The French ambassador in Sweden, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, visited UPSC on the 12th of april, to discuss with French UPSC scientists, scholars and students of Umeå University after meetings with Birgitta Heijer, governor of the Västerbotten region, as well as other representatives from Umeå University, the municipality of Umeå and the organizing committee of UMEÅ2014 European capital of culture.Read more at the French Embassy homepage
Professor Stefan Jansson at UPSC is discussing the use of Gene modified crops and the recent Swedish development of a barley variant that assimilates nitrogen more efficiently compared to wild type in a radio program at Swedish Radio (SR).Listen online (in Swedish)
Read press release (in Swedish)
The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the largest private financier of research in Sweden, announced their decision on funding of infrastructures in Sweden. In total the foundation assigned 353 million SEK of which 220 million SEK will fund infrastructures within life sciences and medicine. A major part will go to KBC and its technical platforms for Metabolomics and NMR. Metabolomics platform at UPSC
NMR platform at KBC
Press release from the Knut and Alice Wallenbergs Foundadtion (in Swedish)
Press release from Umeå University (in Swedish)
On April 4-5th the Swedish television channel “Kunskapskanalen” (Knowledge Channel) is broadcasting lectures on the subject “The forest of possibilities”. Researchers from UPSC participates in these lectures.Read more (in Swedish)
See online (in Swedish)
UPSC researcher Stefan Jansson has taken the initiative for a GMO symposium at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The symposium was sent online Mars 20, 2012.Read more (in Swedish)
See symposium online (in Swedish)
41 researchers, 90% of those funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) for basic research on plants – published on 1 October 2011 a debate article in Dagens Nyheter.The scientists argue that it is absolutely necessary that the use of genetically modified plants is regulated in the same manner as the use of conventionally bred plants, both in scientific experiments and agricultural and forest management. The present legislation is obsolete and does not consider modern knowledge on genetic engineering and genetic variation.
The scientists also refute common prejudices, normally brought up by environmental activists to mobilize against breeding and cultivation of genetically modified plants. The plant scientists insist that a reform of the regulation and treatment of genetically modified crops is essential to meet food and energy needs of a growing world population with limited energy resources.
20 of the 41 scientists work at UPSC.
On Oct 1 2011, 41 Swedish scientists holding grants from Vetenskapsrådet published a debate article in Dagens Nyheter, (http://www.dn.se/debatt/kvasivetenskap-hindrar-ett-hallbart-jord--och-skogsbruk). The text can also be downloaded here, an English version here.
Vetenskapsrådet supports basic science in all areas with granting decisions based solely on scientific excellence. 45 scientists (working within molecular biology, biochemistry biophysics, ecology, mathematic modeling etc.) hold for 2011 grants from Vetenskapsrådet for projects with main focus on plants and out of those, 41 signed. This means that 90 % of the leading plant scientists in Sweden claim that the basis of the EU legislation in this field – that the technique, not the properties of the plant determines whether or not a variety will be put under strict control or not - lacks support by scientific evidence and is instead based on quasi-scientific arguments. Therefore, the legislation must be changed to allow for findings in publicly funded basic plant research to be applied as environmentally friendly agriculture and forestry.
Read more (in Swedish)
Press release English
Press release Swedish