News in English 2018

Two young scientists from Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen receive the prestigious Sapere Aude Starting Grant from the Independent Research Fund Denmark. Associate Professor Sine Lo Svenningsen is a molecular biologist investigating microbial genetics, and Assistant Professor Rasmus Heller investigates genetics, evolution and biodiversity of large mammals.

Amelie Stein, Assistant Professor in the section for Biomolecular Sciences, is one of the 5 recipients of the 2018 Lundbeck Foundation Fellowship, which will support each Fellow’s research for 5 years with 10mDKK.  

A new method enables non-invasive monitoring of oxygen metabolism in cells that are 3D bioprinted into complex living structures. This has great implications for studies of cell growth and interactions e.g. under tissue-like conditions, as well as for the design of 3D printed constructs facilitating higher productivity of microalgae in biofilms or better oxygen supply for stem cells used in bone and tissue reconstruction efforts.

In a recent article in Science Signaling researchers from University of Tübingen and University of Copenhagen describes how bacteria may opt for persistence as well as resistance to antibiotics

Permafrost thaw allows biological activity in previously frozen ground, leading to a potential release of climate-relevant gases. We have heard about carbon dioxide and the potential ’methane bomb’, but what about other gases? A new study from University of Copenhagen shows that soil microorganisms play an important role.

Jacobus (Koos) Boomsma received the Hamilton Award from the International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI) at the closing session of the Union’s 18th quadrennial Congress in Guarujá, Brazil on 10 August 2018.

With a new groundbreaking technique, researchers from University of Copenhagen have managed to identify a protein that is responsible for cellular memory being transmitted when cells divide. The finding is crucial for understanding development from one cell to a whole body.

The incidence of Type-2 Diabetes is increasing worldwide. Understanding the mechanisms that control pancreatic beta-cells is still challenging. New scientific data from Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen shows a mechanism by which beta-cells auto-stimulate themselves and thereby regulate insulin secretion. This can be crucial for a better understanding of diabetes.

Diatoms are microscopic algae that live in all oceans, lakes and rivers on Earth. They use sunlight to produce oxygen and biomass – a process known as photosynthesis. Diatoms build a remarkable nano-porous cell-wall made of pure glass around them. A team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen could now show that these minute cell-wall structures interact with sunlight to make diatom photosynthesis more efficient.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a common chronic disease of the gut. Approximately 1 out of 250 Europeans suffer from this disease today. 

Head of Research Nikolai Friberg, Dr. Lise Madsen, and Professor Saverio Cinti appointed Affiliated Professors at the Department of Biology

A newly discovered gene in rice confers flood tolerance, drought tolerance and disease resistance, and the discovery of the gene is a major step forward on the quest to produce climate smart crops.

The hot, muddy pools of Iceland are home to a number of single-celled organisms called archaea, and new research shows that they also constitute a true biological battlefield and the basis for an arms race of unprecedented magnitude. The new knowledge about the battles between living organisms and their viruses in hot pools gives us a deep understanding of how microorganisms survive when exposed to stress. The information could be used for future biotechnological development.

In the molecular world, the building blocks of life have always been appreciated as intricate and complex. Nonetheless, structural biology have until now worked with a degree of order amidst the chaos, as protein function was defined by structure and order. This is no longer the case.