The Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine highlights Linda Sandblad in its "Technologies Advancing Molecular Medicine” series

Meet Linda Sandblad: Urging research to drive research infrastructure

Original article by Gretchen Repasky. Photo credit: Mattias Petterson.

The “Technologies Advancing Molecular Medicine” series highlights the people and activities in research technologies and core facilities in the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine. In this article, we meet MIMS Team Leader, Linda Sandblad (featured on the picture), and learn about the world-class cryo-EM facility she and her team have developed at Umeå University.

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MIMS Spotlight Series: Meet Sophia Hernandez

Written by Nóra Lehotai and Sophia Hernandez.

In this episode of the MIMS Spotlight Series, I chatted with Sophia Hernandez. Sophia was born in the Philippines where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and has been traveling around the world gaining research experience in different labs in the USA, UK, Switzerland and Sweden. Her parents have both scientific background while her brother took interest in business. Sophia joined MIMS in August 2020 as a new member of the Bushell lab.

Can you tell us about your role at MIMS, what are you working on now? 

I am a PhD student in Ellen Bushell’s lab. I formally started my PhD in February 2021. I am working on developing gene knock-down tools to study the malaria parasite. Knocking out essential genes result in the Plasmodium parasite’s death which makes it difficult to study these genes. For my project I am trying to develop a scalable conditional system so we can chose when to remove the gene.

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MIMS highlights World AIDS Day 2021

Written by Nóra Lehotai.

December 1 is World AIDS Day. This day is the first ever global health day, remembered since 1988. This year’s motto by the WHO is “End inequalities. End AIDS.”

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. Two species of lentiviruses, belonging to the retrovirus virus family, infect humans, and with time, if left untreated, can cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS. HIV infection is one of the major global health issues, with an estimate of 37.7 million people living with it. It is also a disproportionately distributing infection as more than two thirds of the infections are located in the African continent. There is no antiviral drug available to cure HIV infection.

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Antibiotic resistance is a complex global problem - interview with Nabil Karah, physician and researcher 

In the frame of MIMS highlights World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2021 

Text written by Nóra Lehotai and Nabil Karah.

Nabil Karah is not only a physician and researcher, but also senior project advisor at the Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC, https://www.norwac.no/), residing in Oslo, Norway.In his connection with Umeå University, he is associated with Prof. Bernt Erik at the Department of Molecular Biology.

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Important toxin helps the cholera bacterium to survive

Infection researchers at Umeå University have discovered that the cholera bacterium can produce a toxin that is considered particularly important for the bacterium in its natural environments and for survival in competition with other organisms. Knowledge of the toxin means that there is another tool that can be used in the fight against cholera and similar diseases. The study is published in PNAS.

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