A miniaturized version of the eukaryotic ribosome found in microsporidia

A research team lead by MIMS/SciLifeLab research group leader Jonas Barandun uses cryo-electron microscopy to provide near atomic details of the smallest known eukaryotic cytoplasmic protein synthesis machine, the microsporidian ribosome.

150 years ago, the European silk industry was threatened by an unknown epidemic killing the silkworms. At that time, Louis Pasteur was able to identify the source of infection and made important suggestions for treatment. The silk production in Europe survived. Today, a microsporidian parasite is known as the cause of this epidemic and silk worm diseases still cause more than 100 million USD losses to the Chinese silk industry every year. Microsporidiosis is not restricted to silk worms. The diverse phylum of the microsporidia contains thousands of different species with parasites for essentially every animal. At least 14 of them can infect humans. Particularly challenged by microsporidia are not only aquacultures, sericultures and honey bee populations in which infections can wipe out entire hives, but also immunocompromised patients. Microsporidia are a risk for the environment, agriculture and human health and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently added the parasitic fungi to the list of emerging pathogens of high priority. Even if microsporidia infections are among the most common parasitic diseases in all animals, relatively little is known about their fascinating molecular life which is shaped by an accelerated evolutionary rate and extreme genome compaction.

Together with researchers from The Rockefeller University and Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Jonas Barandun, new group leader at The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), publishes the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the microsporidian ribosome which visualizes the effect of extreme genome compaction on an essential molecular machine (Nature Microbiology, 22 July 2019).

Read more: A miniaturized version of the eukaryotic ribosome found in microsporidia

10 years of MIMS celebration

[2019-06-24] It was a big surprise for both Bernt Eric Uhlin, founding director of MIMS, and the audience attending the “10 years of MIMS symposium”, when Emmanuelle Charpentier – one of the first group leaders who started a lab at MIMS -  entered the podium and gave a speech to honor Bernt Eric and MIMS.

"When people ask me what attracted me in Umea, I reply that MIMS could offer me what I was looking for",  said Emmanuelle Charpentier and described the MIMS environment as follows: "an innovative model for a new research institution; freedom of research; an understanding for risky projects and an understanding that more unconventional research projects need time and focus; respect for young students and scientists; a world-class scientific education for the junior scientists; an interactive and relaxed environment where scientific discussions are always a priority; and an enjoyable community of colleagues always ready to challenge novel scientific questions".

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8th National Infection Biology/Microbiology (NIB/SFM/NDPIA) - Registration closed!

Welcome to the 8th National Infection Biology/Microbiology (NIB/SFM/NDPIA) Meeting!

Date and venue: 14-15th of October 2019, Aronsborg (Bålsta) at Aronsborgs Konferenshotell in Bålsta (between Stockholm and Uppsala).

The registration is closed now. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you missed your registration

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The Nordic EMBL Partnership Directors featured on EMBL.de

[2019-04-12] Leadership was not only changed at EMBL, when EMBL Director General Edith Heard succeeded Iain Mattaj in January 2019. Also the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine welcomed new directors: Janna Saarela, became new director at NCMM, Mark Daly, started as new director at FIMM, and Oliver Billker succeeded Bernt Eric Uhlin in the directorship in October 2018. The leadership changes were a reason for EMBL to about on its largest partnership and discuss with the new directors about values of the Nordic collaboration.
(Photo: Massimo del Prete/EMBL, screen shot)
Read the article on EMBL.de (authors Annabel Darby and Plamena Markova)

Welcome Björn Ole Schröder!

[2019-04-05] Starting on 1st April as new group leader, Björn Ole Schröder is currently setting up his new laboratory at MIMS.

Björn, a trained biochemist with a strong interest in microbiology and immunology, was born in Kiel in nothern Germany. MIMS recruited the young group leader from the Institute of Medicine - Wallenberg Laboratory, University of Gothenburg, where he was postdoc and assistant professor in the laboratory of Fredrik Bäckhed. Björn  studied  Biochemistry at the Technische Universität, Munich, Germany, where he also got his Masters degree. He earned his PhD in biology with Summa cum Laude, from the University in Tübingen, Germany.

Björn Ole Schröder's research focuses on how diet and other factors change the composition of our intestinal bacteria, and how these microbial changes modulate our defense systems in the gut. His special research interest is the mucus layer that coats the intestinal epithelium, and antimicrobial peptides, which are peptide antibiotics produced by all body surfaces.

Read more: Welcome Björn Ole Schröder!