Three ERC Advanced Grants to researchers at Stockholm University
Three researchers at Stockholm University are awarded Advanced Grants by the European Research Council ERC. In total, it is about SEK 86 million for research in evolutionary biology, biochemistry and molecular bioscience.
The European Research Council (ERC) has decided on the prestigious Advanced Grants in the 2024 call. The grant goes to senior researchers for research of the highest quality. A total of 281 researchers in Europe receive grants, of which 13 are in Sweden. Three of the Swedish grants go to researchers at Stockholm University: Hanna Johannesson, Martin Jastroch and David Drew.
Hanna Johannesson, at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, is preliminary granted almost 2.5 million euros over five years for the project ”The early sequestered germline of fungi – spatial distribution, mechanism and generality across the kingdom”.
The project is based on a hypothesis from the research group that fungi separate their sex cells early in development, just like humans do, which prevents mutations that occur during the organism’s lifetime from being inherited by the next generation.
The project investigates how fungi differentiate their cells throughout their life cycle, and in a broader perspective – how genetic variation is created and passed on within populations. Fungi are a large and relatively unexplored group of organisms, and this ERC project has the potential to deepen our understanding of how evolution operates in fungi.
"This is incredibly exciting! A grant like this makes it possible for me and my research team to fully commit to our research in a way that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. What’s especially exciting is that this project builds on a small side project we started a few years ago, which has now grown into a very large and fascinating project," Hanna Johannesson says.
Martin Jastroch, at the Department of Molecular Bioscences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, is preliminary granted almost 2.5 million euros over five years for the project” Reconstructing the Molecular Evolution of Non-Shivering Thermogenesis”.
“I was absolutely delighted that the ERC recognized our exciting project! Our ambitious research will address unresolved key questions on the fascinating evolution of heat production in animals. The outcomes of the research will not only impact paradigms and textbook knowledge, but understanding molecular regulation of heat production has also the potential to uncover new approaches overcoming diseased human metabolism, which represents a major health burden of our society” says Martin Jastroch.
He continues:
“The trust of The Swedish Research Council in my research and funding from the Novo Nordisk Fonden were pivotal to form the basis for this project. My team is now heating up to take us beyond frontiers by the exceptional funding of the ERC, anticipating new breakthroughs and continuing the world-class reputation of European research in thermal biology, evolution and energy metabolism”.
David Drew, at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, is preliminary granted 2.5 million euros over five years for the project:” Mechanism of Sugar Transporters involved in Human Health and Disease”.
“This one meant a lot. It was so important to secure this funding to continue the momentum and expertise that we have built over the many years on sugar transporters with fantastic support from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation (the KAW foundation now funds our research on ion transporters, which was a switch I decided to make after our previous ERC grant on transporters finished last year)”, says David Drew.
He continues:
“With funding now secured, I’m excited to be able to push the current understanding into how our cells take up sugars, like glucose, and how in fat and muscle cells, this process is regulated by insulin at the molecular level. I have wonderful colleagues at DBB and we are fortunate to have access to a word-class Cryo EM facility at SciLifeLab. You could say, life is “sweet”.
See the full list of winners here.
Next Advanced Grants call – 2025 round
Interested in applying for an ERC Advanced Grant? The 2025 funding round is now open for applications, with the deadline set for 28 August 2025.
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Read about the support at Stockholm University here (scroll down to ERC-support by REIS).
Last updated: June 26, 2025
Source: The Office for Research, Engagement and Innovation Services