Science Faculty Magazine 2 2013-English

Each new car a weather station

New art with old craft

SCIENCE FACULTY No 2 2013 Faculty of Science

THE SECRET OF CLOUDS Atmospheric researchers studying clouds and particles in the air to solve the climate problem

MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE Science Faculty Magazine is for those interested in the University of Gothenburg and in particular the work at the Faculty of Science.

EDITOR Camilla Persson Phone: +46-31-786 9869 E-mail: camilla.persson@science.gu.se

EDITORIAL STAFF Carina Eliasson Robert Karlsson Tanja Thompson

PUBLISHER Ann-Christin Thor

LAYOUT Camilla Persson & Erika Hoff

COVER Mattias Hallquist, Jan Pettersson and Erik Thomson. Photo: Malin Arnesson

ADDRESS Faculty Office of Science University of Gothenburg Box 460 405 30 Göteborg Sweden E-mail: info@science.gu.se

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SUBSCRIBE Sign up for a subscription at www. science.gu.se/english/about/magazine. The magazine is available in both printed and digital form.

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

Collaboration across boundaries We hope you will enjoy this glance into the Faculty of Science. The Science Faculty Magazine’s target group ranges from Faculty staff and alumni to business and industry, public actors and politicians with an interest in mathematics and the natural sciences. In this issue you can read about the U.N. climate report, skin allergies, research vessels, tapestries and basic natural sciences. Our Faculty boasts strong thematic areas involved in both internal and external interdisciplinary cooperation. We also work hard to develop the very foundation of the basic sciences. THE NEED FOR BOTH depth and breadth becomes evident in the article about the secrets of clouds. Fundamental questions about the formation of clouds remain unanswered, pointing to the need for interdisciplinary efforts in many areas, including research concerning environmental factors and climate effects. Theory development and modelling go hand in hand with empirical climate studies and lab experiments. The end product is knowledge that is of relevance to people’s climate and health. RESEARCHERS FROM THE FACULTY have

participated in the development of the U.N. climate report. One article in this issue talks about the report and points out that although the problem of global warming is caused by humans, nothing is happening at the central political level to deal with it. It becomes obvious that the natural and social sciences must work together to create an understanding of what can and needs to be done. In the Faculty’s marine and environmental science domains, this type of joint approach is already firmly established. ALLERGIES AND SKIN CANCER are

on the rise in society, and research has presented unique results of great importance for both diagnosis of skin disorders and regulation of allergenic products. This is another example of the importance of cooperation and of utilising the University’s entire breadth to cover the whole spectrum from basic mechanisms to real-life effects on people. The

He is the journalist from England who chose Gothenburg

collaboration with Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Chalmers and the business world has been invaluable in this respect, building bridges between different competencies and yielding an abundance of exciting results. SVEN-ERIC LIEDMAN, professor

emeritus of History of Ideas, is somebody else who is dreaming of separate academic disciplines joining forces in a holistic perspective on mankind and our development. He reflects over the simplified views that scholars in the humanities and natural sciences often have of each other. His criticism targets primarily his own colleagues in the former group, but interdisciplinary initiatives don’t come easy since they often have to start at such a basic level. Here is an important question that we at our Faculty need to ask ourselves: Is science contextual, and if so, what does it mean for our work? to some spectacular artistic expressions. Ekdal adds new dimensions to crafts education and research, and encourages students to explore new perspectives and approaches. She sees her making of tapestries also as a technical challenge in an area characterised by strong traditions. The technical and scientific aspects of cultural heritage objects become the focus of the work of the conservation specialist.

Read about this year’s Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry

ANNIKA EKDAHL INTRODUCES us

LOTTA MÖLLER HAS had

the opportunity to undertake a placement at one of the top conservation labs in Rome. This linking of practice, theory, application and basic sciences is a quality that we want to emphasise in our study programmes.

Exploring the transport system in plant chloroplasts

Read about these topics and a whole lot more in this magazine. Enjoy! Elisabet Ahlberg, Dean

Ola Wetterberg, Pro-Dean Skogaryd – unique researchstation for ecosystem studies

In Definitely Gold, Ekdahl celebrates everything she has thought to be beautiful ever since she was a little girl, such as pictures she has saved, pretty bookmarks and the colours of favourite dresses. 4

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EACH TAPESTRY IS AN EXPLORATION Annika Ekdahl is a textile artist specialising in tapestries as a medium for artistic expression. Since the beginning of the year, she serves as visiting professor of conservation at the University of Gothenburg. ‘My practical exploration of the tapestry technique as a traditional craft and artistic expression is highly relevant and very inspiring,’ she says.

e are meeting at Abecita Art Museum in the municipality of Borås. People are working hard around us, hanging eleven large tapestries for the opening of Ekdahl’s exhibition Gobelänger, where some of her work from the last 20 years will be displayed. The exhibition is a result of Ekdahl recently having received The Nordic Award in Textiles – Europe’s number one textile prize – for her magnificent tapestries and for breathing new life into a historical textile genre. Ekdahl guides me to The Theatre in the Park, a nine square metre tapestry in warm colours that shows 48 figures and people meeting in a park for a party. A person in the middle is holding a creampuff next to a bunny. The piece is full of small details and patterns in gold. ‘I usually have some artistic intention with a piece like this, which may take a few years to complete. But it’s also a more formal exploration. In this case I wanted to find out how many small details I could fit into nine square metres without causing a visual collapse,’ she says. She also wanted to find the minimum resolution needed to make the image legible. The creampuff is only 8-10 warp threads but is still clearly visible.

Ekdahl used to rely on watercolour and tempera in the planning stages of her work but started using computers ten years ago. For The Theatre in the Park, she used photos and digital techniques. ‘The ability to use photos opened up new opportunities. And the computer ended up being a great co-worker that has taught me a lot about mixing colours. The zooming function enables me to see how the computer mixes colours, which helps me add another dimension to the pieces,’ says Ekdahl. She points to a dark area. At first glance it looks almost black, but when I look closer I see that it’s full of different colours. THIS APPROACH HAS HELPED Ekdahl

find a personal way of mixing colours. The technique resembles impressionism – moving closer to the picture makes it abstract with a great number of dots in different colours. When Ekdahl stayed at home with her oldest son in the early 1970s, she moved from painting to textile art. ‘A less messy technique with small children around,’ she says. For SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

RESEARCH

the last 30 years, she has lived in a renovated parsonage in the village of Kyrkhult near the southern tip of Sweden. Ekdahl has a Master’s degree from the University of Gothenburg’s School of Design and Crafts, where she has also served as adjunct professor in textile art. In December, she will also receive the Prince Eugen Medal 2013 from the King of Sweden for outstanding artistic achievement. In the late 1990s, a visit to Poland and the world-famous Wawel tapestries in Krakow changed Ekdahl’s way of working. The rich ornamentation and vast colourfulness drew her to a new type of aesthetic expression. ‘There is something about the grandeur, the wealth of details and the pretentiousness. Daring to be more pretentious has made me go up in sizes to have enough room for these types of images.’ THE TAPESTRY TECHNIQUE SHE USES is

very old, but Ekdahl believes there is still room for development, both as an artist and as a researcher. ‘Since I don’t see this cultural heritage as something fixed or set in stone but rather as a treasure or an archive that I can relate rather freely to, I can do pretty much what I want with it.’ In Definitely Gold, Ekdahl celebrates everything she has thought to be beautiful ever since she was a little girl, such as pictures she has saved, pretty bookmarks and the colours of favourite dresses. The piece is ornamented in gold and shows symbolic figures. ‘It’s about affirming this side of yourself. To allow for the decorative. It’s not as easy as it may seem to let loose in this respect. This technique has been of great help.’ TEXT & PHOTO CARINA ELIASSON

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

CENTRING ON THE SKIN Skin cancer and contact allergies are on the rise in society. Scientists at the Centre for Skin Research Gothenburg, SkinResQU, are studying what happens when the skin is exposed to stressors such as pharmaceuticals, radiation and chemicals.

kinResQU is an interdisciplinary research centre at the University of Gothenburg where researchers from the Faculty of Science, the Sahlgrenska Academy and chemistry and biotechnology at Chalmers collaborate around skin issues.

The centre provides a forum for interdisciplinary dialogue about skin, with an ultimate aim of improving diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer and contact allergies. ‘In the beginning we were called ”Skin Research Network”. It was pretty much an interest club. Then we became a research platform and three years ago a centre of expertise and research,’ says Marica Ericson, researcher and coordinator of SkinResQU. In January this year, she took over the leadership after Professor Ann-Therese Karlberg. Ericson has a background in physics and chemistry, and today she leads a research team focusing on skin imaging. THE SKIN BOTH SPREADS and

allergen is able to penetrate the skin.’ involved in several collaborations both nationally and internationally. A joint project with SP in Borås is focusing on contact allergies. Another project concerns screening of chemicals in the skin, and yet another, involving the skin clinic at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital, aims to improve diagnosis of allergies and skin cancer. ‘Laser scanning microscopy helps doctors analyse skin tumours already during a patient’s first visit, allowing for an immediate decision of whether surgery is recommended,’ says Ericson. SkinResQU is also involved in several international projects. ‘One challenge we’re facing is the need to develop new skin-related medicines for example in response to growing antibiotic resistance – we need to find new ways to fight bacteria. We also need to cooperate at the international level in the development of nanomedicines.’ SKINRESQU IS

absorbs light. The melanin in the skin cell absorbs light – it’s actually a protection mechanism – and the collagen helps spread it. To get a threedimensional picture of the skin, Ericsson and her colleagues use so-called multiphoton microscopy. By exciting molecules in the skin with photons from a laser with ultrashort light pulses, an image can be obtained without damaging the skin tissue. The technique can also be used to diagnose skin cancer and design new medications. Multiphoton microscopy is expensive, but the equipment is available at an infrastructure facility at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. However, Marica and her doctoral students are currently in the process of building their own capacity with support from the Swedish Research Council and the Lundberg Foundation. ‘The technique can also be used to understand why some substances cause allergic reactions while others that contain the same allergen do not. What we have found is that it is the entire content of for example an Marica Ericson coordinates SkinResQU. ointment, including ‘We thought the name was clever for several reasons. If you combine the C in Chalmers with all the inactive subGU for the University of Gothenburg and then stances, that detertwist the letters a bit, it looks like QU. mines whether an

TEXT & PHOTO CARINA ELIASSON PHOTO MALIN ARNESSON

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

He chose Gothenburg over London He is the science journalist who wanted to enhance his science skills and move abroad. Gothenburg and the Master´s Programme in Environmental Science became his choice. ‘I had enough of London, and really like Sweden and Gothenburg. It is a lovely city’, says the Master student Duncan Geere.

e studied Meteorology at the University of Reading, but then decided to try something different. After working at a record label and in film PR in London he became a journalist. But he felt that he wanted to specialize in a particular subject. ‘I chose Environmental Science since it is a growing area of interest in the world’. He moved to Gothenburg in the fall of 2012 and started the two year Master’s Programme, choosing the city after visiting it in 2011. ‘Gothenburg is the right size. You don’t have to make plans three weeks ahead just to

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

go out for a beer with your friends, like it was in London. You can still walk everywhere, but the city is big enough for your favorite bands to come here and play. And it is close to nature and the archipelago. It’s a well balanced city.’ THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN studying

in the UK and in Sweden is quite big, according to Duncan. He says that it is less stressful here. ‘There’s more focus on getting the actual work done here, as opposed to just getting good grades. It’s more relaxed here in Sweden.’

NEWS

He also feels that Sweden has better international connections, and that Sweden feels more like a country that is a part of Europe and the rest of the world. Last year for example, he participated in a field course in China. Most of the other Master students come from Sweden, but the Master’s Programme is international and the teaching is in English. That, in combination with being free of charge for European students, makes Sweden an attractive alternative. ‘The fact that it is free to study here was a big part of my decision. I never would have been able to afford to study the same thing in the UK’, says Duncan Geere.

NEW CORAL REEF DISCOVERED

WHILE STUDYING in

New genetic methods make it possible to map different fish populations. Studies show that cod from different populations do not intermingle to the extent previously thought. This insight can benefit the management of cod both along the Swedish west coast and in the Baltic Sea. ’Genetic studies show that many marine species live in separation much like land organisms do,’ says Carl André, professor at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg.

Gothenburg, he still works as a freelance journalist for newspapers, magazines and websites across the world. Working from a distance is not a problem for him. ‘Sweden is one of the best connected countries in the world. I can work from everywhere.’ Next June, he will hopefully get his Master’s degree. But he has no intentions of moving back to London. ‘My girlfriend is planning to move here from Austria in the next few months, so it probably wouldn’t go down well if I moved back to England. I’ll probably stay in Sweden for the time being.’ TEXT CAMILLA PERSSON PHOTO MALIN ARNESSON

DUNCAN GEERE Age: 29 years old Studies: The Master’s Programme in Environmental Science Originally from: The UK Titbits: Grew up with a father who was a diplomat, and lived in Africa and the Middle East until he was ten years old.

The trawling restrictions seem to have been effective. In connection with a project initiated by Kosterhavet National Park, marine biologists from the University of Gothenburg have observed new life in a previously dead coral reef off the Väderöarna islands. The scientists believe that the destruction of the reef was mainly caused by trawling. Today six areas in the national park are subject to trawling restrictions. The marine biologists use remotecontrolled submarines and can continuously monitor what goes on underwater.

IMPORTANT TO PROTECT LOCAL COD POPULATIONS

ONE-FIFTH OF SWEDISH GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED Former peat lands that have been drained to create areas for forestry and agriculture contribute a corresponding 20 per cent of Sweden’s total emissions of greenhouse gases. Yet the problem is largely ignored, according to researchers at the University of Gothenburg. ‘Greenhouse gas emissions from former peat lands make up about one-fifth of Sweden’s total reported emissions of greenhouse gases. This is roughly the same amount as the country’s entire industrial sector emits through energy consumption,’ says Åsa Kasimir Klemedtsson, researcher at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg. SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

The UN climate panel has concluded that human activities are the main cause of global warming. ‘Still, nothing is happening politically at the international level. That’s problematic – we don’t have much time,’ says Professor Deliang Chen.

is desk is covered with papers and letters that need to be answered. This autumn has been hectic for Chen. He has been a member of the UN climate panel, IPCC, since 2003 and is one of two Swedish lead authors of the climate report that was presented in Stockholm in September. In contrast to previous reports, this time the research results were generally met with acceptance. ‘Considering that the climate issue has been discussed for so many years, I think it is fantastic that there is still so much engagement,’ says Chen, professor of physical meteorology at the University of Gothenburg. He attributes the persistently strong interest in the climate issue to the inability at the international level to find a solution. The report concludes that the global warming is caused by humans. But what happens next?

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

‘It’s a global issue, but there is no global government that can make binding decisions. There is the UN of course, but for decisions to be made there, everybody must share the same view and reach a consensus. Progress may be achieved at other levels, though – I’m thinking nationally, regionally and individually.’ CHEN SEES A LARGE POTENTIAL at

the individual level. ‘I do enjoy driving, absolutely,’ he says, laughing. ‘But after ten years in IPCC, I hardly drive at all anymore. Instead I walk and bike a lot. So, I have managed to change my lifestyle.’ Economists believe that people’s behaviour can only be changed via taxes, such as congestion charges for cars. Chen hopes that this is not true but suspects that the economists may be right. ‘But there are things that we as individuals should remember. Take for example transportation of goods. In Sweden, we buy many things from China and India. They’re cheap, but the shipping requires a lot of energy and the emissions from the production affect the global climate. And maybe we can limit vacation air travel to twice a year.’

It’s a Matter of

our planet Sometimes more progress is made at the regional level than nationally. California and some regions in China are more active than the respective national governments. ‘Sweden is a democracy, so we should be able to use our ability to influence the elected politicians. Maybe we could also work more actively to change the public opinion,’ says Chen. HE EMPHASISES THAT climate

research remains uncertain about many things. There is a wide range of possible future scenarios. The predictions range from a temperature increase of 2°C up to 4.5°C by the end of this century if the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are raised to twice the preindustrial levels. ‘We need to better understand how climate change affects society and our environment and what we should do to reduce, prevent and prepare for the consequences.’ So, the extent of the predicted temperature increase remains unclear. The predictions range from 1°C to a total of 8°C over time. Oceans and seas are another source of uncertainty. ‘Absorption of carbon dioxide leads to acidification of oceans and seas. Scientists need

to study this relationship in order to make better predictions,’ says Chen. TEXT CARINA ELIASSON PHOTO NASA/NOAA/GSFC/SUOMI NPP/VIIRS/NORMAN KURING

The IPCC report The fifth large report from the UN climate panel is being published in three parts 2013-2014. Over 800 scientists and experts from different countries have contributed to the report, and the lead authors include nine Swedes, of whom three are from the University of Gothenburg: Chen and Professors Ulf Molau and Thomas Sterner. Biologist and environment researcher Ulf Molau is a lead author of the report set to be presented in Japan in March next year and that concerns the effects of climate change on society. Economist Thomas Sterner is a lead author of the report that will be presented in Benin in April and that deals with control measures to prevent negative climate effects.

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Measuring emissions from large ships passing by a measurement station outside the Port of Gothenburg, atmospheric scientist Erik Thomson and his colleagues are studying the effects of pollution on ice formation in clouds.

Solving the Mys Most of us occasionally glance at the sky to decide whether to bring an umbrella. When a group of researchers at the University of Gothenburg look to the sky, they have more than that in mind – our future climate.

louds may seem uncomplicated to the layperson. Water evaporates and forms clouds as it cools down at high altitudes. Every so often, the water returns to the ground in the form of rain or snow. If you have ever tried to forecast weather, you know how difficult it is. Even professional meteorologists struggle, as we all know. Clouds are unpredictable, and we still don’t understand all the processes that take place inside them. Several research teams at the University of Gothenburg are involved in cloud research. Jan Pettersson, professor of atmospheric science, and his colleagues are studying how ice particles are formed in the atmosphere. Cloud droplets freeze when exposed to aerosol particles in the air. The particles can be either naturally occurring or the result of emissions from human activities.

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‘The way aerosol particles affect clouds is one of the most uncertain factors in modern climate models. The clouds cool the ground and generate necessary precipitation, and a better understanding of how they work would enable us to better predict the future.’ IMPROVED CLIMATE MODELS would

also help politicians make better climate-related decisions. But the necessary calculations are cumbersome. ‘Not even the best computers can simulate everything that goes on in a turbulent raincloud, since the difference in scale is too large – from turbulence-causing convection on a kilometre scale to turbulent winds measured in millimetres throwing small water drops around. It’s just too complex and we are forced to simplify things,’ says Bernhard Mehlig, professor in complex systems. He and his colleagues are studying how small particles move in turbulent flows, such as inside a cloud. That the airflow inside a cloud can be turbulent is old news to anybody who has ever boarded an aircraft.

From left: Erik Thomson, Jan Pettersson and Mattias Hallquist.

tery of Clouds Mehlig says that, according to an old theory from the early 1900s, stirring can speed up a reaction. Does the turbulence speed up the formation of rain by stirring the droplets and making them collide with each other? ‘When the drops have become so big they start falling down, they crash into each other and grow even larger. But we still don’t know how the small droplets grow. Turbulence speeds up the collisions, but we lack a model to describe how often they collide.’ NOR CAN THE SCIENTISTS explain

the fast course of a monsoon rain. Is it due to other factors than the turbulence-caused collision of drops? The final goal is to parameterise the microscopic processes, or find formulas describing them in a manageable way.

‘We need to understand what happens at the microscopic level, so we’re studying the dynamics of water drops in just 1 cm3 of the cloud,’ says Mehlig. AEROSOLS AFFECT not

only clouds but also the air we breathe. The air in Gothenburg is no exception, with a large share of the emissions coming from motor vehicles. Air quality is an important issue, especially in large cities where the traffic is the most problematic, or where the geographic conditions make the air remain in the area instead of getting diluted. ‘Bad air quality is associated with significant health risks. Air pollution causes a large number of early deaths every year around the world,’ says Pettersson. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMIST Mattias

Hallquist studies the link between vegetation and particle formation, which in turn is directly

Professor Bernhard Mehlig studies turbulent aerosols with his colleagues at the Department of Physics. He is also a supervisor and lecturer in the Master’s programme in Complex Systems at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers, where students study these types of issues in-depth. Photo: Johan Wingborg SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

linked to the climate. Vegetation releases gases that turn into particles in the atmosphere. ‘The largest share of the small particles in the atmosphere stem from conversion of gases,’ he says. particles come from natural sources, how dangerous are the human-made particles, such as those emitted from my car? Very dangerous, says Hallquist. Particles from traffic can contain more harmful substances. When it comes to climate impact, different types of particles have different effects. ‘Particles from combustion, for example from motor vehicles, contain a lot of lightIF MOST OF THE

absorbing soot, whereas particles from vegetation are mostly transparent and only reflect light. One complication, however, is that particles from different sources interact and form much more complex mixtures with various effects on the climate.’ Then there is the health aspect. ‘Particles from vehicle traffic occur in an environment where there are a lot of people. There are not as many people in the middle of a forest in northern Sweden,’ says Hallquist. TEXT CAMILLA PERSSON PHOTO MALIN ARNESSON & JOHAN WINGBORG

SEK 4.3 MILLION FOR CLOUD RESEARCH The scientific community still does not fully understand how ice is formed in clouds. The Swedish Research Council has granted researcher Erik Thomson a project grant of 4.3 million SEK to study ice particles in clouds and how their formation is affected by changes in the air quality and the climate. Clouds consist of water, ice or a mix of the two, and the formation of ice in a cloud requires that certain particles are present. The exact process involved remains poorly understood, but Thomson and his colleagues in Gothenburg are planning on changing this. ERIK THOMSON HAS a

PhD from Yale University in USA and is currently in his third year as a postdoc at the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Gothenburg. The project grant for junior researchers from the Swedish Research Council will enable him to continue studying ice particles in clouds. ‘It’s nice to have one’s work acknowledged at such a high level in the scientific community,’ says Thomson. 14

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IN ONE OF the

projects, Thomson and his colleagues at the University of Gothenburg are studying how emissions from ships affect the formation of ice in clouds. The reason for his research is the increasing number of vessels in Arctic and northern waters. The Arctic has a climate that makes the effects of human-made emissions much more noticeable than elsewhere, which could mean that emissions from ships are severely affecting the Arctic climate. Emissions are measured outside the Port of Gothenburg, and the project is a collaboration between the University of Gothenburg, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt and CRAICC (Cryosphere-atmosphere interactions in a changing Arctic climate, which is part of the Nordic Top Research Initiative). TEXT CAMILLA PERSSON PHOTO MALIN ARNESSON

Research for cleaner air in China The air quality in China is a problem. The Swedish Research Council has granted Mattias Hallquist SEK 24.4 million for a project focusing on how to prevent smog in metropolitan areas in China. ‘The project is an initiative by the Gothenburg Atmospheric Science Centre, which I’m heading. We’re experts in photochemical transformation, the formation of particles and ozone in the atmosphere, and the project involves collaboration with world-leading Chinese researchers. will explore the air in two Chinese regions: Bejing and Hong Kong. The areas belong to different climate zones, have different types of photochemical smog and the respective authorities use different sets of measures to alleviate the problem. ‘We are going to study how the pollution is formed and what separates the smog in China from that in Europe and North America, and then suggest appropriate interventions. The air pollution affects the climate not only regionally but also globally.’ Besides researchers from different parts of the University of Gothenburg, the project includes researchers from the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) and Chalmers University of Technology. Three universities and a research institute in China are also linked to the project, which was one of four (out of the 123 applicants) that were granted funding. ‘This research area is very important, and we have the scientific capacity to do the job,’ says Hallquist. THE SCIENTISTS

FOUR QUESTIONS for Erik Sturkell, professor of geophysics. Sturkell and his colleagues have studied the roles of geologists in films. HOW ARE GEOLOGISTS PORTRAYED IN FILMS?

‘Generally as good people. They are usually social and down-to-earth. The geologist often wears a checked shirt and enjoys having a drink at some bar. Sometimes the geologist is the hero who saves the situation. Several of them even save the world.’ WHY DO YOU THINK THERE ARE SO MANY GEOLOGISTS IN FILMS?

‘The number of geologists on the big screen has varied over time. At least 60 geologist films have been made in the last 83 years, but, admittedly, that’s a very small fraction of the total production. In most films with geologists, geological processes and events are key to the plot, like in the catastrophe genre. Westerns about struggles over oil are another example.’ HOW DANGEROUS IS IT TO BE A GEOLOGIST IN A FILM?

‘Very dangerous! One-third of them die! Most of them are killed, or first abducted by aliens and then killed. About ten per cent die in workrelated accidents, mainly in connection with volcanic eruptions.’ WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE FILM GEOLOGISTS?

‘Harry Dalton in Dante’s Peak (1997), Ted Rampion in Crack in the World (1965) and Professor Goetaborg from Stockholm in Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959). Goetaborg is no doubt a bit evil, but you’ve got to love his name!’

TEXT ROBERT KARLSSON

Read the whole study at (only in Swedish): www.gvc.gu.se/personal/personal/sturkell_erik/ filmgeologer

TEXT CARINA ELIASSON PHOTO ANITA FORS SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

RESEARCH

Weather Stations in All New Volvos? The maintenance of Swedish winter roads is largely based on 780 automatic weather stations scattered across the country. Torbjörn Gustavsson and Jörgen Bogren, researchers at the Department of Earth Sciences, want to change this. As a result of their research, each new Volvo may soon be instrumented to measure weather and road conditions.

he annual cost of Swedish winter road maintenance is about SEK 2 billion. Since the early 1980s, the work has been based on the Swedish Transport Administration’s road weather information system VVis. The system consists of 780 measurement stations across the country that continuously collect information about the weather conditions. One disadvantage of the stations is that the information they provide gives a somewhat limited picture of the road

» Better information

would help prevent many accidents and keep cars from getting stuck in snow

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conditions. The solution? Taking advantage of the cars that are actually driving on the roads. ‘By collecting information from vehicles on the roads, we would get a much better real-time understanding of what it’s like out there,’ says Gustavsson. A modern car monitors a number of parameters in its surroundings, such as temperature and precipitation. This is the type of data that Gustavsson and Bogren want to collect and merge with the information from VVis. This would have obvious benefits for the maintenance of winter roads. ‘Better planning would save money, and better information would help prevent many accidents and keep cars from getting stuck in snow,’ says Gustavsson. THE ROAD STATUS INFORMATION project

(RSI) is a collaboration including the University of Gothenburg and Volvo Cars AB. Both Gustavsson and Bogren have been involved in

‘By collecting information from vehicles

on the roads, we would get a much better real-time understanding of what it’s like out there,’ says Torbjörn Gustavsson at the Department of Earth Sciences.

similar studies in the past, with the common denominator that their work has yielded new knowledge about combining data from mobile vehicles with other, stationary, data. Previously, however, those in charge of road maintenance have not actually used the information generated; instead, the projects have focused on developing the technology as such. The purpose of RSI is to develop the technology further and apply it more in practice. ‘Today’s technology makes it easier to handle large amounts of data, so the time has definitely come to bring this type of technology to this level,’ says Bogren. The operative phase of the RSI project will start this winter, and the long-term goal is for all new Volvos to contribute important information to winter road maintenance workers across the country. TEXT ROBERT KARLSSON PHOTO TORBJÖRN GUSTAVSSON

RSI The RSI project is a collaboration between the Swedish Transport Administration, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Klimator AB, Volvo VCC, Road-IT AB, the University of Gothenburg and Vianova. Previous projects within the same area include BiFi, an initiative that focused on the bearing capacity of roads where rural postal vehicles were instrumented to measure frost in the ground. Different types of vehicle fleets will be used to collect data within a test area. The project will yield information about how many vehicles are needed to cover a certain region and how sufficient coverage of the road system can be achieved. The resulting information will help establish a national system.

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ALUMNA PROFILE

BIOLOGIST LOOKING

EASTWARD

Her dream of becoming a marine biologist fell through, but Monique Wannding doesn’t seem too sad about it. Today she works at the Government Offices with international environmental technology cooperation. Her job is to lead Swedish companies into the huge markets in China, India and Russia.

e’re at the top floor of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The view of Stockholm City Hall and Old Town is fantastic. This is Wannding’s home court – actually, it’s one of them. Her project also falls under the ministries of enterprise and the environment. And even if she and her family are settled in Stockholm, she will always be a Gothenburg girl at heart. ‘My heart belongs on the west coast. You know, having grown up with the salty water, it’s hard to appreciate the brackish.’ WANNDING’S JOB is

to stimulate Sweden’s cooperation with China, India and Russia in the area of environmental technology. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt visited China in 2008 and returned home with an agreement between the two countries regarding environment technology cooperation. The Government soon appointed a project group for the agreement reached, and this is where Wannding entered the picture. In 2011, similar contacts were made with India and Russia. ‘All three ministries are involved,’ she says. ‘We try to contribute to a better environment, to Swedish exports and employment 18

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creation and to good Swedish relations with the different countries. Besides their political importance, they are huge markets.’ TO MAKE WAY for

Swedish businesses in these markets, part of the work consists of hosting foreign delegations and travelling around the world to bring attention to Swedish competence within environmental technology. Waste management, sustainable urban development, district heating, air purification – the focus of the trips varies, but the underlying idea is always the same. ‘We tell other countries about the Swedish transformation from being the world’s most oil-dependent country in the 1970s to where we are today. We tell them about environmental legislation, control measures and climate taxes. Most people we talk to are very interested in hearing about our development. But they also point out that it took us 40 years and that we have to accept that it is a slow process.’ IT WAS HER STRONG environmental

interest and dreams of becoming a marine biologist that made Wannding apply to the programme in mathematics and natural sciences of-

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fered by the University of Gothenburg in the early 1990s. But as time passed, she started realising that the demand for marine biologists was low. She considered a career in more lab-based research, but finally decided to top off her studies with a year of environmental law and community planning. This led to her first job: as an environmental administrator at the County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland. After that, she worked at the national development agency Nutek with environmental aspects in product development, and then she landed a position as environmental director at the environmental technology company Econova. ‘The move to Econova was a great experience. It was a complete change in roles – suddenly my job was to comply with all the environmental regulations.’ When Econova closed its Stockholm office, she was hired by the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications as a sustainability coordinator, working for example with European environmental legislation. Eventually, she was recruited for her current project.

always wanted to learn more and broaden her perspective. This desire has repeatedly taken her to new areas of environmental work: from process issues to product issues, from control to enterprise to legislation, from national to EU to global level. ‘Working internationally with environment technology has been an eye-opener,’ she says. ‘The role of China and India in the world economy and in relation to the climate issue will continue to grow. Admittedly, both countries are facing major environment problems, but they also have a strong interest in sustainable development. Especially China already has high goals in place.

» Working internationally with environmental technology has been an eye-opener

WANNDING SAYS THAT although

she has never had a strategic career plan, she has

MONIQUE WANNDING Age: 41 Title: Deputy Director, Government Offices of Sweden, International Environmental Technology Cooperation Education: Master of Science (M.Sc.), Biology/Environment, University of Gothenburg Family: Married with two sons Interests: The outdoors, sailing, exercise. Favourite jogging route around Södermalm in Stockholm.

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TEXT ANDERS NILSSON PHOTO MARTIN STENMARK

NEWS SUPER MOLECULE MAY DESTROY CANCER TUMOURS A poisonous protein that can cause both food poisoning and autoimmune disorders, but that can also fight cancer, is described in a new doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg. In case of an infection caused by bacteria or virus, a limited number of cells in the immune system can solve the problem quickly and effectively. But when the immune system detects a superantigen protein, the immune system kicks into a much higher gear and we get sick. ‘We have shown that the superantigens activate the immune system in more ways than previously known. The discovery may affect diagnosis and research concerning vaccines and treatments for superantigens. This is especially important since the bacteria that produce superantigens belong to those that sometimes become multiresistant,’ says Maria Saline, PhD, at the Swedish NMR Centre.

Want the latest news from Faculty of Science? Follow us on Twitter! @Naturvetenskap

Few People Want to Throw Away Old Clothes Why are so many people unwilling to throw away old clothes and textiles? This question is the focus of the study Textilt återbruk – om materiellt och kulturellt slitage, recently published in book form. The book describes different people’s relation to clothes and textiles – how they are consumed and then sorted out to be recycled in different ways. Today many people choose to get rid of textiles simply because they are tired of them and not because they are worn out. Not long ago, worn-out clothes and textiles were considered recyclable material. Today they are more likely to end up at flea markets. However, some clothes seem to be harder to let go of. ‘Those who participated in the study said they tend to hold on to handmade textiles, their children’s first clothes and clothes and accessories typical for a certain era,’ says Anneli Palmsköld at the Department of Conservation.

Naming All Fungi Less than 10 per cent of the 1.5 million presently existing fungal species have a scientific name. In a new article in Molecular Ecology, an international research team consisting of several researchers from the University of Gothenburg presents a new system for naming of fungi. ‘Hundreds of thousands of fungal DNA sequences can easily be generated from one teaspoon of soil. And at least 100 different fungal species can be identified in the same sample. Since these species are only known from DNA samples, they can’t be assigned a scientific name,’ says Henrik Nilsson, researcher. The new system will enable the scientific community to communicate more effectively about fungi only known through DNA sequencing.

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A Pedagogical Prize Winner Professor Jan Pettersson, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, is one of this year’s winners of Göta Student Union’s pedagogical price. In the words of the jury: His interest in the subject is reflected in his teaching. Makes each student feel acknowledged. Realises what the students find difficult, spends time on it. The lectures are dialogues, not monologues. Presents different sides of problems – gets the students to think for themselves. How does it feel? ‘It feels great, this was both unexpected and very exciting. The best thing about it is that it came from the students.’ What’s your best advice for a successful lecture? ‘Be well prepared so that you can speak relaxed and with enthusiasm about the subject. It also helps if you find a logical structure where you can build the knowledge step by step and give extra attention to difficult areas. It also has a lot to do with attitude. Lectures are meetings between people. I think mutual respect and understanding is a prerequisite for effective transfer of knowledge.’ What are some challenges of being a teacher? ‘There are many challenges and the work is fascinating. One of the more interesting challenges is how to adapt the teaching to new conditions. The learning situation has become more complex and dynamic with information available in abundance. How can we take full advantage of this new situation? Another thing is that our students need more training in actively using their knowledge in new situations. I think problem-based learning should be given more room, not

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only because it’s fun and effective but also to prepare the students for life after graduation.’ TEXT TANJA THOMPSON PHOTO MALIN ARNESSON

Other winners of the Pedagogical Prize 2013: Susanne Baden, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Annika Ekdahl, Department of Conservation Andreas Heinz, Department of Physics Mark Johnson, Department of Earth Sciences Stefan Lemurell, Department of Mathematical Sciences

THE PEDAGOGICAL PRIZE Göta Student Union wants to acknowledge the teachers who help brighten the students’ time at the University, and therefore awards the prize to teachers who have been particularly successful in their teaching practice. At the section for natural sciences, the awardees receive their prizes on 10 December at the Nobelsittningen event for teachers and students. One teacher from each Department is selected by the students. Nobelsittningen is arranged by the student organisations Haddock, MatNatSex and Göta Student Union’s section for natural sciences.

Besides Christmas, December means the awarding of Nobel Prizes. On the next few pages, a group of Gothenburg scientists present this year’s Nobel Prize Laureates in Chemistry and Physics.

Editor: Ulf Persson

Professor of Mathematics, Department of Mathematical Sciences

NOBEL PRIZES 2013 IN CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS

THE NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY ‘…for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems’ This is how the Nobel spanning large temporal and Committee motivates its spatial scales. Protein folding decision to award the 2013 is an example of a process Nobel Prize in Chemistry to with multiple temporal Martin Karplus, Université scales. The electrons in the de Strasbourg and Harvard protein move on an attosecUniversity, Michael Levitt, ond time scale. The atoms Stanford University, and move on a femtosecond time Arieh Warshel, scale. Smaller parts of University of the protein move Southern on a picosecond California. time scale, But what while the entire do these protein strucwords ture folds on mean? a much longer Multiscale time scale, models maybe millisecgenerally come onds. The Laureates © ® Nobelstiftelsen into play when were awarded for having using computers developed methods to study chemical systems enabling scientists to include SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

NOBEL PRIZES 2013 IN CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS

processes that occur over multiple temporal and spatial scales in one and the same computer calculation. THE COMPLEX systems

that the Laureates have studied involve mainly macromolecules of relevance in biochemistry, or the chemistry in living organisms. In this work, different parts of the biomolecule receive different levels of attention. An assessment is made of which area is of most importance for the process in question, and this region is studied with higher accuracy. The parts of the molecule that fall outside this area are treated with a higher degree of approximation. THE MAIN METHODS that

led to the Nobel Prize are called QM/MM, or Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (Figure 1). Quantum mechanics implies that we solve equations describing the distribution of electrons in the system, usually the Schrödinger equation: ∧

H Ψ = EΨ This gives us the potential energy for the chosen positions of the atoms. This is often done repeatedly in an attempt to find the geometrical structure of atoms that implies the least energy. This process requires significant computational capacity. The development of methods 24

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Figure 1: Illustration of the QM/MM model.

QM MM

and computer programmes for these types of electronic structure calculations yielded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1998. IN THE PART that

is treated with MM, the potential energy is calculated from simpler analytical functions. When the potential energy is described with simple functions, it is in these contexts referred to as a classical potential. The parameters in the analytical functions are often adapted to experimentally available information, or to data from quantum mechanical calculations. Since simpler functions are used, the potential energy calculated in the MM region ends up more approximate than that calculated in the QM part. However, the calculations are much faster, implying that larger and more complex systems can be studied.

QM/MM

PROTEINS DO NOT exist

in vacuum, but in solution. Studies have shown that it is often important to take the surrounding solution into account. This is usually accomplished in a more approximate manner where the solution is treated as a continuum characterised by a dielectricity constant. Dividing the calculations into regions that are analysed with different levels of accuracy is one of two important contributions from the Nobel Prize Laureates. The other contribution is so-called coarse-graining. This is illustrated in Figure 2 and implies that atoms are not considered individually but rather together as a larger unit in select parts of a molecule. This may for example occur for the side chains of amino acids in a protein. In effect, you end up with considerably fewer degrees of freedom when you want to minimise the energy to determine the

Figure 3: QM/MM model where an OH radical and 32 water molecules (two layers – only the top layer is shown) are treated with QM and the rest with MM. Model for crystalline interstellar ice.

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Fig. 3. QM/MM modell där en OH-radikal och 32 vattenmolekyler (två lager där bara det övre visas) behandlas Figure 2: Multiscale modelling – in this case how we go from 130 atoms to 12 coarse-grained beads when we simulate lipids/membrane systems using coarse-graining.

equilibrium structure of the protein, the calculation takes less time and it enables studies of much bigger systems. THE LAUREATES’ METHODS

are used frequently in physical chemistry at the University of Gothenburg. In issue 1, 2013 of the Science Faculty Magazine, we wrote about Leif Eriksson’s research. Eriksson uses these methods in studies of enzymatic mechanisms to model how liposomes filled with medicine interact with cell membranes. They are also used in the development of new medicines for cancer and other diseases. GUNNAR NYMAN’S research

team in physical chemistry uses the QM/MM approach to study how molecules are formed in interstellar clouds, the areas between stars where new stars are born. Coincidentally, these types of research projects

started earlier this year when a postdoc, Chamil Sameera, was recruited to study how small radicals diffuse on ice surfaces (Figure 3), which are common in the very cold interstellar clouds. The radical and parts of the ice surface are included in the QM region, while a considerably larger part of the ice is treated with the MM method. In so doing, Chamil has tried to decide which quantum methods and which force fields for the molecular mechanics parts that work well for the interstellar applications. WITHIN QM/MM,

it is common not to follow the movement of the molecule over time but to calculate only the most probable structures and a reaction pathways. Sometimes, however, the protein is allowed to move dynamically, by using classical mechanics. A true union of quantum physics-based atomic motion and classical physics does

not occur in the QM/MM model. This combination is a very exciting research field in which a number of universities around the world, including the University of Gothenburg, are involved. In August 2014, an international conference, MOLEC, centred around this research field will be held in Gothenburg.

Leif Eriksson Professor of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology

Gunnar Nyman Professor of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology

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NOBEL PRIZES 2013 IN CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS

THE NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS 4 July 2012: People had been waiting in CERN’s large auditorium since the evening before. There was tension in the air. Finally, two spokespersons for the collaborations ATLAS and CMS entered. There were whispers and smiles in the audience as they started showing curves indicating a small peak in a critical area. After the presentation, the director general stood up and said, victoriously, ‘I think we’ve got it!’.

The BEH Mechanism, the Higgs Particle and How Particles Get Mass

he curves had shown traces of the longsearched-for Higgs particle, or the Higgs boson. Two collaborations each involving 3,000 researchers of whom 1,000 were doctoral students from over 100 countries had worked for 20 years at CERN in Geneva to get to this point. CERN had built the world’s largest accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and the most complex computer system ever constructed, the World Wide Grid. It took 30 years of planning and building. The two collaborations had studied billions of proton-proton collisions and found indications of the presence of a Higgs particle in a few dozen of them. The scientists use the 27 km long and ring-shaped LHC to collide protons travelling almost at the speed of light. When in use, the beam in the tun-

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nel contains as much energy as a high-velocity train travelling at full speed. When the accelerator was closed down last spring for a two-year inspection, the scientists had produced maybe a million Higgs particles, of which they had been able to identify a few hundred. So, what’s the point of this gigantic project? The answer is that the Higgs particle was the last and very crucial piece of the puzzle that scientists refer to as the Standard Model of particle physics. THE FOUR FUNDAMENTAL FORCES OF NATURE

We have long been familiar with two of the four fundamental forces of nature – the gravitational force and the electromagnetic force. When observing them at particle level, we find that the electromagnetic force is much stronger than the

gravitational force – in fact about 1040 times stronger. As a result, the gravitational force has been ignored in studies of elementary particles. Then there are two more fundamental forces of nature, which only occur in microcosm: the strong force, which holds the nuclei of atoms together, and the weak force, which is responsible for radioactive decay. DURING THE LATTER part

of the 1940s, Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, Richard Feynman and Julian Schwinger (Nobel Prize 1965) managed to formulate a seemingly problem-free quantum theory of electromagnetism, Quantum ElectroDynamics (QED). Could similar quantum theories be found for the strong and weak forces? An obvious problem was that the force-mediating particle in QED, the photon, is massless, meaning it travels at the speed of light and yields a force with long range. For a short range to be possible, as for the weak and strong

PHOTO: CERN

”I think we´ve got it!”

forces, the force-mediating particles have to be massive. If the scientists tried to give the photon mass, all the good characteristics disappeared. It seemed like the theory used for electromagnetism didn’t apply for the other forces. IN THE LATE 1950s,

scientists started realising that protons and neutrons are not fundamental particles. They found many new strongly interacting particles that could be arranged in new internal symmetries, and Murray Gell-Mann could finally propose that these particles were actually bound states of more fundamental particles, called quarks (Nobel Prize 1969). THE WEAK interaction

received attention after it was discovered that it violates the so-called parity law, or

left-right symmetry (Nobel Prize to Chen-Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee in 1957). A theory that was consistent with the experiments yet incomplete was quickly formulated. Could it help the development of a more fundamental theory? SPONTANEOUS SYMMETRY BREAKING AND THE BEH-MECHANISM

During his attempt to understand the mechanism behind superconductivity, which is the phenomenon of certain metals losing their resistance to the flow of electricity when cooled down below a critical temperature, Yoichiro Nambu formulated the theory of spontaneous symmetry breaking in 1960 (Nobel Prize 2008). He suggested the feasibility of theories where the normal state is not sym-

metrical while the underlying equations remain symmetrical. This offered a way to have the cake and eat it too. ball placed on top of a sombrero. This situation is completely symmetric. If we let go of the ball, it will roll down and end up somewhere in the brim. If we think of the brim as a circular valley, the ball can obviously roll freely around the brim. If we use a potential like the sombrero in a field theory, it corresponds to a massless particle. In the perpendicular direction, a force is required for the ball to roll up the brim. This corresponds to a massive particle. IMAGINE A SMALL

THE SOLUTION TO HOW it

is possible to have a theory with short range but still have all the good characteristics as in SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

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CERN’s Director General Rolf Heuer congratulates François Englert and Peter Higgs.

PHOTO: CERN

electrodynamics was presented in a few short papers in 1964. In the first, Robert Brout and François Englert combined electromagnetism with two scalar fields boasting the potential described above. They found that the massless scalar particle merges with the massless photon, which carries the electromagnetic force, and as a result a massive particle is formed. The interaction then became short range! A few months later, Peter Higgs studied the same theory as Brout and Englert and found the same results. He also showed more explicitly 28

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than Brout and Englert that the massive scalar particle remains, and he calculated its mass. This field came to be known as the Higgs field and its particle as the Higgs particle, or Higgs boson. The mechanism of having a so-called gauge theory with short range came to be called the BEH-mechanism A third independent study was conducted around the same time in the Soviet Union by two 19-year-old students, Alexander Migdal and Alexander Polyakov. Their more complete quantum mechanical calculations yielded the same results as

those presented previously. However, their work met significant resistance in their home country, and initially they were not even allowed to submit their article to a journal. This delayed the publication of their results by one year. THE STANDARD MODEL OF PARTICLE PHYSICS

So how did the scientific community react to the solution of the problem? Well, the scientific community generally ignored it, assuming it would not stand the test of time. It took a full seven years before a young Dutch

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student, Gerhard ’t Hooft, showed that the theories indeed held water. This led to a revolution in the field of particle physics. Scientists realised that Brout’s, Englert’s and Higgs’ ideas could be used to formulate a theory for all the three interactions – the standard model for particle physics – and they realised that all particles with mass obtain this property in their interaction with the Higgs field. All particles in the model were quickly identified, with one exception – the Higgs particle. This would be the last piece of the puzzle. The link between the Higgs field and the massive particles is proportional to their mass. THIS MEANS THAT it

is only in the link to the very heavy particles that we can expect to create Higgs particles to any significant extent. Thus, identification of a Higgs particle is not possible without the creation of high-energy particle beams. This conclusion was reached already in the late 1970s, and preparations for the construction of a very large accelerator soon started both at CERN in Geneva and in USA. The U.S. project was cancelled in the 1990s, while the formal decision to build the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva was made in 1993. The plan was to establish two experimental collaborations, ATLAS and

CMS, each of which was to build a detector. The accelerator ring was built and the huge computer system World Wide Grid was established to handle the enormous amounts of data involved in the experiments. On 30 March 2010, the scientists witnessed the first collision between two protons, and on 4 July 2012, the much-wanted results were presented. Englert and Higgs could finally get their Nobel Prize. Unfortunately, Brout passed away a few years ago. BEYOND THE STANDARD MODEL

The spectacular transition from all the unanswered questions we were facing when I started my doctoral studies in the late 1960s to having a theory that can explain practically everything that happens in the smallest possible context has been fantastic. Today we understand three of the fundamental forces, but what about the gravitational force? The classical theory, Einstein’s general relativity theory, may be the most beautiful theory the world has ever seen. However, it cannot be transferred to the quantum world. A group of colleagues and I have been working on this issue since the 1970s, and in the 1980s we suggested another starting point for the development of a quantum gravity theory.

WHEREAS the

standard model is based on the notion that the fundamental particles are point-like, we assumed that they are one-dimensional, like strings. This led to the superstring theory, which is a quantum gravity theory encompassing the standard model of particle physics. It has been the most popular model in basic physics ever since. However, the superstring theory has turned out to be deeper and more complicated than we could ever imagine. We are only starting to understand it but believe that it can be the theory that brings all four fundamental forces together. THIS HAS BEEN and

still is the guiding idea for our research team, and this journey has been fantastic as well. It’s our hope to within reasonable time find the underlying theory of all fundamental interaction.

Lars Brink Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Particle Physics from Chalmers and Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Physics

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Plant Research with Links to the NOBEL PRIZE When this year’s winners of the Nobel Prize in Medicine were announced, Henrik Aronsson and his team of plant researchers at the University of Gothenburg jumped for joy. Like the Nobel laureates, the team studies vesicular transport, but not in the cell cytosol in yeast and mammals but in the chloroplasts of plant cells. ‘A Nobel Prize in this area brings attention to our research and helps people understand it better,’ says Aronsson. .

he three Nobel laureates Rothman, Schekman and Südhof were awarded this year’s prize for their important discoveries concerning the transport system in cells. Each cell is like a factory that produces molecules and sends them to different places in the body. The molecules are transported in

OUTSIDE OF THE CHLOROPLAST SURROUNDING MEMBRANE

SURROUNDING MEMBRANE INSIDE OF THE CHLOROPLAST

small packages called vesicles, and the trio has discovered how the molecules are transported to the right place in the cell at the right time. The system inside plants works similarly, but the cells in plants also have chloroplasts. The chloroplasts contain thylakoids, which is where the critically important photosynthesis occurs. It is hypothesised that some of the building blocks in the form of proteins can be transported there, in small vesicular packages. Yet the details of this transport system remain largely unknown.

NEWLY MADE VESICLE VIPP1 protein SAR protein, inactive SAR protein, active FZL protein Rab protein Protein as cargo

VESICLE AT THE END STATION

THYLAKOID MEMBRANE WHERE PHOTOSYNTHESIS OCCURS

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Vesicular transport from the chloroplast membrane to the thylakoid membrane inside the chloroplasts where the photosynthesis occurs. Some proteins proposed to be involved in the transport are shown. VIPP1 (pink) and FZL (green) are found both at the donor and acceptor membrane. SAR (purple) supports at the donor membrane – in an active form when forming vesicles and in an inactive form when returning to repeat the work. Rab (blue) supports at the acceptor membrane. According to the working hypothesis, protein (red) can be transported as cargo inside the vesicles.

Plant Researchers Henrik Aronsson and Emelie Lindquist is trying to identify the proteins at work in the chloroplasts. ‘We may find things in our chloroplasts that may help research on human cells,’ says Aronsson.

‘We do know how photosynthesis works, but don’t understand the design of the structure where it occurs, or how the system is formed,’ says Emelie Lindquist, doctoral student. SHE IS ONE OF the

researchers at the University of Gothenburg who, together with Aronsson, is trying to identify the proteins at work in the chloroplasts. Their working hypothesis is that there are proteins inside the vesicles that are delivered to the thylakoids. The proteins in plant cells resemble those found in humans. Disruption of the vesicular transport in the human body can lead to a number of different diseases, including ADHD, cancer, epilepsy and schizophrenia. But we still don’t know how similar cells from plants and humans are. Perhaps chloroplasts have a unique system, or maybe the systems are very similar. ‘We may find things in our chloroplasts that may help research on human cells,’ says Aronsson.

It is not easy to identify the proteins inside chloroplasts. The plan is to eventually be able to isolate the vesicles in order to see what’s inside, but so far this has not been possible. THIS TYPE OF RESEARCH requires

both advanced microscopes and a lot of time, and the researchers depend on cooperation with other research teams in Sweden and internationally. The next goal is to prove their hypothesis. ‘It’s not a simple process. There’s always something that gets in the way, but then suddenly it just clicks,’ says Aronsson, and Lindquist adds: ‘It would be great to prove our hypotheses in the near future.’ TEXT CAMILLA PERSSON PHOTO MALIN ARNESSON FIGURE MADE BY CHRISTEL GARCIA & HENRIK ARONSSON

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A humanist looks at – and at himself My old friend and physicist Karl-Erik Eriksson recently called me. He had a concern to share. In an article Sven-Eric Liedman Photo: Eva Stööp published in Dagens Nyheter, philosopher Hans Ruin had written a critique of the new translation of Martin Heidegger’s famous Being and Time from 1927. One thing he addressed was Heidegger’s critique of the natural sciences: eternal truths, absolute room and absolute time.

uh? Leading scientists referred to a completely different perception of the world already in 1927. Shouldn’t Ruin have pointed this out and added that the view is even more hopelessly obsolete today? But no, he didn’t. Eriksson had previously appreciated an article by Ruin about a current production of Richard Wagner’s opera Parsifal. In the article, Ruin had carefully discussed the protofascist elements of the opera and complained that the production in question had let these dark and repulsive features pass unnoticed. But why had Ruin not been equally particular when he wrote about the natural sciences? Do those concerned with the arts and humanities not care about the modern natural sciences, Eriksson wondered. HIS QUESTION IS justified. Too

many humanists have in recent years talked about disciplines such as physics, biology and medicine in a very generalising and condemning manner. The defence that some natural scientists show disregard for disciplines within the

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arts and humanities is poor at best. As we all know, seeing people act unreasonably on the other side of a more or less imaginary border is no excuse for behaving equally inappropriate. In the movement that is sometimes called postmodernism, there has been a clear tendency to embrace relativism. Relativism in its modern form says that truth is subjective. There is room for both my truth and your truth, and both versions say more about our differences than about the world that the respective views concern. HOWEVER, THIS TYPE of

relativism has not emerged because it has been promoted by some postmodern humanists. Instead, the conviction that ‘everything is subjective’ has grown immensely in popularity over the last few decades, especially among very young people. I remember how every new cohort of students I came in contact with appeared to be a bunch of non-reflecting relativists. Everything was subject to opinion, and any convincingly explained standpoint was met with a tired smile and a ‘Yeah, that’s what you

GUEST COLUMN

the programme called Latinlinjen, which was centred around the humanities and included a fair dose of Latin. Latin was still mandatory for those who wanted to study history of literature.

science think. I, on the other hand, happen to…’ Such a massive stream of relativism must be a result of more extensive changes in society. We have witnessed increasing commercialisation in society, accompanied with the perception that we’re all customers in life’s great bazaar, free to choose everything that our economic resources allow. We put the freedom of choice on the highest pedestal: freedom to choose pharmacy, electric utility, pension funds, schools, interests… In such a world, it’s easy to view opinions and even knowledge as additional commodities we can choose among. ‘I like the theory of relativity best.’ ‘Really? The absolute room and absolute time work better for me.’ THE RELATIVISTIC humanists

have played a very marginal role in this major cacophony. But they have worked in the same university world as the natural scientists and have therefore attracted their attention. The so-called science wars were in full swing in the

1990s and shortly thereafter. In one successful campaign, U.S. physicist Alan Sokals managed to get a parody on the postmodern way of talking about physics published in the top-ranked postmodern journal Social Text, and then revealed the hoax. Intense controversy followed. THINGS HAVE calmed

down since then, probably because postmodernism is in a state of retreat among humanists. However, this doesn’t mean that the problems are over. Replacing aggressiveness with indifference is not a good solution. Personally, I have never felt this indifference. Nor have I ever been drawn to relativism. I was certainly too old to fall for postmodernism. But my own development path is not unique. My most important early interest was biology, bugs in particular (I was near-sighted). I also enjoyed math. Then when I was 14, I developed an overwhelming interest in literature. When it was time to choose an upper-secondary programme, I was forced into

ONCE I GOT TO the

university, theoretical philosophy for some reason took the upper hand over history of literature. Not surprisingly, I developed a focus on the philosophy of biology. I studied Darwin en masse, along with a number of successors. I spent one semester specialising in genetics (but that was before Watson and Crick had made their presence known in the classrooms, at least at Lund University). But when the leading philosophers lost their interest in history of philosophy, I changed direction and became a historian of ideas. THE 1950-1960S was

also a time of several successful popularisations of mathematics and the natural sciences. The wonderful Sigma was published in Swedish – I still occasionally pick it up to read a few articles. Physicists and biologists wrote great popularisations. Swedish physicist Tor Ragnar Gerholm became a national TV star. Evolutionary biology remained my primary interest under the natural science umbrella. I would like to

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learn so much more; but I keep picking up new fragments and am fascinated that Darwin’s old theory, transformed tenfold, now has been assigned such fantastic precision and such a huge amount of empirical confirmation. I DREAM THAT historians

and evolutionary biologists one day will unite in one grand perspective on humankind and its development. The knowledge about where we all came from, which at some point came to a halt because of ‘the missing link’, is becoming increasingly certain. We know that our species, Homo sapiens, is very young, at most 200 000 years old, and that all the people across the world form a very genetically homogenous group. Despite some exterior differences, we are much more similar on the inside than most other species. Our period of evolutionary development has been short. Yet culturally, it has been very long. Biologically, we have essentially stayed the same over a period of remarkable change in our ways and manners. We picked up agriculture some 10 000 years ago, and started building villages around the same time. The oldest writing systems are less than 6 000 years old. AMAZINGLY, WE have

been able to change large parts of the surface of our planet. We 34

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have even been able to fill its atmosphere with substances that are threatening our very existence. We have also constructed the most peculiar buildings, invented the most fantastic objects (many of which are intended to kill each other), developed our scientific knowledge to breath-taking levels, created the most wondrous music, literature and visual art – and stubbornly clung on to various religious systems and an abundance of pure superstition. ONE REMARKABLE ASPECT

of this development is that it is largely cumulative. New epochs emerge from old ones and reject certain things but maintain and refine others. As a species, we are no different from the first farmers and urban dwellers. Our large, energy-guzzling brain and our ability to articulate speech have provided critical benefits. Numerous other species have used tools to some extent or have developed a basic linguistic ability that can be developed further when aided by humans. But they show no signs of cultural development comparable to what can be observed for humans. Again, I’m hopeful that evolutionary biology and the knowledge about humankind’s historical development one day will come

together. Simply establishing a continuous time-scale would be interesting. The long biological evolution over billions of years would be interacted with the short period of human development to date. A fancy thought: Shouldn’t this be part of the national upper-secondary curriculum? ADMITTEDLY, MY EXAMPLES

are very limited and quite subjective. Still, I hope they can lend support to my main point: that humanists and natural scientists need each other.

SVEN-ERIC LIEDMAN Sven-Eric Liedman is Professor Emeritus of History of Ideas at the University of Gothenburg. He is a well-published author and his literary awards include the August Prize for best non-fiction book (I skuggan av framtiden).

NEW VESSEL WILL CONTRIBUTE TO NEW MARINE KNOWLEDGE The University of Gothenburg is investing in a new research vessel that will further improve the capacity for education and research. ‘The new vessel will open up for research that hasn’t been possible in the past. This is great news considering for example that the U.N.’s latest climate report emphasised that we need more marine research in order to better understand climate change,’ says ViceChancellor Pam Fredman.

n 2050, the world’s population will total 9 billion people. Sixty per cent of them will reside in coastal areas at risk of flooding due to climate warming. ‘We need more marine research for several reasons. We need to prepare ourselves for the future, and we also need to figure out how to use marine resources and manage tourism in coastal areas sustainably,’ says Elisabet Ahlberg, Dean of the Faculty of Science. THE INITIATIVE WILL provide

the University with a super-modern marine laboratory. It will make it possible to study large-scale processes, such as how changes in the climate affect ocean currents and pH values, which in turn affect marine life. ‘It is important that the students get to follow and understand these large-scale pro-

cesses. Our students are the next generation of experts in marine science, and improved education will translate to expanded work opportunities for them, both nationally and internationally,’ says Ahlberg. THE NEW VESSEL WILL BE 45

metres long and will weigh about 800 tonnes. It will have a crew of five in addition to about 20 researchers and students. The new vessel is larger than the old research vessel Skagerak, yet will consume 40 per cent less fuel. ‘Skagerak, which will be retired after 40 years in service, is not optimal for research and education. It also has some work environment issues,’ says Michael Klages, director of the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences. Builder: Nauta Shiprepair Yard S.A., Poland. Total cost: a little over SEK 100 million. Delivery is planned for March 2015. TEXT CARINA ELIASSON & TANJA THOMPSON PHOTO ROGER LINDBLOM

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

PHD STUDIES

New Courses to Promote Exchange In 2008, the Faculty of Science intensified its work to promote national and international exchange activities at the third-cycle level. This work will continue, but with some modifications. ‘The efforts have definitely been fruitful, and we think we can do even better in the future,’ says Ola Wetterberg.

ver the last five years, a considerable amount of funding has been earmarked for quality improvements at the third-cycle level. The money has been distributed among the Faculty’s five so-called thematic areas. Next year, a new model will be introduced, where the Departments will have a stronger say about the courses offered. This semester, the Faculty’s researchers have been invited to propose which third-cycle courses should be offered. ‘About 70 suggestions were submitted; these will be boiled down to about 50 courses,’ says Wetterberg, Deputy Dean and in charge of the Faculty’s third-cycle studies. HE EMPHASISES THAT the

model with thematic areas has worked very well, and that

this justifies continued efforts. In a next step, the departments’ course catalogues will be reinforced. ‘We will keep some of the courses offered within the thematic areas. With the new allocation model, we’ll be able to better respond to the course needs communicated by departments and third-cycle students,’ he says. Broader course offerings can help attract third-cycle students from other higher education institutions, which was an explicit goal of the model with thematic areas – that 25 per cent of the students and supervisors should be external. The proportion has varied between different courses; in some cases, half of the course participants have come from other faculties and higher education institutions. THE COURSES HAVE enabled

international researchers to come to the University of Gothenburg, and some field courses and seminars have been arranged abroad. The Faculty has also been able to collaborate with other national actors such as Lund University and AstraZeneca.

In the course about tropical marine ecosystems, the doctoral students have spent two weeks on the island of Inhaca in Mozambique together with doctoral students and teachers from the university in Maputo. 36

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Kristina Sundbäck has been in charge of the thematic area Sustainable Marine Ecosystems, where the University of Maputo in Mozambique has been involved as a cooperation partner. ‘After a theoretical part in Sweden, the students have left for two weeks of fieldwork in Mozambique. This has been a tremendous opportunity for young Swedish researchers to broaden their knowledge and work with marine issues in East Africa. And right now we have two doctoral students in marine ecology from Mozambique,’ says Kristina Sundbäck, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences. TEXT ROBERT KARLSSON PHOTO MATZ BERGGREN

More information: www.science.gu.se/english/education/phd

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION HARD TO DIGEST FOR MARINE ORGANISMS Ocean acidification impairs digestion in marine organisms, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change. Sam Dupont from the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and his German colleagues have studied the larval stage of for example green sea urchins, and the results show that the animals have problems digesting food in acidified water. The UN climate report clearly shows that CO2 emissions affect not only the climate but also our oceans and seas. CO2 makes the water warmer and more acidic. One-quarter of all CO2 released into the atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans. Once there, it is converted to carbonic acid, which acidifies the water.

Previous studies have shown that marine animals exposed to acidic conditions require more energy to survive. ‘If the organisms are unable to compensate for these extra costs, by for example eating more, they suffer negative consequences in the form of reduced growth and fertility and in extreme cases death. We need to learn more about how much energy the marine organisms need and can absorb in order to handle the environmental challenge of acidification,’ says Dupont. TEXT TANJA THOMPSON PHOTO GEOMAR

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

High quality programmes in Biology and Mathematics The Bachelor’s programme in Biology and the Master’s programmes in Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at the University of Gothenburg are of very high quality, according to the Swedish Higher Education Authority’s evaluation. ‘I think the main reason for the high quality is that we are continuously trying to develop the programme and that we have competent and engaged teachers,’ says Stefan Lemurell, coordinator of the Master’s programme in Mathematics.

ne unique feature of mathematics in Gothenburg is the large number of courses offered, increasing the options available to students. The reason for the great variety is that the Department of Mathematical Sciences is integrated between the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers. About ten students get a Master’s in Mathematics each year. Overall in the country, the evaluation identified a relatively large number of high-quality programmes in Mathematics. ‘Since math instructors generally teach a lot, a lot of development activities are ar-

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ranged for them. We also work actively with course development. But we also have a lot of good students,’ says Lemurell. DAMIANO OGNISSANTI is

in the second year of the Master’s programme in Mathematics and agrees it’s a good programme. ‘It’s really tough, but tough in a good way – it’s hard enough to make it high quality, but not so hard you can’t do it.’ Although Ognissanti has always been good at math, coming to the University was a bit of a shock. ‘For the first time in my life, I had to

EDUCATION

actually pick up the books and study math. It had always come naturally to me. But new students get great support from the Department, such as special mentors.’ KRISTINA ‘SNUTTAN’ SUNDELL, is

in charge of the education at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and was happy to see the results of the evaluation. ‘It means a lot to both teachers and students to see that our constant development efforts are working.’ The Bachelor’s programme in Biology has about 40 new students each year. But many students also choose to design their own programmes by taking freestanding courses that can be combined into a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. The Bachelor’s programme in Biology was revised and updated in 2000 and has been subject to continuous development work ever since. Another major revision was made in 2012. ‘There needs to be a sense of progressiveness in the education, that we ensure that courses don’t overlap and that we can offer recommended study paths. The Bachelor’s programme also includes a unique section on transferable knowledge such as presentation techniques, ethics, analysis and critical thinking,’ says Sundell.

is pleased with the results of the evaluation, she’s a bit hesitant to the way it is designed. ‘The Swedish Higher Education Authority is supposed to evaluate how well study programmes correspond to national aims. But the evaluation focuses too much on degree projects. Fulfilment of all the national aims cannot possibly be assessed by only looking at degree projects,’ she says. ALTHOUGH SUNDELL

TEXT TANJA THOMPSON PHOTO MALIN ARNESSON

EVALUATION The Swedish Higher Education Authority oversees the quality of Swedish higher education programmes. The programmes are assessed based on how well they correspond to the requirements set forth in the Swedish Higher Education Act and related provisions. Thus, the Swedish Higher Education Authority monitors the extent to which students’ demonstrated performance corresponds to their expected performance. The evaluations are carried out from 2011 to 2014. Source: www.uk-ambetet.se

Strong interest in national building conservation conference In October, a national building conservation conference was arranged in Mariestad. The conference provided a forum for researchers, businesses, organisations and public actors in the field of building conservation. ‘We’re both overwhelmed and inspired by the great interest in the event. This confirms that a good meeting place for building conservation has been lacking,’ says Marie Odenbring, coordinator at Västarvet/West Heritage.

The event was hosted by Västarvet/West Heritage, the Swedish National Heritage Board, the Swedish Association for Building Preservation and the Craft Laboratory at the University of Gothenburg, which is a national centre for crafts in conservation.

PHOTO: GÖRAN ANDERSSON

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

When in Rome… Lotta Möller, 26, is in her third year of the programme in Conservation of Cultural Heritage Objects. She specialises in paper conservation and is currently completing a placement at ICRCPAL in Rome.

How did you end up in Rome? ‘My programme has a one-semester placement in the third year. I was initially planning on doing it in France since I speak French, but last year during a trip to Rome and changed my mind. So here I am for three months, living in a converted pasta factory with three Italians.’ You are doing you placement at ICRCPAL. What is it and what brought you there? ‘ICRCPAL is a national conservation institute for state

archives and libraries. It’s very research-oriented and has several different departments working with chemical, physical and technical analyses of both conservation materials and original materials. The specialists who work there are incredibly good at what they do, so there is a lot to learn. Since my supervisor is a book conservation specialist and I really didn’t know much about that type of work, it’s like I’m getting personal training in bookbinding. The institute is

beautifully situated in the Monti district. It’s built on the site of an old botanical garden, and many of the exotic trees are still there.’ Can you describe a typical day? ‘When I visited the chemistry department the other week, I helped measure DP, or degree of polymerisation, or more exactly the length of the cellulose molecule in artificially aged paper. The measurements are part of a project where a number of aspects of about 40 different types of paper used in conservation are analysed before and after the ageing process. I really enjoyed being part of it.’ Fifteen minutes before our meeting, you e-mailed me and asked if we could do the interview 30 minutes later. What happened? ‘It was partly a public transport issue. It always takes longer than expected to go places here. But I also ran into a colleague from the institute who was interested in Swedish literature and our use of the second personal singular pronouns ”du” and

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LETTERS FROM SOUTH AFRICA Michael Axelsson, professor in zoophysiology, and his colleagues in the project SWEDEcroc have travelled to South Africa to study crocodiles in their natural environment. They will be gone until 10 January 2014. SOUTH AFRICA 2013, FIRST LETTER HOME:

”ni”, and we had a good time talking about it. Italians are very open and curious. The country’s difficult situation, economically and politically, is noticeable, but there is still a very positive atmosphere wherever you go.’ Any advice you would like to share with other students who are interested in a placement in Italy? ‘Learn to speak Italian! Not surprisingly, it’s really useful. I took a course before leaving Sweden, and now I’m in a class once a week.’ TEXT ROBERT KARLSSON PHOTO LOTTA MÖLLER

ICRCPAL ICRCPAL, L’Istituto centrale per il restauro e la conservazione del patrimonio archivistico e librario (the central institute for the restoration and preservation of archival and library heritage) was founded in 2007 through a merger of two previous institutes, one for archived and one for library material. The 57 staff members work with both active and preventive conservation. The institute is also involved in research aiming to evaluate and develop new conservation materials and methods. Since 2010, the institute offers a 5-year higher education programme in paper conservation.

‘SWEDEcroc is a project that really started in the late 1990s in a lab in Brisbane when a colleague – Dr. Craig Franklin – and I were discussing how we could find out how the cardiovascular system of crocodiles works. We had both, alone and together, studied the fascinating cardiovascular systems since the mid ‘80s, but realised that lab studies alone would never give us a full understanding. It was clear to us that we needed data from crocodiles in their natural environment, but the equipment required for such an endeavour wasn’t available at the time [...] During the first part of the project, we are going to instrument five large crocodiles and then release them into a large enclosure where we can observe them for a month. We’ll collect data on blood flow, blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, movement patterns and diving behaviour at the same time as four cameras will record their activity 24/7. If we are successful, we will obtain invaluable and unique information about the function of the probably most sophisticated cardiovascular system that the animal kingdom has to offer.’ Read more travel reports (only in Swedish): www.science.gu.se/expedition

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

» WE HAVE TO REDUCE POLLUTION NOW » Per-Ola Norrby was interested in chemistry already as an 11-year-old when he sold homemade gunpowder to his classmates. Today he uses his interest for healthier purposes. ‘Green chemistry is ultimately a matter of humankind’s survival,’ he says.

f you Google ‘Per-Ola Norrby’, his Twitter account will come up as the fifth hit. Once there, it soon becomes apparent how active he is and how he moves back and forth between different subjects – one moment he discusses the U.S. loan ceiling, the next discrimination with Jonas Gardell. But most of the time his posts are about chemistry. ‘I’m having a lot of fun with Twitter! A few hours before the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013 was announced, I tweeted correct guesses for two of the three winners. That gave me a whole bunch of new followers,’ he says, laughing. THE NOBEL PRIZE 2013 is

about modelling of chemical processes, an area Norrby has been involved in pretty much throughout his whole career in chemistry. Due to allergy problems, he worked less and less in the lab 42

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and ended up almost accidently in the world of molecular modelling, and had to learn everything about computer modelling of chemical reactions on his own. After a postdoc in California in the early 1990s and 13 years in Denmark, he applied for a professorship at the University of Gothenburg in 2006. It was in connection with this transition that he started working with green chemistry – a concept coined 20 years ago in USA. ‘In a nutshell, green chemistry is about not using up all the resources and not polluting, and as an extension to this about the survival of humankind. While some resources may last for 200 years, there are others that we soon need to find alternatives to, and we have to reduce the pollution now.’ NORRBY’S MODELLING and

green chemistry recently landed him a part-time position at

AstraZeneca. The pharmaceutical company wants to make the chemical reactions as clean and effective as possible in the development of new drugs, and Norrby’s models can help them understand and predict chemical reactions better. The work has to do with molecules and their mirror images. ‘Many molecules have mirror images,’ he says. ‘It’s like your body having a left and a right side, where only your right hand fits in a right-hand glove. These molecules can have completely different characteristics in the body, and medicines may end up having serious side effects if the characteristics of a mirror image have not been fully explored.’ ONE OF THE MOST well-known

examples of this is the so-called Thalidomide scandal in the 1960s, when the use of Thalidomide among pregnant women led to uncountable births of deformed babies. It turned out that

the mirror image of the active substance damaged the foetus. ‘The aim of my research is to develop society-oriented clean chemistry. Sometimes you can’t expect quick results. A lot of today’s research is goal oriented and short term, leaving fewer opportunities for the more curiosity-based, long-term research and for follow-ups of interesting discoveries that are not directly linked to the goals of the projects in question.’ TEXT ROBERT KARLSSON PHOTO MALIN ARNESSON

PER-OLA NORRBY Job: Professor in Organic Chemistry Age: 51 Family: Wife (also in Chemistry), two grown children Other interests: Sings in a choir (at the moment Akademiska kören) and has done so since his student years. SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

SKOGARYD – a station for the whole landscape In 2005, a major storm that swept through Sweden destroyed Leif Klemedtsson’s research facility. About eight years later, the new facility he has been part of building has become part of a national infrastructure network. ‘It puts us on the map both nationally and internationally, and in the long term it enables us to conduct high-quality ecosystem research,’ says Klemedtsson.

lemedtsson, climate researcher at the Department of Earth Sciences, has been involved in the construction of the research facility in Skogaryd since 2006. Looking for a new area with the right conditions, somebody told him about Skogaryd, a forested area between the municipalities of Uddevalla and Vänersborg. It took five years to build the station, and earlier this year the Swedish Research Council decided to include it in a national infrastructure network of research stations for field research on terrestrial (soil and land) and limnological (freshwater) ecosystems. ‘We’re using a landscape concept to study the interaction between the atmosphere, mires, two first-generation forests standing on

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former drained arable land, lakes and streams – a so-called ”Earth System” station,’ says Klemedtsson. STUDIES OF THE interaction

between different ecosystems have been relatively uncommon in the past, as research has usually focused on only one ecosystem. When the entire landscape is included in the research, it provides a much more complex understanding of all the emissions that occur. ‘The station in Skogaryd is unique since it connects the terrestrial and limnological systems – we can study the exchanges both between the different systems and between the systems and the atmosphere,’ says Klemedtsson.

climate zone as Skogaryd releases 0.2-1 mmol methane per square metre and day, whereas Följesjön during certain periods emits 4-9 mmole. Consequently, the total effect can be that the area releases more greenhouse gases than it absorbs. KLEMEDTSSON says

Skogaryd

A SPECIAL FEATURE OF the

station is lake Följesjön. The lake receives a great deal of the organic material that is transported from the forests via streams. Once in the lake, the material decomposes into for example carbon dioxide and methane, which has turned the lake into a so-called hot spot for methane emissions – a normal forest lake in the same

that becoming part of a national infrastructure has been important in many ways. It means that the station can be equipped with good logistics and equipment, it improves the opportunities for high-quality research and education within for example biology and environment science, and it makes the research at the station more visible. It also adds a long-term dimension since it enables researchers to design field experiments with a duration of 20-30 years. The vision for the station is to make it a national centre for international collaborations. ‘It’s an open station that actively facilitates knowledge exchange with other researchers. In the long term, this will help us attract more research funding and design better research projects. We are an internationally acknowledged infrastructure with highly ranked research activities and hope that being part of the network will enable us to attract more researchers to the station. TEXT & PHOTO ROBERT KARLSSON PHOTO LEIF KLEMEDTSSON

Large picture: Skogaryd Research Catchment comprises a landscape concept with an entire watershed system where the interaction between terrestrial (soil and land) and limnological (freshwater) ecosystems can be studied, along with their interaction with the atmosphere. The station was included in the Swedish Research Council’s infrastructure network SITES (Swedish Infrastructure for Ecosystem Science) in 2013. The network is supported with SEK 25 million annually. Small picture: Leif Klemedtsson showing Skogaryd to Pam Fredman, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Gothenburg. SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

ying how biological isotope data can be used to determine where grains of sand in different places came from or the origins of metals found in old graves. Andersen was formally appointed Honorary Doctor at the University’s conferment ceremony for new doctors on 25 October. The title was conferred by promoter Kristina Sundell, professor at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Gothenburg. David Cornell at the Department of Earth Sciences served as Andersen’s host.

Norwegian Geoscientist Appointed Honorary Doctor He studies the Earth’s crust and alkaline rocks. Tom Andersen is Professor at the University of Oslo and has been appointed Honorary Doctor at the Faculty of Science.

om Andersen is trying to figure out when and to what extent the continental crust has grown thicker by accumulation of material from the Earth’s mantle. He also studies alkaline igneous rocks. ‘Alkaline rocks may contain deposits of uranium, thorium and rare earth metals and are therefore of interest from both a scientific and an economic perspective,’ says Andersen.

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Studies have shown that new insights may be gained about fundamental processes in the ground by looking at well-known phenomena from a different angle. ‘It’s always hard to predict what research will lead to. Research I did many years ago has turned out to be of interest in the mining industry, and that’s something I would never have guessed.’ ONE OF ANDERSEN’S most

recent projects entails stud-

TEXT CARINA ELIASSON PHOTO JOHAN WINGBORG

Background to the decision: Tom Andersen is appointed Honorary Doctor for outstanding research on the origins and development of the continental crust, but also for his successful work with age determination where new revolutionary research methods have been developed. His work with exchanges of students and researchers between universities has been of great benefit to the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Gothenburg.

AWARDS

2013 JUNE-NOVEMBER LEIF ANDERSON, Professor at

the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, has been appointed 1st Vice President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for the period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2016. Besides contributing to the Academy’s Presiding Committee and overall development, Andersson will lead the Environmental Committee. TOM ANDERSEN, Professor

at the University of Oslo, was appointed Honorary Doctor at Faculty of Science on 25 October for his research on the crust of Earth (see article p. 46). ANNIKA EKDAHL, textile artist

and Visiting Professor at the Department of Conservation, has been awarded the Prince Eugen Medal. The Prince Eugen Medal was established by the then King of Sweden Gustav V in connection with Prince Eugen’s 80th birthday in 1945. It is awarded for outstanding artistic achievement. ANNETTE GRANÉLI, postdoc-

toral research fellow at the Department of Physics, has been appointed new Chair of the

Young Academy of Sweden. The Young Academy of Sweden plays an important role in the international movement of young academics that has emerged in recent years. KERSTIN JOHANNESSON,

Professor at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, has been appointed member of the board of Mistra.

ANNA WÅHLIN,

researcher at the Department of Earth Sciences, has been appointed visiting professor by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and will travel to South Korea to work with South Korean researchers.

MIKE THORNDYKE, coordi-

nator of international contacts at the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences, has been appointed member of the U.N. expert panel for the project World Ocean Assessment Report. DAVID WITT NYSTRÖM, PhD

at the Department of Mathematical Sciences, has been awarded the Sparre Prize by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for his contributions within algebraic geometry. The SEK 60 000 prize is awarded for outstanding scientific work by researchers under the age of 30. Nyström has received the prize for ‘work that integrates the theory of Okounkov bodies in algebraic geometry with Kähler geometry and pluripotential theory’.

Editorial Committee Appointed An editorial committee has been appointed for Science Faculty Magazine. The committee will participate in the development of the magazine and give input for future issues. These are the members of the committee: Jörgen Johnson, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Anders Omstedt, Department of Earth Sciences Charlotte Björdal, Department of Conservation Ulf Persson, Department of Mathematical Sciences Mats Granath, Department of Physics Kristina Hedfalk, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology Malin Axelsson, student representative

Would you lika your own issue of the Science Faculty Magazine? Go to www.science.gu.se/english/about/magazine where you can also tell us if you would lika the magazine in digital form. You can also choose to receive a Swedish version. The next issue is due in June 2014.

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

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Science Faculty Magazine University of Gothenburg Faculty of Science Box 460 405 30 Göteborg SWEDEN

CONFERMENT OF DOCTORAL DEGREES

2013

This year’s Conferment of Doctoral Degrees was held 25 October. Twenty-one of the new Doctors were from Faculty of Science, and their doctorates were conferred by Professor Kristina ‘Snuttan’ Sundell.

From left: Professor Kristina Snuttan Sundell, Jonathan Westin, Elisabet Sjökvist, Maria Saline, Fredrik Pettersson, Anna Petri and Milton Eduardo Peña Aza

The Conferment of Doctoral Degrees is the University’s largest ceremonial occasion and is primarily intended for those who have recently obtained their doctoral degrees. New Doctors from the previous academic year, Jubilee Doctors and Honorary Doctors

From left: Sara Hintz Saltin, Anna Hedström, Albin Gräns, Cecilia Geijer, Anna Frick and Eva Emanuelsson

receive their insignia as confirmation of their position at the University. The insignia awarded include diplomas for all new Doctors, doctoral rings, hats and laurel wreaths. PHOTO JOHAN WINGBORG

From left: Madelene Palmgren, Ingalill Nyström, Sonja Leidenberger, PerFredrik Larsson, Anders Karlsson and Andreas Johnsson