Science Faculty Magazine no. 2 2015-ENGLISH

Our seas – a cultural treasure

Natural remedies in the fight against cancer

SCIENCE FACULTY No 2 2015 Faculty of Science

MAGAZINE

AMONG THOUSANDS OF PLANTS IN THE ANDES Alexandre Antonelli and his research team study the variety of species in the world’s longest – and most species-rich – mountain chain

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

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.

Gustav Bertilsson Uleberg

n November, the faculty’s annual research prize was awarded to Alexandre Antonelli, who has succeeded in a short space of time in building up a new and exciting interdisciplinary research focus at the faculty: evolutionary biogeography. Alexandre aims to promote biological diversity not only as a profile area within the university’s research but equally as a way of reaching the general public and decision-makers through external activities on a broad front.

LAYOUT

VISITING PROFESSOR JODY Deming, who studies

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

EDITORIAL STAFF Carina Eliasson Robert Karlsson Tanja Thompson

PUBLISHER

Camilla Persson & Erika Hoff

COVER

Professor Alexandre Antonelli. Photo: Lovisa Gustafsson

ADDRESS

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

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microbial life in Arctic sea ice, is also keen to teach others. A prominent climate researcher, she is also involved in spreading her knowledge and enthusiasm, as well as educating doctoral students in her subject area. Many of the faculty’s new post-docs are interested in biological diversity, such as Marina Rafajlovic who strives to understand the underlying principles behind the development of biological diversity through comparative analyses of genetic information. ONE OF THE GREATEST threats to biological diver-

sity in our coastal areas is the dramatic reduction in eelgrass, which has been studied by Per-Olav Moksnes. Eelgrass performs crucial ecosystem functions. Moksnes and his colleagues have studied these losses, and are also working with some success to develop methods for restoring stocks. Additionally, they are producing a handbook that could influence practical environmental work.

www.sciencefacultymagazine.com ANOTHER PRACTICAL SUBJECT is third-cycle educa-

tion in horticulture, in which Joakim Seiler has just started as an external doctoral student. Alongside his studies, Joakim is also head gardener at Gunnebo House, where his research findings are put into action. By returning to older traditions, alternatives can be found to today’s high-efficiency – and not

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

necessarily gentle – cultivation methods. A close link with surroundings can also be found at Gothenburg Botanical Garden, run in cooperation between the university and Region Västra Götaland. Here, projects attempt to counter ‘plant blindness’ and to achieve a greater understanding of biological diversity and green cultural heritage preservation.

The important eelgrass is disappearing

SEBASTIAN WESTENHOFF APPROACHES the care and

development of plants at a micro level instead, by studying phytochromes, light-sensitive proteins that control the lives of plants. This is an example of how basic, curiosity-driven research can inspire new applications within both cultivation and medicine. 1 JULY SAW THE creation of the faculty’s Department

of Marine Sciences, bringing together researchers from many different disciplines. At the same time, the university also gained a new centre of expertise, the Centre for Sea and Society, with many members from other faculties and a wide range of fields. With this concentration of strength within the marine and maritime fields, combined with our extensive marine infrastructure, we are confident that both the faculty and the university as a whole are well equipped for the future in terms of both research and education.

Time to move to Mars?

You can find out about all this and much more in this issue of Science Faculty Magazine. Welcome to the wonderful world of science!

The Nobel Prize: Swede wins this year’s chemistry prize

Elisabet Ahlberg, Dean

Ola Wetterberg, Pro-Dean

Ships on the seabed are part of our cultural heritage

FORSKNING

Recreating historical craftsmanship 4

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DOCTORAL STUDIES Doctoral student Joakim Seiler wants to develop the professional role of the gardener. One way of doing this is by looking back hundreds of years.

t’s the morning, and lunch is being prepared at Gunnebo House and Gardens’ café. Voices can be heard calling in the kitchen. Dressed in his historically inspired gardening clothes, Joakim fits in well amid the traditional surroundings of the café building. He has been head gardener at Gunnebo House and Gardens for eleven years. Since this autumn, he has also been an external doctoral student at the Department of Conservation, and the question of how to convey an overall historic experience is what his research involves. HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH can be divided

up into three areas: garden architecture, plants and craftsmanship. It is the third area, the immaterial area, that Joakim is researching. There has been plenty of research into the other areas, but horticultural craftsmanship – green cultural environment conservation – is a relatively new field. Joakim believes that it will be a fascinating subject to research. He draws a comparison with approaches within the more established field of building conservation. “There, issues such as the choice of colours or whether brushes use natural materials can be important. But no one thinks about materials and methods in this way when it comes to green cultural heritage preservation. One of my questions is how the choice of method relates to the product in green cultural heritage.” He gives lawns as an example. Gunnebo House was built in the 18th century, but the first lawnmower wasn’t invented until the 1830s. By reconstructing historical method choices, we can find out what a lawn might

have looked like in the past. “We can bring it to life and maintain it, and thereby strengthen the historic experience. It’s not easy and it takes longer to do, but it adds so much.” THE OPPORTUNITY TO study for a doctoral

degree came about via a project launched by the University of Gothenburg’s Craft Laboratory together with Sweden’s county administrative boards and Gunnebo House. Before Joakim became an external doctoral student, a thorough evaluation and validation of his background and craftsmanship knowledge was carried out. “We’re curious about each other. How can academia embrace craftsmen, and how can craftsmen become part of academia? In this type of profession, it’s important that we develop the role and do not simply follow the same tracks.” The role of gardener has evolved over the centuries. Before the beginning of the 20th century, this was a high-status profession and gardeners had a broad field of expertise. Today, the role is divided up into different categories. Joakim hopes that greater historical knowledge will also help to redefine the identity of the profession. “Green cultural environment conservation is a brand new area, particularly in connection with gardens, and historical methods and knowledge are needed in order to take care of our cultural heritage.” TEXT ROBERT KARLSSON PHOTO MALIN ARNESSON

EXTERNAL DOCTORAL STUDENTS An external doctoral student is a doctoral student with an employer at another educational institution, another organisation or company, or another municipal or state authority. These doctoral students usually study on a part-time basis within the framework of their employment.

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

The Centre for Sea and Society contributes knowledge about the sea In a world where there are more people than ever before, where the climate is changing and biological diversity is disappearing, there is a real need for knowledge about how we can use our shared resource of the sea in a sustainable manner. The Centre for Sea and Society was therefore recently established at the University of Gothenburg.

“

There is a great need for more knowledge about the sea, and particularly about the link between society and the sea,” says the centre’s director Lena Gipperth. “The sea gives us food, energy, transport opportunities and experiences. But how can society use the sea’s resources in a way that benefits us and is sustainable in the long term?” Lena Gipperth is a Professor of Environmental Law, and has always been interested in the more overarching social issues and how we as a society can avoid unsustainable development. “As a lawyer, it’s a matter of how the legal system should be adapted in order to be receptive to the changes taking place within ecosystems, and to provide the frameworks for human impact on the environment that is essential to our lives.” THE AIM OF the centre is to act as a collective

node for the university’s marine and maritime operations, and to be a catalyst for building up transdisciplinary knowledge about the relationship between the sea and society. “By providing forums where researchers can meet with administrators, decisionmakers, industry and others, interdisciplinary research cooperation can be created.”

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The Centre for Sea and Society is part of the Maritime Cluster of West Sweden, a partnership between academia, industry and public administration. A cooperation agreement has been entered into between Region Västra Götaland, the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology, SSPA Sweden AB, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management and Västra Götaland County Administrative Board. The aim is to strengthen the maritime cluster by improving the opportunities for innovations and knowledge-based growth within the maritime sector. “The cluster focus is an enormous learning process that provides an opportunity to share knowledge and experiences. This is a unique chance for the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology to take part in this process, and thereby contribute towards building up knowledge about society’s relationship with the sea.” TEXT TANJA THOMPSON

The Maritime Cluster of West Sweden The cluster has six development areas: marine governance, marine biotechnology, marine tourism and recreation, maritime operations and marine technology, marine energy, and seafood. The University of Gothenburg hosts the first three of these. Each development area is represented by someone from the university and someone from an authority and/or industry. Various activities such as themed days and exhibitions are arranged to promote networking between different marine and maritime players.

A PASSION FOR THE DIVERSITY OF SPECIES

Alexandre Antonelli falls silent for a couple of seconds. He turns a little in his chair, choosing his words with care. “I want to bring people together to work towards a common goal. Just imagine if we could get ten percent of all biologists and work to solve the ‘tree of life’, in other words how a common ancestor resulted in all living species during the course of evolution. The equivalent of how particle physicists have come together with CERN – I’m almost a little jealous of how successful they’ve been.”

lexandre Antonelli’s office in Gothenburg is like an open book about his life and his research. One moment he’s pointing out the town where he was born – Campinas in Brazil – on a large map of South America that hangs on the door. The next, he’s leafing through the enormous Flora of Ecuador books that were a source of inspiration during his undergraduate studies, or showing a giant seed from one of his many research trips to remote forests and mountains in the tropics. He’s used to thinking on a big scale, and believing that things can be solved. He took his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in two and a half years instead of four (“I studied evening courses, weekend courses, summer courses – everything!”), and became a professor at the age of just 36. Although natural science researchers often specialise in a certain type of fish or plant, for example, Alexandre takes a somewhat wider approach: his field of research is South America. “I want to understand how biological diversity has changed over time and space, how plants and animals have moved between dif-

changed the landscape and the climate in this area, and hence also changed the conditions for new species to develop. The entire South American continent is fantastic from a research point of view – every time we go there, we find new species and make new discoveries.” Today, Alexandre leads a successful research team. His ambition is to include a broad field of researchers in the team – from evolutionary biologists to systematists, geologists, mathematicians, computer scientists and ecologists – in order to obtain an overview of how biological diversity has developed. He carries out research trips to South America four or five times a year, for two to three weeks at a time. These trips are planned in great detail, in order to be as effective as possible. They often consist of gathering plant and animal samples and cooperation with local universities, such as arranging symposia or workshops. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES within

Alexandre’s research field is a lack of data. Tropical regions have been the subject of

»Today, we have carried out DNA sequencing of around ten percent of all tropical plants» ferent areas and climate zones. We can then use this knowledge to get a better understanding of how plants and animals will be affected in the future by a changing climate.” THIS SUBJECT IS CALLED biogeography, and

South America is an excellent area for researching it. Together with Central America and the Caribbean, this region is known as the neotropical zone. The zone is home to more species of plants and animals than any other region on earth. “The emergence of the Andes completely

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considerably fewer studies than Europe and North America, despite the fact that they feature a much wider variety of species and supply the rest of the world with food and raw materials. He sees it as being essential to develop new and improved methods for analysing data and assessing the reliability of researchers’ results. “Today, we have carried out DNA sequencing of around ten percent of all tropical plants. We simply don’t know how much we don’t know. From an evolutionary biology point of view, the different time scales are

also a challenge. We study evolutionary processes that have been taking place for millions of years, and we now need to apply this knowledge to the next 50 years.” ANOTHER CHALLENGE INVOLVES gathe-

ring and coordinating research work about biological diversity. Here, Alexandre draws a comparison with the work carried out by particle physicists in Switzerland in the CERN project. He himself has started a research network that encompasses a number of different subject areas, and he believes that the University of Gothenburg could play a key role in coordinating the work involved with future biological diversity research. “There’s an excellent environment for the subject here. We’ve received substantial national and international grants and we produce excellent articles, but there is still little talk about biological diversity from academia, the general public or the media. In ten years’ time, I would like to be running a research centre for biological diversity that brings together all the players within the field in Gothenburg.” ALEXANDRE WON THE Faculty of Science’s

research award this year. He hopes that it

will help to promote the subject of biological diversity so that it eventually becomes a profile area for the university, and is increasingly seen by the general public as an incredibly important, positive area that deserves particular protection. “Winning the research award was fantastic. Many people are quite blind to different species. They can tell the difference between different models of car or varieties of olive oil, but they find it hard to tell the difference between a jackdaw and a crow, or to know what a buttercup looks like. It’s not easy talking about a subject that many people can’t relate to – and therein lies the challenge.” TEXT ROBERT KARLSSON PHOTO PONTUS ARATOUN & TOBIAS BAGGE

ALEXANDRE ANTONELLI Age: 37 Profession: Researcher, professor Family: Wife and three children Hobbies: Travelling, running, spending time in the countryside, photography At his happiest: “In an entirely undisturbed environment with enough time to take it all in and experience it, and to know that this is how it was before mankind arrived.” SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

FORSKNING

Thinning out forests for more oaks Oak regrowth increases dramatically when carrying out thinning in oak-rich mixed forests, according to a new research thesis from the University of Gothenburg. Thinning, forest clearing and protection against grazing all help to protect oaks.

n her research studies of nature reserves with oak forests, doctoral student Jenny Leonardsson has found that oak forests that are thinned experience a 600 percent increase in rejuvenation following ecological thinning compared with unrestricted development. “Ecological thinning can benefit large oaks and promote oak rejuvenation if combined with protecting young oak trees against grazing animals,” says Jenny, who is studying at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences. “Repeated clearing can also reduce the number of competing species and benefit oaks.” THE OAK IS HIGHLY significant when it comes to biologi-

cal diversity, and provides a habitat for a large number of organisms. In Sweden alone, 1,500 species are estimated to be dependent on oaks to some degree. These include beetles, wood fungi, lichens and birds, most of which are endangered. “But oak rejuvenation is too low for new oaks to grow and replace the old oaks when they die. This is partly due to high grazing pressure from animals such as elk and roe deer, but it’s also a consequence of so many open oak-rich pastures having regrown. Instead, dense mixed deciduous forests have appeared. This means that not enough light penetrates to the undergrowth for oaks to be able to grow.” THE OAK PROJECT AT THE University of Gothenburg is evalua-

ting ecological thinning as a maintenance method for oak-rich mixed deciduous forests with high natural value. The aim is to benefit large oaks and species linked to oaks, as well as promoting oak rejuvenation. Ecological thinning involves clearing around a quarter of the large trees and undergrowth. Jenny’s research shows that ecological thinning results in significantly higher growth of all trees and bushes compared with unrestricted development. However, both spruces and oaks benefit to a lesser degree than other deciduous trees and bushes. TEXT CARINA ELIASSON PHOTO SANNA SUNDVALL 10

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

NEWS NEW RESEARCH INTO FUTURE DATA CARRIERS

The double impact illustrated by Don Dixon, copyright Erik Sturkell.

Unique double crater identified in Sweden Researchers at the Department of Earth Sciences have found traces of two enormous meteorite impacts in the Swedish county of Jämtland, a twin strike that occurred around 460 million years ago. “Around 470 million years ago, two large asteroids collided in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and many fragments were thrown off in new orbits,” says Professor of Geophysics Erik Sturkell. “Many of these crashed on Earth, such as these two in Jämtland.”

Magnetic nano-skyrmions are expected to act as data carriers in the magnetic memories of the future, and research is currently being carried out to create and transport skyrmions in thin magnetic films. A team of researchers led by Professor Johan Åkerman at the Department of Physics has now shown in a new study that skyrmions can be stabilised using a new method and transported in the usual way, i.e. in a stream that is led through the magnetic material. “Since there is an insatiable appetite for storing information, such as mobile phones, computers and especially online, nano-skyrmions have great potential as data carriers. They can be made extremely small and are easy to program with spin-polarised streams, for example in MRAM.”

Finding the best conservation method for old silk clothing Johanna Nilsson is a textile restorer at the Royal Armoury, where historic royal clothing and objects are an important part of the museum’s collections. Johanna defended her doctoral thesis at the Department of Conservation. In her thesis, she investigated how royal silk clothing that is hundreds of years old can best be conserved. “An initial step was to find a method for ageing silk so that it resembles 17th century silk, both chemically and physically.”

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

FORSKNING

Researching the plant kingdom for new medicines Mate Erdelyi already knew during his teenage years that he wanted to become a chemist. Now he is leading a major research project that covers everything from natural African remedies to new methods for combating antibiotic resistance – and involves every continent.

ate Erdelyi’s research puts him in a variety of unusual situations. For example, finding the best way to get Maasai healers to talk about their natural remedies. The project involves studying natural African remedies and plants to find substances that are effective against malaria, cancer and tuberculosis. The work is not without its complications. Mate and his colleagues are dependent on

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local doctoral students obtaining information from natural healers. “They would never tell me anything. And they aren’t exactly overjoyed when we pick their medical plants. So there have been a few hairy situations. Once, the group had to pay its way out of the situation.” HIS TEAM AT THE Department of Chemistry

and Molecular Biology works in Kenya, Tan-

»This is a project of scientific interest that also has an enormous social impact» zania and Uganda, where young researchers gather the plants. Active substances are then extracted and assessed. A large number of molecules have proven to be active, and are now undergoing further testing. There are some plant families that researchers know have an antimalarial effect. If they are too toxic to treat malaria, they could be used in the fight against cancer. “If plants are used as a natural remedy, there’s a good chance that they have a biological effect. Historically, most of the drugs we use have come from nature. Only about ten percent of all plants have been studied, so there’s a huge amount left.” THE PROJECT ALSO involves young African

threats to public health. His team is working together with Chinese researchers, trying to approach the problem from a new direction. “We’re trying to develop new molecules which stop the enzyme that breaks down antibiotics. If we succeed, we could continue using old drugs despite resistance. We need to think in different ways to the approaches of the last 70-80 years.” A THIRD PROJECT being carried out by

Mate’s research team relates to halogen bonding. “It’s actually our biggest area,” he says. This is a chemical interaction that has been known about since the 19th century, but that researchers did not know how to use in practice until the late 1990s. New analysis techniques and an interdisciplinary way of working have allowed his research team to start developing what he calls a molecular tool. This could make all types of pharmaceuticals more effective, so that smaller quantities could be used with fewer side effects. “It’s all about developing a new communication route – a bit like inventing the internet. And if we succeed, it will be incredibly useful.” TEXT HELENA ÖSTLUND PHOTO HELENA ÖSTLUND & MATE ERDELYI

doctoral students coming to work with the team in Gothenburg. “The doctoral students learn a way of working that they then take home with them. This can lead to really big, exciting things. This is a project of scientific interest that also has an enormous social impact.” He identifies with these young doctoral students, having chosen his own course in life as a teenage in Hungary. “It may sound incredible, but I already knew from my second or third chemistry lesson that this was what I wanted to do.” ANOTHER OF HIS projects deals with anti-

biotic resistance – one of the world’s greatest SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

he marine flowering plant eelgrass, or glass wrack, grows on shallow soft bottoms from the west coast of Sweden all the way up to the Sea of Åland, and is often referred to as the ‘nursery of the sea’. “This is because of cod, for example,” explains Per-Olav. “Eelgrass meadows are an important breeding habitat for cod. They are rich in food in the form of small predatory fish and crustaceans, and they also provide protection.” In addition to providing breeding grounds, eelgrass also carries out a number of other so-called ecosystem services. For example, it absorbs nutritive salts, thereby reducing eutrophication, and dampens waves, reducing erosion and the build-up of sediment in the water. Eelgrass also absorbs carbon, helping to counter the greenhouse effect and ultimately climate change. In recent decades, there has been a dramatic reduction in the amount of eelgrass

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along Sweden’s coastlines. No one knows for certain how much has actually disappeared, as no overall inventorying has ever been carried out, but Per-Olav says it could be in the region of 80-150 km2. Commonly cited reasons for this reduction include eutrophication, overfishing and the construction of harbours and bridges. “Overfishing leads to what is known as a trophic chain reaction. When the cod disappear, there will be more small fish, crabs and prawns that the cod eat left in the water. These creatures in turn eat the small creatures that eat algae, leading to algae growing too much, blocking out the light and ultimately choking the eelgrass.” THE SWEDISH AGENCY for Marine and

Water Management is currently investigating whether restoration can be used to reduce the great loss of eelgrass. In recent years, there have been several cases where the

EELGRASS about to vanish An underwater regime change has been in progress along the Bohuslän coast for several years now. Ecosystems are undergoing fundamental changes, and the eelgrass meadows that provide a breeding ground for cod are gradually being replaced by algal mats in many places. “Up to 150 km2 of eelgrass has disappeared,” says Per-Olav Moksnes, a researcher at the Department of Marine Sciences.

Environmental Court has ruled that eelgrass meadows destroyed during harbour building works, for example, should be compensated for by transplanting eelgrass to new areas. Until recently, one obstacle to this type of measure has been a lack of restoration methods for Scandinavian areas. During the last few years, Per-Olav’s research team has developed methods that work in Swedish waters, but he also notes that eelgrass restoration is both costly and difficult. “In practice, the eelgrass has to be planted shoot by shoot. And it can’t currently be restored in all areas. In places where large eelgrass meadows have been lost, a ‘regime change’ is thought to have occurred whereby the build-up of sediment and drifting algal mats prevent the natural re-establishment and restoration of eelgrass, despite eutrophication in the area having been reduced. It is therefore incredibly important to protect the remaining eelgrass meadows in Bohuslän.”

Since 2011, Per Olav has worked together with environmental lawyer Lena Gipperth at the University of Gothenburg to coordinate the multidisciplinary Zorro research programme, which aims to develop methods for restoring eelgrass ecosystems and to draw up better regulations for the protection and management of shallow coast ecosystems in Sweden. “We are now in the final stage of the work to produce a handbook to support eelgrass management. The real challenge for the future is to identify methods for getting the ecosystem back on track, and to understand how we can bring the cod and the eelgrass back.” TEXT ROBERT KARLSSON PHOTO EDUARDO INFANTES

 Find out more at www.gu.se/zorro

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RESEARCH

Shedding light on plants The lives of all plants are controlled by light-sensitive proteins. They measure light and decide when it is time to start flowering or shed their leaves. Chemist Sebastian Westenhoff has studied how this process takes place inside the cells, using advanced techniques.

ast autumn, there was a tree in Slottsskogen that kept its leaves long after all the others had lost theirs. This is because it stands next to a streetlight, and the extra light meant that the tree thought it was still summer, as Sebastian Westenhoff explains. Sebastian is a researcher in biophysical chemistry at the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, studying the structures and changes of proteins at the most fundamental level of all. He has shown how the lives of plants are controlled by phytochromes. These are light-sensitive proteins found in the leaves of all plants, which measure sunlight. “Without phytochromes, nothing would grow,” he says. The light measurement changes the struc-

of the same type are often the same height, such as in a field of maize. “If a maize plant is in the shadow of another plant, it will put a lot of energy into growing to reach the sun. But when it reaches the sun, it stops growing and puts all its energy into producing ears of maize.” Sebastian made his discovery in partnership with a Finnish researcher. It is based on his own technique for measuring protein structures, a method called time-resolved x-ray scattering. This involves starting a reaction that the protein is involved in and monitoring how the atoms behave using short x-ray pulses from a synchrotron or an x-ray reader. “This means we can understand how a protein works in the body, in a leaf or in a bacterium.”

»It’s such a shame that interest in science is declining» ture of the phytochromes, telling the leaf to drop off as the days grow shorter. And when spring comes again, the plant understands that there is enough light to start flowering. The same phenomenon explains why plants

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The Finnish researcher got in touch a couple of years again and asked if they could try using Sebastian’s technique to study the movements of phytochromes.

“He had the protein and the problem, and I had the technique to solve it.” In future, knowledge about phytochromes could be used to help develop new cultivation methods for locations with low light levels. And researchers in Berlin are following another track to study phytochromes using optogenetics, which involves using light to control cells in human tissue. It is hoped that this could be used one day to cure certain diseases by attaching a substance in a particular part of the body and shining ordinary light on it. Sebastian’s research also includes a completely different side line. He is currently working with game developers to create a computer game. He wants to use young

people’s passion for computer games to interest them in science. “It’s such a shame that interest in science is declining. We need to do something about it. Hopefully, young people will start playing and discover that it’s not boring – it’s actually incredibly interesting.” Sebastian has featured on adverts on Gothenburg’s trams, encouraging young people to study science. He wants to convey his passion and what drives him: his curiosity about the most fundamental processes of all. “I want to understand how things work at atomic level.” TEXT HELENA ÖSTLUND PHOTO MALIN ARNESSON

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FOTO FREDRIK HJERLING

Gothenburg Botanical Garden: a cure for plant blindness Wham! The sensation strikes me as soon as I pick up the smell. The smell of damp, soil and greenery. My shoulders relax, and my pulse slows down. I enter our tropical greenhouse, and become keenly aware of how very important this is! Encountering the swarming diversity, being overcome by fragrances, colours and shapes. Letting all our senses be filled by the world of plants. A new kind of blindness is spreading across the world: plant blindness. The phenomenon describes how more and more people lack basic knowledge about the green portion of our ecosystem. This results in plants merging into a green background, in which we fail to see the individual parts or the links between them. They become a green backdrop to our everyday lives, when in actual fact the green part of our biodiversity is of such unspeakable importance for our existence. I believe that we must unite our efforts in order to counter this trend. After all, if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, who else will? I REMEMBER ENTERING a tropical greenhou-

se on another occasion. I was eleven years old, and the Edward Andersson Greenhouse

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at the Bergius Botanic Garden had just been opened. Banana plants stretched in front of me, reaching high up into the air, and I met one of the gardeners who told me more about bananas and their many different varieties, with skins of every colour from green to red. My eleven-year-old heart raced, and I became a rainforest obsessive growing large numbers of banana plants. (At one point, I had four 1Â˝ metre plants.) I never actually managed to produce any fruit in my bedroom. But looking back, I can see that this was an important step towards beginning to see plants, and ultimately deciding to work in gardening. (Growing bananas is also great fun. They respond quickly when given the right conditions, and with plenty of water, nourishment and light they can grow rapidly.

GUEST COLUMN

But going from that to harvesting fruit is another matter entirely…) FOR ME, A SINGLE VISIT to a botanic garden

was enough to spark an interest that has become my life and my work. And we need more people to take this route. The horticultural industry is experiencing great difficulties finding qualified workers for various reasons. One reason is that the number of pupils applying for horticultural programmes at upper secondary level is extremely low. We can hope to spark an interest, but if we can just reach out and give our visitors an insight into the diversity that exists within the plant world, we will have made real progress. We welcome more than 500,000 visitors each year, and they get to experience more than just fantastic plant environments. A moment of escape from a long stay in hospital, a study visit as part of a horticultural course, a school trip (around 10,000 school pupils have visited us this year), a flying visit during a cruise excursion, a daily walk in the nearest green space, or a professional visit looking for new plants to grow.

sible to reach out without building bridges in the form of feelings. Things must be felt, really felt, in order for people to care. I am therefore convinced that we can only reach out effectively by working with spectacular flowering, striking planting and settings that surround and bombard visitors with impressions. There must also be a depth of communication, and it should be easy to learn more in the weave of knowledge. What makes the difference is a balance between impression, feeling and knowledge. WE HAVE AN ENORMOUSLY important task

in acting as a window onto the world of plants and its research, while also providing research infrastructure in the form of our collections. I believe that the modern botanical garden should be a place to discover research, see diversity, obtain accurate information, and be amazed at the variety and adaptations of the world of plants. Visitors should also be able to take knowledge and inspiration home to their windowsills, gardens or horticultural companies. WE NEED MORE places where research and

EVERY VISIT IS IMPORTANT, but if we are to

counter plant blindness it is those who do not normally visit a botanical garden that we want to reach and give them an experience that breaks up the green backdrop into details and shapes. It’s not really a matter of just providing information, but of creating the right conditions to be responsive to this information. I HAVE CARRIED OUT a great deal of work

with communication linked to gardens, including talks, articles, publications and TV features. If there’s something I’ve taken away with me from this work, it’s that it is impos-

feelings can meet. Places where the right conditions are created to care about the complex system needed for our existence. Where blind greenery is broken up into the sensual variation of our world of plants. Beautiful science. Anders Stålhand Head gardener Gothenburg Botanical Garden  Ongoing research project at the University of Gothenburg in partnership with Gothenburg Botanical Garden and others: Beyond plant blindness: http://bit.ly/1O6MfeJ

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

SOCIETY

DESTINATION MARS? We know much more about Mars today than we did about the moon when we landed there. So are we ready to venture out into space and start colonising our nearest neighbouring planet? “If the human race is to survive for a very long time, we may need to be in at least two places,” says Maria Sundin, a senior lecturer in theoretical physics.

ASA recently received proposals for landing sites on Mars for a manned expedition. These proposals will be evaluated over the course of the next few years based on many different criteria. The process of leaving Earth and starting to colonise Mars won’t begin for at least another 20-30 years, and the task will be far from easy. “Of course, it’s entirely possible that we’ll never do it,” admits Maria. “When it comes to planets around stars other than the sun, however, we’re not close to

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

being able to do this unless major scientific advances are made. It could be that the distances are too great for it ever to be possible.” NOT ONLY IS A mission to Mars not a pro-

spect for the immediate future, it would also be dangerous. When a manned space shuttle leaves the Earth’s protective magnetic field, the risks are significant. What’s more, the human skeleton would decalcify and muscles – including the heart – would grow weaker.

“All forms of large-scale colonisation are much more difficult than looking after the Earth’s environment and solving our problems here.” SOME RESEARCHERS believe that mankind

should start space colonisation a little nearer to home, returning to the moon. There, we can build manned bases that could serve as starting points for further colonisation. Whichever approach we choose, Maria believes that colonisation is essential to our long-term survival.

“The Earth is the best planet of all, but in the very long term our planet will be uninhabitable in 1-2 billion years.” TEXT ROBERT KARLSSON ILLUSTRATION NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER, RICK GUIDICE

u Want to find out more? Watch Maria Sundin and Andreas Johnson discuss space colonisation in (E)Migration at the University of Gothenburg’s Global Week, globalweek.gu.se

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

“I´d always wanted to be a teacher” A busy year for Anna-Clara Rönner and Magnus Rönnberg is now drawing to a close. In just a few months’ time they will be fully trained teachers, ready to inspire and hopefully awaken a passion for science among children and young people. “Ready to give them a scientific flow,” says Anna-Clara with a laugh.

nna-Clara and Magnus are two students from the very first cohort on the Alternative Supplementary Teacher Education Programme. This is a fast track programme for those who already have scientific subject knowledge and want to become teachers. In just one year, they can qualify as subject teachers at secondary or upper secondary level, depending on their chosen specialisation. They were attracted by the fact that the programme was only one year long, and that it was aimed specifically at those who already had a degree in a science subject. “I’d actually always wanted to be a teacher,” explains Anna-Clara. “But it was

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only when my children became teenagers that the timing felt right.” Her background is in research and development, and she defended her doctoral thesis in microbiology at the University of Gothenburg. In the New Year, she will be a fully trained upper secondary school teacher, qualified to teach chemistry combined with additional subjects such as maths or biology. “A major motivation for me is to encourage today’s young people to take more of an interest in the sciences. If we want to continue to be a research nation, we can’t afford to make cutbacks in resources at upper secondary and university levels – we need more talented young people who want to

EDUCATION become chemists and mathematicians.” Magnus already has a degree in engineering, and has run his own business for the last ten years. He was attracted to the teaching profession by the more structured working hours, and he plans to combine secondary school teaching with working for his own business. “I felt it would be perfect for me,” he says. “Finding out how we learn and teach others is something of a passion of mine.” THE ALTERNATIVE Supplementary Teacher

Education Programme is taught at a fast pace, and the structure is a little different compared to regular teacher education. One difference is that the work-based education is not a separate element – it is interwoven with theoretical modules. The theory and practice are therefore closely linked. “It’s an excellent idea,” continues Magnus. “It means that we can discuss what has happened in the classroom straight away at a seminar, and vice versa.” Anna-Clara and Magnus agree that this is one of the programme’s strengths, but also that it is incredibly demanding. They haven’t had any free time during the year, as every spare minute has been devoted to studying. “It’s important to be aware of this when starting the programme,” adds Anna-Clara. “It would have been worth warning my friends and family that I wasn’t going to be around as much at the weekends.” THE PROGRAMME ENDS in mid-January,

and it will then be time for them to leave the ‘bubble’ that they feel they’ve been in since it began. Several of their fellow students have already received job offers, and Anna-Clara and Magnus are confident about their future prospects. There is a real need for teachers in science subjects, and the pair are looking forward to their future professional role: “Awakening an interest and a sense of curiosity when it comes to science.”

Chemistry teachers came together in Gothenburg The University of Gothenburg played host when the Swedish National Committee for Chemistry and the Swedish Chemical Society arranged continuing professional development days for teachers. Around 80 chemistry teachers from across Sweden came together in Gothenburg at the end of November to find out about current research on the theme of light, and to try various laboratory experiments devised by the National Resource Center for Chemistry Teachers. Kristina Hedfalk is Deputy Head of Department with responsibility for education issues at the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, and sees the university’s role in continuing professional development days as part of its collaborative task. “Inspiring and providing continuing professional development for teachers is part of our social responsibility. These days are also a way of maintaining contact with upper secondary schools, which we hope will help with our recruitment in the long term.”

TEXT & PHOTO CAMILLA PERSSON SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

SCIENCE FOR SCHOOLS

A window on science During the autumn, the Faculty of Science introduced a brand new initiative: ‘Window on Science’. Upper secondary school classes from the entire region will be coming to the university to carry out laboratory work in science subjects.

ith pipettes and lab equipment set out on the benches in front of them, the pupils sitting in the lab at Botanhuset are almost ready to tackle the tasks they have been given. Pupils from Sigrid Rudebeck Upper Secondary School in Gothenburg and Mimers Hus in Kungälv listen intently as researcher and teacher Henrik Aronsson goes through the day’s experiment. “At a crime scene, forensic scientists take DNA samples to identify the culprit,” says Henrik, who is project manager for Window on Science. “What they analyse there is inconsequential DNA, waste DNA, which differs from person to person. But we’ll be using a different technique today to differentiate between different DNAs, and you’ll be studying three samples to identify the bacteria that has infected a host organism’s wound.” BUT FIRST, THE PUPILS practise using pipet-

tes correctly. Three girls from Mimers Hus bend their heads together and succeed in sucking up fluid using a long pipette. One of them, Viktoria Wall, notes that it works well, even if the pipettes are a little more advanced than the ones they use at school. “I don’t know whether I want to specialise in science, but it’s exciting and interesting being here,” says Carolina Rönnewall, who is sitting next to Viktoria.

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

Viktoria Wall and Carolina Rönnewall from Mimers Hus in Kungälv

Together with their classmate Carolina Jansson, they will soon embark on the actual laboratory work which involves listing which bacteria is the culprit by cutting apart DNA and then comparing the pieces. “This is a fun task,” says Carolina. “We’ve seen how they test DNA in American films, but we didn’t actually know how DNA tests are carried out.” Her teacher Glenn Börjesson stands nearby, explaining the task to another group. “This is an excellent initiative! It’s just a shame that more young people couldn’t come along. DURING THE WEEK of Window on Science,

more than 900 pupils from classes around the region get to choose between different experiments: everything from conserving old artefacts or producing geological maps to analysing energy drinks or learning more about the sea. “This is something the schools have asked for,” explains Henrik. “Pupils want to come and see what a university is, meet researchers and have the opportunity to carry out a laboratory experiment that they can’t do at their own school.” TEXT & PHOTO CARINA ELIASSON

NOBEL PRIZES 2015 IN PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY&MEDICINE

PORTRÄTT 10 December marks the biggest scientific event of the year. This year is particularly exciting for us here at the University of Gothenburg, as one of the winners has worked here. On the following pages, we present the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry and Physiology or Medicine. Editor: Ulf Persson

Professor in Mathematics, Department of Mathematical Sciences

The Nobel Prize in Physics ”for their key contributions to the experiments which demonstrated that neutrinos change identities” Takaaki Kajita and Arthur “This is an important discoB McDonald share the 2015 very, even if the odds weren’t Nobel Prize in Physics. particularly low,” says Maria “This metamorphosis requires Sundin from the Department that neutrinos have mass,” of Physics. “Within my field, writes the Royal Swedish Aca- astrophysics, the discovery demy of Sciences. “The is significant when it comes discovery has to studying the sun changed our and other stars, for understanexample.” ding of the After light innermost particles, neuworkings trinos are the of matmost numerous ter and particles in the can prove universe and the crucial to Earth is constantly our view of the being bombarded by © ® Nobelstiftelsen universe.” them. They are created This discovery led to the in core reactions inside the conclusion that neutrinos, sun and in reactions between which had long been assucosmic radiation and the med to have no mass, must Earth’s atmosphere. These actually have a mass, even particles interact incredibly if it is extremely small. The weakly, thereby occupying a revelation has been described unique position within eleas ‘epoch-defining for particle mentary particle physics. physics’. SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

THE NOBEL PRIZE 2015

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognises the discovery of DNA repair, the processes used by all organisms to give DNA the stability required in order to be able to transfer genetic information from one generation to the next. The prize has a particular connection with Gothenburg, as Tomas Lindahl – one of the Nobel Laureates – was a professor at the University of Gothenburg from 1978 to 1982. It’s not by chance that DNA is used to store genetic information; DNA is considerably more stable than RNA. The most popular theories about how the macromolecules of life came into existence are based on RNA coming first, with DNA appearing later as a long-term storage medium. However, DNA is constantly exposed to impacts leading to its degradation. It is

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

widely known that DNA is damaged by many reactive chemicals, both synthetic and natural, and by electromagnetic radiation with sufficiently high energy (UV, X-, and gamma radiation). The actual replication process also contributes a certain error frequency. But spontaneous DNA damage also occurs without the influence of obvious external factors. This happens more

quickly in aqueous solutions, at higher temperatures and in the presence of oxygen, but a certain degree of degradation also takes place when free DNA is in a dry, cold environment and protected against the oxygen in the air. THE ORIGIN OF the discove-

ries leading to the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was the insight that this degradation rate was so high that it would be impossible for DNA to be preserved intact even during an individual’s lifetime unless it was counteracted by something. An active cellular process was necessary in order to explain the observed stability in living organisms: DNA repair. The DNA repair systems are evolutionarily conserved,

THE NOBEL PRIZE 2015

Nucleotide excision repair Nucleotide excision repairs DNA-injuries caused by UV radiation or carcinogenic substances like those found in cigarette smoke. UV radiation

T A

UV radiation can make two thymines bind to each other incorrectly.

T A

The enzyme exinuclease finds the damage and cuts the DNA strand. Twelve nucleotides are removed.

DNA polymerase fills in the resulting gap.

T A

DNA ligase seals the DNA strand. Now the injury has been dealt with.

Illustration: © Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

and stretch back billions of years. They are the same in bacteria, animals and plants. Two challenges they have faced were when life was exposed to UV light on the surface of the planet and when the atmosphere became oxidising as oxygen started to be formed on a large scale through photosynthesis.

what is recognised are the chemical differences between the strands immediately after replication – single-strand breaks and pieces of RNA in the new strand. DNA replication is by far the most precise process in biology (with an error frequency of < 10-9), with mismatch repair contributing at least two orders of magnitude.

PAUL MODRICH researched

mismatch repair – when the bases opposite each other in DNA are not in accordance with the Watson-Crick rules: adenine with thymine, and cytosine with guanine. Such errors usually occur through DNA replication mistakes. To correct this, and to replace the incorrect base with the correct one, it is necessary to discriminate between the newly formed DNA strand (with the incorrect base) and the old strand. Modrich discovered that

AZIZ SANCAR characterised

nucleotide excision repair, a mechanism which is the first line of defence to eliminate damage caused by UV light from the sun. Here, a section of DNA is removed from the damaged strand, and the cell then synthesises new DNA to fill the gap. Nucleotide excision repair is also used for many other types of damage. Hereditary defects in nucleotide excision repair in humans result in hypersensitivity to sunlight

and an increased cancer risk, particularly of the skin. TOMAS LINDAHL discovered

base excision repair. This mechanism uses the enzymes DNA glycosylases, which remove only the actual damaged base from DNA. The first example was how the cell repairs a very common defect that occurs spontaneously: changing cytosine into uracil. Uracil is present in RNA, but should not be present in DNA. A DNA glycosylase that specialises in uracil eliminates it from DNA – an operation which it needs to carry out approximately 100 times a day in each and every cell (or 1015 times per day throughout the entire body). DNA damage from oxygen occurs particularly often in the mitochondria, where oxygen is used in the cellular respiration that gives us our energy.

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THE NOBEL PRIZE 2015

The mitochondria therefore contain DNA glycosylases which have the task of repairing this damage. In simple terms, Modrich’s discovery of mismatch repair explains how cells deal with the errors that arise in connection with replication; Sancar’s characterisation of nucleotide excision repair clarifies how we address the DNA damage caused by UV light from the sun, while base excision repair – Lindahl’s discovery – is our most important mechanism for dealing with the threat to DNA from oxygen in the air. THERE ARE MORE repair me-

chanisms than these three to fix DNA damage. The potentially most dangerous of all types of damage is doublestrand breaks, where both DNA strands are damaged within a short distance. This occurs primarily as a result of ionising radiation (X- and gamma radiation). The base pairing in the DNA then fails to hold the molecule together and it can separate into two parts – a chromosome break has occurred. Preventing this is a top priority, and the cell has several mechanisms for repairing double-strand breaks in DNA.

Base excision repair Base excision repairs DNA when a base of a nucleotide is damaged, for example cytosine.

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

G C

Cytosine can easily lose an amino group, forming a base called uracil.

C G

T A

C G

T A

Uracil cannot form a base pair with guanine.

T A

G C

C G

T A

An enzyme, glycosylase, discovers the defect and excises the base of uracil.

Another couple of enzymes remove the rest of the nucleotide from the DNA strand.

DNA polymerase fills in the gap and the DNA strand is sealed by DNA ligase.

Illustration: © Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

while completing my firstcycle studies. My timetable only allowed me to visit the lab during evenings and weekends. Yet I was rarely alone there, since there were plenty of visiting researchers from different countries, all of whom busy working. It was only later that I realised that not all research environments are quite so lively. A decade later, Lindahl – as an authority on DNA stability – published a summary of the feasibility of recovering DNA from archaeological finds from different epochs. This provided essential support for another Swede in exile, Svante Pääbo, in his search for Neanderthal DNA.

TOMAS LINDAHL was a true

pioneer in the field of DNA repair. In the early 1980s I spent a period carrying out experimental work in his lab

AS WELL AS enabling us

to survive, DNA repair is important in connection with cancer and its treat-

ment. As mentioned, DNA repair defects confer an elevated cancer risk. But when treating cancer with radiation or cytotoxic drugs (DNA-damaging substances that produce mutations), the outcome depends on the tumour cells’ ability to repair DNA. This is often affected by mutations. We can try to improve the results by inhibiting the tumour cells’ DNA repair enzymes, which gives a greater chance of eradicating the tumour. Although this Nobel Prize recognises pure fundamental research, it has also found applications.

Per Sunnerhagen, Professor, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg

THE NOBEL PRIZE 2015

Converting substances from natural sources into revolutionary antiparasitic drugs This year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognises the development of antiparasitic drugs and thus also research that has resulted in hundreds of millions of lives being saved and had a major impact on health economics in the world’s poorest countries. Parasitic diseases have long plagued mankind, and their devastating significance is reflected in the fact that malaria, just one of many parasitic diseases, has been estimated to be the cause of death for half of all the humans who have ever lived (Curr. Med. Chem. 2005, 12, 2539). Despite great advances in modern medicine, more than a third of today’s global population suffers from the consequences of parasitic infections. WHILE ANTIBIOTIC research

has won Nobel Prizes on several occasions (Gerhard

Domagk in 1939 for sulfonamide, Alexander Fleming, Ernst Chain and Howard Flory in 1945 for penicillin, and Selman Waksman in 1952 for streptomycin), this is the first time the discovery of antiparasitic drugs has been recognised. It should, however, be mentioned that Ronald Ross won a Nobel Prize in 1902 for his discovery that malaria is spread by Anopheles mosquitoes, and that Charles Laveran won in 1907 for the revelation that a parasite is responsible for malaria. Their discoveries have thereby laid the theoretical foundations for this year’s prize. SATOSHI Ōmura

Sweet wormwood (Artemisina annua)

and William C. Campbell’s discovery of avermectin, a natural product that is isolated from Streptomyces avermitilis and then processed to make

the drug ivermectin, has effectively reduced the incidence of elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis) and river blindness. While elephantiasis causes chronic swelling and oedema, as well as lifelong disability, river blindness causes chronic inflammation of the cornea which can lead to blindness. Like malaria, these parasitic diseases primarily affect the populations of Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America and South Asia MALARIA IS caused by single-

celled Plasmodium parasites which infect the liver and the red blood cells, resulting in attacks of fever and severe organ damage, and claims almost half a million lives every year. The discovery of artemisinin, a natural product that is isolated from sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) and then processed to make artemether, which is now used in antimalarial combination drugs, has led

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THE NOBEL PRIZE 2015

Ivermecitin B1a and B1b

to a reduction in death rates from malaria of more than 20%, meaning that more than a hundred thousand lives are saved each year on the African continent alone. TODAY’S MODERN medicine

undeniably derives from plant-based medicinal practice in civilisations such as ancient Egypt, China, Greece and Rome. Despite advanced research methods, almost half of all new drugs are still natural products or close derivatives thereof. Certain groups of drugs, such as antimalarial medicines, still consist almost exclusively of natural product derivatives. Consequently, isolating natural products from plants and microorganisms is still a promising route within pharmaceutical research, not least in view of recent estimates

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that only ten percent of all plants have been analysed phytochemically to date. There is no doubt that the discoveries of artemisinin and avermectin are of immense significance to mankind. However, the scientific significance of the Nobel Committee’s choice has been interpreted differently and resulted in debate on the use of natural resources in pharmaceutical research and the validity of alternative medicine methods (“Nobel Renews Debate on Chinese Medicine” in the New York Times on 10 October 2015 and “How traditional medicine finally won its Nobel Prize” in Quartz on 6 October 2015, for example).

will result in any support for the use of alternative medicine treatment methods. Youyou Tu had trawled through a large volume of traditional medicinal notes for high fever cures. Of the almost 2,000 formulations she selected, only one gave a promising – but unreproducible – result: a note by Ge Hong written in the year 340. Inspired by this, she realised something that is usually described as the decisive step in her discovery: the active substance should be extracted through cold extraction to avoid degradation. Following isolation and structure determination, she carried out the first clinical test on herself.

IT IS LESS certain whether

HOWEVER, artemisinin

this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

turned out to have low bioaccessibility and a short

THE NOBEL PRIZE 2015

»Without modern pharmaceutical development, artemisinin would never have been able to save millions of lives»

half-life, and could therefore not be directly applied as a drug. After Astra, Pharmacia and Kabi had declined further development of the substance in the 1980s, Novartis acquired the rights and developed the combination of artemether (dihydroartemisinin) and lumefantrine – a synthetic quinine derivative – that is currently used to treat malaria. WHILE ARTEMETHER – which

is both more stable and more active than artemisinin itself – kills the parasite quickly during an early stage of its life cycle by inhibiting one of its transport proteins, lumefantrine inhibits the breaking down of haem, the toxic intermediate of haemoglobin breakdown, which induces the formation of free radicals and thereby has a long-term

effect which helps to eliminate the remaining parasites. The extract of Artemisina annua used in natural Chinese medicine is thus not an effective treatment against malaria in itself, even if it has inspired the development of artemisinin-based combination therapies. WITHOUT MODERN phar-

maceutical development, artemisinin would never have been able to save millions of lives. Nor should it be forgotten that, of the 2,000 natural medicines for high fever studied by Tu, 1,999 had no antimalarial effect at all. It is therefore clear that this year’s Nobel Prize hardly verifies traditional medicinal treatment methods; rather, it shows that ethnomedicinal experience can assist in the development of modern pharmaceuticals.

It is also interesting to note that Carl Linnaeus reported the use of a decoction of the herb mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris L., to treat tertian fever in 1755.

Mate Erdelyi, Docent, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

Excellent Teacher with focus on students Engaged students learn a subject more quickly and in greater depth, according to senior lecturer Anne Farewell, who uses a process known as active learning in the classroom. “Using a wide variety of teaching techniques means that the students are more interested and more engaged in the subject, and they also learn more.”

icrobiologist Anne Farewell knows what she’s talking about. She has recently been named the University of Gothenburg’s first Excellent Teacher, a title that only teaching staff with excellent pedagogical skills can earn. But she first came to the university primarily as a researcher, with no thoughts about teaching.

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

It was only when she started to teach that her pedagogical interest was awakened. “I started reading pedagogical literature, and discovered an entire field that I knew nothing about. As scientists, we are often experts in our own subject areas, but we sometimes lack knowledge about how to teach.”

Since then, she has studied pedagogical courses and has developed her teaching methods in various ways. On particular method involves listening to her students. Today, her students do not simply sit in lectures – instead, they participate actively in discussions on the subject in order to gain a greater subject understanding. “More is not more, less is more. By giving students less but deeper knowledge, they become better at analysing and thinking scientifically.” ACTIVE LEARNING IS USED as a teaching

method around the world, and there is growing interest in the concept. According to an article published in Nature, a study carried out in 2014 at the University of Washington in Seattle showed that using active learning reduced the number of course failures by about a third. In the same article, Clarissa Dirks – a microbiologist and co-chair of the US National Academies Scientific Teaching Alliance – maintains that “it is unethical to teach any other way”. ANNE IS ORIGINALLY from the US, and spent

a semester last year at Williams College in Massachusetts as part of an international exchange. She believes that the US is, perhaps, slightly ahead of Sweden when it comes to developing university teaching and encouraging good teachers, but that Sweden is on the right path. The University of Gothenburg’s Excellent Teacher initiative is a step in the right direction, as is the creation of a Pedagogical Academy at the university. “We have many talented members of teaching staff, and I know that many of them are doing some really cool things at the university. I hope that we can come together within pedagogical academia to develop teaching together and to inspire each other.” TEXT CAMILLA PERSSON PHOTO JOHAN WINGBORG

About the Excellent Teacher initiative The University of Gothenburg has introduced the title Excellent Teacher to recognise teaching staff with excellent pedagogical proficiency, in accordance with Vision 2020. The following seven assessment criteria are used: • Pedagogical experience • Teaching skills • Professional development • Pedagogical leadership • Cooperation • Pedagogical reflection • Development of knowledge about teaching and learning in higher education At the same time, a Pedagogical Academy has been established. The Pedagogical Academy is an active collegial network for pedagogical development at the University of Gothenburg.

More about active learning: Link to the article in Nature, 16 July 2015:  www.nature.com/polopoly_ fs/1.17963!/menu/main/topColumns/ topLeftColumn/pdf/523272a.pdf

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

What is a post doc? ”Postdoctoral position: a temporary research position, often abroad, intended to give a person the possibility to professionally conduct research, after the completion of their doctoral studies.” This is what you will learn if you google the term. We asked a few of the post docs whithin the Faculty of Science to tell us how they ended up here and what kind of research they are doing.  Longer interviews is available on sciencefacultymagazine.com

AMOS TURCHET, Italy,

Department of Mathematical Sciences How did you end up here? – I was really interested in working with Professor Salberger and I was lucky enough to pass all the selection processes to get the position, out of almost 150 candidates!

»Young scientists have more freedom in their research here in Sweden» BARBARA KOECK, Austria, Department of

Biological and Environmental Sciences

What kind of research do you do? – My research is in the field of Number Theory and it focuses on so-called Diophantine equations, which are polynomial equations where the coefficients are integers or rational numbers. These equations have been studied since the ancient times and they are fundamental to many modern famous problems in mathematics.

How did you end up here? – After a postdoc in France, I wanted to get some research experience abroad. So I applied to the postdoc offer from Professor Jörgen Johnsson within the Biodiversa-funded SalmoInvade project here at the University of Gothenburg,

What are the differences between being a scientist in Italy compared to Sweden? – There are a lot of differences between the Swedish system and the Italian one. The main one is the availability of resources that make the job here easier. I also really like the atmosphere of our department, which is very friendly and open. Such an atmosphere is not so common at other universities in my experience.

Vhat kind of research do you do? – Within the SalmoInvade project, I look at the link between fish behaviour and angling vulnerability. We are using methods from behavioural ecology and different telemetry techniques, combining this information about fish behaviour with angling experiments. We are basically asking: “Why are some fish caught and others never? And what are the implications for fish populations?” What makes this experiment so special is that, in addition to the scientific aspect, it

MARINA RAFAJLOVIC, Serbia,

Department of Physics Hur hamnade du här? ”I have been (and still am) fascinated by how the world around us consists of so many different living and non-living forms, and yet all the different forms obey the same, universal principles and laws of nature. I wanted to understand these principles and laws. In particular, I chose to study physics as it has both powerful and elegant methods for discovering and explaining the laws of nature.” What kind of research do you do? ”My current research aims to understand the principles guiding the evolution of biological species, as well as the consequences these have on the extent of biodiversity today and, potentially, in the future. While we know that many species became extinct in the past, the number of species existing today is huge (more than one million), and some of

these will produce new ones through the process known as speciation. An interplay between extinction on the one hand and speciation on the other is what determines how the extent of biodiversity changes over time.” What are your future plans? ”I have two children (aged 2 and 6), and for this reason my plan is to stay in Sweden, at least for the next couple of years.”

TINGHAI OU, China,

Department of Earth Sciences How did you end up here? ”I finished my PhD study at the Department of Earth Sciences. After that I completed a two-year postdoc in South Korea. Early this year I got a postdoc project which was planned to be carried out at the Department of Earth Sciences.” Vhat kind of research do you do? ”I am working with the historical changes and future projections in the droughts and forest fires in Sweden, and the impacts of the reduction in the Arctic sea ice on the climate of Eurasia.”

also involves a human dimension, as we work with volunteer anglers and the Swedish Anglers’ Association. What are the differences between being a scientist in France compared to Sweden? – In my experience, I feel that young scientists have more freedom in their research here in Sweden than in France, but this might also just come from the fact that I have been very lucky to work with this particular research group.

What plans have you made for the future? ”One good aspect of being a researcher in Sweden is that it encourages young researchers like me to be independent. This is a good opportunity for me to improve myself as a researcher in Sweden. So, I plan to stay in Sweden for the immediate future.”

Our seas – a cultural treasure Did you know that there are at least 20,000 historic shipwrecks and ancient settlements beneath the Baltic Sea? And more are still being found. “The Baltic Sea is a truly unique treasury,” says Professor of Conservation Charlotte Björdal.

ew people are likely to be aware that there are quite so many shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea, probably because they simply aren’t visible to most of us. There are not that many wrecks remaining off Sweden’s west coast, since shipworms thrive in the waters here and can eat their way through entire wooden boats in just a few decades. However, the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea are a less favourable environment for the shipworm, meaning that old wrecks dating back to the 17th century are still relatively well preserved.

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

“Wood decomposes slowly in waterlogged environments, since there is very little oxygen,” explains Charlotte. “The water provides indirect protection, which we can also see in mosses and wetlands, for example.” BUT DESPITE THIS, some degree of decom-

position does take place under water and in the most oxygen-deficient environments such as in sediment. Until the late 1980s, it was thought that this was due to a chemical process. But now we know better. It is fungi and in particular bacteria that cause wood to

PORTRÄTT break up and soften under water, and Charlotte is a leading expert when it comes to these so-called erosion bacteria. Within the framework of several EU projects, the most recent of which has just been completed, she has worked together with researchers from other countries and different disciplines to study these archaeological underwater sites. “For me, it’s a matter of conserving and preserving our cultural heritage for future generations. And in order to do this, we must first understand the threat – a bit like with medicine. An accurate diagnosis is needed in order to find the right medicine.” THE LATEST project, SASMAP, has focused

on identifying new methods and techniques for finding wrecks, assessing their condition, stabilising the area and ultimately monitoring and preserving these historically interesting locations. This is quite a tricky working environment, in which researchers want to take samples while also trying to avoid disturbing these sensitive areas. Method development is therefore an important part of the project. Private companies are involved as partners, developing various different prototypes for obtaining sediment samples, for example, or ascertaining the status of the wood. Charlotte has been out into the field on a couple of occasions, but her work is normally confined to dry land. “I leave the diving to others. I prefer my microscope,” she laughs as she shows fantastic enlarged images of wood structures and attacks on them. She is something of an expert on wood, and by studying wood samples from wrecks she can work out how quickly the decomposition is occurring. Different types of wood are broken down at different rates. Oak, which was used to build most ships at this

 To the left: wood samples from the Stone Age that have almost completely decomposed. To the right: Enlarged wood structure.

Charlotte Björdal during one of her field trips.

time, lasts longer than pine, for example, which was often used for ships’ floors. DESPITE THE FACT that decomposition takes

place more slowly in water, this is a complex environment to protect. But preserving wrecks by raising them and exhibiting them in museums is not something that is currently done. As Charlotte explains, this costs too much. “A UNESCO directive states that maritime cultural heritage should ideally be preserved in situ, in other words where it already is. But we don’t know how to achieve this yet. We’ve developed simple methods for smaller wreck fragments, but we don’t know how to protect the large ships in the Baltic Sea from ongoing microbial attack. Here, we really need help from engineers, designers and marine scientists.” TEXT CAMILLA PERSSON PHOTO JØRGEN DENCKER & CHARLOTTE BJÖRDAL

ABOUT SASMAP SASMAP was a project within the EU’s 7th framework programme, and was carried out during 2012-2015. The participants were from Denmark, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy and Greece. SASMAP stands for Development of tools and techniques to Survey, Assess, Stabilise, Monitor and Preserve underwater archaeological sites.

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

From the City of the Eternal Spring to Gothenburg This is his first visit to Sweden, but he hopes it won’t be his last. Remigio Cabrera Trujillo is one of a number of Mexican teachers and students to have come to Gothenburg as part of an international exchange programme.

espite never having visited Sweden before, he understands a surprising amount of Swedish. This is thanks to the fact that he carried out his third-cycle education in Denmark in the mid-1990s. “I wanted to go to the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, but ended up at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense through my supervisor’s contacts.” Niels Bohr, an atomic physicist and Nobel Laureate from Denmark, has been a strong source of inspiration for Remigio, and he cheerfully shows copies of Bohr’s thesis which he keeps at his office. His thesis on the penetration of atomic particles through matter has the same title as Remigio’s own thesis. His research within atomic and molecular physics then led him – via the USA – back to Mexico, where he currently works at the federal Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. In September, he returned to Scandinavia through an exchange programme between his home university and the University of Gothenburg’s Department of Physics. During his five weeks in Gothenburg, he is working as a temporary teacher on the course in mathematical physics for students studying the second year of the programme in physics.

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

“His presence here means we can offer our students a number of additional classes and practice sessions,” says Professor of Physics Dag Hanstorp. This has proven popular with the students. Remigio explains that it took a week or two for the students to find their way to his office, but that they have since started visiting him for extra help with maths. “Mathematical methods are the basis for all physics, and this course represents the foundation for ongoing understanding of the subject of physics.” REMIGIO HAILS FROM the Mexican city of

Cuernavaca, directly south of Mexico City. Cuernavaca is known as ‘the City of the Eternal Spring’, thanks to its year-round temperatures of around 20-25°C. As well as the climate differences between Sweden and Mexico, there are also clear differences between the two countries’ students. For example, Mexican students’ English language skills are not as good as those of their Swedish counterparts, although their skills have improved over the years. Physics students in Mexico are also overwhelmingly male, and the number of students is considerably fewer. “Back home we have maybe five to eight students studying physics, while here in Gothenburg there are 25 studying physics as their main subject.”

He believes that the reason why so few students choose physics is the perception that physics and maths are difficult subjects. This, combined with the emergence of new areas such as web design, makes it hard to attract young people to study physics. REMIGIO HAS A research position, and

doesn’t actually need to teach. But he has eight hours per week to spend as he wishes, and he has chosen to devote these to teaching and various external activities. He therefore teaches at the state Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, located directly across the street from his home university. “The two universities cooperate in the same way that the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology do here in Gothenburg.” REMIGIO HASN’T BEEN put off by the cold,

damp autumn weather in Gothenburg, and he is already planning to return next year. “Gothenburg is a nice city, and I’ve made lots of contacts that I can benefit from in my research. Although I’ve been here to teach, we’ve discussed research issues in the corridors and during the coffee breaks you call ‘fika’. I love ‘fika’,” he laughs. TEXT & PHOTO CAMILLA PERSSON

EXCHANGE PROGRAMME The Department of Physics has established a partnership with Mexico during the past few years, and receives support from the Linnaeus-Palme exchange programme to send teaching staff and students in both directions. Linnaeus-Palme is an exchange programme for university teaching staff and students. The first section, Linnaeus, gives Swedish teaching staff and students the opportunity to teach and study in various developing countries. The second section, Palme, gives teaching staff and students from developing countries the opportunity to teach and study in Sweden.

Unique collaboration between industry and academia AstraZeneca, the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology have started a new collaboration in connection with advanced equipment for mass spectrometry, leading to better opportunities to study how molecules interact at cellular level. The instrument, NanoSIMS, has received more than SEK 37 million in funding from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. This high-tech instrument, one of just a handful in the world, is formally owned by the University of Gothenburg, but is part of a joint initiative between the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology, and will be located at AstraZeneca’s premises in Mölndal as part of the company’s focus on a more open research facility. “Locating the instrument at AstraZeneca’s facilities in Mölndal provides opportunities for fruitful new collaboration between basic research at the universities on the one hand and AstraZeneca’s researchers on the other,” explains Professor Göran Hilmersson from the University of Gothenburg’s Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology. “This could prove highly significant in terms of reaping the benefits of academic research.”

More grasslands in Tibet could bring climate improvements In the Arctic, enhanced vegetation growth amplifies global warming. On the Tibetan Plateau, however, the situation is the reverse. “The trend in Tibet is the opposite of what we are seeing in the Arctic,” says Professor Deliang Chen from the Department of Earth Sciences. “By restoring grasslands there, the climate can be improved – both locally and globally.” SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

RESEARCH

A visiting professor with a feeling for ice Her research examines how bacteria and other microorganisms manage to survive in the cold environment of the Arctic. “They’ve done fantastic things over the course of evolution,” says Jody Deming, who is currently a visiting professor at the Department of Marine Sciences.

he is a committed and incredibly knowledgeable teacher who lectures about the microbial ecosystem in sea ice. She shares her knowledge, involves her students, shows images, throws out questions and makes plenty of jokes. And the response is clear to see when Professor Jody Deming visits the University of Gothenburg to teach research students on a week-long course and to play a leading role in a marine symposium. “Most of the students on the course here focus on algae that live in the ice, and these algae are dependent on light for photosynthesis. I want to provide the perspective that important processes are going on in the Arctic, even during the winter. Sunlight isn’t needed in order to get microorganisms to do essential jobs. I want to give students a winter bacterial perspective alongside their algaefocused summer perspective,” she laughs. PROFESSOR DEMING’S interest in the life

in Arctic ice began when NASA published research findings in 1997 announcing that Jupiter’s ice-covered moon Europa had an ocean hidden beneath the ice. “There was speculation about whether there was life in the ice on Europa’s moon, and I realised that I wanted to study the coldest ice in the Arctic to investigate the conditions for life there.”

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

Professor Deming had previously researched the seas around the Arctic, but she now shifted her focus and headed off on winter expeditions to study the coldest ice and the limits of life there. TODAY, POLAR RESEARCH is her passion.

However, she had originally planned to become a concert pianist and to study music at college. “But I loved chemistry at high school, and I gradually changed track. I had a mentor who took me by the hand and led me towards oceanography. And so I started studying the ice-free ocean beyond the Arctic. That was my research field for my first ten years as a researcher, but then I discovered the Arctic and was hooked.” The Arctic is where climate change is currently happening at the fastest rate. And one of the least certain factors in the climate models is cloud and its significance when it comes to ice and global warming. “We’re losing ice in the Arctic. Clouds can either warm or cool, depending on various circumstances. I have an idea that my tiny microbes, which live in the ice, might contribute towards particles that form clouds. Through my research, I hope I can help us to predict what will happen next with the climate.”

New Department of Marine Sciences 1 July saw the creation of a new department at the University of Gothenburg: the Department of Marine Sciences.

PROFESSOR DEMING is an experienced polar

traveller, having completed more than fifty expeditions. Despite this, she is still excited when she finds herself in an Arctic environment. “I get to push my own boundaries and to experience one of the planet’s most extreme environments. It’s a real privilege to be in an environment that few people have the chance to experience. And I also get to spend time with my microbes,” she adds with a broad smile. Professor Deming normally carries out research and teaching at the University of Washington. The Hasselblad Foundation has enabled the University of Gothenburg to offer her a visiting professorship at the new Department of Marine Sciences. “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to come to Sweden and meet colleagues and students. My research field is highly specialised and is not studied in many places around the world, but the University of Gothenburg has a strong research team working with sea ice. So this is a great chance for us to learn from each other.” TEXT CARINA ELIASSON PHOTO ANNA-LENA LUNDQVIST

The department brings together biologists, chemists, oceanographers, geologists and conservationists with a marine focus, and has around a hundred employees. “I know we’re good, but when the department’s research was presented at our department days in early November I was reminded just how incredibly good we are, and how much breadth we represent,” says Head of Department Per Hall. “The department’s research covers everything from how the ocean moves to how new species of mollusc are formed.” THE AIM OF establishing the department

was to strengthen cooperation between marine researchers at the university. “The University of Gothenburg’s infrastructure for marine research and education is unique, with two field stations and a new research vessel on the way. Now we want to take advantage of all these opportunities and develop our operations. Together with the new Centre for Sea and Society, we also want to increase collaboration with other organisations, businesses and authorities with marine links.” PROFESSOR HALL IS a marine biogeo-

chemist, and his studies include processes in surface sediment. The Baltic Sea is usually oxygen-free, but around once every ten years there is an inflow of oxygenated salt water. A new project will involve him and his colleagues studying what is happening in the Baltic Sea now that there is oxygen present. TEXT TANJA THOMPSON

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

RESEARCH

Mathematical and statistical consultants take part in water pollutant research Virtually all scientific and technical research involves elements of mathematics and statistics, and expert help is sometimes needed. Mathematical and statistical consultants are one source of help, working mainly with academic customers but also with customers from external companies.

ne current focus at the Faculty of Science includes observations of bivalves and diatoms. Two projects have now been completed, one of which was carried out together with the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences in which water pollutants were studied in Maputo Bay, Mozambique. The other project also dealt with water pollutants, but involved the Mariager Fjord in Denmark and the Havsten Fjord on the west coast of Sweden. The Department of Marine Sciences wanted to know how a certain type of microalgae in the sea has adapted to the increased use of artificial fertilisers. The microalgae settle as spores in the

seabed sediment, and can be brought back to life from as far back as the 1920s and start to grow. Algae from before and after the introduction of artificial fertilisers were then compared. The clear result was that algae from before the 1950s grow well with more nutrients, but those that have adapted to today’s concentration levels can make even better use of high nutritive salt concentrations. MATHEMATICAL AND statistical consultants

have been around since the 1970s. In addition to contributing towards better research findings, this has also been a useful experience in preparation for the professional careers of doctoral students who have taken on consultancy assignments. Several consultancy assignments have also led to actual research cooperation. “We’re always interested in new assignments, and are normally able to hold an initial meeting with the customer within a couple of weeks of their initial enquiry,” says manager Marina Axelson-Fisk. TEXT SETTA ASPSTRÖM

Pedagogical Prize for mathematical statistician This year, the Faculty of Science’s Pedagogical Prize has been awarded to senior lecturer Kerstin Wiklander in recognition of her efforts as a teacher of mathematical statistics.

The award winners Kerstin Wiklander and Alexandre Antonelli

Kerstin has received the prize for her teaching work on the Environmental Science Programme and the Marine Programme. “This is fantastic, and it’s a great honour. I’m interested in applications in general and in environmental and biological issues in particular, so this award gives me an extra incentive in my work.” The reasons for awarding the prize to Kerstin included her ability to get her students enthusiastic about applied sciences for statistical conclusion theory and methods.

AWARDS

2015 ALEXANDRE ANTONELLI, a professor at the Department of Biological and Environmental Science, has received the Faculty of Science’s 2015 research award. Read an interview with him on page 7.

4 questions to Ezio Iacocca, who received this year´s Faculty of Science’s doctoral thesis award.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO RECEIVE THIS YEAR’S DOCTORAL THESIS AWARD?

DAG HANSTORP, a professor at the Department of Physics, has been awarded the Sigurd Scholarship for the best collegial effort of 2015. He was presented with the SEK 15,000 award during a simple ceremony at Café Canyon at MC2 in Gothenburg.

”It feels great! I believe that it is very important to strive for excellence in a research environment. Receiving the Faculty of Science’s award for the best thesis of the year reaffirms this belief, and is a motivation to set the standard even higher in my current and future research.”

THOMAS NYSTRÖM, a professor at the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, received this year’s Emil Christian Hansen Gold Medal in recognition of his studies of cellular ageing and passing on damaged proteins.

”I research magnetism on a nanoscale, specifically how an electric current interacts with magnetism and the subsequent dynamic effects. The main purpose of this research is to push the limits of our technology and exploit the features of magnetic materials for future applications in communication technology and computer memory. I find the complexity of the problem really exciting, so it is fundamental to combine numerical simulations, theory and experiments, making it truly interdisciplinary.”

ANGELA WULFF, a professor at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, is one of ten Swedish entrepreneurs to have been awarded SEK 200,000 by Swedish Incubators and the ÅForsk Foundation for continuing to build on their business concepts.

Meritorious Efforts in Education 2015 The Meritorious Efforts in Education award for 2015 goes to: Lennart Björklund, Department of Earth Sciences Ulla Dinger, Department of Mathematical Sciences Peter Gulz, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Karin Karlsson, Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences Ann-Marie Pendrill, Department of Physics Hans Starnberg, Department of Physics

WHAT IS YOUR RESEARCH ABOUT?

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES WITHIN YOUR FIELD OF RESEARCH?

”The field of nanomagnetism has been very active during the last decade, so the challenges have changed over time. I would say that the main challenge is for researchers to be innovative; to take the pieces of information available from theory, simulations and experiments and put them together in a way to propose novel perspectives that take advantage of the magnetic properties of materials.” WHAT CAN SOCIETY LEARN FROM YOUR RESEARCH?

”Magnetic materials are at the core of electronic devices, and my research represents one of the paths to bring about a new generation of components that can potentially improve our electronics in terms of speed and power management.”

SCIENCE FACULTY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Tree ring measurements show record high temperatures for 2015 Everything suggests that 2015 will be a record year for high temperatures since systematic weather data measurements began in 1880. In a study that has recently been published in the Journal of Climate, researchers from the University of Gothenburg and their colleagues from Columbia University have used annual tree rings to study the climate in Scandinavia from a historical perspective. These rings can be dated precisely using dendrochro-

Key protein can affect the risk of stroke Studies of mice show that a particular protein in the brain’s smallest blood vessel can affect the risk of stroke. Peter Carlsson, a Professor of Genetics at the University of Gothenburg, and his research team have published new findings in the journal Developmental Cell about how the blood-brain barrier develops and what differentiates the capillaries in the brain from

nological crossdating. Variations in annual tree rings, such as width, density and chemical composition, can provide information about the climate – broken down by year, with precise dating. In the current study, information from tree rings has been gathered from more than a hundred locations around Scandinavia, making this the most comprehensive undertaking of its type in the region to date. The data has then been used to reconstruct a hy-

small blood vessels in other organs. The smallest blood vessels – the capillaries – have a type of cell called pericytes. These are essential to the development of the blood-brain barrier. Pericytes are also found in other organs, and it was not previously known what gave the pericytes in the brain this unique ability. Researchers from Gothenburg have found that cerebral pericytes contain a protein, FoxF2, which is lacking in the pericytes of other organs

droclimatological atlas of the region stretching back 1,000 years. The atlas, which is presented in the form of annual maps, shows how the distribution of dry and wet summertime episodes has varied in Scandinavia during the course of the past millennium. This information is unique, adding a spatial dimension for the first time to our knowledge of historical hydrological variations in Scandinavia.

The capillaries from a brain of a mouse

and which coordinates the changes that make the blood vessels watertight. FoxF2 is needed in order for the bloodbrain barrier to form during foetal development.  Link to full article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. devcel.2015.05.008