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After completing his PhD at Umeå University, Bastian Schiffthaler now works with bioinformatics at AstraZeneca (photo: Björn Schiffthaler).
As a PhD student at UPSC, Bastian Schiffthaler was given a high degree of independence and responsibility early on. Today, he works as an Associate Principal Scientist at AstraZeneca, analysing large-scale biological data in complex research projects with the potential to improve patients’ lives. Looking back, he describes his time at UPSC as a formative period that shaped how he approaches problem-solving and decision-making in his current role.
Read more: Being entrusted early helped shape his career path
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PhD students at the UPSC retreat in September 2025 during a workshop on graphical abstract illustration (Photo: Elena Mondino, instructor at "Visualize your Science").
Today, on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we celebrate the next generation of scientists. This day highlights the importance of equal participation and visibility in research.
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Susan McEvoy started in November 2025 as new group leader at UPSC (photo: Anne Honsel).
How is the evolution of forest tree species reflected in their genomes? How can we use this information to understand the forests of today and the future? These questions are at the core of Susan McEvoy’s research. As a new group leader at UPSC and part of the WIFORCE programme at SLU, she aims to translate this research into tools for forest management.
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Short warm spells in early winter help trees fine-tune when it is safe to open their buds. Photo: Aswin Nair
To survive winter, trees must time spring growth with great precision. New research from Umeå Plant Science Centre shows that trees also use warm interruptions in early winter as signals, helping buds avoid opening too early.
Read more: Trees do not just count cold – they use warm spells to track winter’s progress
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Sara Rydman recently defended her PhD research on the genetic basis of chemical defence in aspen (photo: Anne Honsel).
Trees constantly have to balance growth with defence against attack. In her PhD research at Umeå University, Sara Rydman has identified several new genes linked to the formation of chemical defence compounds in aspen. The findings provide new insight into the genetic basis of chemical defence in trees.
Read more: New genes behind chemical defence in aspen identified
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Research in biology generates huge amounts of data and bioinformaticians have become more and more important to analyse and make sense of the results. Photo: Samuel Pettersson, Umeå University
Biology has entered a data-driven era. Advances in DNA sequencing and other technologies now generate vast amounts of biological data, far beyond what traditional methods can handle. To turn this flood of information into meaningful insights, bioinformaticians have become essential. This is why Umeå University is launching a new Master’s programme in Bioinformatics, starting in the autumn of 2026.
Read more: New Master’s programme tackles challenges in modern biology
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Anna Renström has applied different nitrogen sources to hybrid aspen trees to test their effect on wood formation (photo: Anne Honsel).
Different nitrogen fertilisers increase tree growth, but nitrate also specifically affects wood formation and wood properties. Anna Renström has shown this in her PhD thesis, offering new fundamental insights that can support more sustainable nitrogen use in forests.
Read more: Nitrate affects wood development, not just growth
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Totte Niittylä from UPSC (left), Jenny Hasselgren (second from right) and Fanny Sundelin (right), both from Agrisera, presented the prize to Junko Takahashi-Schmidt (second from right) at the traditional UPSC Christmas lunch (photo: Anne Honsel).
Each year, UPSC honours scientific achievements and contributions to improving the work environment with the UPSC Agrisera Prize. This year, the prize is awarded to Junko Takahashi Schmidt, manager of the Biopolymer Analytical Platform at UPSC. She is recognised for her long-standing commitment to the platform and UPSC during the past 15 years, as well as her dedication to patiently training researchers at all levels.
Read more: The UPSC Agrisera Prize 2025 is awarded to Junko Takahashi Schmidt
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Catherine Bellini combines research in Sweden and France to advance understanding of plant growth and adaptation. Photo: Mattias Pettersson, Umeå University
On Tuesday this week, Catherine Bellini was awarded the Roséns Linnaeus Prize in Botany by the Royal Physiographic Society of Lund. She received the prize for her research on adventitious roots and carbon allocation and her strong commitment to promoting international scientific collaboration. Catherine Bellini shares the award with Alexandre Antonelli, professor at the University of Gothenburg.
Read more: Catherine Bellini receives the Roséns Linnaeus Prize in Botany
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Hybrid aspen (right) uses the same genes to stop growth for winter as Arabidopsis (left) uses to trigger flowering - but in opposite ways. Photos: Marta Derba-Maceluch (left) and Bo Zhang (right)
Deciduous trees and annual plants rely on the same ancestral genes, but evolution has assigned them different tasks. Now researchers from Sweden and China show that aspen trees use flowering-related genes to stop growth as winter approaches - yet in the opposite way compared to annual plants.
Read more: Trees repurpose flowering gene toolkit to control winter growth stop