Biology Education

We are inviting students interested in immunology and cardiovascular disease to perform their Master’s Degree project at the Cardiac Inflammation Research Group, CRC Malmö. Our group studies immune and inflammatory mechanisms involved in myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis and myocarditis. By using animal models and in-vitro studies we investigate the underlying disease mechanisms and aim to develop new treatments for translation into the clinic. In parallel, in our large cohorts of myocardial infarction patients, we are looking for new pathways and biomarkers that are important for the development of heart failure and other complications. You can read more about our research on our website and in our recent publications in the European Heart Journal (Marinkovic et al, 2019), Circulation Research (Marinkovic et al, 2020) and Critical Care (Jakobsson et al, 2023).
Our experienced post-docs are leading the work and provide hands-on supervision for master’s and PhD students. Our projects include in-vivo work with mouse models of myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis or myocarditis. We measure cardiac function by echocardiograpy, perform in-depth analyses of immune cell populations by flow cytometry, histology and immunohistochemistry. We have also developed an extensive database of single-cell sequencing data (CITEseq) for the detailed study of gene and surface protein expression in cells isolated from the heart, blood and immune organs of mice with myocardial infarction and myocarditis. In-vitro, we are using cell culture experiments (immune cells, cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells) to analyze cell function, gene expression, signaling pathways, and cellular metabolism (Seahorse). We use a wide range of methods such as microsurgery, immunohistochemistry, histology, light and fluorescent microscopy, ELISA, RT-PCR and Western Blot.
Our ongoing projects include:

• Study the role of novel neutrophil sub-populations identified in our earlier research in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction and myocarditis.
• Study the impact of a treatment developed in our lab, based on blockade of the pro-inflammatory neutrophil mediator S100A8/A9, on the immune response in myocardial infarction and myocarditis.
• Develop new immunomodulatory treatments against cardiac inflammation by using individual metabolites derived from the Krebs (tricyclic acid) cycle.
• Identify immune cell populations responsible for increased vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis after a myocardial infarction.

If interested, please contact Dr. Alexandru Schiopu, group leader, at Alexandru.Schiopu@med.lu.se

Just like us, bacteria often have to deal with stress. However, stress for bacteria is a bit different from the stress we are used to – it is something that causes damage to the cellular macromolecules: membranes, proteins, and nucleic acids. It can be chemical stress, caused by harmful compounds, or physical stress, such as heat. A limited supply of nutrients can also be regarded as stress. Bacteria have developed stress responses, which aim to temporarily increase tolerance limits. These stress responses are often specific; each specialized in a particular kind of stress. Some stress responses facilitate bacterial transition from a free-living organism to a host-invading pathogen.

The aim of this project is to investigate, at the molecular level, how the soil-living bacterium Bacillus subtilis deals with various types of stress. This bacterium can form structured multicellular communities called biofilms. Biofilms contain genetically identical cells that give rise to phenotypically distinct cell types, such as, for example, motile cells, surfactin producers, sporulating cells and matrix-producing cells. Biofilms provide a protective environment that enhances resistance to antibiotics and play an important role in the pathogenesis of many medically important bacterial pathogens. By studying how biofilms are affected by stress, we could develop strategies to disperse them.

30-60 cr MSc thesis project, flexible start date.

Qualifications needed: Good knowledge of molecular biology and microbiology.

If you are interested to get more information on current projects, please contact Claes von Wachenfeldt (claes.von_wachenfeldt@biol.lu.se)

Mitochondria are essential cellular organelles involved in energy production via oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), metabolite synthesis, calcium homeostasis, and stress responses. Despite their critical roles and extensive research on plant mitochondria, many aspects of their biology remain unclear. Advancing our understanding of these organelles will help address future challenges in food production posed by climate change and a growing global population.

Calcium is a key cellular component, acting as a second messenger in signaling pathways and playing key roles in ATP production and mitochondrial signaling processes. Calcium uptake into the mitochondrial matrix is regulated by the mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uniporter (MCU), a multimeric membrane channel complex. This complex includes regulatory proteins, one of which was reported to be the Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Regulator (MCUR). Although MCUR was identified in mammalian cells in 2015, its precise role and function are still debated. Conflicting studies suggest it regulates the MCU but that it is also is part of Complex IV in the Electron Transport Chain (ETC), or even functions as a proline transporter in yeast. While mammalian and yeast studies present discordant findings, MCUR proteins remain completely unstudied in plants.

This project aims to investigate the MCUR family in Arabidopsis thaliana to clarify their roles and the processes they are part of. Using genetic tools like CRISPR-Cas9 and insertional mutagenesis, knock-out mutants will be generated and analyzed through physiological and phenotypic studies. Protein-protein interaction assays and -omics analysis, such as transcriptomics and proteomics, will provide further insights into MCUR functions.

This research offers students the opportunity to contribute to a novel field while gaining experience in advanced physiological and molecular techniques. For more information, contact Olivier Van Aken (olivier.van_aken@biol.lu.se).

DNA molecules in our cells are packaged around histone proteins to form a structure called chromatin, which preserves cell function. Chromatin contains so-called epigenetic information (for example, in the form of post-translational modifications of histones) that safeguards transcriptional programs and promotes genomic stability. Unsurprisingly, mutations in chromatin proteins and alterations of epigenetic information disrupt cellular processes and contribute to human disease.

How do epigenetic alterations cause human disease?

In our lab, we model disease-associated epigenetic aberrations in human cells, with the aim of understanding how these aberrations affect DNA repair, gene transcription, and cell division. The methods employed include human cell culture, advanced molecular biology and biochemistry, genomics, and high-content microscopy.

I am looking for a highly motivated master’s student to undertake a wet lab project. Interest in chromatin biology and epigenetics, transcription, and/or DNA repair is essential for the project.

You will be joining a newly formed lab, embedded in a stimulating research environment at BMC A11, and benefit from regular hands-on supervision from the group leader (Giulia Saredi). The project will ideally start in the autumn term, with a recommended length of 60 credits.

If you have any questions on the project, please contact me (g.saredi[at]dundee.ac.uk) and include a brief description of why you’re interested in joining the lab.

Bark beetle outbreaks represent a threat to forests worldwide. Under normal circumstances, they colonize dead or low vigour trees, which promotes nutrient cycling in the ecosystem. However, in large numbers they are capable of colonizing healthy trees, using aggregation pheromones to coordinate these attacks. It has been proven that using pheromone baits as a control strategy to interfere with bark beetle behaviour is effective. Similarly, predators of these beetles are attracted by the presence of the beetles’ pheromones.
As several of these pheromones share the same C5 building block molecules as plant secondary metabolism, in the Van Aken Lab, we have engineered different metabolic pathways to produce insect pheromones from plant metabolism. Having plants producing insect pheromones opens the possibility for using them as natural dispensers of pheromones or as a biofactory for later extraction. Currently in this project, we are engineering alternative enzymes for the current pathways and new cloning strategies for improving the production of these pheromones, as well as new pathways to produce different pheromones.
In this project, we will use several cloning techniques such as Multisite Gateway cloning, Golden Gate cloning and Gibson assembly. We will work with the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, as well as N. benthamiana and the oilseed crop Camelina sativa. We will use expression analysis via qPCR and GC/MS to evaluate plant metabolite production.
For this project, it is expected to have a student with an interest in plants and molecular biology, as well as biotechnological applications. The start date is flexible, as well as the duration of the project. If you are interested, please contact Olivier Van Aken (olivier.van_aken@biol.lu.se) for more information.

Epilepsy is a family of neurological disorders affecting 1% of the general population. About 30% of patients are resistant to current medications, and surgical treatment options are possible for only a minority of selected cases. Pharmacoresistant patients continue to experience seizures throughout their lifetime, with a severe impact on their quality of life. The development of novel and more effective treatment strategies is therefore highly needed, as well as preventive approaches that could block the progression of the disease.
The main objective of this project is to develop highly specific and precise gene therapy approaches that target critical cell populations involved in the development of epilepsy and seizures. By using a combination of advanced molecular biology, electrophysiological and imaging techniques, we will (i) identify hyper-active neuronal ensembles involved in the early stages of epileptogenesis, (ii) charachterise their location, molecular identity and functional alterations, (iii) apply gene therapy approaches designed to limit the functional output of hyper-active neurons and prevent the development of chronic epilepsy. These approaches will be validated in different animal models of epilepsy, and will provide important new knowledge on the mechanisms of epileptogenesis, as well as basis for the development of preventive treatments that could further be translated in the human condition.
Contact: Marco Ledri (marco.ledri@med.lu.se)
https://portal.research.lu.se/en/organisations/epilepsy-center
https://portal.research.lu.se/en/organisations/molecular-neurophysiology-and-epilepsy-group
https://portal.research.lu.se/en/persons/marco-ledri