The Department of Industrial Biotechnology does research, process design and education for advancement of the use of renewable raw materials, such as residues from forestry or agriculture, for sustainable productions of chemicals, fuels and pharmaceuticals using enzymes, microorganisms or mammalian cell lines. My own work focuses on application–inspired fundamental research questions that can enable and improve the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals from renewable resources through microbial fermentation. Thermodynamics-inspired metabolic engineering, the energetics of transport processes across the plasma membrane and laboratory evolution of industrial microorganisms play a central role in my research. My fascination with the metabolic diversity and flexibility of microorganisms is a crucial driver for both my research and teaching.
Under studiebesöket kommer vi att berätta om Stockholm Vatten och Avfalls verksamhet och följer sedan vattnet från Mälaren till östersjön med information om vad vi alla kan hjälpas åt för att få en renare miljö och underlätta vattenreningsprocessen. Vi går närmare in på avloppsvattenreningen och avslutar med en visning i åkeshovsanläggningen där vi har grovrens och försedimentering.
Sobi är ett internationellt läkemedelsföretag inriktat på sällsynta sjukdomar. Vår vision är att bli ansedd som en global ledare i att tillhandahålla innovativa behandlingar som gör betydande skillnad för människor som lever med sällsynta sjukdomar. Produktportföljen fokuserar främst på behandlingar inom hemofili och Specialty Care. Partnerskap inom utveckling och kommersialisering av produkter inom Specialty Care är en viktig del av vår strategi. Sobi är en pionjär inom bioteknologi med stort kunnande inom proteinteknik och produktion av biologiska läkemedel.
Forskningsfronten inom kemi och bioteknik ligger i att använda skräddarsydda enzymer för grön syntes av läkemedel, biobränslen och biomaterial, vilket belönades med årets nobelpris i kemi. Under detta seminarium på SciLifeLab i Solna kommer jag att berätta hur vi med revolutionerande bioinformatiska metoder kan återskapa ”döda” proteiner som existerade på jorden för väldigt länge sedan. Jag kommer att påvisa hur återuppväckta proteiner med en ålder av miljontals, ja till och med miljarder år – idag kan finna essentiella tillämpningsområden i människans tjänst inom biologiska läkemedel och bioteknisk industri. Min forskargrupp på SciLifeLab har cementerat att uråldriga proteinvarianter utgör ”superenzymer” vilka uppvisar aktivitet och biofysikaliska egenskaper som vida överstiger de hos moderna proteiner vi observerar idag. Seminariet kommer även att innefatta ett besök på ledande bioteknologiska faciliteter på SciLifeLab.
The cellular membrane acts as a barrier to isolate the cells inside from the outside world. In our research group, we use large–scale computer simulations to study the molecular mechanisms of various phenomena happening at the plasma membrane. To communicate with its environment, the cell uses membrane proteins that facilitate the transport and permeation of otherwise impermeant species. Excitable cells such as neurons, heart or muscle cells, specifically, function by initiating and propagating electrical signals, in the form of controlled transport of selected ions across the cellular membrane. The proteins involved in this transport are called ion channels and their dysfunction leads to a variety of inherited diseases (heart arrhythmias, epilepsies, periodic paralyses). To understand the minute details of the working cycles of these molecular machines, we employ multi–scale molecular dynamics simulations. This enables to understand the complex interplay between the ion channel and its environment, particularly the lipid molecules of the cell membrane and the components of the intra– and extracellular solution. We resort to state–of the art enhanced sampling methods and use kinetic models to compute properties that can be directly compared with experimental (electrophysiology) measurements. This serves to validate the computational models used, such that we can trust their predictive power.
Our research is on the metabolism of bacteria that fix carbon dioxide. Energy sources for these bacteria can be sunlight, hydrogen, other gases, or metals. Our main focus is on photosynthetic cyanobacteria and hydrogen oxidizing bacteria that use the Calvin Cycle. An ultimate goal is to engineer the metabolism so that these bacteria fix CO2 and can convert it into chemicals and fuels at high rates. To do this, we use state–of–the–art metabolic modeling, synthetic biology tools such as CRISPR/Cas, and systems biology, such as proteomics and ribosome profiling. We cultivate strains in multiplex bioreactors. We also collaborate with groups that have expertise in metagenomics, bioinformatics, and photosynthesis.
iCellate Medical was founded as a spin off from research performed at the Karolinska Institute and Karolinska Hospital. The company currently employs 6 persons and the office is located in Hagalund close to Karolinska Hospital. iCellate has developed a proprietary technology to detect and analyze circulation tumor cells (CTCs). Cancer spreads from its origin in a primary tumor to distant parts of the body through CTCs that migrate into the lymphatic and blood circulation systems. By identifying and analyzing these CTCs while they are still spreading the disease, iCellate can help physicians detect and target cancer at an early stage. What also makes CTCs important is the possibility to sequence the genomes of the detected cells. With the genomic sequencing data in hand, supplemented by advanced bio–informatics and clinical interpretation, iCellate can determine which oncogenic genetic variants cause the disease, how it should be treated and predict where the primary tumor is probably located in the body. iCellate strive to be in the very forefront of the liquid biopsy market, to change how cancer is diagnosed and managed