A brief interview with Kanwal Tariq ahead of her defense on February 21st

Kanwal Tariq will defend her thesis, "Chromatin Landscape in Transcriptional Regulation: A Case for Ribosomal Transcription", on February 21st. In her thesis, she examines the various mechanisms by which the production of rRNAs is regulated.

Marc Friedländer Receives ERC Proof of Concept Grant

Marc Friedländer receives an ERC Proof of Concept Grant to advance RNA-based food quality control.

Striving to improve understanding of signaling in the nervous system

Membrane proteins are the primary target of many drugs. These proteins play a key role in regulating the body’s functions and communication between cells. Professor Erik Lindahl is developing new methods to study these proteins in situ in tissue.

Postdoc fellowship (2 years) in bioinformatics of plant-microbe interactions – deadline 25 January

A postdoctoral stipend is available with an actinorhizal nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses. The position is sponsored by the Carl Trygger Foundation to the laboratory of Professor Katharina Pawlowski at Stockholm University in the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences. The department has approximately 100 employees, including 25 research groups, 10 postdocs and approximately 35 PhD students; research and teaching are conducted in an international environment.

Nobel laureate met young researchers at the university

John Jumper, one of this year’s Nobel laureates in chemistry, visited Stockholm University on 11 December for a lecture on the work with AlphaFold.

Tanja Slotte receives funding from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation

Each year, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation awards research grants in the fields of medicine, science, and technology to research projects that are judged to have such high scientific potential that they are likely to lead to future scientific breakthroughs. Each project is evaluated by a group of international experts in the respective field.

Six researchers share SEK 175 million from the Wallenberg Foundation

The importance of Arctic methane emissions for the climate, how matter is formed and broken down, evolutionary shifts in the plant kingdom, and new effective methods for producing bioactive substances that will meet future needs for medicines and advanced electronics. These are just a few examples of basic research at Stockholm University that has received funding from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

ADAR3 plays an important role during early brain development

In a recently published study in Nucleic Acids Research, the Visa group shows that ADAR3, a catalytically inactive ADAR, is expressed during embryonic development and regulates mRNA stability and translation.

Study reveals isolation, endogamy and pathogens in early medieval Spanish community

An archaeogenetic study sheds new light on the isolated medieval community Las Gobas in northern Spain. Besides isolation and endogamy, the researchers have also identified the variola virus which can offer a new explanation on how smallpox entered Iberia.

Arctic expedition has entered remote Greenland fjord

Icebreaker Oden has as the first vessel ever now reached the remote and uncharted Victoria fjord at northern Greenland. Read an update from the GEOEO North of Greenland 2024 expedition on its challenging battle against multiyear sea ice and pressure ridges.

Bishop Teodomiro´s remains investigated by researchers

According to a legend Bishop Teodomiro of Iria Flavia in Spain found the burial of St. James after a revelation. But did Teodomiro exist? Researchers at Stockholm University have investigated the bones of the bishop.

Spetz grupp publicerar artikel i Advanced Science

Spetz grupp har nyligen publicerat artikeln "En oligonukleotid med förmåga att rekrytera celler som reducerar T-hjälpar svar i huden" i Advanced Science.

New genetic study reveals the woolly mammoths' journey towards extinction

Researchers from the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Stockholm have analyzed the genomes from 21 woolly mammoths to uncover the evolutionary changes that led up to the species’ extinction.

Marsupials Key to Discovering the Origin of Heater organs in Mammals

Around 100 million years ago, a remarkable evolutionary shift allowed placental mammals to diversify and conquer many cold regions of our planet. New research from Stockholm University shows that the typical mammalian heater organ, brown fat, evolved exclusively in modern placental mammals.

Gammalt protein nyckel till kylanpassning hos däggdjur

För 120 miljoner år sedan levde föregångare till nutidens däggdjur. Tack vara dagens genforskningsteknik har det nu blivit möjligt att kartlägga hur olika proteiner var uppbyggda i denna tidiga föregångare till bland annat människan. I en ny studie har forskare vid Stockholms universitet visat hur det så-kallade frikopplingsproteinet UCP1 är nyckeln till att vissa däggdjur kan leva i kallt klimat.

Bacterial diseases a lethal threat during the Stone Age

Bacterial poisoning via food and water – but also via contact such as kisses – caused a lot of suffering during the Stone Age. Diseases that today can be treated with antibiotics were then fatal, a new study shows.

Mapping the brain's serotonin pathways increases knowledge of our emotions

Fear and curiosity are emotions that determine how adventurous or cautious we are. But how are our emotions controlled by biological factors in the brain's nerve cells? New research shows that clearly defined serotonin pathways in the brain and their connections to for example amygdala and hypothalamus affect how we feel and act.

Malaria scientist decodes the world's deadliest parasites

The malaria mosquito is spreading some of the world's deadliest diseases, but not on its own. It is controlled by ancient parasites that use their code language to make their host, human or animal, act in a way that benefits its survival. A code language that molecular biologist Noushin Emami at Stockholm University is working to decode.

Pioneering DNA research aims to solve the mystery of cancer

Could a curveball called 'the blob' become a crucial weapon in the fight against incurable cancer and other diseases? Yes, in the hands of molecular biologist and biochemist Mats Nilsson it can.

Ancient chewing gum reveals stone age diet

What did people eat on the west coast of Scandinavia 10 000 years ago? A new study of the DNA in a chewing gum shows that deer, trout and hazelnuts were on the diet. It also shows that one of the individuals had severe problems with her teeth.

Extinct wolly dog kept isolated from European dogs

Indigenous people in Northwestern America kept the woolly dog, among other things, to use the fur for textile production. A new study shows that they managed to keep their dogs isolated from European dogs for many generations.

Using genetics to map the impacts of prehistoric climate change

Our climate is becoming ever warmer – impacting plant and animal ecosystems. But this is by no means the first time Earth has experienced climate change. Wallenberg Academy Fellow Peter Heintzman is using genetics to examine how prehistoric climate change has impacted life on Earth.

The genomic secrets of how the muskox survived until today

At the end of the last Ice Age, many iconic species became extinct. However, one Ice Age relict, perfectly adapted to the harsh climate of the tundra environment, has survived until the present day. In a new research study in Molecular Ecology, scientists investigate how the muskox mastered living on the edge – geographically, ecologically, and genetically.

Genomic study reveals impact of near extinction and hunting in Swedish moose

Intensive hunting almost wiped out the moose population in the Nordics in the 19th century. The first large-scale genomic study of moose in Scandinavia reveals the effect of this near-extinction. It shows that inbreeding does not seem to have increased and the species seems to have maintained most of its historical genetic diversity.

Radical Tool in Nature's Chemistry Toolbox Depicted

Researchers at DBB have determined the structure of one of nature's sharpest chemical tools, a protein radical. The results help us understand how nature can carry out very challenging chemical reactions and can ultimately be used in both medicine and green chemistry applications.

He wants to know how evolution works at a genetic level

Love Dalén is professor of evolutionary genomics at the Department of Zoology. He is one of Stockholm University’s new professors who will be installed at a ceremony in the Stockholm City Hall on September 29.

RNA for the first time recovered from an extinct species

A new study shows the isolation and sequencing of more than a century-old RNA molecules from a Tasmanian tiger specimen preserved at room temperature in a museum collection. This resulted in the reconstruction of skin and skeletal muscle transcriptomes from an extinct species for the first time. The researchers note that their findings have relevant implications for international efforts to resurrect extinct species, including both the Tasmanian tiger and the woolly mammoth, as well as for studying pandemic RNA viruses.

Researchers develop first method to study microRNA activity in single cells

Researchers at Stockholm University and SciLifeLab have developed the first method to uncover the tasks that microRNAs perform in single cells. This is a huge improvement over existing state-of-the-art methods that require millions of cells and will for the first time allow researchers to study microRNAs in complex tissues such as brains. The study was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

DNA researchers trace the origin of the Picts in Scotland

A new international archaeogenetic study in which researchers at Stockholm University contributed with studies of ancient DNA shows that the Picts, who lived in Scotland during the early Middle Ages, were a heterogeneous group with local genetic roots.

Genes that separate woolly mammoths from elephants revealed

Scientists have managed to map far more DNA than anyone has ever done for an extinct Ice Age animal species. A new study identifies mutations that were unique to the woolly mammoth - which probably underlie the mammoth's hair growth, fat storage and small ears.

Aspirin protects against genotoxicity by promoting genome repair

Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is arguably the oldest drug in the history of medicine. In a study published in Cell Research, researchers at Stockholm University and the University Medical Center Freiburg, have identified a new mechanism of aspirin. They show that aspirin promotes genome repair and can protect mice and cells against the toxic effects of irradiation and mutagenic chemicals. This new mechanism may help explain many of the health benefits of aspirin including cancer prevention.

Mysterious genes may explain the origin of species

Why are the offspring of a horse and a donkey almost always infertile? This question has long puzzled researchers. Deniz Ozata, from Stockholm University, believes the explanation may lie in very mutable genes that are vital to the development of healthy sperm.

DNA from archaeological remains show exceptional migration to Scandinavia during the Viking era

A new study based on 297 ancient Scandinavian genomes analysed together with the genomic data of 16,638 present day Scandinavians resolve the complex relations between geography, ancestry, and gene flow in Scandinavia – encompassing the Roman Age, the Viking Age and later periods. A surprising increase of variation during the Viking period indicates that gene flow into Scandinavia was especially intense during this period.

Five options for restoring global biodiversity after the UN agreement

To slow and reverse the fastest loss of Earth’s living things since the dinosaurs, almost 200 countries have signed an agreement in Montreal, Canada, promising to live in harmony with nature by 2050. The Kunming-Montreal agreement is not legally binding but it will require signatories to report their progress towards meeting targets such as the protection of 30% of Earth’s surface by 2030 and the restoration of degraded habitats.

Simultaneous mapping of several different epigenetic landmarks in a single cell

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet had in 2021 developed a technique making possible to examine how different versions of histones bind to the genome in tens of thousands of individual cells. Now the same team developed a new technology allowing simultaneous probing of several different histone marks in one individual cell and in thousands of cells at the same time. This new method allows to investigate in much greater detail how cells in the mouse brain acquire unique properties and specialize. The study is published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

New method for mapping cancer paves the way for treatment of incurable brain cancer in children

Children diagnosed with brain cancer often die within a year of their initial diagnosis because there are no effective treatments for this rare form of cancer. But by visualizing the cancer cells, researchers have now gained a better understanding of what the tumors look like. The hope is that it will lead to new treatment methods. This is shown by a study with researchers at, among others, Stockholm University and SciLifeLab, recently published in Nature Genetics.

Scientists ahead of COP15: “Improvements are urgently needed”

Well implemented marine protected areas, as well as goals and targets for preservation of genetic diversity. That's what the scientists Susa Niirinen and Linda Laikre, who participated in the most recent Baltic Breakfast, hope will come out of the ongoing biodiversity conference in Montreal.

Open lecture with world-renowned egyptologist Zahi Hawass

On Monday December 12, one of the foremost egyptologists Dr. Hawass, will come to Sweden to give an open lecture in the Aula Magna at Stockholm University.

Breast cancer spread uncovered by new molecular microscopy

Researchers have created a tool that maps how breast cancer grows in previously unseen detail, and highlights how the cells around the tumor may be the key to controlling the spread of disease

New study on ancient DNA from Mesopotamia

Archeologists from Stockholm University have participated in a new study on DNA from 13 individuals at the Stone age site Çayönü in south-eastern Turkey.

They map the meeting between modern humans and wild fauna in the northern hemisphere

With the help om advanced DNA technology, researchers will map the human encounter with the wild fauna in Eurasia. What happened when they interacted and how have they affected each other?

Svante Pääbo in Aula Magna on the origin of man

Watch a film with this year's Nobel laureate in medicine, Svante Pääbo, when he in 2017 lectured on the origin of man and Neanderthal DNA in Aula Magna at Stockholm University.

Nearly a hundred genes have been lost during the woolly mammoth’s evolution

A new study shows that 87 genes have been affected by deletions or short insertions during the course of the mammoth’s evolution. The researchers note that their findings have implications for international efforts to resurrect extinct species, including the woolly mammoth. The study was published in the journal iScience by researchers at the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Stockholm, a collaboration between Stockholm University and the Swedish Museum of Natural History.

What happens to biodiversity when the climate heats rapidly?

Wildlife habitats will change as Earth’s temperature rises. To attempt to predict what will happen due to future warming, Wallenberg Academy Fellow Peter Heintzman will map how prehistoric climate changes affected life on Earth.

Wolf turned into dog both in the east and the west

Today’s dogs descended from two different wolf populations that were domesticated in East or Central Asia. Researchers have come to this conclusion after analyzing DNA from prehistoric wolves in the northern hemisphere. Dogs of African and European origin also have a certain heritage from prehistoric wolves in the Middle East in their DNA. The study was recently published in Nature.

New mechanism for regulating supply of DNA building blocks may lead to better antibiotics

In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from Stockholm University show for the first time how NrdR binds to DNA to inhibit RNR. The novel mechanism could help scientists design better antibiotics by targeting a pathogen’s ability to reproduce.

Centre of Paleogenetics is looking for a laboratory assistant

Endangered parrots in surprisingly good genetic health

The kākāpō is a critically endangered flightless parrot in New Zealand. However, the first genome sequencing of the species offers some good news: despite island isolation and inbreeding, the kākāpō appears to have lost potentially deleterious mutations rather than accumulated them.

Geneticists map the rhinoceros family tree

Researchers have helped to fill the gaps in the rhino evolutionary family tree by analyzing genomes of all five living species together with the genomes of three ancient and extinct species.

”Sparta” – the 28,000 year old cave lion

The cave lion cub “ Sparta” was found in Siberia a few years ago. A new study shows that the cave lions' coat was similar but not identical to that of African lion cubs.

Ancient DNA analysis reveals Asian migration and plague

Ancient DNA reveals a history of migrations, continuity, and diseases in northeastern Asia.

World’s oldest DNA reveals how mammoths evolved

An international team led by researchers at the Centre for Palaeogenetics at Stockholm University has sequenced DNA recovered from mammoth remains that are up to 1.2 million years old.