combat Interference Attacks</h2><p>Saloni Kwatra has also explored how synthetic data, which imitates real patterns without containing actual personal information, can be protected against so-called attribute inference attacks. In these attacks, an adversary attempts to reconstruct specific characteristics of an individual. These new algorithms are particularly relevant for sectors where data integrity is crucial, such as healthcare, finance, and telecommunications.</p><p>"In those areas, these algorithms can help maintain user privacy while making systems both more secure and efficient," says Saloni Kwatra.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">About the Thesis</h2><p>On Monday, November 4, Saloni Kwatra from the Department of Computing Science at Umeå University will defend her doctoral thesis titled "Navigating Data Privacy and Tools: A Strategic Perspective." The public defense will take place at 9:15 in BIO.A.206 Aula Anatomica, Biologihuset. The opponent is Sébastian Gambs, professor at the Department of Computer Science, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM).</p><p><a href="https://umu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1904274&dswid=862">Read the full thesis.</a></p>/en/news/new-algorithms-increase-the-privacy-of-sensitive-data_11999516//en/news/recreated-uk-river-inspires-in-sweden_11999235/Swedish river restoration inspired by UK successA UK river restoration project, involving researchers from Umeå University, has shown excellent results after one year, with flourishing animal and plant life. This type of intervention may now become a model for river restoration in northern Sweden.Tue, 29 Oct 2024 12:47:36 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4cc76dcb5488433b9bc3c593d23ebc85/pxl_20240726_1337534572.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4cc76dcb5488433b9bc3c593d23ebc85/pxl_20240726_1337534572.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4cc76dcb5488433b9bc3c593d23ebc85/pxl_20240726_1337534572.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4cc76dcb5488433b9bc3c593d23ebc85/pxl_20240726_1337534572.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4cc76dcb5488433b9bc3c593d23ebc85/pxl_20240726_1337534572.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4cc76dcb5488433b9bc3c593d23ebc85/pxl_20240726_1337534572.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Restoration on this section of the Vargån river resulted in a dramatic increase in habitat diversity.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Richard Mason</span></div></div><p>The restoration of the River Aller in the UK has gained international attention as one of the first attempts in Europe to reset a river and fully reconnect its waters with the surrounding floodplain. After one year, the results have exceeded the researchers' expectations.</p><p>By filling in a 1.2-kilometer managed, straightened, and deepened section of the river, they have dramatically transformed the area, creating seven hectares of waterscapes and wetlands (equivalent to more than ten football pitches), an increase of 1800 percent.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">“A real surprise”</h2><p>“The speed with which the site developed into a diverse patchwork of habitats has been a real surprise.  After only a few months the river was already adjusting, creating deep pools, fast riffles, and a mosaic of wetlands. The system has moved from a very tidy area with little for wildlife to a messy complex jumble of waterscapes and diverse habitats that is full to the brim with a huge variety of plants and animals, including migratory fish,” says Richard Mason from Umeå University.</p><p>He is one of the team of researchers from different countries who are monitoring water flow, water quality and changes to habitat.</p><p>Restoration to “stage zero” – a complete restart, or a “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” – is gaining momentum internationally due to its potential to increase river resilience and provide critical habitats for many plants and animals, including migratory fish.</p><p>Similar river and wetland restorations to the one in UK are currently being undertaken by Länsstyrelsen Västerbotten through the Ecostreams for LIFE project. For example, parts of Vargån, a tributary of the Öreälven in Västerbotten, have been restored with inspiration from “stage zero”. Other watercourses included in the restoration project are Ammerån, Rörströmsälven and Åreälven (Jämtland) and Moälven and Hemlingsån (Västernorrland).</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Umeå researchers collect data</h2><p>Richard Mason and Lina Polvi Sjöberg from Umeå University will collaborate with Länsstyrelsen to collect data from these novel restoration projects and compare to the River Aller, to gain a global picture of how restoration to Stage Zero can help build resilient rivers for people and wildlife.</p><p>“It’s an exciting time for river restoration and this novel technique has real potential to transform our riverscapes, helping animal and plant life and increasing resilience to climate change. What we learn from our detailed monitoring of the River Aller will help river restoration techniques globally. I’m excited to see how the site continues to develop”, says Richard Mason.</p>/en/news/recreated-uk-river-inspires-in-sweden_11999235//en/news/computational-physics-to-make-ai-controlled-heavy-machinery-safer_11997014/Computational physics to make AI-controlled heavy machinery saferWhen heavy machinery is to become robots with autonomous capabilities, safety is at highest priority. In a new EU project, researchers and industry collaborate to develop reliable and efficient AI-driven machines that minimize the risk of harming people or the environment.Tue, 22 Oct 2024 08:00:09 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Researchers at Umeå University are developing autonomous systems that combine the laws of physics with advanced AI.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Martin Servin</span></div></div><p>Ten European universities and companies, including Umeå University and the Umeå companies Algoryx and Komatsu Forest, are participating in the project where computational science meets the latest AI technology. The goal is to combine methods in computational physics with artificial intelligence, AI, to create safe and efficient autonomous systems that work in practice.</p><p>Heavy mobile machinery plays an important role in many industries, such as mining, forestry, agriculture, and construction, but in many places, there is a shortage of operators, and the need to reduce the machines' environmental footprint is urgent. Increased automation and efficiency of the machines are therefore high on the agenda.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Must be predictable</h2><p>Self-driving machines, however, are associated with several difficult challenges. They are heavy and powerful – designed to physically manipulate their surroundings. Therefore, the systems must be safe and reliable, i.e., predictable. At the same time, they must have the ability to quickly adapt to sudden changes in the environment.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Self-driving machines need to be able to adapt to changes in the environment in order not to risk harming the environment or, in the worst case, people.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Martin Servin</span></div></div><p>Balancing these seemingly contradictory requirements is the goal of the research project XSCAVE. The project's results will be demonstrated on forest machines operating in rough terrain, earthmoving equipment suddenly encountering soil with large embedded rocks, and outdoor logistics robots in challenging weather conditions.</p><p>“Today, physics-based simulation is used to test and train control systems and advanced AI models, so-called deep neural networks. The use of simulation is a safe and efficient way to cover a wide range of scenarios, but it remains difficult to ensure a safe behavior in situations that differ significantly from the training cases,” says Martin Servin, who leads Umeå University's research in the project.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Informed about cause and effect</h2><p>Instead, the researchers want to give AI models more direct insight about the physics of the machines and of the environment. By incorporating mathematical constraints and models, they will be able to learn only patterns that are consistent with the fundamental laws of physics regarding energy, inertia, and forces.</p><p>“When we embed computational models and equation solvers for the physics, we make the AI informed about cause and effect, and a tool for predicting the probable outcome of planned movements before they are executed. This makes it possible to rule out options associated with an unacceptable risk of damage or negative environmental impact. At the same time, we believe this is a way to achieve higher precision and efficiency,” says Martin Servin.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="b59d5000-4ba0-479e-bd56-e45c61b7b39f" data-contentname="">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="fdec1653-3c89-448c-91c5-d1c44dbe3bf8" data-contentname="">{}</div>/en/news/computational-physics-to-make-ai-controlled-heavy-machinery-safer_11997014//en/news/umea-institute-of-design-tops-red-dot-design-ranking-for-9th-year_11995115/Umeå Institute of Design Tops Red Dot Design ranking for 9th yearUmeå Institute of Design (UID) at Umeå University has once again secured top spot on the Red Dot Design Ranking. This achievement marks nine consecutive years that UID has led the rankings, underscoring the school’s leading position in design education on the international stage.Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:01:01 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/img_3823-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Yuchen Lan, during the development of ’Moii’, her Red Dot-winning winning project helping adolescents suffering from cystic fibrosis.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Yuchen Lan </span></div></div><p>The Red Dot Design Ranking tracks and measures the success of an organisation in producing exciting new design concepts. Universities are exclusively evaluated based on the merit of design projects executed by their students. This year, UID’s winning student projects highlight a diverse range of innovative designs – from smart police body cams to a training kit for people suffering from cystic fibrosis to the next generation of products in maritime cargo security.</p><p>“Achieving the top position once again highlights the exceptional accomplishments of our students and the quality of our teaching team supporting them,” says Demian Horst, Head of Umeå Institute of Design. “We are incredibly fortunate to cultivate such a diverse and talented group. Our goal remains to educate designers who are responsible, highly skilled and ready to tackle future challenges." </p><p class="quote-left">Achieving the top position once again highlights the exceptional accomplishments of our students and the quality of our teaching team supporting them</p><h3>The smart body camera for tomorrow’s law enforcement</h3><p>One of the winning projects from Umeå is C3-ID, a groundbreaking body camera designed to enhance roadside police interventions, created by Gerado Soler and Ellis Walker. In typical traffic stops, officers manage multiple tools and tasks, from checking licenses to assisting injured individuals, often leading to stress and mistakes. The C3-ID addresses these challenges with its four main features: 3D scanning, distance measuring, ID verification, as well as video and audio capturing. This easy-to-use, yet advanced tool, allows officers to focus on the people they serve rather than their equipment.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24234615-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The C3-ID body camera is a revolutionary device aimed at improving roadside police interventions.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Gerado Soler & Ellis Walker</span></div></div><p>“Juggling numerous tools, coupled with the perpetual stress of their environments, presents a significant challenge for officers in maintaining focus and effectively managing situations. In conversations with police officers during our research phase, we realised that we needed to design a product that helps officers and civilians communicate in a safe and open way”, says Gerardo Soler.</p><h3>Empowering youth with respiratory illness</h3><p>Inspired by the opportunity to make positive change, Red Dot winning student Yuchen Lan designed a motivational training kit for young people suffering from cystic fibrosis. By targeting patients during young adulthood, when they normally start to manage treatments themselves, she is hoping to get patients motivated about their daily treatment.</p><p>”Cystic fibrosis is a rare disease where patients are diagnosed from birth. The people suffering from it have a shortened life span, and their daily needs revolve around essential treatments for maintaining lung function. I chose this topic because I hope I can make their lives a little more colourful”, says Yuchen Lan.</p><p>Yuchen’s final concept, Moii, is a progressive “Airway Clearance Therapy” training kit, training adolescents to complete their home therapy more effectively, and gradually freeing them from cumbersome equipment. The kit comprises three key components: modular breathing devices for airflow detection, a chest mobility wearable, and an intuitive mobile application.</p><h3>A game-changer for safe and efficient maritime cargo operations</h3><p>FLIR-TS, a project by students Niklas Andreasen, Ellis Walker and Silvester Kössler, won the prestigious “Best of the Best” award at the Red Dot ceremony. Their innovative clamping device addresses a critical issue in the maritime cargo industry: the lack of real-time feedback on container lashings. Improper lashing can lead to accidents and losses, posing severe safety and environmental threats. FLIR-TS enhances maritime cargo security by providing real-time tension monitoring, offering timely warnings of loosening through LED indicators and remote feedback.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2e2eacb44c06431aa4c80463e8aac599/nd24335012-22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>FLIR-TS is a pioneering clamping device that tackles the absence of real-time feedback on container lashings, thereby minimizing the risk of pollution from lost cargo and vessel damage.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Ellis Walker, Silvester Kössler & Niklas Andreasen</span></div></div><p>“By turning this previously invisible aspect of cargo safety into precise, reliable, and actionable real-time data, we want to enhance maritime safety, reducing the risk of pollution from lost cargo and damaged vessels, as well as promoting responsible and resource-saving shipping practices.”, says Silvester Kössler.</p><p>In an effort to bring the product to market, the three young designers now hope to team up with specialists to build a functional prototype from cast steel and test its operations under laboratory conditions. </p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="0ec2e1c5-7570-424c-afbb-f2f974f6b0a6" data-contentname="ABOUT Red Dot Design ranking">{}</div><p><a title="Read more about education at Umeå Institute of Design" href="/en/umea-institute-of-design/education/">Read more about education at Umeå Institute of Design</a></p>/en/news/umea-institute-of-design-tops-red-dot-design-ranking-for-9th-year_11995115//en/news/research-on-calcium-transport-can-provide-safer-food_11993649/Research on calcium transport can fight bacteria and provide safer foodResearchers at Umeå University have revealed details on how bacteria use calcium to regulate vital processes, in a way that differs from human cells. This breakthrough is significant in the fight against antibiotic resistance and for increasing safety in food production.Mon, 14 Oct 2024 07:00:07 +0200<p>Calcium ions are important messengers in the cells of plants, animals, and humans. They help regulate vital processes such as nerve impulses, stress responses, and heartbeats. In a study published in the scientific journal Science Advances, a research team at Umeå University has shown how a protein in Listeria bacteria transports calcium differently from eukaryotic cells (such as those in humans or plants).</p><p>The protein, called LMCA1, helps the bacterium—which can cause food poisoning—survive in harsh conditions, such as when it is exposed to the human immune system or the basic environments used to kill bacteria in commercial food production.</p><p>“The results are therefore particularly interesting for the development of new drugs against bacterial infections and for the food industry,” says Magnus Andersson, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry, who leads the research team.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareleft"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>The illustration shows the structure of the LMCA1 protein (purple) in the surrounding cell membrane with the calcium ion (yellow) bound in the membrane part of the protein.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Magnus Andersson</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">“Amazing to see”</h2><p>The team has developed a method using synchrotron X-rays to study the movements of proteins as they perform their functions. Thanks to this method, they can now track how the LMCA1 protein changes its structure to transport calcium and also measure how quickly this occurs. They have also succeeded in capturing LMCA1 at the critical moment when the protein binds calcium during transport through the cell membrane.</p><p>“It was amazing to be able to see this for the first time. By also identifying clear differences between calcium transport in eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems, our study has taken an important step toward the development of new antimicrobial strategies and ensuring safety in food production,” says Magnus Andersson.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">May help prevent heart failure</h2><p>Much is known about how calcium is managed in complex organisms like humans. But it is only recently that researchers have begun to discover how bacteria, which are simple single-celled organisms, handle calcium. They lack organelles, such as mitochondria, which typically help regulate calcium levels. Despite this, bacteria can still respond to changes in calcium levels, particularly under stress conditions like exposure to toxins or during infections.</p><p>When calcium levels in humans are out of balance, it can lead to diseases—such as neurological, muscle-related, and cardiovascular diseases.</p><p>“It is particularly exciting that the work has also led to funding from the National Institute of Health in the USA, which will finance a new collaboration with the University of Michigan. We will now use the methods we have developed to produce molecules that can activate calcium transport proteins in cases of heart failure,” says Magnus Andersson.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="163ff014-6214-4645-8976-a6085c9f4c93" data-contentname="">{}</div>/en/news/research-on-calcium-transport-can-provide-safer-food_11993649//en/news/virginia-dignum-invited-to-the-vatican-to-lecture-on-ai_11993738/Virginia Dignum invited to the Vatican to lecture on AIUmeå researcher and AI expert Virginia Dignum guest lectured and participated in the Pontifical Academy of Sciences' Biennial 2024 in the Vatican. The group met to discuss how science, technology, and especially artificial intelligence, AI, can help tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the world. “I am deeply honored that I was able to participate," she says.Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:46:33 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/b702745ced434b9597e8b63ac19cb960/kollage_virginia3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b702745ced434b9597e8b63ac19cb960/kollage_virginia3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b702745ced434b9597e8b63ac19cb960/kollage_virginia3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/b702745ced434b9597e8b63ac19cb960/kollage_virginia3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b702745ced434b9597e8b63ac19cb960/kollage_virginia3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b702745ced434b9597e8b63ac19cb960/kollage_virginia3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Photos from Virginia Dignum's visit to the Vatican at the end of September.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Virginia Dignum</span></div></div><p>The papal academy of sciences has the mission to honor science, protect its freedom, and promote research for the advancement of science. Every other year, the academy gathers for scientific discussions, and this year Umeå researcher Virginia Dignum was invited as a guest.</p><p>The theme of the event was "Science for Sustainability and Well-being in the Anthropocene", where the Anthropocene is the period where human activities have reshaped the planet with everything from climate change to biodiversity loss.</p><p>“We met to talk about how science, technology, and especially AI, can help tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our planet today, that is the Anthropocene and biodiversity. Our focus was how science can help us deal with and even reverse some of the damage,” says Virginia Dignum.</p><p class="quote-center">AI can be a game-changer for science and innovation, but we need to be aware of its potential drawbacks</p><p>She believes that AI is a powerful tool that is already changing the way we live, work and solve difficult problems.</p><p>“AI can help us with major global challenges. At the meeting, we saw examples of how it can make agriculture more sustainable, improve climate forecasts and speed up medical research. But AI also has a downside – if it is developed and used irresponsibly, it can exacerbate problems such as inequality and environmental challenges,” says Virginia Dignum.</p><p>Virginia Dignum's talk during the biennial discussed how to make AI develop in a way that benefits everyone.</p><p>“AI can be a game-changer for science and innovation, but we need to be aware of its potential drawbacks,” says Virginia Dignum.</p><p>The event in the Vatican brings together experts from all fields – climate scientists, ethicists, engineers, theologians and more.</p><p>“I am deeply honored that I was able to participate. We are at a pivotal moment, where the choices we make will shape the future – not just for AI, but for humanity and our planet. Let us ensure that these choices are responsible.”</p><h3>What was it like to meet the Pope?</h3><p>“Unfortunately, the Pope was ill on the day he was supposed to meet us, so it was cancelled, but the meeting was very relevant anyway!”</p><p>With a busy schedule, Virginia Dignum is also attending the World Summit AI in Amsterdam and chairing a session on AI future at the World Economic Forum in Dubai.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="be1d9a82-edbc-4652-bc73-24d4262790ec" data-contentname="About the papal academy of science">{}</div>/en/news/virginia-dignum-invited-to-the-vatican-to-lecture-on-ai_11993738//en/news/professor-diego-calvanese-appointed-to-lead-one-of-the-most-prestigious-ai-conferences_11992325/Professor Diego Calvanese appointed to lead one of the world's most prestigious AI conferencesWASP Professor Diego Calvanese at the Department of Computing Science, Umeå University, has been appointed to lead The International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, (IJCAI), one of the world's largest and most prestigious conferences in AI. In 2026, it will be held together with the European Conference in AI (ECAI). "I am both delighted and honoured to have been given this responsible role," says Professor Calvanese. Fri, 11 Oct 2024 15:01:34 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/f0503bd435d240f98cf645062851d5f6/calvanese_diego_4240_220824_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f0503bd435d240f98cf645062851d5f6/calvanese_diego_4240_220824_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f0503bd435d240f98cf645062851d5f6/calvanese_diego_4240_220824_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/f0503bd435d240f98cf645062851d5f6/calvanese_diego_4240_220824_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f0503bd435d240f98cf645062851d5f6/calvanese_diego_4240_220824_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f0503bd435d240f98cf645062851d5f6/calvanese_diego_4240_220824_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Diego Calvanese is one of the world's leading experts in AI for data management. He is a visiting professor at the Department of Computing Science and will now lead one of the world's most prestigious AI conferences.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p>How do we develop AI tools and techniques that help businesses and governments to fully utilise the potential of their data, and how do we evaluate these technologies? This is what Professor <a href="~/link/7d0d69e1f59c4f95921139c600bad74b.aspx">Diego Calvanese</a> focuses on in his research. He is considered one of the world's leading experts in the field and has received several prestigious awards.</p><p>Currently, he is a visiting professor at the <a href="~/link/f1ccf1d251be4f538a13df854f18fb07.aspx">Department of Computing Science</a> with funding from <a href="https://wasp-sweden.org/sv/om-wasp/">WASP</a>, Sweden's single largest research programme. Now, Professor Diego Calvanese has been appointed to lead the work when the world's top AI researchers and experts gather in 2025 and 2026.<br>Calvanese has been appointed Associate Programme Chair of IJCAI 2025 in Montreal, Canada, and the following year, Professor Calvanese will take on the role of Programme Chair of IJCAI-ECAI 2026, which will be held in Bremen, Germany.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Founded in 1969</h2><p>The International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence is the oldest and most comprehensive conference on artificial intelligence in the world. Founded back in 1969, it now attracts in the order of 8000 submissions and<br>4000 – 5000 participants.</p><p>"Although the appointment as Associate Programme Chair in 2025 will be demanding, it will give me the opportunity to familiarise with the activities and responsibilities that I will face in the following year. So, I hope to be well prepared for managing the scientific programme of the 2026 edition of the conference," Professor Calvanese says.</p><p>In his role as Programme Chair, he will appoint and manage a large number of reviewers, senior program committee members and area chairs.<br>"We will evaluate and discuss the submitted articles to reach an agreement on which ones to include in the scientific programme. It is both an exciting and rewarding challenge," Professor Calvanese says.</p><p>The number of submissions to the conference has been steadily increasing in recent years due to the great interest in AI. "Perhaps we will receive in the order of 10,000 submissions, possibly much more," says Prof Calvanese.</p><h3>Technical and societal challenges</h3><p>The International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence 2026 offers a platform to address several challenges in AI development.</p><p>"While an important focus is placed on cutting-edge research tackling complex technical problems in AI, the conference also addresses concerns about the impact of AI on health, climate, democracy, jobs and humanity in general."  </p><p>For example, IJCAI 2024 included a special track on human-centred AI, which continue in future years.<br>"By combining advancement in AI methodologies and technologies with discussions on ethical frameworks and policies, IJCAI ensures a balanced approach to promoting responsible and innovative AI development," says Diego Calvanese.</p><h3>Continue the collaboration</h3><p>"Professor Calvanese has contributed to new insights and collaborations at our department, where he also supervises three doctoral students. We wish him the best of luck and hope for continued good cooperation," says Professor <a href="~/link/8d61155f1de64f248dd69815ea48bf84.aspx">Frank Drewes</a>, Head of the Department of Computing Science.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="2fc06781-a559-41f7-95f6-679b6b100a19" data-contentname="Diego Calvanese eng">{}</div>/en/news/professor-diego-calvanese-appointed-to-lead-one-of-the-most-prestigious-ai-conferences_11992325//en/news/ndpia--important-player-at-the-infection-biology-arena_11990087/NDPIA – an important player at the national infection biology arenaThe National Doctoral Programme in Infections and Antibiotics, NDPIA, covers infection biology in a broad sense, from humans and animals to plants and is a success story. Since the first student enrolled in 2014, the research school has hosted more than 700 PhD student and postdoc members.Thu, 03 Oct 2024 15:22:30 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1045-240927-mpn.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1045-240927-mpn.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1045-240927-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/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1045-240927-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1045-240927-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1045-240927-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>In the NDPIA research school, Debra Milton works closely with the project coordinator, Hanna Eriksson.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p class="quote-center"> I hope that NDPIA has played a small role in their continued interest in research</p><p>With a solid experience from running two prior research schools at Umeå University, Professor Debra Milton was appointed director of the research school in 2020.</p><p>“I absolutely enjoy this work! I meet so many amazing scientists and learn new state-of-the-art techniques in infection biology,” says Debra Milton, professor at the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University.</p><p>NDPIA was initiated by The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, MIMS, in Umeå. Professors Bernt Eric Uhlin and Åke Forsberg organised a joint application between six national universities and institutes for a 2013 Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) call for funding a research school focused on infection biology.</p><p>The application was successful, and the six Swedish partner universities received an initial 15 million SEK to establish and run the new research school. In 2016, the funding was prolonged for another 5 years with an additional 10 million SEK. In 2021, a further extension for use of the funding through 2024 was granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Åke Forsberg was the first national director from 2013-2019.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1061-240927-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1061-240927-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1061-240927-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/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1061-240927-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1061-240927-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1061-240927-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Current NDPIA director Debra Milton gets very involved in the courses; she is creative and has lots of ideas aiming to meet the needs of young researchers. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Good reputation</h2><p>PhD students and postdocs enrolled at a Swedish university or at one of NDPIA’s international partners and studying infection biology and/or antibiotics are welcome to apply for a membership in NDPIA.</p><p>The NDPIA-organized courses are a core activity of the programme and are either free of charge or co-funded by NDPIA. Each course enrols 25-40 members, and the students may receive ECTS credits at their home university for their participation.</p><p>“Our courses are often fully booked and very well received. We have a good reputation; a good token is that the students participate in more than one course and the courses receive interest from international students,” says Debra Milton.</p><p>Throughout the years, the courses have been held in many different sites within Sweden.</p><p>“Now, we hold the courses most often at a venue, which allows the students to focus on a topic for 3-5 days and to present poster presentations. We have experienced that hosting a course at a conference centre leads to a relaxed atmosphere with more time to network and to discuss with other participants and lecturers, who are national and international experts within the course topic. In this way the students build up their scientific network. That is quality time!”</p><p>By attending the NDPIA courses, students have stated that they have gained new ideas and directions for their research and some students have established new research collaborations with other labs in Sweden or international labs.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-ai-course-2024-workshop.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-ai-course-2024-workshop.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-ai-course-2024-workshop.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-ai-course-2024-workshop.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-ai-course-2024-workshop.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-ai-course-2024-workshop.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Assistant Professors Paul Jensen from University of Michigan, USA, and Mark Hendricks from Whitman College, USA, held a workshop in automated science during the NDPIA course "AI Applications in Infection Biology." The exercise involved finding the best set of catapult factors that resulted in a launched ball landing as close to an arbitrary target as possible. The students trained a Gaussian Process regression to try and model the experiment space.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hanna Eriksson</span></div></div><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Designing state-of-the-art courses</h2><p>A lot of work is put in to designing these courses from scratch, and this is a major part of Debra Milton’s work as director. This work is something she does alongside her teaching at the university. Debra Milton gets very involved in the courses; she is creative and has lots of ideas aiming to meet the needs of young researchers.</p><p>“I review many articles to find new and hot topics in infection biology. For instance, a new course we gave this year was entitled ‘AI Applications in Infection Biology,’ which introduced the students to methods on how to use AI in the lab via three hands-on workshops. Other popular course titles are ‘Microbiota and Health,’ ‘Basic and Applied Phage Biology,’ and ‘Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance.’”</p><p>She continues:</p><p>“My vision has been to offer a portfolio of high-quality courses in infection biology that are given biannually. Now, we have seven courses on rotation, and we keep adding new courses. A course on CRISPR-Cas9 applications in infection biology is on my list to develop for the future.”</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-amr-course-2024-lecture.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-amr-course-2024-lecture.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-amr-course-2024-lecture.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-amr-course-2024-lecture.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-amr-course-2024-lecture.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/ndpia-amr-course-2024-lecture.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Professor Diarmaid Hughes from Uppsala University gives a lecture on "Resistance from a microbe perspective" during the NDPIA course "Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance" - one of the most popular courses held at Stora Brännbo in Sigtuna, 2024.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hanna Eriksson</span></div></div><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Teamwork and cherry-picking</h2><p>However, designing and organizing a course is a team effort and Debra’s helping team is critical for producing a quality course and for finding top international scientists to provide the lectures. National expert researchers on the course topic, who are willing to help, work together with NDPIA to create a course schedule with possible lecturer names.</p><p>“We cherry-pick national and international renowned scientists to invite, but as the professors are always super busy, it is important to have a pool of names for each lecture.”</p><p>In addition to designed courses, NDPIA subscribes to training courses in graphic design to visualise science and to a suite of 26 on-demand courses with topics from designing an experiment to advancing a career provided by Nature Masterclasses from Springer Nature.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1049-240927-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1049-240927-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1049-240927-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/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1049-240927-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1049-240927-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/85945fd4e8ea4ce18180f96f3f36c9a0/debra_och_hanna_1049-240927-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Every course is documented in a booklet.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Generous support strengthens infection research</h2><p>Furthermore, by co-funding of travel and accommodation costs, NDPIA supports short research stays in Sweden or abroad, and participation in the biannual National Infection Biology Meeting. This conference is an important network meeting for all NDPIA members and is organized jointly with the Swedish National Infection Biology network and the Swedish Society for Microbiology.</p><p>“I do believe what is most unique with our research school is that the financial support from the Swedish Research Council has been so generous and has allowed us to strengthen the national, and even international, network for Swedish infection biologists to attract young scientists to this field of research.”</p><p>At the end of this year, Debra Milton retires and Annasara Lenman, associate professor at the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå University, will become the new director of the research school.</p><p>“For sure I will miss my job, but I will also find time for other things! I will take up sewing again, cooking, read books especially on history, and learning Swedish more profoundly. Also, a reunion party with my old school friends last summer made me dream of moving back to the US.”</p><p>Right now, Debra Milton’s last task is to write the NDPIA ten-year report. Through the years, as many as 740 PhD students and postdocs have enrolled as members.</p><p>“What is interesting, is that most of our members are still doing research, not necessarily as assistant or associate professors but as staff scientists at universities or employed in companies. I hope that NDPIA has played a small role in their continued interest in research.”</p><h2 id="info4" data-magellan-target="info4">Uncertain future for NDPIA</h2><p>Reflecting on the future, Debra Milton thinks that funding will be a challenging issue, and a new funding source is crucial. This past Spring, the Swedish Research Council opened a new call for funding for a research school within infection biology.</p><p>“Hopefully, our NDPIA application will be a success and we can continue helping to strengthen the national and international network for infection biology in Sweden.”</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildText"> </div></div>/en/news/ndpia--important-player-at-the-infection-biology-arena_11990087//en/news/school-classes-borrow-an-infection-researcher-_11990244/School classes borrow an infection researcher Umeå professor Teresa Frisan participated in the project “Borrow a researcher” within the ForskarFredag initiative last week of September. It was Teresa’s first time to take part in this project, so we must ask three curious questions about her experiences.Tue, 01 Oct 2024 12:36:57 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/ada5798cafc44fb68841c661ef0e7eb6/teresa-webb-2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ada5798cafc44fb68841c661ef0e7eb6/teresa-webb-2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ada5798cafc44fb68841c661ef0e7eb6/teresa-webb-2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/ada5798cafc44fb68841c661ef0e7eb6/teresa-webb-2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ada5798cafc44fb68841c661ef0e7eb6/teresa-webb-2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ada5798cafc44fb68841c661ef0e7eb6/teresa-webb-2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Teresa Frisan, professor at the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Tomas Bergström</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">The pupils were very active, and we had a lot of fun!</p><p>Teresa Frisan shared her enthusiasm for microbial research and interacted through Zoom with eight classes – in seven different schools spread over Sweden. The groups consisted of second and third-year pupils from the Natural sciences programme at the upper secondary school.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">What was your goal with the lesson?</h2><p>”My goal was to give the pupils a sense of what it is like to be a researcher. I hope that I could inspire them.”</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">How did you achieve your goal?</h2><p>” I tried to have an active session. I posed several questions and had the students work in groups for 2-3 minutes before we discussed their answers together. I asked them to imagine what a researcher looks like and how they think a researcher’s mind works.”</p><p>”Next, I introduced the topic of toxins, explaining why bacteria have them as part of their virulence factors. I focused on a specific group of toxins that target DNA, known as bacterial genotoxins. We discussed the consequences of DNA damage in cells, and I asked the pupils to design an experiment to determine the biological role of these toxins in the context of an infection.”</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">How was the ambiance?</h2><p>”The pupils were very active, and we had a lot of fun! Some teachers wrote me afterwards to say that they were very pleased with the active participation approach.”</p>/en/news/school-classes-borrow-an-infection-researcher-_11990244//en/news/inland-waters-crucial-for-accurate-climate-assessments_11989368/Inland waters crucial for accurate climate assessmentsInland waters release substantial amounts of greenhouse gases, but this is rarely included in climate assessments. New research from Umeå University shows that not accounting for carbon fluxes between land and water systems leads to incorrect assessments of climate impact and feedback on the carbon cycle.Mon, 30 Sep 2024 08:20:35 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/29509d7a70d14fad9d9780d9ecf2bbd9/rautasjaure13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/29509d7a70d14fad9d9780d9ecf2bbd9/rautasjaure13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/29509d7a70d14fad9d9780d9ecf2bbd9/rautasjaure13.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/29509d7a70d14fad9d9780d9ecf2bbd9/rautasjaure13.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/29509d7a70d14fad9d9780d9ecf2bbd9/rautasjaure13.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/29509d7a70d14fad9d9780d9ecf2bbd9/rautasjaure13.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Streams, rivers and lakes in cold regions contribute more to greenhouse gas emissions than previously thought.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Annika Hollsten</span></div></div><p>Cold regions in the north and at high elevation are experiencing rapid warming – up to four times faster than the global average. This phenomenon not only threatens the status of these ecosystems but also leads to the release of vast amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. However, assessments of how the carbon cycle responds to and feeds back on climate change generally focus on the exchange of greenhouse gases on land, neglecting the large carbon export from land to the abundant inland waters (streams, rivers, and lakes) in these regions.</p><p>“Current data and approaches are likely inadequate to capture contemporary and future carbon flows across land and water systems,” says Jan Karlsson, Professor at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences at Umeå University.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Emissions from 3,000 lakes</h2><p>One example of a large-scale integrated assessment is new research led by Chunlin Song from Sichuan University in China and Jan Karlsson from Umeå University, published in the scientific journal Science Advances. Based on a comprehensive analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from over 3,000 lakes and rivers across the Northern Hemisphere, they show that lakes and rivers in cold regions contribute more to greenhouse gas emissions than previously understood and that these emissions could offset a major part of the carbon uptake by land ecosystems in the north.</p><p class="quote-center">This finding is particularly alarming, as it suggests that thawing of permafrost releases significant amounts of stored carbon into the atmosphere.</p><p>The study also reveals regional differences in greenhouse gas emissions between rivers and lakes, with particularly high significance of rivers and of systems in regions with extensive coverage of permafrost.</p><p>“This finding is particularly alarming, as it suggests that thawing of permafrost releases significant amounts of stored carbon into the atmosphere, further exacerbating climate change.”</p><p>The implications of this research are profound, according to Jan Karlsson.</p><p>“As global temperatures continue to rise, the role of cold regions in greenhouse gas emissions may become increasingly significant,” he says.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Specific conditions</h2><p>In another paper published in the scientific journal Nature Water, Jan Karlsson emphasizes that the climate impact on the coupled land-water carbon cycle varies largely depending on specific climate conditions and landscape characteristics. According to him, there are significant challenges in studying land and water systems at a relevant scale and detail to make accurate assessments.</p><p>“In order to advance the field, we need collaborative studies across scientific disciplines and approaches. Optimally, research infrastructures, funding, and educational programs should be designed to facilitate the integrated collaborative approaches needed,” says Jan Karlsson.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="fa7df0fe-e7e7-4d6f-a9b2-a4abf4462ffb" data-contentname="About the scientific articles">{}</div>/en/news/inland-waters-crucial-for-accurate-climate-assessments_11989368//en/news/seminar-series-sparks-international-research-collaborations_11989401/Seminar series sparks international research collaborationsUCMR Seminar Series aims to connect the microbial research environment in Umeå to the world and promote collaborations. A good concept according to professor Stefano Corni who visited Umeå through this programme and concludes “As any human being, researchers need informal, personal interactions to feel part of a community, that in turns helps one’s research to grow faster and healthier.”Fri, 27 Sep 2024 14:48:51 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/stefano_o_nicolo.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/stefano_o_nicolo.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/stefano_o_nicolo.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/stefano_o_nicolo.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/stefano_o_nicolo.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/stefano_o_nicolo.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Professor Stefano Corni and assistant professor Nicolò Maccaferri deeepen their collaboration through UCMR Seminar Series support.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Ingrid Söderbergh</span></div></div><p class="quote-center">my impression is that the research performed at Umeå University is of world-class scientific level</p><p>“I am very grateful to Umeå Centre of Microbial Research, UCMR, for funding my short visit to Umeå and allowing me to connect with a new reality, since this is my first time in Sweden and I am happy with my experience,” says Stefano Corni, professor at the Department of Chemical Sciences at the University of Padova in Italy.</p><p>In late September, Nicolò Maccaferri and his research group had the pleasure to host Stefano Corni in the context of UCMR Seminar Series. Corni’s research is focusing on using the basic principles of chemistry and physics to model the properties of complicated systems involving molecules, nanostructures and light and he is already an important collaborator of Nicolò Maccaferri in the Pathfinder project ‘iSenseDNA’ funded by the European Innovation Council.</p><p>“Stefano Corni’s team is helping our group to model the experimental results that we obtain here. We use a homemade multidimentional spectroscopy setup to measure the dynamics of molecules at very short timescales and from this we extract structural information useful to understand their elementary functions,” says Nicolò Maccaferri, assistant professor and group leader of the Ultrafast Nanoscience Unit at the Department of Physics at Umeå University.</p><p>As a mandatory part of the UCMR Seminar Series programme, Stefano Corni gave a lecture. His talk covered multiscale modelling of molecules interacting with nanostructures, a topic at the intersection between chemistry and physics, partially connected to some other on-going projects in the Nicolò Maccaferri lab.</p><p>Furthermore, a lot of time was devoted to informal discussions about on-going experiments and projects and future new ideas involving researchers in different units.</p><p>“For instance, Stefano Corni has started a collaboration with Magnus Andersson lab at the Department of Physics, where the idea is to validate his theoretical models using Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, Corni’s team can help us in modeling experiments we plan to do together with André Mateus lab at the Department of Chemistry,” says Nicolò Maccaferri.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/hinduja_1_besk.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/hinduja_1_besk.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/hinduja_1_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/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/hinduja_1_besk.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/hinduja_1_besk.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/hinduja_1_besk.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>PhD student Hinduja Bhuvanendran and ‘Excellence by Choice’ postdoctoral fellow Ben Johns are showing professor Stefano the experimental setup used in both the Pathfinder project ‘iSenseDNA’ and the UCMR postdoctoral project funded by Kempestiftelserna.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>[Nicolò Maccaferri]</span></div></div><p>Corni’s expertise is also complementary to that of Ludvig Lizana, who is co-supervisor to postdoctoral fellow Ben Johns together with André Mateus (co-supervisor) and Nicolò Maccaferri (main supervisor). This additional collaboration will strengthen the Umeå University team in performing a challenging interdisciplinary research project within the ‘Excellence by Choice’ postdoctoral fellow programme in life science.</p><p>Stefano Corni thinks that the highlight of his stay was meeting researchers that were so enthusiastic about their work and visiting their labs.</p><p>“I was particularly impressed by the strong research in materials science and photonics carried out at the Department of Physics, funded by prestigious grants such as the European Research Council and Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse (KAW). Even though I was here only for a short time, my impression is that the research performed at Umeå University is of world-class scientific level. I have a strong feeling that Umeå University is a pleasant place to study at and to do research in an open and collaborative manner.”</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/mouna_2_besk3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/mouna_2_besk3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/mouna_2_besk3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/mouna_2_besk3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/mouna_2_besk3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/f9b544370d3c4f939b357c0cece09ba6/mouna_2_besk3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>PhD student Mouna Rafei is explaining to professor Stefano Corni how they make nanomaterials using chemical synthesis techniques.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Nicolò maccaferri</span></div></div>/en/news/seminar-series-sparks-international-research-collaborations_11989401//en/news/umea-researchers-in-new-un-report-on-ai-urgent-to-collaborate_11989386/Umeå researcher in new UN report on AI: “Urgent to collaborate”A report by the UN Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence shows that unregulated AI development poses risks at societal and ethical levels, as well as in terms of global governance. Something that requires urgent action. The advisory board includes Umeå researcher and AI expert Virginia Dignum. “The report emphasizes the importance of global cooperation and warns that AI development is currently controlled by a few companies and countries,” she says. Fri, 11 Oct 2024 12:28:21 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/0fd00b9ad08844e1b30808585cfe0a8d/dignum-virginia-8004-240620-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0fd00b9ad08844e1b30808585cfe0a8d/dignum-virginia-8004-240620-mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0fd00b9ad08844e1b30808585cfe0a8d/dignum-virginia-8004-240620-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/0fd00b9ad08844e1b30808585cfe0a8d/dignum-virginia-8004-240620-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0fd00b9ad08844e1b30808585cfe0a8d/dignum-virginia-8004-240620-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0fd00b9ad08844e1b30808585cfe0a8d/dignum-virginia-8004-240620-mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Virginia Dignum, Professor in the Department of Computing Science and member of the UN expert organ on AI.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>The United Nations Advisory Body on AI has released its final report, "Governing AI for Humanity," with proposals for managing AI globally and protecting human rights. The report highlights that current structures are insufficient and that a global, inclusive system for AI governance is needed. The report makes seven recommendations, including the creation of an international scientific panel on AI, the launch of a global AI fund for countries with limited resources, and the development of common standards for AI data. The report emphasizes that international cooperation is crucial.</p><p>“It is urgent to work together internationally to create a framework that addresses today's shortcomings, especially around human rights, fairness and risk reduction. Although a global governance structure can be difficult to create, it is important to have a dialogue where countries and regions can work together and find common solutions,” says Virginia Dignum.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Can exacerbate inequalities</h2><p>She believes that without governance AI entails great risks, especially as it can affect different population groups around the world unequally. Most governance initiatives today come from a small group of countries and companies, which means that large parts of the world, especially in the Global South, are underrepresented.</p><p>“Without the right governance, AI can exacerbate inequalities. But we must also avoid letting the fear of risks prevent us from using AI for good purposes,” says Virginia Dignum.</p><p>AI can also provide major benefits, such as supporting the achievement of UN'ssustainable development goals, improving healthcare, education and governance. It can empower local communities, help solve complex problems, and increase productivity and innovation.</p><p>“That's why it's so important to have a global network for AI development, so these benefits are available to everyone, not just to a few,” says Virginia Dignum.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Over 50 global meetings</h2><p>She feels that the work in the advisory body has been both challenging and rewarding. This has meant working with experts from different fields and regions, bringing in different perspectives and finding common solutions to AI challenges.</p><p>“We conducted over 50 global meetings and reviewed contributions from all over the world, which showed the great interest in shaping the future of AI. That made the process very meaningful,” says Virginia Dignum.</p><p>There are cultural differences in how different groups view AI, especially around the balance between innovation and regulation and the role of AI in society. Some regions focus on AI's potential for economic growth, while others are more concerned about ethical issues and threats to human rights.</p><p>“These different perspectives have enriched our discussions and show the need for a global, inclusive AI governance that takes into account different needs and values around the world. My role was sometimes to keep the group focused and remind them that we must not get caught up in the hype around AI,” says Virginia Dignum.</p>/en/news/umea-researchers-in-new-un-report-on-ai-urgent-to-collaborate_11989386//en/news/new-large-language-models-course-addresses-increasing-skills-needs_11988398/New large language models course addresses increasing skills needsThe Department of Computing Science continues to invest in skills development for professionals in IT and AI. This after the Summer course on LLMs became one of Umeå University's most popular, attracting a very high number of applicants. "We are responding to the demand and opening a new opportunity specifically designed for established IT professionals," says Michael Minock, Associate Professor in Computing Science. Thu, 26 Sep 2024 13:12:09 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/d40cb0c6bad04ba08e5122f9b7d7689b/large_language_models.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d40cb0c6bad04ba08e5122f9b7d7689b/large_language_models.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d40cb0c6bad04ba08e5122f9b7d7689b/large_language_models.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/d40cb0c6bad04ba08e5122f9b7d7689b/large_language_models.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/d40cb0c6bad04ba08e5122f9b7d7689b/large_language_models.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/d40cb0c6bad04ba08e5122f9b7d7689b/large_language_models.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Large language modelling is a type of AI that uses huge amounts of text, drawn from multiple sources. Organisations and companies can use the technology in a variety of ways, and a new course at Umeå University provides insights into how.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Adobe Stock</span></div></div><p>Chat GPT came along and took the world by surprise. Large language models are now being applied in a range of projects, worldwide. But how can professionals already working in a Swedish or international company utilise and integrate the technology into their systems? This is exactly what participants will learn in spring 2025 when the course "Large Language Models (LLMs) for Practitioners" kicks off.</p><h3>LLMs - Concepts, Tools and Development</h3><p>"We provide a systematic introduction to the concepts and tools that form the basis of development. For example, we cover Transformers at a very high level. Then, we explore key methods for successfully using LLM," says <a href="~/link/b9957d9949164f6b93db87d6e9ef8fee.aspx">Michael Minock</a>, Associate Professor at the Department of Computing Science, Umeå University.</p><p>In very simple terms, Transformers have fundamentally changed the way we use technology to process and understand text and natural language. "During the course, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about this, and develop solutions for their own industry-specific data as well," says Michael Minock.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="4461512a-f1e3-4c39-afba-342ffe23ba41" data-contentname="I would like to take the course">{}</div><h3>LLMs for professionals</h3><p>The Department of Computing Science at Umeå University has grown at record speed in recent years. It offers IT and AI programmes and courses of <a href="~/link/8f39a3d9064a4cabba32cfdd76c2fe9f.aspx">high quality and reputation</a>. <a href="~/link/f1ccf1d251be4f538a13df854f18fb07.aspx">The department</a> also conducts world-leading research in areas such as AI, responsible AI, cloud computing, data privacy, natural language processing, data security, explainable AI, and AI for data management.</p><p>"The course Large Language Models (LLMs) for Practitioners" is primarily aimed at those who already work in the IT industry, with experience of, or interest in, development work. Therefore, the course is also held remotely, and does not require physical presence," says Michael Minock.</p><h3>New 2025 summer course on large language models</h3><p>The high number of applications for <a href="~/link/b954ffb2c04c457a8b89b0a63f80e701.aspx">the summer course in 2024</a> has led the Department of Computing Science to plan for a follow-up. "We experienced a huge interest and are now evaluating the course to develop the most important and most appreciated parts for an intensive and educational summer course also in 2025," Michael Minock says.</p><h3>For additional information</h3><p>Please contact Michael Minock, Associate Professor at the Department of Computing Science, who researches on natural language interfaces, knowledge representation and databases. Michael Minock teaches databases, AI, LLMs, logic and algorithms.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="afd6e58b-18d1-4251-9738-8253640d158e" data-contentname="Michael Minock contact">{}</div><p> </p>/en/news/new-large-language-models-course-addresses-increasing-skills-needs_11988398//en/news/feminist-design-strategies-for-transforming-design-museums_11987782/Feminist design strategies for transforming design museumsIn a world where design is often celebrated for its role in advancing humanity, it is important to also question this narrative through a critical lens. In her doctoral thesis, Anja Neidhardt-Mokoena investigates the role design has played in sustaining discriminatory and patriarchal systems. Through an intersectional feminist perspective, she explores how design museums can help us rethink and improve design to be more sustainable and fair. Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:15:52 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/6f5b5f7b443140d2a8eb9373e82586ba/anja22.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Anja Neidhardt-Mokoena has been studying design museums.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Jens Persson</span></div></div><p>The research of Neidhardt-Mokoena, a doctoral candidate at Umeå Institute of Design and the Gender Research School (Umeå Centre for Gender Studies) at Umeå University, highlights the uncomfortable truth that design is part of reproducing systems of oppression that contribute to environmental degradation and discrimination based on race and gender. Cars, for example, are primarily designed and tested using crash test dummies based on male bodies, making women 47 percent more likely to be seriously injured. Trousers for women often lack adequate pockets, limiting access to essential items like keys, money, or a phone. Speaking of the phone, the production of aesthetically pleasing and functional smartphones often involves environmentally harmful mining and exploitation of labour.</p><p class="quote-center">Design museums can support design to move towards more justice.</p><p>Despite these issues, design is usually celebrated uncritically in museums. The story often centres around the single star designer – typically a white, heterosexual, able-bodied man – whose shiny objects are displayed with a focus on aesthetics rather than societal impact. Neidhardt-Mokoena argues that design museums – which hold a prominent status in pop culture, politics, and the industry – could actually facilitate critical dialogue on design’s role and lead to more just design practices.</p><p>“Design museums can support design to move towards more justice. However, they too need to change. Currently they tend to preserve dominant and problematic narratives and definitions of design. In my thesis, I develop feminist design strategies that can start such processes of transformation”, says Anja Neidhardt-Mokoena.</p><p>Neidhardt-Mokoena’s research is based on museum visits, hosting participatory design workshops, consulting literature about activist spaces and social movements, and conducting visual analysis. Through these methods, she provides analysis and understanding into how design and its museums reproduce systems of oppression. In addition, the approaches employed by Neidhardt-Mokoena contribute towards activism in the field of design, proposing strategies for how design could be redesigned so that it can better contribute to the development of more just futures.</p><p>In her thesis, Neidhardt-Mokoena shows that much can be learnt from community archives and activist spaces. These are places where people and material come together at the heart of social justice movements. They make alternative histories accessible, and with this enable new ways of dealing with the present as well as envisioning different, better futures.</p><p>The feminist design strategies developed by Neidhardt-Mokoena are envisioned to spark transformational processes in design museums. However, she believes that they can also be applied towards initiating change in other design institutions such as design schools, hoping to support developments towards more equitable and just futures.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="a248bdf2-82bd-4e7a-8440-7f3438f9102c" data-contentname="About the dissertation">{}</div>/en/news/feminist-design-strategies-for-transforming-design-museums_11987782//en/news/increased-privacy-protection-in-personalized-devices_11986651/Increased privacy protection in personalized devicesSoon, our digital devices will be even better at adapting to our needs – without compromising our personal privacy. This is the conclusion of Sourasekhar Banerjee in a new doctoral thesis in computer science at Umeå University.Fri, 27 Sep 2024 14:27:09 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/fdd8a5c58d7e4251900c390ada828b97/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fdd8a5c58d7e4251900c390ada828b97/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fdd8a5c58d7e4251900c390ada828b97/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/fdd8a5c58d7e4251900c390ada828b97/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/fdd8a5c58d7e4251900c390ada828b97/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/fdd8a5c58d7e4251900c390ada828b97/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Sourasekhar Banerjee during the nailing ceremony at Umeå University Library.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Victoria Skeidsvoll</span></div></div><p>When we use computers and mobile phones to browse the web and use apps, we share large amounts of data. For example, information is collected about our location, what we click on, and how long we spend on various websites. These data points can be used to map our preferences and online behavior. Recently, the debate about user data has focused on how this impacts our personal privacy.</p><p>In his thesis, Sourasekhar Banerjee has explored how digital devices can be made more efficient and personalized while simultaneously protecting our privacy. The research focuses on a technique called "federal learning" – or collaborative learning – where multiple devices work together without directly sharing data with each other. Instead, each device holds different pieces of information, and together they form a complete picture. By connecting multiple devices in this way, it becomes possible to control what data is shared and when. This enables personalized digital services for the user without the need to share sensitive information with third parties.</p><p>”Imagine healthcare providers offering personalized medical advice without compromising patient privacy, or financial apps giving customized investment advice without revealing sensitive financial information," says Sourasekhar Banerjee.</p><p>Banerjee emphasizes that companies in healthcare, finance, and digital services can greatly benefit from these techniques to offer smart and privacy-protected AI solutions. The technology can also be used in everyday apps, such as photo applications on mobile phones, where images can be analyzed without the personal data ever leaving the device.</p><h3>About the Doctoral Thesis</h3><p>On Monday, September 23, Sourasekhar Banerjee from the Department of Computer Science at Umeå University will defend his doctoral thesis titled Advancing Federated Learning: Algorithms and Use-Cases. The defense will take place at 13:00 in Lecture Hall HUM.D.210, Humanisthuset. The opponent is Salman Toor, Associate Professor of Scientific Computing at Uppsala University.</p><p><a href="https://umu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1892766&dswid=-5893">Read the doctoral thesis.</a></p>/en/news/increased-privacy-protection-in-personalized-devices_11986651//en/news/receives-sek-15-million-will-create-degradable-plastic--from-algae_11986555/Receives SEK 15 million: Will create degradable plastic – from algaeThe Waste2Plastic project at Umeå University has received SEK 15 million from the Swedish Energy Agency and its industrial partners to produce biodegradable plastics, PHA, using microalgae. The algae are grown in wastewater in Umeå and convert carbon dioxide from flue gases into biomass. “The biomass will be fed to bacteria that create plastic for lamps and packaging. We are on our way to a sustainable bioplastics industry,” says Christiane Funk, project manager at the Department of Chemistry. Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:43:35 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/dava2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/dava2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/dava2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/dava2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/dava2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/dava2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>At the Dåva waste treatment plant in Umeå, microalgae are grown in wastewater, both in greenhouses and outdoors.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Christiane Funk</span></div></div><p>The development of plastics has been almost exclusively fossil-based, due to both affordable prices and the availability of fossil raw materials. Over the past 50 years, annual global production has increased from 1.5 million tonnes to over 395 million tonnes. Essentially, fossil-based plastics end up in landfills – only about 9 percent of plastic is recycled and 12 percent is incinerated, while the remaining 79 percent will slowly decompose, taking hundreds of years.</p><p>“Bio-based plastics, generated from renewable resources, can play an important role in the circular economy to avoid the use of fossil fuels. It also involves new methods for degradation or recycling and less toxic chemicals in the manufacturing stages,” says Professor Christiane Funk.</p><p>She continues:</p><p>“Biodegradable plastics have been proposed as a substitute to meet future plastic needs, but in 2022, bioplastics accounted for only one percent of the plastic produced in the world. One of the biggest problems for the commercialisation of biodegradable plastics is its high production costs compared to plastics derived from petrochemicals.”</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Algae from the local area</h2><p>The Waste2Plastic project aims to reduce the carbon footprint by using local strains of Nordic microalgae as raw materials, reducing the consumption of fossil fuels in the production of bioplastics and making the plastics biodegradable.</p><p>The algae are grown in industrial and municipal wastewater in Umeå (in collaboration with Vakin and Umeå Energi), where they perform photosynthesis and convert carbon dioxide from flue gases into biomass. The biomass will then be fed to PHA-producing bacteria, which sustainably produce plastic.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/diy_photobioreactor_32.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/diy_photobioreactor_32.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/diy_photobioreactor_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/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/diy_photobioreactor_32.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/diy_photobioreactor_32.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/1bee082d22ea46479887e5cf5979af06/diy_photobioreactor_32.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The algal strain Coelastrum astroideum (RW-10) producing carbohydrates in control media and synthetic wastewater.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Sanyeet Mehariya</span></div></div><p>The cultivation of microalgae has several positive effects. Carbon dioxide is removed from the flue gases and helps mitigate climate change immediately, microalgae actively remove pollutants in the wastewater recycling process and microalgae biomass is a renewable source that does not require expensive materials, nutrients or arable land.</p><p>“Projects like ours will pave the way for the creation of a sustainable bioplastics industry,” says Christiane Funk.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">“Fantastic organisms”</h2><p>From the environmentally friendly PHA, the project's industrial partners will then design lamps and create packaging materials. With the help of a company in Sundsvall, they will also test the biodegradability of PHA.</p><p>She believes that it is very valuable that both Waste2Plastic and Re:Source focus on circularity and sustainability.</p><p>“Microalgae are fantastic organisms, which can contribute to a sustainable future. They convert carbon dioxide into biomass, which can then be used in biotechnological processes, they can purify wastewater, they produce most of the oxygen we breathe – and they are beautiful,” says Christiane Funk.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="253c705f-7dda-4170-8f7b-917618d97753" data-contentname="Facts Waste2Plastic">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="752cea31-d465-4c86-94e7-fdb6f850db5d" data-contentname="About PHA">{}</div>/en/news/receives-sek-15-million-will-create-degradable-plastic--from-algae_11986555//en/news/new-study-uncovers-unexpected-interaction-between-mars-and-the-solar-wind_11986559/New study uncovers unexpected interaction between Mars and the solar windScientists of the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) in Kiruna and Umeå University find that under certain conditions the induced magnetosphere of Mars can degenerate. The findings are presented in a new study, published in the renowned journal Nature. Thu, 19 Sep 2024 11:13:13 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/degenerate-magnetosphere-of-mars_cred_irf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/degenerate-magnetosphere-of-mars_cred_irf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/degenerate-magnetosphere-of-mars_cred_irf3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/degenerate-magnetosphere-of-mars_cred_irf3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/degenerate-magnetosphere-of-mars_cred_irf3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/degenerate-magnetosphere-of-mars_cred_irf3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>A study published in Nature describes how Mars interacts with the solar wind. The solar wind flows along the white lines and atmospheric particles are lost to space along the red lines.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Institutet för rymdfysik</span></div></div><p>An induced magnetosphere is formed because of a planets lack of an internal magnetic field and instead the atmosphere of the planet interacts directly with the solar wind. The solar wind is a stream of charged particles from the Sun with an embedded magnetic field.</p><p>The scientists have been using computer models and observations from scientific instruments, as IRF's Analyzer of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3), onboard the ESA spacecraft Mars Express and NASA's spacecraft MAVEN, both of which orbit around Mars.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareleft"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/qi_zhang_cred_irf2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/qi_zhang_cred_irf2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/qi_zhang_cred_irf2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/qi_zhang_cred_irf2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/qi_zhang_cred_irf2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/9c1acf0a27154b92b23c62cabef1143d/qi_zhang_cred_irf2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Qi Zhang, PhD student at IRF and Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Institutet för rymdfysik</span></div></div><p>“When the solar wind protons flow align with the magnetic field of the solar wind, the induced magnetosphere of Mars will degenerate. Such a degenerate magnetosphere will affect how much atmosphere is lost from Mars to space”, says the lead author Qi Zhang, PhD student at IRF and Umeå University.</p><p>The results are published in the journal Nature on 18 September 2024.</p><p>The ASPERA-3 instrument measures the fluxes of ions, electrons and neutral atoms in space around Mars. During more than 20 years in orbit around the planet, ASPERA-3 has made a number of interesting observations at Mars, including continuous measurements of the ion outflow from the planet.</p><p><a title="Read the article in Nature" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07959-z">Read the article “Mars’s induced magnetosphere can degenerate” in Nature</a><br><br></p>/en/news/new-study-uncovers-unexpected-interaction-between-mars-and-the-solar-wind_11986559//en/news/forever-chemicals-persist-through-waste-incineration_11985744/Forever chemicals persist through waste incineration – can spread to the environmentPFAS, often called "forever chemicals," present in municipal solid waste can survive the high temperatures of waste incineration and continue to spread into the environment via residues from waste-to-energy plants. A new doctoral thesis from Umeå University’s Industrial Doctoral School reveals that the most common type of PFAS found in ash, condensate, and flue gases is also the most challenging to capture once they have entered the environment.Thu, 19 Sep 2024 08:00:05 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Sofie Björklund has been studying PFAS substances in her doctoral project in collaboration with Umeå Energi.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>The research, initiated by the collaboration partner Umeå Energi, aimed to uncover the fate of PFAS during the handling and incineration of municipal solid waste.</p><p>“When we began this project a few years ago, there was very little research on PFAS behavior in large-scale waste-to-energy facilities. Now, an increasing number of studies, including those from our research group, confirm that PFAS are not completely destroyed during incineration and can be found in the byproducts of the process,” says Sofie Björklund, doctoral student at the Department of Chemistry and the Industrial Doctoral School.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Short-chain PFAS most common</h2><p>The research found that short-chain PFAS were the most common compounds identified, both in the leachate from unburned waste and in the ash, condensate, and flue gases produced during incineration.</p><p>“This is concerning because short-chain PFAS are highly mobile in water and difficult to capture once they have entered the environment. What we need to determine next is whether these shorter PFAS are breakdown products of longer-chain PFAS,” says Sofie Björklund.</p><p>One of the studies in the thesis examined the efficiency of flue gas cleaning in reducing PFAS levels. The results showed that wet flue gas treatment removed an average of 35 percent of total PFAS, though the effectiveness varied significantly depending on the specific PFAS compounds.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="db81a17a-188f-465c-a7a3-abc956f976ec" data-contentname="About PFAS">{}</div><p>The thesis also highlights that adding five percent of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants to regular waste fuel could increase the annual emissions of PFAS from the incineration plant by three to four times compared to burning regular waste alone.</p><p>“It’s likely possible to optimize flue gas cleaning to capture even more PFAS. A hazardous waste incineration plant in Belgium has already had success in this area,” says Sofie Björklund.</p><p>Despite these findings, she notes that waste-to-energy plants are not the sole source of PFAS emissions.</p><p>“There are several other major sources, such as firefighting training sites and wastewater treatment plants, which likely contribute significantly more PFAS to the environment. That said, minimizing PFAS emissions wherever possible is critical, as these chemicals persist in the environment indefinitely.”</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Exploring breakdown products</h2><p>Åsa Benckert, senior environmental engineer at Umeå Energi, emphasizes the need for better end-of-life planning for products containing PFAS. When products are brought to market, there’s often no plan for how they will be handled once they become waste. There is till a lack a full understanding of what happens to different substances in the collection and treatment chain.</p><p>“It’s clear that PFAS from consumer products aren’t fully destroyed by current waste management practices. More research is needed to understand exactly what happens during incineration and how we can reduce the spread of these harmful substances,” she says.</p><p>The research team plans to expand their studies, focusing on the conditions under which PFAS breakdown might occur and identifying the resulting breakdown products. To support this work, a new doctoral student has joined the group.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="a1a65b4c-98bb-4fdc-b56f-15a7c3374de5" data-contentname="About the thesis defence">{}</div>/en/news/forever-chemicals-persist-through-waste-incineration_11985744//en/news/graphite-oxidation-experiments-reveal-new-type-of-oscillating-chemical-reaction_11985199/Graphite oxidation experiments reveal new type of oscillating chemical reactionA reaction that puzzled scientists for 50 years has now been explained by researchers at Umeå University. Rapid structural snapshots captured how graphite transforms into graphite oxide during electrochemical oxidation, revealing intermediate structures that appear and disappear over time. The researchers describe this as a new type of oscillating reaction.Tue, 17 Sep 2024 08:00:07 +0200<p class="quote-center">What began as a detailed study of a particular chemical reaction suddenly appeared to be a lot more interesting from the point of view of fundamental chemistry.</p><p>Oscillating chemical reactions are fascinating to watch and important for developing an understanding of how complex systems work, both in chemistry and in nature. Classical visual examples of such reactions show how the colors of a solution change back and forth, cycling through different states and producing a final product after each cycle.</p><p>Umeå researchers recently published a study in the scientific journal Angewandte Chemie, reporting a rather different and new type of oscillating reaction during electrochemical oxidation of graphite.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="ea366b01-187d-45ea-805d-841339816496" data-contentname="Facts">{}</div><p>“It has been known for 50 years that some voltage oscillations spontaneously occur when a charge is applied to a graphite electrode immersed in sulphuric acid solution. The end product of this reaction is graphite oxide, a material consisting of layers of graphene oxide. However, what happens to the structure of the material during the reaction at every oscillation cycle had remained a complete mystery,” says Alexandr Talyzin, Professor in the Department of Physics at Umeå University.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Surprised the researchers</h2><p>Thanks to new synchrotron methods, researchers can record X-ray diffraction scans in a matter of a few seconds, providing snapshots of the material’s structure changes during oxidation. Surprisingly, the experiments revealed an intermediate phase with a specific structure that appears at one part of the cycle, disappears in the next stage and then reappears, repeating the cycle.</p><p>”Soon we realised that we had observed a new – to the best of our knowledge – type of oscillating reaction. What began as a detailed study of a particular chemical reaction suddenly appeared to be a lot more interesting from the point of view of fundamental chemistry. Bartosz Gurzeda, the first author of the study, also recorded a beautiful video showing periodic changes in the appearance of a sample every few minutes,” says Alexandr Talyzin.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="32066cce-ca9f-437c-b307-6d752dc64f77" data-contentname="Video">{}</div><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Gave a Nobel Prize</h2><p>Oscillation reactions are happening inside all living beings but were once considered impossible in inorganic chemistry. This discovery expands our knowledge of chemical kinetics and reaction mechanisms and could lead to the development of new theories and models in chemistry.</p><p>The first theory explaining oscillating reactions earned Ilya Prigogine the Nobel Prize in 1977 and became a fundamental part of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, showing how order can emerge from chaos.</p><p>“We hope that new theories will be developed to explain this new type of oscillating reaction, which may lead to the discovery of new similar examples,” says Alexandr Talyzin.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>The figure shows how graphite (left) is transformed into ‘pristine’ graphite oxide by voltage oscillations.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Alexandr Talyzin</span></div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="2b0e20fe-0951-4d46-9360-37451655f9f5" data-contentname="About the scientific article">{}</div></div>/en/news/graphite-oxidation-experiments-reveal-new-type-of-oscillating-chemical-reaction_11985199//en/news/from-automated-dj-mixing-to-ai-in-news-media_11981494/From automated DJ mixing to artificial intelligence in news mediaThis Monday, no less than three doctoral students presented their work at the Department of Computing Science. Guests and opponents congratulated Mickaël Zehren, who succesfully defended his work and now can call himself a doctor. Sourasekhar Banerjee, who nailed his thesis, and Igor Ryazanov, who is halfway through his doctoral studies.Wed, 11 Sep 2024 15:42:54 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/doctor_zehren5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/doctor_zehren5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/doctor_zehren5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/doctor_zehren5.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/doctor_zehren5.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/doctor_zehren5.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Mickaël Zehren was brilliant during his defence and now holds the title of Doctor. <span class="photo" style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap: nowrap;">Image</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 0.66667rem; text-wrap: nowrap;">Zehren</span></p></div></div><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Uniting computer science and music </h2><p>In his thesis, <a href="~/link/d3013ecf52f14d41a303a7aa3473c07b.aspx">Mickaël Zehren</a> studies ways to automatically create DJ mixes by identifying points of interest in music tracks, known as cue points, which are essential for DJ mixing. The four-year thesis is a true interdisciplinary project that successfully brings technology and the humanities together.</p><p>Supervisors <a href="~/link/9787840015304fae99c2edb384749702.aspx">Paolo Bientinesi</a>, Professor at the <a href="~/link/f1ccf1d251be4f538a13df854f18fb07.aspx">Department of Computing Science,</a> Umeå University, and <a href="https://www.marcoalunno.com/">Marco Alunno</a>, Professor of Composition and Theory, at Universidad EAFIT, Colombia, were present at the thesis defense.</p><p>"Mickaël Zehren delivered a nice and multi-faceted presentation, discussing music and algorithms", Professor Paolo Bientinesi says.</p><p>"For the past 4 years, Mickael acted as the link and the interpreter between Marco and myself, as our expertise and language are entirely different."</p><h3>Three-way collaboration</h3><p>Mickaël Zehren also contributed with his knowledge of Machine Learning (ML), together with a real passion for curating and sharing data. <br>"I can safely say that all three of us learned a lot from this three-way collaboration," Bientinesi says.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">A new approach to train AI models</h2><p>At the same time, <a href="~/link/0a6351e181a740c6865a379b1dad38db.aspx">Sourasekhar Banerjee</a> nailed his thesis ‘Advancing Federated Learning: Algorithms and Uses-Cases’, in Umeå University Library. Present were principal supervisor <a href="~/link/a2ca362196d44b72a0a9803902c59d0b.aspx">Monowar Bhyan</a>, Professor <a href="~/link/5515db5e59f143309844aea3c8fc430b.aspx">Erik Elmroth</a> as well as colleagues from the department and the <a href="~/link/3cb68daa1317460cab60e9e76435b68c.aspx">Autonomous Distributed, Systems Lab</a> research group. Sourasekhar Banerjee studies how to train and use AI models without moving data from end devices.<br>"His work will ensure privacy while providing cost-effective solutions to users," supervisor Monowar Bhyan says.</p><p>Find out more when Sourasekhar Banerjee defends his thesis <a href="~/link/c648a12238314156a59fda23cb4fb776.aspx">later this month.</a></p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_sourasekhar_banerjee_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Doctoral student Sourasekhar Banerjee at his nailing ceremony. </p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Victoria Skeidsvoll</span></div></div><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Detecting power structures in text</h2><p>This afternoon, guests were also introduced to the interesting work of <a href="~/link/604b18d1627a46c9ac13443ccd594d5e.aspx">Igor Ryazanov</a>, who is halfway through his doctoral studies. Ryazanov's research involves using automatic tools to better understand how characteristics such as initiative and responsibility are expressed in the news media. A headline like, ‘Will AI take your job?' for example, suggests that AI has a greater capacity for initiative than the related headline; ‘This is how AI will affect the future labour markets'.</p><p>"The same methods can then be used to explain how other types of power structures are expressed in text," says associate arofessor Johanna Björklund, principal supervisor. She looks forward to following Igor Ryazanov's further work.</p><h3>Further information </h3><p>Please contact our researchers and supervisors.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="04dcefae-a6e1-455b-b548-e997e451604f" data-contentname="CS dissertation">{}</div><h2 id="info3" data-magellan-target="info3">Dynamic and international atmosphere</h2><p>The Department of Computing Science at Umeå University has grown at a record speed and is today Sweden's second-largest department in this field. Researchers from all over the world are gathered here and cutting-edge research is conducted in areas such as:</p><ul><li><a href="~/link/eb5292fa871f479f8a72d056d69965f9.aspx">Responsible AI</a></li><li><a href="~/link/3cb68daa1317460cab60e9e76435b68c.aspx">Cloud and edge computing</a></li><li><a href="~/link/4f1a9efe0fe14f788f627d7c9e6b3b1e.aspx">Interactive and intelligent Systems</a></li><li><a href="~/link/9d81f42f689d47ed99c8502263f845ca.aspx">Data privacy</a></li><li><a href="~/link/65e3403c35f24ad0b5c4154c2dced97b.aspx">Software Engineering and Security</a></li><li><a href="~/link/e16c1a166e7647968ad885c76a2c4f19.aspx">Explainable AI</a></li><li><a href="~/link/7d0d69e1f59c4f95921139c600bad74b.aspx">AI for data management</a></li><li><a href="~/link/dfa6bfa882664c4589238447c916e2ac.aspx">Machine learning</a></li><li><a href="~/link/6516a2a16ff8422d9a2b8a15a5a87ac9.aspx">Natural languages</a></li><li><a href="https://https//www.umu.se/en/research/groups/high-performance-and-automatic-computing5/www.umu.se/forskning/grupper/hogpresterande-och-automatisk-databehandling5/">High-Performance and Automatic Computing</a></li></ul><p>Several of our researchers are linked to Sweden's single largest research programme; WASP, <a href="https://wasp-sweden.org/about-us/">Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program</a>, as well as <a href="https://wasp-hs.org/about/">WASP</a>-HS, which enables cutting-edge research in the humanities and social sciences and how artificial intelligence affects people and society.</p><h3>High-quality education </h3><p>The Department of Computing Science also offers <a href="~/link/8f39a3d9064a4cabba32cfdd76c2fe9f.aspx">high-quality and reputable educational programmes</a>, strongly anchored in research, and in partnership with industry. Find out more about the department by clicking one of the links below!</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_soursaekhar_banerjee_och_ads_lab_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_soursaekhar_banerjee_och_ads_lab_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_soursaekhar_banerjee_och_ads_lab_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_soursaekhar_banerjee_och_ads_lab_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_soursaekhar_banerjee_och_ads_lab_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4823eb3416de4b1ba2eadf0619c85703/cs_soursaekhar_banerjee_och_ads_lab_foto_victoria_skeidsvoll5.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Supervisor Monowar Bhuyan and Professor Erik Elmroth at Sourasekhar Banerjee's nailing ceremony, together with doctoral students and postdocs at one of many events on Monday.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Victoria Skeidsvoll</span></div></div><p> </p>/en/news/from-automated-dj-mixing-to-ai-in-news-media_11981494//en/news/two-young-researchers-receive-erc-starting-grant_11981097/<description>Two researchers at Umeå University have been awarded ERC Starting Grants – a research programme that aims to support promising young researchers at the beginning of their careers. They are Iker Valle Aramburu, a new MIMS group leader who is affiliated with the Department of Molecular Biology, and Gerard Rocher-Ros, who will start research at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science (EMG) after the new year. </description><pubDate>Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:24:05 +0200</pubDate><atom:content type="html"><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/aramburu_iker_288_28082024_hkn6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/aramburu_iker_288_28082024_hkn6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/aramburu_iker_288_28082024_hkn6.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/aramburu_iker_288_28082024_hkn6.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/aramburu_iker_288_28082024_hkn6.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/aramburu_iker_288_28082024_hkn6.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Iker Aramburu, Department of Molecular Biology. Photo:Hans Karlsson</p></div></div><p>“I am extremely happy and honored to receive such a prestigious grant that will help advance our research on microproteins. During the application process,I have learnt a lot  and I am very grateful to everyone who contributed with their feedback and advice”, says Iker Valle Aramburu. </p><p>The project he has been awarded funding for, ‘Illuminating the dark microproteome in innate immunity’, is about identifying and studying the role of microproteins in innate immune cells. </p><p>“Microproteins are small proteins that provide a pool of unexplored new players in different biological processes. I will focus on innate immune cells to further understand how our bodies tailor a regulated immune response against different pathogens”, says Iker Valle Aramburu.</p><h3>“Provides generous resources”</h3><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/pic2_gerard3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/pic2_gerard3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/pic2_gerard3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/pic2_gerard3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/pic2_gerard3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/dd1144c1999040a38c7752b76357157d/pic2_gerard3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Gerard Rocher Ros, will start research at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science (EMG) in the beginning of 2025. Photo:Private</p></div></div><p>Gerard Rocher-Ros has been awarded funding for the project ‘A mechanistic understanding of Arctic River methane emissions’, which focuses on methane emissions in rivers. He was also <a href="~/link/f655c9d8e7a7449586979ad027281d50.aspx">a finalist in the international Frontiers Planet Prize earlier this year</a>, with a similar project. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that causes global warming and is largely emitted from aquatic ecosystems, and with climate change, emissions in the Arctic are increasing rapidly.</p><p>“But we do not know how methane emissions from rivers are responding. In this project, I will combine large scale experiments with mathematical models to predict future emissions of methane from Arctic rivers”, says Gerard Rocher-Ros.</p><p> “This ERC grant provides generous resources and a long timeframe to develop large projects that otherwise are not possible to tackle. It is a unique opportunity to start my independent scientific career like this, even though it is a bit overwhelming to suddenly have a team to manage from after being just a postdoc”, says Gerard Rocher-Ros.</p><p> </p><h3>About the ERC Starting Grant</h3><p>The ERC Starting Grant is a research funding awarded by the European Research Council (ERC). It is designed to support promising young researchers at the beginning of their careers who wish to establish their own research team or program.</p><p>Applications are evaluated by a panel of international experts. The assessment is based on the scientific excellence of the research and the researcher's potential.</p></atom:content><link>/en/news/two-young-researchers-receive-erc-starting-grant_11981097/</link></item><item xml:base="en/news/marie-curie-fellowship-for-the-study-of-promising-magnetic-material_11977026/"><guid isPermaLink="false">/en/news/marie-curie-fellowship-for-the-study-of-promising-magnetic-material_11977026/</guid><title>Marie Curie Fellowship for the study of promising magnetic materialLakshmi Das, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Physics, has been awarded funding through the EU's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship to study a new magnetic material that could pave the way for more efficient and secure data storage.Tue, 27 Aug 2024 13:52:09 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/53b07b108bc847be934bcbd1fb96dc0b/das_lakshmi_059_20082024_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/53b07b108bc847be934bcbd1fb96dc0b/das_lakshmi_059_20082024_hkn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/53b07b108bc847be934bcbd1fb96dc0b/das_lakshmi_059_20082024_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/53b07b108bc847be934bcbd1fb96dc0b/das_lakshmi_059_20082024_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/53b07b108bc847be934bcbd1fb96dc0b/das_lakshmi_059_20082024_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/53b07b108bc847be934bcbd1fb96dc0b/das_lakshmi_059_20082024_hkn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Lakshmi Das, postdoctoral researcher in the Ultrafast Nanoscience group at the Department of Physics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p>In her new research project, Lakshmi Das will investigate a relatively new magnetic material which has the potential to enable the development of next-generation high-performance electronic devices. It is a manganese-based so called antiferromagnetic material that can work at room temperatures.</p><p>Antiferromagnetic materials contain small magnetic moments that, unlike those in traditional magnetic materials, point in opposite directions, thereby neutralising each other.</p><p>“This makes them notoriously difficult to control but also very stable, as they are not affected by external magnetic fields,” says Lakshmi Das.</p><p>Traditional magnetic materials are currently used for data storage in devices such as hard drives and electronic cards. However, they have several drawbacks; one of which is that they are easily influenced by nearby magnetic fields. A common example is hotel key cards that can become demagnetized and stop working if stored too close to a mobile phone.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Hot research area</h2><p>In contrast, antiferromagnetic materials are much more stable, making them easier to use and integrate with other devices. They are also significantly faster and more energy-efficient, as they do not dissipate energy in heat. This makes them a highly interesting area of research at the moment.</p><p>“They are very useful for future applications in information storage,” says Lakshmi Das.</p><p>Despite their promising properties, this manganese-based material remains relatively unexplored. Many questions still need to be answered about how electrons move inside the material, what exactly gives rise to its magnetic properties and how the material reacts to ultrafast light pulses. Lakshmi Das will use advanced techniques to uncover the fundamental physical processes within the material.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Leverages the spin of electrons</h2><p>“We are entering a new era. Nobody has done this kind of work before, which makes it interesting both from a fundamental physics perspective and an applied research standpoint, and for the future of spintronics,” says Lakshmi Das.</p><p>Spintronics is a field of research that leverages the spin of electrons, in addition to their charge, to store and transfer information, enabling the development of even more advanced electronic components.</p><p>Lakshmi Das is part of the Ultrafast Nanoscience research group, led by Nicolò Maccaferri, since May 2023. The announcement that she has been awarded the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship is an important milestone for the group.</p><p>“It was a very rewarding experience, both for me personally and for us as a group. Both Nicolò and I put a lot of effort into the application. We are a new and upcoming group, so it feels great to receive such recognition,” says Lakshmi Das.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="8ffec85f-b096-42b3-bbef-ee0384494258" data-contentname="Facts">{}</div>/en/news/marie-curie-fellowship-for-the-study-of-promising-magnetic-material_11977026//en/news/10-million-to-project-for-sustainable-shrimp-and-fish-production_11974430/10 million to project for sustainable shrimp and fish productionThe Swedish Agricultural Agency has granted SEK 10 million for a project on sustainable food production, led by Olivier Keech, Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University and Umeå Plant Science Centre. The project aims to establish and optimize sustainable production of shrimp and fish in a circular aquaculture system. Fri, 24 Jan 2025 08:17:43 +0100<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/rakor2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/rakor2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/rakor2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/rakor2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/rakor2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/rakor2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The project which has received funding from the Swedish Agricultural Agency will develop sustainable methods to produce shrimp and fish in circular aquaculture systems.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Sergio Zimmermann</span></div></div><p>“In the project we use bio-RAS, a technology where the water contains particles which are then filtered by a mixture of microorganisms such as bacteria, microalgae and zooplankton. These convert leftover nutrients into natural feed for the fish and shrimp. In addition, it acts as a probiotic for the animals. Overall, it creates a much more sustainable loop” says Olivier Keech.</p><p>The project is interdisciplinary and involves researchers from Umeå University, the Swedish University of Agriculture in Ultuna (SLU) as well as the newly started company Cresponix AB and Brazilian partners. Together, they will apply cutting-edge research to develop and optimize the use of bio-RAS. The technology, originally developed by professor Anders Kiessling (SLU) and Sergio Zimmerman (Zimmermann Aqua Solutions) is a tropical alternative to cold water recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) that allows for the recapture of organic resources.</p><p>The team will create an innovative, sustainable production of feed, as well as evaluate various aspects of shrimp physiology with professor Johan Dicksved and associate professor Kartik Baruah at SLU Ultuna. Furthermore, in collaboration with professor Stefan Bertilsson SLU Ultuna, a metagenomic analysis will also be carried out to assess how the microorganisms in the shrimp's gastrointestinal system develop depending on different compositions of feed and water.</p><p>Another part of the project is to develop a mathematical model that can help control and optimize energy conversion, nutrient storage, biomass production and economic viability for the pilot plant the researchers will establish.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareleft"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/olivier_keech3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/olivier_keech3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/olivier_keech3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/olivier_keech3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/olivier_keech3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/71104b2ed346466b9df75190bc3572c5/olivier_keech3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Olivier Keech.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Fredrik Larsson</span></div></div><p>“This is a key component for the expansion of such facilities and municipalities, industries and future investors need to know the efficiency and return on investment of such a food production platform” explains Olivier Keech.</p><p>For this, Olivier Keech can also count on his colleagues at Umeå University, Professor Sebastian Diehl, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, and Associate Professor Jonas Westin, Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics.</p><p>The project is part of a larger project that Anders Kiessling, professor at SLU Ultuna, and Olivier Keech initiated several years ago. In a joint venture with both academics and companies, they are establishing a pilot platform for research and development at Östersjöfabriken in Västervik.</p><p>The aim is to develop a completely circular food production system that includes both fish, shrimp, vegetables, fruit, insects, mushrooms. Such platforms should ideally be placed strategically downstream of industries, such as server halls and metallurgical companies, which emit large amounts of low-grade heat, i.e. 30-60 degrees Celsius.</p><p>“Low-grade heat has no real value in itself and is currently simply cooled down to a certain threshold and released as warm air or lukewarm water into the environment. Instead, channeling the heat into greenhouses and fixing the remaining energy into biomass is a much better way to reduce the environmental impact of human activities” says Olivier Keech.</p><p>The idea of the research is to contribute to food security and reduce dependency on imported food. Today, close to 70 percent of the fresh produce consumed in Sweden is imported.</p><p>“By producing more "tropical" products locally, you logically lower the carbon dioxide emissions related to imports from distant countries” says Olivier Keech.</p><p><strong>For more information, please contact:</strong></p><p>Olivier Keech, associate professor, Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University Phone: +46 90 786 53 88<br>Email: olivier.keech@umu.se</p><p>Anders Kiessling, professor, Swedish University of Agriculture, Ultuna <br>Email: anders.kiessling@slu.se</p>/en/news/10-million-to-project-for-sustainable-shrimp-and-fish-production_11974430//en/news/promising-results-for-new-antibiotic-in-tests-on-mice_11971419/Promising results for new antibiotic against "flesh-eating" illnessesResearchers at Umeå University and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a novel compound that effectively clears bacterial infections in mice, including those that can result in rare but potentially fatal “flesh-eating” illnesses. Tue, 13 Aug 2024 13:54:20 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/caea3fbe618d49ee9b34f71d77b99ace/staph_header_1200x8002.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/caea3fbe618d49ee9b34f71d77b99ace/staph_header_1200x8002.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/caea3fbe618d49ee9b34f71d77b99ace/staph_header_1200x8002.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/caea3fbe618d49ee9b34f71d77b99ace/staph_header_1200x8002.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/caea3fbe618d49ee9b34f71d77b99ace/staph_header_1200x8002.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/caea3fbe618d49ee9b34f71d77b99ace/staph_header_1200x8002.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Researchers have developed a potential drug that is effective against common bacteria that can lead to rare, dangerous illnesses. Shown on the left are untreated Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria. After treatment with the compound, the dish is full of dead bacteria (image on right).</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Zongsen Zou, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis</span></div></div><p>The research was recently published in the scientific journal Science Advances.</p><p>The potential drug, now tested for the first time in mice, could be the first of an entirely new class of antibiotics against hard-to-fight bacteria. The compound targets gram-positive bacteria, which can cause drug-resistant staph infections, toxic shock syndrome and other illnesses that can turn deadly. It was developed through a collaboration between the Washington University labs of Scott Hultgren and Michael Caparon, and Fredrik Almqvist, a professor in organic chemistry at Umeå University.</p><h3>Discovered by accident</h3><p>“All of the gram-positive bacteria that we’ve tested have been susceptible to that compound. That includes enterococci, staphylococci, streptococci, <em>C. difficile</em>, which are the major pathogenic bacteria types. The compounds have broad-spectrum activity against numerous bacteria,” says Michael Caparon, the co-senior author.</p><p>It’s based on a type of molecule called ring-fused 2-pyridone. Initially, Caparon and Hultgren had asked Almqvist to develop a compound that might prevent bacterial films from attaching to the surface of urethral catheters, a common cause of hospital-associated urinary tract infections. Discovering that the resulting compound had infection-fighting properties against multiple types of bacteria was a happy accident.</p><h3>Good effect on infected mice</h3><p>The team named their new family of compounds GmPcides (for gram-positive-cide). In past work, the authors showed that GmPcides can wipe out bacteria strains in petri dish experiments. In this latest study, they decided to test it on necrotizing soft-tissue infections.</p><p>This study focused on one pathogen, <em>Streptococcus pyogenes</em>, which is responsible for 500,000 deaths every year globally, including flesh-eating disease. Mice infected with S. pyogenes and treated with a GmPcide fared better than did untreated animals in almost every metric. They had less weight loss, the ulcers characteristic of the infection were smaller, and they fought off the infection faster.</p><p>The compound appeared to reduce the virulence of the bacteria and, remarkably, speed up postinfection healing of the damaged areas of the skin. It is not clear how GmPcides accomplish all of this, but microscopic examination revealed that the treatment appears to have a significant effect on bacterial cell membranes, which are the outer wrapping of the microbes.</p><h3>Less risk of bacteria resistance</h3><p>In addition to their antibacterial effectiveness, GmPcides appear to be less likely to lead to drug-resistant strains. Experiments designed to create resistant bacteria found very few cells able to withstand treatment and thus pass on their advantages to the next generation of bacteria.</p><p>Caparon explains that there is a long way to go before GmPcides are likely to find their way into local pharmacies. Caparon, Hultgren and Almqvist have patented the compound used in the study and licensed it to a company, in which they have an ownership stake, with the expectation that they will be able to collaborate with a company that has the capacity to manage the pharmaceutical development and clinical trials to potentially bring GmPcides to market.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="911e0113-cdff-49ab-9b52-03225c75e2fe" data-contentname="About the scientific study">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="6401521a-0baa-4bcf-96b7-72ae7bf55ad7" data-contentname="Contact">{}</div>/en/news/promising-results-for-new-antibiotic-in-tests-on-mice_11971419//en/news/22-million-sek-eu-funding-elevates-life-science_11970406/22 million SEK EU funding elevates Life Science in Norrbotten och VästerbottenUmeå is a strong Life Science hub, aiming to become even sharper. Currently, two regional development projects are underway to strengthen innovation, utility, collaboration, and further develop the industry in Umeå and the field of health, care, and welfare across Norrbotten and Västerbotten.Thu, 08 Aug 2024 09:36:06 +0200<p>The European Union/the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth is investing a total of over 22 million SEK in two projects in Umeå aimed at Life Science. The two regional development projects, <a href="~/link/274d3c87105f4a7a82c425560b684571.aspx">Support Office for Life Science & Health (SOLH)</a> and Life Science City, both work to improve Life Science in Umeå. The projects have worked together with good results.</p><p>In February, the event "Open up for Innovation" was organized by Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) within the Life Science City project in collaboration with SOLH. The event fostered new collaborations and stimulated innovation by bringing together 100 representatives from the academia and industry.</p><p>- There's a real sense of collaboration between the projects, and it's exciting to see the investment in two new life science development projects in Umeå and the surrounding region. When you factor in co-financing, the total amount is more than doubled. This commitment will fuel progress on all fronts, concludes Peter Jacobsson, Operations Coordinator at UBI.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">SOLH is working towards a unified innovation system</h2><p>SOLH addresses the need for a more streamlined and unified innovation system within life sciences across northern Sweden. The project serves as your central access point for support in healthcare and welfare across Norrbotten and Västerbotten.</p><p>- An important purpose of SOLH is to identify needs and ideas that can be developed into innovations that are eventually implemented in operations. We target those who see a need in their operations, want to test and implement research results or ideas, and those looking for partners or project financing, says Mats Falck, Project Manager for SOLH.</p><p>- In addition to ongoing support for individual researchers and projects and participation in events such as the Baltic Sea Network or the regional cancer days, we have managed several activities. For example, we have arranged a workshop during the European Week of Cities and Regions in Brussels together with Lower Austria and initiated collaboration with Catalonia in mental health.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Joint effort between Norrbotten and Västerbotten</h2><p>The project is funded by the EU Regional Fund/the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (with Region Västerbotten, and Region Norrbotten as co-funders) and will continue until fall 2026.</p><p>SOLH is a collaborative effort between Umeå University, Region Västerbotten, Region Norrbotten, Luleå University of Technology, Umeå University Holding, and the municipalities of Skellefteå and Umeå. </p><p>- We already possess a well-established collaborative foundation, and with these two projects combined, we, and hopefully the entire industry, will emerge even stronger," states Mats Falck.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Collaboration is the key to success in Umeå</h2><p>The three-year regional development project Life Science City started in 2024 by UBI. Supported by the EU and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, this endeavor seeks to further propel Umeå's life science industry and foster innovation and collaboration. The long-term vision is to expand the sector's workforce from 1,200 to 2,000 by 2030.</p><p>- Umeå boasts significant expertise, yet remains relatively small on a national and international scale. At UBI, we firmly believe collaboration is paramount to the success of Life Science Umeå. Additionally, serving as a sounding board for Umeå municipality and Business Sweden in their efforts to attract external establishments is crucial, says Peter Jacobsson.</p><p>- With the new projects, we can stimulate development within Life Science, health, care, and welfare in Umeå, Norrbotten, and Västerbotten by utilizing each other's knowledge and further enhancing our collaborations, says Mats Falck at Umeå University's Innovation Office.</p>/en/news/22-million-sek-eu-funding-elevates-life-science_11970406//en/news/herbivorous-insects-have-major-impact-on-forests_11970876/Global study reveals significant role of herbivorous insects in forest ecosystemsAn extensive study led by scientists from Umeå University and Lund University demonstrates the critical impact of herbivorous insects on nutrient cycles within forests worldwide. Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study highlights the importance of understanding these insects for accurate environmental models and conservations efforts.Wed, 07 Aug 2024 12:44:44 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/48c3fa864a704a89ad8931cd787f02ba/rcospind3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/48c3fa864a704a89ad8931cd787f02ba/rcospind3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/48c3fa864a704a89ad8931cd787f02ba/rcospind3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/48c3fa864a704a89ad8931cd787f02ba/rcospind3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/48c3fa864a704a89ad8931cd787f02ba/rcospind3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/48c3fa864a704a89ad8931cd787f02ba/rcospind3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>A collaborator in Russia rigs a line over a tree branch with a crossbow to collect green leaves.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Vladimir Oskolkov</span></div></div><p>“Together with myriad local collaborators, we established a global network of 74 plots in diverse forest ecosystems. Our findings show that herbivorous insects have a profound impact on carbon and nutrient cycling,” says Dr. Bernice Hwang, lead researcher and co-author of the study. </p><p>The study focused on 40 mature, undisturbed broadleaved forests spanning tropical, temperate, and boreal zones. By analyzing nutrient, productivity, and herbivory data collected from these forest sites, the researchers revealed that insect herbivory can exceed natural inputs of nutrients, such as atmospheric deposition, in some locations.</p><p class="quote-left">Put together, temperature shifts and insect herbivory can have a profound effect on nutrient-limited forests.</p><p>“We also found that concentrations of carbon and nutrients deposited by herbivorous insects significantly increased with rising mean annual temperature globally. Put together, temperature shifts and insect herbivory can have a profound effect on nutrient-limited forests,” says Dr. Hwang.</p><p>Professor Daniel Metcalfe at Umeå University has led the project funded by the European Research Council.</p><p>“Understanding the complex interplay between plants, herbivores, and climate is crucial for managing and conserving forest ecosystems in the face of ongoing environmental changes,” he says.</p><p>The study underscores the need for further investigation into how herbivorous insects affects different forest types and global nutrient cycles. The findings provide a foundation for future research to better understand the intricate relationship between insects and forest ecosystems.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="4af03b81-8fde-418f-babf-00c0688cfd67" data-contentname="About the scientific study">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="4a986b6c-b786-4d5d-bde0-277373b6c38d" data-contentname="Contact">{}</div>/en/news/herbivorous-insects-have-major-impact-on-forests_11970876//en/news/how-can-we-use-natural-resources-in-a-sustainable-way_11958891/How can we use natural resources in a sustainable way?For a long time, us humans have been living beyond the resources on Earth. Research has shown that this way of living has clear negative consequences for the environment, people and animals. Something needs to be done, but what is the best way to ensure that everyone's perspectives are taken into account? This will be the focus of the Perspectives conference on natural resources and sustainable development.Thu, 18 Jul 2024 16:49:53 +0200<p>Perspectives is a forum and event series where different stakeholders and researchers meet to discuss and exchange knowledge, opinions and perspectives on a topical subject. Last year, the theme was societal transformation in the north. This year, Perspectives is held on natural resources and sustainable development.</p><p>“Last year's theme had a societal perspective. This time around, it more concerns the technical-scientific perspective," says Dieter Müller, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Perspectives on solutions</h2><p>Humans have long used the Earth's resources beyond its capacity, leading to global warming, climate change, environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, increased inequalities in society, increased geopolitical tensions and other negative consequences for humans, animals and the environment. One way to stop this trend is to review how we use the natural resources on Earth in a more sustainable way. Nevertheless, there are a number of different perspectives that need to be taken into account in this work.</p><p>At Umeå University, several researchers dedicate their work to sustainable development from different approaches. One of them is Camilla Sandström, Professor of Political Science. She is researching how to implement sustainable transition in a fair, equitable and democratic way.</p><p>"Growth, co-growth, degrowth, ecocentrism versus anthropocentrism, right versus left – perspectives are many on the theme of natural resources and sustainable development," she says.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/sanstrom_camilla_7398_230816_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/sanstrom_camilla_7398_230816_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/sanstrom_camilla_7398_230816_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/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/sanstrom_camilla_7398_230816_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/sanstrom_camilla_7398_230816_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/sanstrom_camilla_7398_230816_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Camilla Sandström is Professor at the Department of Political Science. She is a member of the programme council for Perspectives 2024.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Camilla Sandström believes that the vast number of actors looking after their own interests without looking at the overall is one of the biggest challenges.</p><p>"Many people are claiming the same resources – sectorisation and fragmentation mean that there is no impact assessment of needs, nor how to deal with conflicts," she says.</p><h2 id="info2" data-magellan-target="info2">Technical perspective</h2><p>Another Umeå researcher with a sustainability focus is Thomas Wågberg, Professor of Physics. He focuses on green energy applications in areas such as solar energy, electrolysis and fuel cells. Thomas Wågberg recognises that there are many perspectives, ranging from commercial to political, social, equity and so on.</p><p>“Ultimately, we need to talk about and achieve a shift to a more circular society that doesn't overconsume the resources on Earth. It’s important to look at the opportunities the development of green technologies offer, and how we thereby can reduce the overall carbon footprint without drastically reducing our quality of life or preventing other people from improving their quality of life,” he says.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/wagberg_thomas__mg_0610_160531_ebe3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/wagberg_thomas__mg_0610_160531_ebe3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/wagberg_thomas__mg_0610_160531_ebe3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/wagberg_thomas__mg_0610_160531_ebe3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/wagberg_thomas__mg_0610_160531_ebe3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/wagberg_thomas__mg_0610_160531_ebe3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Thomas Wågberg, professor at the Department of Physics. He is a member of the programme council for Perspectives 2024.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Elin Berge</span></div></div><p>One possible area of conflict he can see is that increased sustainability can lead to an increased demand for energy in the short term.</p><p>"For a fact, the development and construction of new green technologies and new renewable energy, in some cases, mean that we will initially increase the need for energy and resources," he says.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Global challenges meet local needs</h2><p>Jon Moen, Professor of Ecology and researcher on sustainable land use, highlights another challenge with the sustainable development work regarding natural resources. Namely, matching global challenges with local needs and conditions.</p><p>“Nothing is more important than achieving sustainable development. We live in a time of multiple crises. We have to deal with these crises in some way, and natural resources are at the centre of many of them. Any decision about new energy systems, reducing emissions and so on boils down to a local issue – mines have to be somewhere, wind turbines need to be placed somewhere, and forests have to be cut down somewhere. In all these ‘somewhere’, there is an owner, rights issues, ongoing activities and so on. Global ambitions then quickly become local conflicts and a major issue is to manage these conflicts and trade-offs," he says, mentioning that well-known conflicts are found between reindeer-herding Sámi and the forestry or mining industries.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/moen_jon_4244_170502_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/moen_jon_4244_170502_mpn2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/moen_jon_4244_170502_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/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/moen_jon_4244_170502_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/moen_jon_4244_170502_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0d3c7b3a13854d85a59ea391bfd06d9b/moen_jon_4244_170502_mpn2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Jon Moen, Professor at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science. He is a member of the programme council for Perspectives 2024.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>These and other perspectives will be highlighted during the Perspectives conference at Umeå University on 21–22 November. Day one will focus on academics as the target audience, while day two, on 22 November, will appeal to a wider audience. Decision-makers, politicians, societal and cultural actors and other stakeholders are invited to meet researchers and academia to focus on the challenges and opportunities of natural resources and sustainable development.</p><p>“Umeå University conducts important and relevant research on this theme. But it isn’t always the researchers who have all the answers, solutions often come in the interaction with other actors in society. This is why events and meeting places like Perspectives play an important role. We hope that many people will take the opportunity to participate and be able to influence and work for our shared future," says Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dieter Müller.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="b40aebe6-dc40-4b13-b887-5856ceb8ea92" data-contentname="This is Perspectives">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="a4174a7d-17ac-4ba4-946d-97a7a47b697a" data-contentname="Perspectives year 2023">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="6b01256b-aa54-4eb1-a579-828915b0d624" data-contentname="Kontakt Perspectives 2024">{}</div>/en/news/how-can-we-use-natural-resources-in-a-sustainable-way_11958891//en/news/umea-professor-elected-to-embo-membership-_11965535/Umeå Professor elected to EMBO Membership Professor Oliver Billker is one of the newly elected EMBO Members on the 60th anniversary of EMBO, joining the community of more than 2,100 EMBO Members and Associate Members. Fri, 09 Aug 2024 07:32:28 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/97c975745de845108ac4494dcee96872/billker-oliver-7307_240605-mpn.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/97c975745de845108ac4494dcee96872/billker-oliver-7307_240605-mpn.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/97c975745de845108ac4494dcee96872/billker-oliver-7307_240605-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/97c975745de845108ac4494dcee96872/billker-oliver-7307_240605-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/97c975745de845108ac4494dcee96872/billker-oliver-7307_240605-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/97c975745de845108ac4494dcee96872/billker-oliver-7307_240605-mpn.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Oliver Billker.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p> </p><p>The EMBO Membership initiative started in 1964 and since then, life scientists from Europe as EMBO Members, or from outside Europe as EMBO Associate Members, have been invited to join this community to guide EMBO programmes and activities. Membership is awarded based on the researchers’ significant contribution to life science research and innovations positively impacting human life.  </p><p>EMBO Director Fiona Watt said: “The new EMBO Members and Associate Members have made immense contributions to fundamental life science research, and, in many cases, their work has paved the way for innovations that have improved lives and livelihoods around the world. As EMBO marks its 60th anniversary, we celebrate the pivotal roles played by the EMBO Membership in strengthening international life science research and contributing to the EMBO Programmes and activities. I send my warmest congratulations to all those elected.” <br> <br><strong>Four Swedish researchers are elected to EMBO Membership in 2024<br></strong><strong>Oliver Billker</strong>, Professor at Umeå University, Director of The Laboratory for Molecular Medicine Sweden (MIMS) and Researcher at SciLifeLab, heading one of the DDLS Research Areas<br><strong>Maria Falkenberg</strong>, Professor at University of Gothenburg <br><strong>Tuuli Lappalainen</strong>, Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Director of the National genomics infrastructure (NGI) at SciLifeLab<br><strong>Mats Nilsson</strong>, Professor at Stockholm University <br><br> <br>Professor<strong> Oliver Billker</strong> remarks: “I am delighted by this recognition for our work, which really was the effort of dozens of students, postdocs and collaborators. EMBO is a pillar of Europe’s life science community, with its broad spectrum of courses, awards and publications.  I look forward to working with my colleagues in supporting the activities of this wonderful organization.” </p><p> </p><p><strong>More information: </strong><br>EMBO press release: <a href="https://www.embo.org/press-releases/outstanding-scientists-elected-to-embo-membership/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Outstanding scientists elected to EMBO Membership</a> <br>SciLifeLab press release: <a href="https://www.scilifelab.se/news/scilifelab-researchers-elected-to-embo-membership/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SciLifeLab Researchers Elected to EMBO Membership </a></p><p> </p><p> </p>/en/news/umea-professor-elected-to-embo-membership-_11965535//en/news/36000-tea-bags-explain-global-decomposition-pattern-on-new-web_11962389/36’000 tea bags explain global decomposition pattern on new web Co-developed by Umeå university, a method to measure the decay of plant material with the help of simple tea bags has quickly become the standard in scientific research as well as a favourite teaching activity throughout the world. Researcher Judith Sarneel at Umeå University, Sweden, has now collected data from over 36’000 individual tea bags worldwide and has revealed global patterns of decomposition in the journal Ecology Letters and on a newly established website.Wed, 03 Jul 2024 08:00:08 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>In the project 36 000 tea bags have been buried worldwide to measure decomposition.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Tomas Utsi</span></div></div><p>“It is uncredible how a crazy idea during a tea break managed to engage thousands of people all over the world. Together we have achieved what was impossible on our own” she says.</p><p>Burying tea bags to study soil activity makes life for a researcher easy. You simply buy your highly standardized plant material in the grocery store. Because the study uses bags that are made of nylon, the mass loss of the bag after being in the soil for a while equals decomposition of plant material, mainly driven by microbes. In a united effort citizen scientists and researchers buried the same two types of tea for approximately three months all across the world.</p><p class="quote-left">It is uncredible how a crazy idea during a tea break managed to engage thousands of people all over the world</p><p>The stories of participants to this project are now gathered on the new website <a title="https://teabagindex.org/" href="https://teabagindex.org/">https://teabagindex.org/</a> that wants to inform future tea-scientists and highlight the diversity of people active in understanding soil processes.</p><p>From the mass losses of both the very leafy green tea and the harder to decompose, woody rooibos tea, it became possible to compare both the speed by which the tea leaf material was lost as well as the degree to which it was lost. One can compare that with how fast a sandwich is eaten and how much of the crust of the sandwich is left. </p><p>This study not only confirmed the general understanding of decomposition, the researchers also found some intriguing new patterns, particularly in cold regions and in soils with agricultural use.</p><p>Surprisingly, especially in cold regions, they often observed the combination of a relatively fast initial breakdown with considerable parts of the material left. Agriculture in turn, appeared to affect the decomposition rate but not the degree to which certain litter fractions were decomposed.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Ecologist Judith Sarneel burying tea bags in a bog outside Abisko.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Tomas Utsi</span></div></div><p>“We are excited that we finally can pinpoint some of the more complex interactions that drive decomposition across such large spatial scales” says Judith Sarneel.</p><p>Thus the study strongly implies that ignoring the transformation of dead plant material to more recalcitrant substances during early-stage decomposition, and the differential environmental control on both initial decomposition rate and stabilisation, could overestimate carbon losses during early decomposition in carbon cycle models.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>In 2015 Swedish school children helped the scientists by burying tea bags to measure decomposition. Drawing from a participating school class.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Tea Bag Index</span></div></div><p>“Engaging so many researchers and citizen scientists in understanding soil processes is a great win, and the non-scientific impact of the project may be even more substantial than its scientific impact” says Joost Keuskamp, Utrecht University, Netherlands, last author of the scientific article.</p><p><strong>About the study<br></strong><em>Judith M. Sarneel, Mariet M. Hefting, Taru Sandén, Johan van den Hoogen, Devin Routh, Bhupendra S. Adhikari, Juha M. Alatalo, Alla Aleksanyan, Inge H.J. Althuizen, Jonas Lembrechts et al. Reading tea leaves worldwide: Decoupled drivers of initial litter decomposition massloss rate and stabilization, Ecology Letters, 7 May 2024, https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14415</em></p><p><a title="Read the article" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ele.14415">Read the article</a><br><a title="The Tea Bag Index website" href="https://teabagindex.org/">The Tea bag index website</a> <br><br></p>/en/news/36000-tea-bags-explain-global-decomposition-pattern-on-new-web_11962389//en/news/details-of-photosynthesis-revealed-with-record-breaking-images_11962823/Details of photosynthesis revealed with record-breaking imagesBy generating extremely high-resolution images in a cryo-electron microscope, at a level never achieved before for comparable complexes, researchers at Umeå University have revealed the positions of hydrogen atoms and water molecules in photosynthesis. This breakthrough provides a new avenue towards uncovering how water is split – a process crucial for life on Earth as well as for scaling up renewable energy systems.Mon, 01 Jul 2024 08:00:09 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Stylistic image of how an electron beam from the cryo-microscope hits frozen PSII particles, whereby a reflection is formed that enables the reconstruction of how the atoms are situated.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Wolfgang Schröder</span></div></div><p>In photosynthesis, a protein complex called Photosystem II uses the energy of sunlight to oxidize water into molecular oxygen, releasing electrons and protons necessary for converting carbon dioxide into organic compounds in plants. This process is vital for the gas conversion reactions that shape our biosphere and atmosphere: the evolution of oxygen and the reduction of carbon dioxide.</p><p>By utilizing a cryo-electron microscope, researchers have generated a 1.7 Å resolution three-dimensional structural map of Photosystem II from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus vestitus. The study is published in the scientific journal Science.</p><p>“This resolution is a new record for a membrane protein complex, regardless of method or species. At this resolution a large fraction of the hydrogen atoms of the protein can be detected. This is the first time this has been achieved for such a huge protein complex” says Wolfgang Schröder, professor emeritus at the Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University.</p><p class="quote-left">These processes are crucial for efficient water oxidation with cheap and abundant metals that presently cannot be mimicked adequately in artificial systems</p><p>The high-resolution structure also allowed the identification of water molecules that were missed in previous structures. The knowledge of both hydrogen and water positions are required for understanding how water enters the catalytic site through extended channels and how protons are guided out.</p><p>“These processes are crucial for efficient water oxidation with cheap and abundant metals that presently cannot be mimicked adequately in artificial systems,” says Wolfgang Schröder.</p><p>Splitting water with cheap metals instead of rare and expensive ones found in present day electrolysers will allow more readily to scale up water electrolysis as a means of producing hydrogen (H2), a much discussed future energy carrier and base chemical for many processes in industry, including CO2-free ammonia production.</p><p>Splitting water to make hydrogen is a promising area of research into sustainable fuels. Currently, the most efficient catalysts require rare and expensive metals. This research into the structure of Photosystem II, shows how cheap and abundant metals can be used to efficiently split water, which may provide new insights into energy production in the future.</p><p><strong>About the study<br></strong><em>Rana Hussein, André Graça, Jack Forsman, A Orkun Aydin, Michael Hall, Julia Gaetcke, Petko Chernev, Petra Wendler, Holger Dobbek, Johannes Messinger, Athina Zouni, Wolfgang Schröder, Cryo-electron microscopy reveals hydrogen positsions and water networks in photosystem II, Science June 21 2024, DOI: 10.1126/science.adn6541</em></p><p><a title="Read the article in Science" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adn6541">Read the article in Science</a></p><p> </p>/en/news/details-of-photosynthesis-revealed-with-record-breaking-images_11962823//en/news/100-world-leading-experts-discussed-the-future-of-cloud-computing_11962403/100 world-leading experts discussed the future of cloud computingThe Autonomous Distributed Systems Lab at Umeå University is a hub for cloud experts. This year's workshop brought together more than 100 researchers. "Modern systems are growing in scale and complexity. At the same time, demands for performance, security, availability and reliability are increasing. Meeting like this, help us to remain at the forefront. We were honoured that the interest was so high", says Erik Elmroth, Professor of Computing Science at Umeå University.Fri, 28 Jun 2024 08:49:55 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/3fb7e1e73e434740b5b6d36dccae5ee8/the_17th_cloud_control_workshop3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/3fb7e1e73e434740b5b6d36dccae5ee8/the_17th_cloud_control_workshop3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/3fb7e1e73e434740b5b6d36dccae5ee8/the_17th_cloud_control_workshop3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/3fb7e1e73e434740b5b6d36dccae5ee8/the_17th_cloud_control_workshop3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/3fb7e1e73e434740b5b6d36dccae5ee8/the_17th_cloud_control_workshop3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/3fb7e1e73e434740b5b6d36dccae5ee8/the_17th_cloud_control_workshop3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>30 professors, 26 business representatives and a significant number of lecturers, researchers and PhD students discussed the future of cloud solutions during the 17th Cloud Control Workshop, organised by the internationally established research group ADS Lab, at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>ADS Lab</span></div></div><p>Streaming, healthcare, financial systems, gaming, internet-of-things and autonomous vehicles. All depend on the clouds that store and manage data. It is an infrastructure that is central to virtually every field – medicine, business, transport and the public sector.</p><p>“We are committed to ensuring that this technology is as efficient and secure as possible. Smart cities, autonomous vehicles and state-of-the-art healthcare will be guided by automated systems, which require software that can run directly in the clouds," says Erik Elmroth, Professor of Computing Science, who leads the internationally established Autonomous Distributed Lab research group at Umeå University.</p><h3>Especially invited</h3><p>The <a href="https://cloudresearch.org/workshops/17th/">17th Cloud Control Workshop</a>, was joined by 109 specially invited participants from 18 countries; 30 professors, 26 people from industry, and many lecturers, researchers, and PhD students. At the workshop, participants focused on discussing methods and systems for optimal management of resources and applications in and for the cloud.</p><p>“We are seeing rapid developments. There's a need for both large data centres and resources, closer to the end user and data sources, to allow systems to communicate with each other and securely handle data in a timely manner, without failures. It is satisfying to have the opportunity to discuss both challenges and opportunities, and to find new possibilites for co-operation," Elmroth says.</p><h3>Excellent cloud research</h3><p>The Autonomous Distributed Lab research group has been central to Sweden's largest research programme WASP, <a href="https://wasp-sweden.org/about-us/">Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program</a>, for some years now. The researchers in Umeå are experts in the automation of clouds and their components – from individual servers to large-scale cloud data centres.</p><p>"Clouds are typically built as federations of large-scale data centres and are sometimes complemented by small resources, called edge resources, close to the users or data sources," says Professor Elmroth. "We work to ensure that the processes work optimally, so that the services running in the cloud are as available and reliable as possible with minimal energy consumption and environmental impact.”</p><h3>All disciplines</h3><p>The specially invited participants come from a spectrum of scientific disciplines with a common interest in improving methods and software systems. <br>“They include experts from areas such as computer systems, control engineering, machine learning and autonomous systems, to energy management, mathematical statistics and performance modelling, as well as software engineering and systems management. Of course, we are honoured that the interest was so large", says professor Elmroth.</p><h3>Foundation of all IT systems</h3><p>Distributed systems today form the basis of virtually all IT systems. “We are working on developing new energy-efficient solutions and the accelerating growth of the Internet of Things, in the form of the Mobile Edge Cloud, where data processing is done closer to the end-user and where data is downloaded. Another important aspect is security and the ability to quickly identify when things go wrong. Here we are now successfully working on tracking and diagnosing system problems," says Erik Elmroth.</p><h3>For further information</h3><p>Please contact Professor Erik Elmroth by e-mail.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="c68d6fda-375f-405f-bd3d-fc0012def993" data-contentname="Contact Erik Elmroth">{}</div>/en/news/100-world-leading-experts-discussed-the-future-of-cloud-computing_11962403//en/news/the-worlds-first-ai-controlled-forest-machine-trained-in-umea_11959742/The world's first AI-controlled forest machine trained in UmeåFor the first time, scientists have succeeded in creating a self-driving forest machine controlled by artificial intelligence. In a research study at Umeå University, an AI system was developed that can operate the 16-ton machine without human intervention. The study has been carried out in collaboration with Skogforsk and Algoryx Simulation.Thu, 20 Jun 2024 08:35:28 +0200<div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="9bbc449e-2668-49de-a29a-45957d459723" data-contentname="Video AI-controlled machine">{}</div><p>AI control of robots requires large amounts of training data, which is costly and risky when it comes to heavy machines. Pre-training in a simulated environment solves this, but there is always some discrepancy with reality. A research study at Umeå University shows that this obstacle can be overcome also for large and complex systems.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/viktor_wiberg3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/viktor_wiberg3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/viktor_wiberg3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/viktor_wiberg3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/viktor_wiberg3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/viktor_wiberg3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Viktor Wiberg, researcher at Algoryx Simulation and former doctoral student at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Viktor Wiberg</span></div></div><p>At Skogforsk's test site in Jälla outside Uppsala, the first successful trials have been carried out. In the tests, an AI was given the task to control a heavy forest machine, navigate over various obstacles, and follow a planned route. The AI had been trained in advance on Umeå University's supercomputer in several million training steps.</p><p>“The results show that it is possible to transfer AI control to a physical forest machine after first training it in a simulated environment,” says Viktor Wiberg, researcher at Algoryx Simulation, whose doctoral thesis at Umeå University forms the basis of the work.</p><p>This is the first time that someone has succeeded in demonstrating autonomous control of a machine as complex as a forestry machine using AI.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">The AI needs to be trained in a virtual environment</h2><p>The AI method “deep reinforcement learning” has demonstrated super-human capability in controlling complex systems. However, successes have been limited to either digital systems or small and lightweight robots. Heavy equipment for forestry, mining, construction have complex mechanics, often in combination with hydraulics. This makes them difficult to control.</p><p>“In addition, it is costly and dangerous to experimentally produce the amount of training data required to train AI models that can handle all conceivable situations,” says Martin Servin, associate professor in physics at Umeå University.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="46b251ad-8496-45da-95ab-20812915d84a" data-contentname="Slide show AI-controlled machine">{}</div><p>For these reasons, much of the research and development takes place in virtual training environments, not unlike the kind of simulators that have long been used to train human machine operators. The virtual environment is based on physics simulation that faithfully calculates the machine dynamics and the interaction with terrain and tree logs.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Shows that the "reality gap" can be bridged</h2><p>In a digital simulation, an AI model can in short time explore a large space of causal relationships between situation, action and outcome.</p><p>“In a virtual environment, the training takes place without risk of injury and without fuel consumption,” says Martin Servin.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/martin_servin3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/martin_servin3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/martin_servin3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/martin_servin3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/martin_servin3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/4bedc915fab245a19ebc300c3c21f49e/martin_servin3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Martin Servin, associate professor in physics at Umeå University.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Kenneth Bodin</span></div></div><p>But despite a high degree of realism in the physics models that drive the simulations, there is a certain discrepancy with reality. This so-called “reality gap” constitutes a major obstacle when a pre-trained model is to be transferred to control a physical machine. The result may be that the AI performs unexpected and unwanted actions.</p><p>Until now, it has been unclear how big an obstacle the reality gap is when it comes to heavy and complex machines. But the research study at Umeå University shows that the gap can be bridged.</p><p>“It is impressive that it actually worked. It was clear how the AI performed better and better with each trial,” says Tobias Semberg, engineer at Skogforsk Troëdsson Forestry Teleoperation Lab.</p><p>The research study has been published in two articles and will be presented during the world congress in forest research, IUFRO, in Stockholm.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="d4bac6c4-d33c-45d5-bd83-855f532fd3b2" data-contentname="About the articles">{}</div>/en/news/the-worlds-first-ai-controlled-forest-machine-trained-in-umea_11959742//en/news/department-of-computing-science-once-again-rewarded-for-its-educational-efforts_11956357/Department of Computing Science once again rewarded for its educational effortsOnce again, it is a researcher at the Department of Computing Science who has been honoured with the Umeå Student Union of Science and Technology’s Award for Educational Efforts. "I am incredibly happy and honoured. Receiving this award is a confirmation that my students think I am at least doing something right," says Anna Jonsson, Associate Professor of Computing Science at Umeå University.Tue, 25 Jun 2024 09:53:31 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/ceb7573526f64e2aa8dd4d73aa2bb249/anna_jonsson_tekpedagogiskapris_henrik_bjelkstal3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ceb7573526f64e2aa8dd4d73aa2bb249/anna_jonsson_tekpedagogiskapris_henrik_bjelkstal3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ceb7573526f64e2aa8dd4d73aa2bb249/anna_jonsson_tekpedagogiskapris_henrik_bjelkstal3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/ceb7573526f64e2aa8dd4d73aa2bb249/anna_jonsson_tekpedagogiskapris_henrik_bjelkstal3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/ceb7573526f64e2aa8dd4d73aa2bb249/anna_jonsson_tekpedagogiskapris_henrik_bjelkstal3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/ceb7573526f64e2aa8dd4d73aa2bb249/anna_jonsson_tekpedagogiskapris_henrik_bjelkstal3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p> "What makes me the happiest is that they see my commitment and my desire to treat everyone with respect," says Anna Jonsson," associate professor at the Department of Computing Science, who is now being recognised by NTK for her educational efforts.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Henrik Bjelkstål</span></div></div><p><a href="https://www.ntkumea.se/en/about-ntk/award-for-educational-efforts/">The award for Educational Efforts</a> is a particularly honourable award to receive since this is the students' prize for a teacher who stands out among others, and who has worked in a meritorious way to get students interested and engaged in their studies. This year's winner is <a href="~/link/796a7f2ecbae4721bc67a3a7fef82b74.aspx">Anna Jonsson</a>, associate professor at the Department of Computing Science. She completed her <a href="~/link/90f85a9b2b7e47aaaa9fc89e7fbebdaa.aspx">doctoral studies in 2021</a>, studying how human language can be better understood by computers. Today, she is also the programme coordinator for <a href="~/link/dc810c8f34d04a339c1f4c6b7f50e6f8.aspx">the master of science programme in computing science and engineering</a>, a high-quality IT programme with an excellent reputation. Jonsson also carries out research, as a member of the research group <a href="~/link/6516a2a16ff8422d9a2b8a15a5a87ac9.aspx">Foundations of Language Processing</a> at Umeå University.</p><h3>Building confidence</h3><p>Anna Jonsson was awarded The Umeå Student Union of Science and Technology’s Award for Educational Efforts with the following motivation:</p><p class="quote-center">Anna Jonsson constantly shows commitment to student development and always has a pleasant demeanour with a smile on her face. She gives detailed lectures, corrects assignments quickly and always answers questions. With a positive and respectful attitude, she listens to students, accepts feedback and creates a sense of security in learning.</p><p> "What I am most happy about is that the students recognise my commitment and my efforts to treat everyone with respect," Jonsson says.</p><h3>Genuine collaborations</h3><p>In recent years, the <a href="~/link/f1ccf1d251be4f538a13df854f18fb07.aspx">Department of Computing Science</a> has managed to recruit some of the world's leading researchers in responsible AI, machine learning, Cloud Edge, data privacy and data security. Several prestigious IT degree programmes are also offered here. The students can choose between two Bachelor's programmes (held in Swedish) or deepen their knowledge through the two <a href="~/link/8f39a3d9064a4cabba32cfdd76c2fe9f.aspx">Master's programmes – one in Computing Science and one in Artificial Intelligence</a>. </p><p>The department's genuine collaboration with business and industry, as well as its strong links to world-leading research, is unique.</p><p>"If you decide to study here, you will meet me or one of my competent colleagues, who are truly passionate about ensuring that you learn software development with a solid foundation in computing science. At the same time, you get access to the latest findings and good contacts with society, business and industry," Jonsson says.</p><h3>Second year in a row</h3><p>This is the second year that one of the department's professors has received the NTK Award for Educational Efforts. Last year it was <a href="~/link/478b1b120fde457abcb1159e38ddda69.aspx">Alexandre Bartel</a>, Professor of Software Engineering and Security, who <a href="https://www.ntkumea.se/en/about-ntk/award-for-educational-efforts/">received the award</a>. His course <a href="~/link/ec9d148e49b34a0b88e2faffdf08d030.aspx">Cyber Cybersecurity</a> has gained a lot of interest.</p><h3>Bright future</h3><p>The Department has a particular focus on reaching students who are determined and willing to dedicate time to their studies.</p><p>"We also aim to increase interest in computing among underrepresented groups such as girls and non-binary people," Jonsson says. "The future IT industry needs to be based on diverse experiences and interests. We have to develop well-designed and professional solutions that work for companies and users, as well as for people in society, healthcare and education. We offer programmes that lead to creative and challenging jobs, with excellent pay, and you are needed in all sectors." says Anna Jonsson.</p><p>Yet another member of the department's teaching staff has received the prestigious award, namely <a href="~/link/47aa9477e27f4c439f27abee7951e5dc.aspx">Jonny Pettersson</a>, recipient of The Umeå Student Union of Science and Technology’s Award for Educational Efforts in <a href="https://www.ntkumea.se/en/about-ntk/award-for-educational-efforts/">2009</a>.</p><h3>Contact information</h3><p>For further information, please contact associate professor Anna Jonsson, by e-mail or telephone.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="e3133ef9-a0ad-42ef-85fc-a63150a896a7" data-contentname="Contact Anna Jonsson">{}</div>/en/news/department-of-computing-science-once-again-rewarded-for-its-educational-efforts_11956357//en/news/new-project-investigates-the-unique-characteristics-of-arctic-plankton_11958696/New project investigates the unique characteristics of arctic planktonArctic phytoplankton survive long polar winters, despite low temperatures and little light. Sinéad Collins, Professor of Microbial Evolution at the University of Edinburgh and recipient of the Borealis UMF Fellowship, is leading a new project that will provide answers to which characteristics really make arctic plankton unique.Mon, 24 Jun 2024 09:17:28 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/433ce0cb061a496aa8f535c5099bac1d/sinead_collins_kv3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/433ce0cb061a496aa8f535c5099bac1d/sinead_collins_kv3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/433ce0cb061a496aa8f535c5099bac1d/sinead_collins_kv3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/433ce0cb061a496aa8f535c5099bac1d/sinead_collins_kv3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/433ce0cb061a496aa8f535c5099bac1d/sinead_collins_kv3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/433ce0cb061a496aa8f535c5099bac1d/sinead_collins_kv3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Sinéad Collins is Professor of Microbial Evolution at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Edinburgh and a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Kristina Viklund</span></div></div><p>What makes arctic phytoplankton ”arctic”? What specific adaptations are involved in their overwintering in ice, through the long and dark polar winters? In the new research project, Prof. Sinéad Collins focuses on how arctic phytoplankton respond to shifts in their environment, both when multiple environmental factors change at the same time and when environmental conditions fluctuate over time.</p><p>"We are particularly interested in connecting these two, where both ecological and evolutionary forces come into play. Our results will then inform marine ecosystem models, which can be used to explain and predict primary production in the oceans," she says.</p><p>The two-year Borealis UMF Fellowship is targeting successful marine researchers and gives the Fellowship holder access to UMF's research infrastructure, among other benefits.</p><p>"We are very excited to welcome Prof. Sinéad Collins. The Borealis Fellowship provides a unique opportunity to further push the boundaries of what we know about the effects of climate change on high-latitude marine ecosystems. Here, warming takes place 3-4 times faster than in other parts of the world, which means that the area acts as a 'canary in the coal mine'," says Prof. Nick Kamenos, director of Umeå Marine Sciences Centre.</p><p>The experiments will be performed in mesocosms at Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, where large-scale water and sediment experiments, including ice covering, can be carried out under highly controlled conditions. </p><p> </p><p> </p>/en/news/new-project-investigates-the-unique-characteristics-of-arctic-plankton_11958696//en/news/research-breakthrough-opens-the-door-to-more-studies-of-protein-movements_11958276/Research breakthrough opens the door to more studies of protein movementsA new way to study protein movements has been developed by researchers at Umeå University and the MAX IV Laboratory in Lund. The method enables significantly more experiments than before and allows us to learn more about vital processes in the cells of humans, animals, and plants.Tue, 18 Jun 2024 10:52:43 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/92274aded0114b39bc368c5344fdb11e/magnus_andersson_max_iv3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/92274aded0114b39bc368c5344fdb11e/magnus_andersson_max_iv3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/92274aded0114b39bc368c5344fdb11e/magnus_andersson_max_iv3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/92274aded0114b39bc368c5344fdb11e/magnus_andersson_max_iv3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/92274aded0114b39bc368c5344fdb11e/magnus_andersson_max_iv3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/92274aded0114b39bc368c5344fdb11e/magnus_andersson_max_iv3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Magnus Andersson at the MAX IV laboratory in Lund, at the experimental setup on the CoSAXS beamline.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Emelie Hilner</span></div></div><p>Proteins must move to perform their biological tasks in the cell. Such movements are called protein dynamics and are encoded in the protein's amino acid sequence through evolution. Since protein dynamics control essential processes like photosynthesis, nerve impulses, and energy conversion, many research groups are engaged in developing methods to study these structural changes at the molecular level.</p><p>One way is to use X-ray radiation from a synchrotron. The problem is that there are only a handful of synchrotron stations in the world that specialize in time-resolved experiments, which severely limits researchers' access. Magnus Andersson's research group at Umeå University, together with a team from the MAX IV Laboratory led by Tomás Plivelic, has developed a method that instead combines fast X-ray detectors with indirect laser activation. This makes it possible to conduct time-resolved experiments at more synchrotron stations, including MAX IV in Sweden.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">”Great potential”</h2><p>”Our experiment has great potential to pave way for a series of interesting studies of protein dynamics at the MAX IV synchrotron. For example, we would like to study how lipids in the cell membrane affect the dynamics of transport proteins that influence stress regulation in plants, as well as the heart's pump cycle,” says Magnus Andersson, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry.</p><p>What the researchers have done is that instead of using specialized synchrotron stations, they used X-ray detectors that can register X-ray radiation on a micro- to millisecond time scale. These were combined with indirect laser activation of an ATP-dependent protein called adenylate kinase. The reaction could be followed for 50 milliseconds with minimal negative effects from the X-ray radiation, which can otherwise break down biological material. For activation, an inactive form of ATP – a so-called caged compound – was used, which releases ATP when the laser hits the sample. This method enables studies of dynamics in a large number of proteins.</p><p>”An important aspect is that this project connects research in northern Sweden with national infrastructure in the southern parts of the country, which strengthens our research collaboration and enables further progress in the field,” says Magnus Andersson.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="479f3922-ef1b-4f47-ba20-2a77a6c6acf9" data-contentname="About the article">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="8d04df24-5f68-4642-bfd1-647d22c62dbf" data-contentname="Contact">{}</div>/en/news/research-breakthrough-opens-the-door-to-more-studies-of-protein-movements_11958276//en/news/nobel-laureates-appointed-honorary-doctors-at-umea-university_11952002/Ferenc Krausz and Anne L'Huillier appointed honorary doctors at Umeå UniversityAnne L'Huillier and Ferenc Krausz, Nobel Laureates in Physics, has been appointed honorary doctors at the Faculty of Science and Technology, at Umeå University. Both have strong links to the University through research collaborations and mentoring.Wed, 05 Jun 2024 07:56:29 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/kollage_nobelpristagare3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/kollage_nobelpristagare3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/kollage_nobelpristagare3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/kollage_nobelpristagare3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/kollage_nobelpristagare3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/kollage_nobelpristagare3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>The Faculty has decided to appoint Anne L'Huillier and Ferenc Krausz honorary doctors.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Malin Grönborg, Samuel Pettersson</span></div></div><p>Professor Anne L'Huillier and Professor Ferenc Krausz are two of the three laureates who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2023 for their discoveries in attosecond physics. Ferenc Krausz has for many years collaborated with László Veisz at the Department of Physics and initiated several of the research programmes conducted at Umeå University. He has also supported the University with important hardware in the construction of the relativistic attosecond physics laboratory, REAL.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/ferenckrausz_uni-122.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/ferenckrausz_uni-122.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/ferenckrausz_uni-122.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/ferenckrausz_uni-122.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/ferenckrausz_uni-122.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/ferenckrausz_uni-122.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Ferenc Krausz, Nobel Laureate in Physics 2023, visited Umeå University the week after the award ceremony.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Samuel Pettersson</span></div></div><p>More recently, Ferenc Krausz's interest in molecular spectroscopic ‘fingerprinting’ methods has drawn his attention to the biobanks in Umeå, where new potential collaborative projects are currently being evaluated.</p><p>Anne L'Huillier has also helped Umeå University to strengthen its research through effective collaborations, including optimising equipment at REAL. She is very active in mentoring younger colleagues and supporting women in their careers, among others Aleksandra Foltynowicz at the Department of Physics. In addition, she has mentored several researchers and assisted as a faculty opponent, peer reviewer and member of review committees at Umeå University.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/nobelpristagare_anne_huillier_2744_240215_mgg2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/nobelpristagare_anne_huillier_2744_240215_mgg2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/nobelpristagare_anne_huillier_2744_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/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/nobelpristagare_anne_huillier_2744_240215_mgg2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/nobelpristagare_anne_huillier_2744_240215_mgg2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/8c61eae1564a4977a23e231933a1c35f/nobelpristagare_anne_huillier_2744_240215_mgg2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Anne L'Huillier has mentored several researchers at Umeå University, including Aleksandra Foltynowicz.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Malin Grönborg</span></div></div><p>Anne L'Huillier and Ferenc Krausz will receive the title of honorary doctor for their many years of commitment and efforts that have been of great importance for the successful research conducted at the Department of Physics, especially in the field of attosecond physics.</p><p>Ferenc Krausz and Anne L'Huillier last visited Umeå University in December 2023 and February 2024 respectively, where they each gave a public lecture on the research that led to the Nobel Prize, met with research colleagues and visited laboratories.</p><p><a href="~/link/f6fe506d7673443f8102d0fffdd5d473.aspx">List of honorary doctors at the Faculty</a></p>/en/news/nobel-laureates-appointed-honorary-doctors-at-umea-university_11952002//en/news/math-lecture-gave-ideas-for-cooperation_11950808/Math lecture gave ideas for collaborationsThe Department of Computing Science at Umeå University is celebrating its 30th anniversary by organising popular breakfast talks, ‘Breakfast Talks in Computing Science’. Professor Paolo Bientinesi, group leader, expert in high performance computing and director of the High Performance Computing Centre North (HPC2N), talked about the efficiency of different programming languages for linear algebra computations.Wed, 12 Jun 2024 08:00:17 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20122.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20122.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20122.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20122.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20122.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20122.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Paolo Bientinesi</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Henrik Bjelkstål</span></div></div><p>The Department of Computing Science is celebrating its 30th anniversary as a department by, among other things, highlighting its own research through popular science breakfast lectures, ‘Breakfast Talks in Computing Science.’ These are intended for the general public as well as for staff and students at the university.</p><p>Paolo Bientinesi, Professor of Computing Science specialising in High Performance Computing and Director of the High Performance Computing Centre North (HPC2N) was the first speaker. He sees the breakfast lectures as a good initiative.</p><p>‘Our department has been expanding rapidly and in all sorts of directions. These talks provide an opportunity to learn more about each other's interests, strengths and experiences,’ he says.</p><p>Under the title ‘Can We Trust Programming Languages to Compute Efficiently?’, he talked about the problem of how different programming languages handle mathematical computations. The starting point of the lecture was how to solve linear algebra problems with different approaches. Paolo explained and reasoned about the problem to an audience of around 40 people.</p><h3>An interested and diverse audience</h3><p>Paolo reflected on his breakfast talk and shared his impressions of the audience.</p><p>‘The room was completely full, which is always a nice feeling. I saw doctoral students from many different research groups, master students, as well as several senior professors,‘ said Paolo. He appreciated the broad mix of audience members, only a few of whom were familiar with the topic.</p><p>After the talk, he received very positive feedback. ‘Many people appreciated the historical perspective, and the fact that the overall content of my lecture was clear even with little knowledge of numerical linear algebra,’ he added. </p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20222.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20222.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20222.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20222.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20222.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/618c35546ed247b1adae64d17a85875f/img_20222.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Hemamshu Ratnakaram, Doctoral student at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Henrik Bjelkstål</span></div></div><h3><br>Mathematical modelling in biological research</h3><p>One of the listeners was Hemamshu Ratnakaram, a doctoral student at the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. As a biologist, he is researching how the outer protective layer of plants affects their growth and development. The information he obtains from his research is then processed using a number of computational methods for further analysis. He found the talk interesting and has gained a broader view of how different computer systems handle complex mathematical calculations in different ways.</p><p>‘Even though I have some mathematical background, I can't exactly understand the limitations of our mathematical models and that's where a collaboration with the Computing Science department is interesting,’ says Hemamshu.</p><p>As he gets further into his research, he is interested in connecting with experts in the Department of Computing Science and HPC2N.</p><p> ‘With researchers like Paolo Bientinesi and his deep knowledge of complex calculations and processing of large data sets, a collaboration can provide better results and understanding of the research I am doing,’ he says.</p><h3>Interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities</h3><p>As team leader and director of HPC2N, Paolo Bientinesi strongly believes that talks like this can lead to collaborations between departments and across faculties.</p><p>’ Both HPC2N and my research group act as support for other researchers. We don't discover new medicines or materials ourselves; we are the ones who enable others to solve mathematical operations correctly and efficiently on a variety of computational platforms,’ he said.</p><p>He emphasised that these types of non-technical talks should allow researchers in other departments to see what they can gain from collaboration. </p><p> </p>/en/news/math-lecture-gave-ideas-for-cooperation_11950808//en/news/new-research-shows-how-biofuels-affect-cement-production_11944698/Research on the production of cement and quicklime can reduce carbon dioxide emissionsThe production of cement and quicklime are energy demanding and causes high carbon dioxide emissions. This is because the fuel, which is used for heating, and the limestone, which is converted into quicklime at high temperatures, emits carbon dioxide. By replacing fossil fuels with renewable ones, emissions can be reduced by up to 40 percent. "A shift from coal to biomass can affect product quality, through reactions at high temperatures," says Karin Sandström, doctoral student.Thu, 23 May 2024 10:00:09 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Karin Sandström.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Hans Karlsson</span></div></div><p>The production of quicklime and cement takes place in direct-fired kilns, which means that the fuel, raw material and product are in direct contact with each other. The ash formed after combustion can react with the product. For quicklime, that requires a high calcium oxide content, this can have a negative effect on the product quality.</p><p>In laboratory studies, Karin Sandström, doctoral student at the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics and the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University, and her colleagues have seen that the microstructure of quicklime alters when the limestone is exposed to ash from biofuels at high temperatures. They have also investigated how impurities found in limestone quarries affect the quality of the quicklime product. The volatilization of trace and minor elements in during cement clinker formation were studied both in a conventional combustion atmosphere and in an atmosphere with a high carbon dioxide content, corresponding to electrified heating.</p><p>"For the vast majority of elements, no difference between the two atmospheres were determined. However, a high carbon dioxide content reduced the evaporation of potassium, sodium, and sulphur, which can affect the cement quality. This should be further studied," says Karin Sandström.</p><p>Karin Sandström's research has contributed to an increased understanding of how impurities, either introduced via biomass or raw material, affects the product quality in quicklime production – and how electrified heating affects cement quality. This knowledge is important in the transition to more sustainable cement and quicklime production.</p><p>"Future studies can bridge the gap between lab scale experiments and large-scale processes, with the long-term goal of achieving efficient and sustainable production of cement and quicklime with reduced carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere," says Karin Sandström.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="74b92039-6a80-4930-ba4f-6ad48cdf6752" data-contentname="Fakta Företagsforskarskolan ENG (standard)">{}</div><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="639cfc37-0e19-407f-ada1-5de3626b7432" data-contentname="About the doctoral thesis defence">{}</div><p> </p>/en/news/new-research-shows-how-biofuels-affect-cement-production_11944698//en/news/democratised-ai-and-low-cost-prosthetics-at-uid24_11945322/Democratised AI and low-cost prosthetics at UID24On 28 May, a new crop of young designers reveal their 40-plus design concepts to the world. At UID24 | Design Talks & Degree Show, an intriguing collection of innovations – ranging from farming tools in the age of climate change, to youth activism in the digital realm, to tactile music listening – will be unveiled.Thu, 23 May 2024 07:30:06 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Heinrich Zaunschirm’s design project explores low-cost DIY technologies for a new generation of accessible and functional prosthetics.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Heinrich Zaunschirm</span></div></div><p>Take a step into the future as budding designers share their visions for a better tomorrow. At UID24, graduating students present their degree projects during a live-streamed show at Umeå Institute of Design (UID). The event sees students give bite-size talks on stage, unveiling their projects via 3D models and digital visualisations. The evening exhibition allows participants to engage with students and further explore their visions through physical models, installations, and video expositions. Already today, you can get a sneak peek of the projects in the UID24 | Project Gallery.</p><p>"This year’s event exposes the pivotal design challenges our students have committed to explore during the final moments of their education at UID. Our guests, both in-person and online, will experience innovative projects that push the boundaries of care, for people and planet. It is with immense pride that we exhibit their original proposals looking at the complex issues that confront us today", says Demian Horst, Head of Institute.</p><p class="quote-center">Our guests will experience innovative projects that push the boundaries of care, for people and planet.</p><p>The theme for UID24 is 'synergies'. The sentiment emanated from the students themselves and reflects the school’s collaborative atmosphere, the cross-pollination of ideas, and the interconnectedness of design ecosystems. Throughout this spring semester, the student design studios at UID have become laboratories for playful exploration and experimentation.</p><p>The projects showcased during UID24 delve into societal transformation, tackling both social and environmental challenges head-on. Prepare to have your curiosity piqued by a diverse range of captivating concepts, including a vehicle supporting new lifestyles in harsh environments, democratised AI services, as well as examining taboos surrounding menstruation in the military.</p><p>Heinrich Zaunschirm, graduating from the MFA Programme in Advanced Product Design, looked at how low-cost DIY technologies might kick off a new generation of accessible and functional prosthetics.</p><p>"I have investigated how recent developments in technology, new 3D printing methods for example, could help create prostheses that offer higher user benefits while making them more accessible. I believe that this could be achieved by creating simpler, more versatile devices that focus on practicability, comfort and individualisation", says Heinrich Zaunschirm.</p><p>Year after year, Umeå Institute of Design draw a diverse student body, culturally and geographically. The school’s extensive network of partners in research, industry, and civil society contributes to the grad show’s reputation as a birthplace for emerging design trends and a forum for forward-thinking design discourse. During UID24, global industry giants like Apple, Honda, Cisco, Philips, and Bang & Olufsen converge in Umeå to build upon student partnerships, look at project showcases, and scout for future design talent.</p><p><strong>UID24 | Design Talks & Degree Show, May 28–29</strong></p><p><a href="/en/umea-institute-of-design/uid24/uid24-project-gallery/">UID24 | Project Gallery</a></p><p><a href="/en/umea-institute-of-design/uid24/event-broadcast/">UID24 | Live Stream</a></p>/en/news/democratised-ai-and-low-cost-prosthetics-at-uid24_11945322//en/news/new-advanced-ai-solutions-will-stop-intruders-from-acccessing-and-leaking-your-data_11933654/New advanced AI solutions will stop intruders accessing and leaking your dataThe private and public sectors both use and share data. But what happens if systems are hacked and personal data or sensitive information is leaked? At Umeå University, an entirely new security approach to data-driven decision-making is being developed. "We will make it really difficult for attackers to identify people, buildings or areas for further dissemination," says Professor Vicenç Torra, at the Department of Computer Science, Umeå University.Mon, 20 May 2024 16:08:51 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/87346f47a9884768af7479f46e20f222/torra_vicenc_1618_200908_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/87346f47a9884768af7479f46e20f222/torra_vicenc_1618_200908_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/87346f47a9884768af7479f46e20f222/torra_vicenc_1618_200908_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/87346f47a9884768af7479f46e20f222/torra_vicenc_1618_200908_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/87346f47a9884768af7479f46e20f222/torra_vicenc_1618_200908_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/87346f47a9884768af7479f46e20f222/torra_vicenc_1618_200908_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Professor Vicenc Torra is one of the world's leading researchers in data privacy. At Umeå University, he is now developing new AI models that will help you, companies and authorities to protect sensitive information.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Simon Jönsson</span></div></div><p>The public sector collects large amounts of data. This can range from the location of water pipes to childcare needs, income inequalities, criminality, climate change or subsidies; all important information for society. The EU estimates the value of open data to be between €194-334 billion by 2025.</p><p>In the private sector, data and AI are used to analyse purchasing behaviour, or make informed decisions and offer personalised solutions. In the public sector, open data is a prerequisite for developing solutions that can help in healthcare, or for example, help you with information about the water quality in your municipality's bathing lakes. The public sector also needs to share and utilise each other's data to create new value, knowledge and innovation. "However, we can see that security protections are still insufficient and thus there is a high risk that sensitive or personal information can be disclosed," says <a href="~/link/bd3b95f8b24148538bf01f25ca1c149c.aspx">Vicenç Torra</a>, Professor in Computing Science at Umeå University.</p><h3>Supported by WASP and the Swedish Research Council</h3><p>He is a world-leading researcher in the field of AI and data privacy and active as a WASP professor at the Department of Computing Science, Umeå University. WASP, <a href="https://wasp-sweden.org/about-us/">Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Distributed and Software Program</a>, is Sweden's largest research programme in the field, where Umeå is one of five partner universities. With generous funding also from <a href="https://www.vr.se/english.html">the Swedish Research Council</a>, Sweden's largest government research funder, he is now developing AI solutions that provide completely new security opportunities.<br>"Instead of repairing and stopping potentially very large leaks, we are now developing advanced protection mechanisms that are integrated into the data-driven models already at the prototype stage. This makes it possible to train directly private models, which ultimately makes attacks more difficult," says Professor Vicenç Torra.</p><h3>Not sufficient solutions</h3><p>Data leaks can cause enormous damage and often involve huge costs. We have seen this, not least, in recent years. And although many authorities and companies are working hard to ensure a high level of security, Torra means that it is often possible to recreate or assemble information and thus reveal or use sensitive information. Specifically, there are problems with protecting data that has complicated or unclear relationships between different objects and information that is temporary, as well as dynamic graphs and measurement data, which currently have no protection mechanisms at all. "For example, it is more difficult to protect privacy when there is data concerning several people on the same address or data on treatments and how they have affected a patient's health over time, for instance, if a patient has medical records from several hospitals. It can also involve metering data from a power grid, where it is possible to identify who is using it," says Vicenç Torra.</p><h3>Damage trust</h3><p>The dissemination of data can lead to widespread problems. An intruder can use the information to draw conclusions about you as an individual or company and then disseminate, distort or sell that information. "Not only will this damage the trust of customers and the credibility of researchers it can also be directly harmful to individuals or groups. For example, by revealing which people are suffering from a disease in an area, blackmail, as well as threats and danger," says Professor Vicenç Torra.</p><h3>World-leading research</h3><p>This isn't the only data privacy project Vicenç Torra is working on. He also leads the Nausica research group, where PhD and post-doctoral students are working to build transparent and privacy-aware AI systems, focusing on data integrity for computing and privacy-aware machine learning, aiming to build models and data analytics as well as decision-making models to make decisions. "The new and innovative solutions will hopefully minimise damage, not least in terms of the increased risk of hacker attacks. We will make it really difficult to track and identify users when such an attack occurs," said Vicenç Torra.<br><em>More information <a href="~/link/9d81f42f689d47ed99c8502263f845ca.aspx">about Nausica can be found here.</a></em></p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Contact Information</h2><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="2fe9a47c-722e-4621-8e87-1a810157f633" data-contentname="Vicenc torra contact">{}</div>/en/news/new-advanced-ai-solutions-will-stop-intruders-from-acccessing-and-leaking-your-data_11933654//en/news/overlooked-coastal-marine-ecosystems-capture-carbon-dioxide_11941828/Overlooked coastal marine ecosystems capture carbon dioxideThe ability of coastal ecosystems to capture and store carbon dioxide has been underestimated. The question is not just about seagrass meadows and mangrove forests, which have already attracted attention, but a wide range of different ecosystems whose carbon storing function has been overlooked. However, for these areas to be able to combat climate change, they must be protected. Mon, 20 May 2024 09:03:21 +0200<p>Coastal ecosystems have been shown to be extremely important in combating rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. This is thanks to their ability to capture and store carbon dioxide, known as blue carbon.</p><p>Historically, blue carbon research has focused almost exclusively on seagrass meadows, mangrove forests and tidal marshes, while other ecosystems have been overlooked. The importance of these other ecosystems in mitigating climate change has been underrated, and the total amount of carbon sequestered in the oceans has thus been greatly underestimated.</p><div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/0b24a44dfdf34eab94c7abd384a39f79/blue_carbon_figure5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0b24a44dfdf34eab94c7abd384a39f79/blue_carbon_figure5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0b24a44dfdf34eab94c7abd384a39f79/blue_carbon_figure5.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/0b24a44dfdf34eab94c7abd384a39f79/blue_carbon_figure5.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/0b24a44dfdf34eab94c7abd384a39f79/blue_carbon_figure5.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/0b24a44dfdf34eab94c7abd384a39f79/blue_carbon_figure5.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>There are several research areas that should be prioritised in order to make better use of the hitherto overlooked coastal areas' ability to mitigate the effects of climate change. The figure from <em>Global Change Biology</em>.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Heidi Burdett</span></div></div><p>In recent research led by researchers from Umeå Marine Sciences Centre and the Department of Ecology and environmental science at Umeå University, together with collaborators at Deakin University in Australia, NatureScot and Marine Scotland Science in the UK, over 250 scientific publications have been analysed, to evaluate which other coastal ecosystems may be important for blue carbon storage. The studies cover polar regions as well as temperate and tropical oceans and have recently been published in the scientific journal Global Change Biology. Critically, the study shows that mud / tidal flats, shelf sediments (particularly fjords), some parts of coral reefs (the lagoons) and coralline algal beds are in fact significant blue carbon stores.</p><p>"Our previously limited view of blue carbon has greatly underestimated the importance of coastal seas as nature-based solutions to climate change," says Professor Nicholas Kamenos, director of Umeå Marine Sciences Centre at Umeå University.</p><p>But coastal seas are often heavily exploited, and thus risk losing their ability to capture and store carbon. The study thus proposes a marine ecosystem management strategy which guides the protection of all blue carbon ecosystems in their climate change mitigation role.</p><p>"An important message of our study is that we need to ensure the long-term protection of these areas worldwide to maximize the positive role they have in mitigating the effects of climate change", says Dr Heidi Burdett, Associate Professor at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University.</p><p> </p><h3>Full paper:</h3><p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.17261">James, Kelly; Macreadie, Peter I.; Burdett, Heidi L.; et al. It's time to broaden what we consider a 'blue carbon ecosystem'. Global Change Biology, John Wiley & Sons 2024, Vol. 30, (5).</a></p><p> </p><p> </p>/en/news/overlooked-coastal-marine-ecosystems-capture-carbon-dioxide_11941828//en/news/novel-chemical-tool-for-understanding-membrane-remodelling-in-the-cell_11935182/Novel chemical tool for understanding membrane remodelling in the cellIn a study published in the prestigious scientific journal PNAS, Umeå researchers describe a natural product-like molecule, Tantalosin, that inhibits interaction between two proteins in complexes that reshape membranes inside the cell. The findings lead to a deeper understanding of membrane remodelling in human cells and future development of new drugs.Wed, 08 May 2024 16:58:29 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/b294ffb48779436f869f424d03784acf/forskargruppen_i_samtal4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b294ffb48779436f869f424d03784acf/forskargruppen_i_samtal4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b294ffb48779436f869f424d03784acf/forskargruppen_i_samtal4.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/b294ffb48779436f869f424d03784acf/forskargruppen_i_samtal4.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/b294ffb48779436f869f424d03784acf/forskargruppen_i_samtal4.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/b294ffb48779436f869f424d03784acf/forskargruppen_i_samtal4.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Postdoctoral fellow Shuang Li, PhD student Anastasia Knyazeva och Professor Yaowen Wu.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Anna Shevtosa</span></div></div><p>“Our study is a good case to use small molecules as valuable chemical tools for understanding complex biological mechanisms. I am happy to coordinate a fantastic collaboration with colleagues in Umeå, Stockholm and Germany.” says Yaowen Wu, professor at the Department of Chemistry at Umeå University.</p><p>Membranes of cells are made of lipids and proteins, and they serve barrier functions for cells and intracellular organelles. Membranes of cells are highly dynamic mosaic-fluid structures that undergo constant reshaping. The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) is tasked with remodelling membranes inside the cell. The ESCRT machinery assembles at the site in the cell where membranes need deformation and then forms helical protein polymers that can contract and pinch off cell membranes.</p><p>Previously, Professor Yaowen Wu and his group, in collaboration with Professor Herbert Waldmann's laboratory at Max Planck Institute Dortmund in Germany, identified a chemical molecule, Tantalosin, that induces a phenotype like autophagy – a self-eating process in the cell. Tantalosin is a synthetic molecule inspired by alkaloids from the medical plant Cinchona. They observed a very interesting phenomenon in the cell treated with Tantalosin and investigated further the molecular mechanism how Tantalosin works in the cell.</p><p>In collaboration with the chemical proteomics core facility at SciLifeLab in Karolinska Institute the team scrutinized potential cellular targets of Tantalosin.</p><p>“To our surprise, we found that none of the autophagy-related proteins were on the list of potential targets. However, IST1 protein in ESCRT complexes was identified and validated as the cellular target of Tantalosin. We were excited to work on deciphering this unexpected connection between ESCRT complexes and autophagy.” says first author Anastasia Knyazeva, who just recently completed her doctoral degree at the Department of Chemistry at Umeå University.</p><p>The researchers characterized the mechanism using a range of biochemical and cell biological methods. When they studied protein-protein interaction in solution, they found that Tantalosin completely stops the interaction between IST1 and its binding partner CHMP1B.</p><p>“We then took a closer look at these two proteins using a transmission electron microscope in collaboration with Kasturika Shankar, a PhD student from Lars-Anders Carlson’s lab at Umeå University. Intriguingly, Tantalosin disrupts the formation of ordered IST1-CHMP1B filaments.”  explains Shuang Li, the paper’s co-first author and postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Chemistry at Umeå University.</p><p>Furthermore, the researchers looked inside the cell and found that Tantalosin rapidly disrupts the recycling of cell-surface receptors back to the cell surface. This property could be potentially beneficial for treating certain types of cancers that are driven by cell-surface receptors.</p><p>In this study, the researchers found that LC3 protein, which is usually a hallmark of autophagy, is linked to the endosomal membranes during Tantalosin treatment. Interestingly, the canonical autophagic degradation was not observed. Instead, they found that the process follows a noncanonical autophagy pathway.</p><p>“We believe that Tantalosin can be a unique molecule that facilitates understanding new functions of noncanonical conjugation of LC3 to endosomal membranes. We hope that further studies will reveal the role of LC3-membrane conjugation and its associated proteins in membrane deformation processes.” says Anastasia Knyazeva.</p>/en/news/novel-chemical-tool-for-understanding-membrane-remodelling-in-the-cell_11935182//en/news/lifes-insiders-decoding-endosymbiosis-with-mathematics_11935084/Life’s insiders: Decoding endosymbiosis with mathematicsEndosymbiosis, the intimate and long-term relationship where one organism lives inside another, is a cornerstone of life as we know it, and a key to the emergence of complex life on Earth. Many of the mysteries surrounding endosymbiosis are difficult to tackle using empirical approaches alone. In a recent essay published in PLOS Biology, a team of researchers from Umeå University describe how mathematical models can advance endosymbiosis research.Thu, 02 May 2024 12:39:42 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/2759e9e31610410ca1024b2a380d0f51/29700957935_a6f75f6167_o2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2759e9e31610410ca1024b2a380d0f51/29700957935_a6f75f6167_o2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2759e9e31610410ca1024b2a380d0f51/29700957935_a6f75f6167_o2.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" type="image/webp" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"><source srcset="/contentassets/2759e9e31610410ca1024b2a380d0f51/29700957935_a6f75f6167_o2.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/2759e9e31610410ca1024b2a380d0f51/29700957935_a6f75f6167_o2.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/2759e9e31610410ca1024b2a380d0f51/29700957935_a6f75f6167_o2.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Mitochondria in cells are one example of an endosymbiotic relationship. In this photograph taken with a microscope, the mitochondria were stained in bright yellow to make them more visible.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Torsten Wittmann, University of California, San Francisco</span></div></div><p>Endosymbionts are everywhere: Within our cells mitochondria generate most of our energy, plants rely on chloroplasts for photosynthesis, and many insects can’t reproduce without their endosymbionts. This is, however, just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to endosymbioses.</p><p>”Endosymbiotic relationships are incredibly diverse and complex. For instance, new research has revealed that endosymbionts can determine whether embryos can be successfully formed, and even guide embryonic development,” says Lucas Santana Souza, postdoctoral fellow at Umeå University and co-author of the essay in PLOS Biology.</p><p class="quote-center">Endosymbiotic relationships are incredibly diverse and complex</p><p>Despite their ubiquity, endosymbioses can be difficult to study.</p><p>”Consider the origin of the mitochondria in our cells. It used to be a separate organism but through an endosymbiosis that happened hundreds of millions of years ago it became a crucial part of all complex life. However, we can’t study this ancient and rare event by reproducing it in the lab or going back in time – we need other ways and mathematical models are a great tool,” says Eric Libby, Associate Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics.</p><p>Mathematical models can help us understand how different factors affect the interactions between endosymbionts and their hosts. In the essay, the authors shows how these models can generate ideas and complement real-world research. They also point to important questions for further investigation.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Corals can provide important knowledge</h2><p>One such example is connected to corals and their endosymbionts, of particular relevance at present as coral bleaching events increase worldwide due to increased heat waves. In coral bleaching, the coral expels its endosymbionts and loses its ability to generate food, which can lead to its death. Interestingly, corals can switch their endosymbionts to ones that improve their ability to resist heat waves. This is one of the research areas study co-author Adriano Bonforti, postdoctoral fellow at Umeå University, is most interested in.</p><p>”The puzzle, is understanding when corals should modify their endosymbiotic community so that one type of endosymbiont becomes dominant over the others, thereby changing the coral’s response to stress effectors. Mathematical models can suggest likely reasons for when and how corals should switch. The results of these theoretical approaches can then help guide future experimental research,” he says.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Building bridges between different fields</h2><p>The authors also make a case for increased collaboration between endosymbiosis researchers. They draw parallels between endosymbiotic relationships and the interaction between mathematical modelers and experimentalists. Both have different approaches and backgrounds, but the outcome of their collaboration can be enormously fruitful, according to them.</p><p>”Think of modelers as beneficial partners, drawing inspiration and posing intriguing questions from the rich empirical discoveries. In this context, modelers contribute by simplifying complex concepts, uncovering fundamental processes, and opening new avenues for exploration. With this essay, we hope to build a stronger bridge between both fields and to indicate fruitful directions for endosymbiotic research,” says Lucas Santana Souza.</p><p>The benefits of this collaboration are already being seen by the authors themselves.</p><p>”The process of writing this essay has helped me to contextualize my own position in this interdisciplinary field. I have already noticed that working on this essay has shaped the way I approach new problems and the insights mathematics can bring both to endosymbioses and a wider range of biological systems from microbes to ecosystem scales,” says Josephine Solowiej-Wedderburn, co-author and postdoctoral fellow at Umeå University.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="d1a37dd4-e1f6-4bca-8133-e4253c6dd240" data-contentname="About the scientific essay">{}</div>/en/news/lifes-insiders-decoding-endosymbiosis-with-mathematics_11935084//en/news/deep-learning-models-provides-relevant-ads-without-tracking-users_11933719/Deep-learning models provides relevant ads without tracking usersNew research from the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå university offers a promising solution to serving ads without compromising user privacy. Arezoo Hatefi’s doctoral thesis shows how deep learning can be used for effectively categorising news articles and displaying ads based on the content of the page rather than user behavior or personal data.Thu, 02 May 2024 08:15:07 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>In contextual advertising the ads are based on the content of the webpage and not on the user's behaviour.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Freepik</span></div></div><p>With the growing volume of daily news online, automated processing such as categorisation and summarisation has become essential. In her doctoral thesis, Arezoo Hatefi has developed innovative models that can be trained to recognize the content of news articles, even with unlabeled or partially labeled datasets. This is particularly useful in real-world applications where obtaining a completely labeled dataset can be expensive or impractical.</p><p>The methods can be used to improve contextual advertising, which is a type of advertising that addresses privacy concerns associated with cookie-based advertising by placing ads solely based on web page content, without tracking users or their online behavior.</p><p>“Since news media heavily rely on advertising, there is a substantial market for contextual advertising strategies”, says Arezoo Hatefi, a doctoral student at the Industrial Doctoral School and Department of Computing Science at Umeå University.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">Mimics the brain</h2><p>The past decade has seen major advancements in deep learning. Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that uses multi-layered neural networks to mimic human brain function, allowing it to perform complex tasks like text recognition or image identification. Training involves giving the model lots of data and adjusting it to make better decisions over time.</p><p>“The thesis proposes new methods for sorting text data into topics, even when only a few examples are available for each topic. Additionally, it introduces techniques to group topics in news and discover new ones across various sources”, says Arezoo Hatefi.</p><h2 id="info1" data-magellan-target="info1">Synergy between text and images</h2><p>Given that online news reporting often includes different elements like text, images, video, and audio to convey information, the thesis also investigates the synergy between these in news article analysis.</p><p>“The proposed models are mainly designed for news monitoring and contextual advertising, but they also introduce new ways to categorise text, group similar articles, and find emerging news stories. Comparison with state-of-the-art baseline models demonstrates their effectiveness in addressing the respective objectives,” says Arezoo Hatefi.</p><p><em>Arezoo Hatefi’s doctoral project has been funded by the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University, Codemill and Aeterna Labs.</em></p><p><a href="/EPiServer/CMS/?language=sv#context=epi.cms.contentdata:///11933719&viewsetting=viewlanguage:///sv">Read the full doctoral thesis</a></p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="74b92039-6a80-4930-ba4f-6ad48cdf6752" data-contentname="Fakta Företagsforskarskolan (standard)">{}</div>/en/news/deep-learning-models-provides-relevant-ads-without-tracking-users_11933719//en/news/umea-has-been-chosen-to-host-the-european-space-weather-week-in-2025_11929428/Umeå has been chosen to host the European Space Weather Week in 2025The 21st edition of the major international conference, European Space Weather Week (ESWW) will take place in Umeå in the autumn of 2025. The event is expected to attract at least 500 participants from diverse sectors around the world, including academia, industry and governmental agencies.Wed, 24 Apr 2024 07:45:05 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink"><div class="bildImage"></div><div class="bildText"><p>Space weather refers to the constantly changing conditions in space depending on the solar activity.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Johnér Bildbyrå AB</span></div></div><p>The ESWW will mainly be organised by Umeå University with the help of Umeå Congress and a national scientific team.</p><p>“Umeå University is honoured to have been selected to host this prestigious event. The ESWW is an important platform for sharing knowledge, discussing the latest research, and exploring new frontiers in space weather and space climate forecasting and technology,” says Audrey Schillings, chair of the organising committee.</p><p>The ESWW aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and investigation of new technologies and approaches, such as machine learning, in a space weather and space climate context. The event is highly interdisciplinary and brings scientists together with space industries and actors interested in space weather and space climate.</p><p>A diverse range of events will mark the conference, including a summer school for students and early-career scientists, an exhibition fair, and engaging activities designed for children and the public.</p><p>The conference is scheduled for October 27 to 31, 2025, marking the first occasion this annual gathering will be hosted in Sweden.</p><h2 id="info0" data-magellan-target="info0">About space weather</h2><p>Space weather refers to the constantly changing conditions in space depending on the solar activity. Solar winds and solar flares are some of the main drivers for space weather events.</p><p>Space weather affects technological systems, both on Earth and in space, such as satellites, air traffic and electrical systems.</p>/en/news/umea-has-been-chosen-to-host-the-european-space-weather-week-in-2025_11929428//en/news/finalist-for-prestigious-climate-research-prize_11929940/Finalist for prestigious climate research prizeFor the second consecutive year, a researcher at Umeå University stands as a finalist for the international Frontiers Planet Prize. The Swedish nomination goes to researcher Gerard Rocher-Ros, who has mapped emissions of methane from streams and rivers on a global scale.Wed, 24 Apr 2024 20:50:33 +0200<p>“Recognizing Gerard's research at the Climate Impact Research Centre is a delightful development. Remarkably, Sweden has selected a researcher whose work is highly relevant to the Arctic as its representative. This is evidence of the exceptional research conducted by Umeå University's Arctic researchers,” comments Keith Larson, director of the Arctic Centre, the nomination.</p><p>This is the second consecutive year that the Frontiers Foundation nominates national finalists for the Frontiers Planet Prize. The announcement is on April 22, on "Earth Day," for a reason. The newly instituted prize is intended to stimulate high-level research that can contribute to concrete solutions for the challenges threatening the Earth's ecosystems. Out of the 23 finalists from various countries, three final winners will receive one million Swiss francs each (approximately 12 million SEK) for their ongoing research.</p><p class="quote-center">He is a uniquely talented scientist, with an ability to combine his deep understanding of freshwater ecosystems with exceptional computational skills.  For this paper, he was able to combine and analyze multiple global datasets to address an important question at a spatial scale that I would not have thought possible 20 years ago.</p><p>“I am really happy that Gerard is being recognized for this prestigious award. He is a uniquely talented scientist, with an ability to combine his deep understanding of freshwater ecosystems with exceptional computational skills.  For this paper, he was able to combine and analyze multiple global datasets to address an important question at a spatial scale that I would not have thought possible 20 years ago,” says Ryan Sponseller, Associate Professor at the department of Ecology and Environmental Science and main advisor for Gerard's postdoc.</p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="ea30c98d-aadf-448f-bcfd-7f8b188e5564" data-contentname="">{}</div><p>In collaboration with researchers in the USA, the researchers at the Swedish University of Agriculture and Umeå University have mapped how the Earth's running water contributes to methane emissions in a study published in Nature in 2023. Freshwater systems account for half of the global emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane, but it has long been unknown how significant the role of rivers and streams is in this cycle. With the help of thousands of observations, the researchers could show that rivers and streams emit methane at a similar rate to lakes globally. Particularly clear results were seen in the northern regions.</p><p>“We expected to find the highest emissions at the tropics, where it is warm, because the biological production of methane is highly sensitive to temperature. Instead, we found that emissions are also elevated in boreal and tundra biomes, despite low temperatures, likely because northern streams and rivers are often connected to peatlands and wetlands that are powerful methane sources,” explained Gerard Rocher-Ros when the study was published.</p><p>Where human activity is particularly significant, such as in canals, ditched streams, and rivers downstream of wastewater treatment plants, emissions tend to be higher. This insight motivates the many ongoing efforts in river restoration for the sake of biodiversity to continue since these measures may also have positive effects on emissions.</p><p>“In addition to improving freshwater quality and protecting the sensitive biosphere, restoration can also reduce the climate impact by lowering methane emissions," says Gerard Rocher-Ros.<br> <br>The three final winners will be crowned at the Villars Symposium in Switzerland on June 26.</p>/en/news/finalist-for-prestigious-climate-research-prize_11929940//en/news/wants-to-revolutionize-real-time-video-analytics_11929377/Wants to revolutionize real-time video analytics Today, many apps and systems are used to watch and analyze videos, for example in the case of traffic control and surveillance systems. These apps need to quickly make decisions based on what they see in the videos. Ali Rahmanian, a doctoral student at the Department of Computing Science and the Industrial Doctoral School, wants to revolutionize this technology. "My research could be particularly useful for cities and factories that use video analytics to control processes," he says. Fri, 26 Apr 2024 09:32:42 +0200<div class="mediaflowwrapper bildlink halfwidthsquareright"><div class="bildImage"><picture><source srcset="/contentassets/336180a27255491a93183782d433f915/rahmanian_ali_5946_211019_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/336180a27255491a93183782d433f915/rahmanian_ali_5946_211019_mpn3.jpg?format=webp&mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/336180a27255491a93183782d433f915/rahmanian_ali_5946_211019_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/336180a27255491a93183782d433f915/rahmanian_ali_5946_211019_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=640 640w, /contentassets/336180a27255491a93183782d433f915/rahmanian_ali_5946_211019_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=854 854w, /contentassets/336180a27255491a93183782d433f915/rahmanian_ali_5946_211019_mpn3.jpg?mode=crop&width=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 640px, (max-width: 854px) 854px, 1280px"></picture></div><div class="bildText"><p>Ali Rahmanian, doctoral student at the Department of Computing Science and the Industrial Doctoral School.</p><span class="bildPhotografer"><span class="photo">Image</span>Mattias Pettersson</span></div></div><p>In today's fast-paced digital landscape, the demand for real-time insights from video analytics applications is greater than ever. Processing capabilities need to be fast so that apps can make decisions in a fraction of a second.</p><p>Ali Rahmanian's research focuses on revolutionizing so-called edge computing, which means that the data is placed at the edge of a network – close to where it will be used. The advantage of edge computing is that you get lower latency, i.e. faster access to the data, because it literally has to travel a shorter distance.</p><p>“The faster you can access the data, the faster the apps can make their decisions. By harnessing the power of resources closer to data sources and end users, my thesis aims to significantly reduce latency and improve performance,” says Ali Rahmanian.</p><p>Ali Rahmanian proposes innovative methods to get different programs to work together in a good way. He also looks at how important it is that both individual programs and the entire system are well optimized. By making improvements on both small and large levels, he shows how they can work well together.</p><p>Ali Rahmanian explores how to use edge orchestration to make it easier to analyze live videos. His ideas can help improve the way we use videos to make quick decisions. The research could be particularly useful for cities and factories that use video analytics to control processes.</p><p>“It enables smoother and faster applications for smart cities and factories by improving resource usage at the of the network. By making the process faster and more efficient, it can also help save time, energy and reduce our impact on the environment,” says Ali Rahmanian.</p><p><em>Ali Rahmanian's doctoral project has been funded by the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University and Ericsson Research.</em></p><div data-classid="36f4349b-8093-492b-b616-05d8964e4c89" data-contentguid="c0a229ba-fb3d-45eb-8829-0c6411ab63c0" data-contentname="About the thesis defence">{}</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/wants-to-revolutionize-real-time-video-analytics_11929377/