Seeking cures for inflamed intestines

The LiU year in review

The peace of Christmas finally descended onto LiU. It’s time for a pictorial review of some of the events during the LiU year, 2018.

New light shed on intensely studied material

The organic polymer PEDOT is probably one of the world’s most intensely studied materials. Despite this, LiU researchers have now demonstrated that the material functions in a completely different manner than previously believed.

A view into a blood clot

What really happens inside a blood clot as it forms? To investigate this question in detail, researchers developed a method that enables 3-dimensional images of how blood clots form. Applications of the method include studies of how anticoagulant drugs work.

Drop-in healthcare good for patients

At the healthcare centre in the Hageby district of Norrköping, patients can be seen on a drop-in basis – without ringing to make an appointment.

Drug development – not only in industry

Neuroscientists obtain support from SciLifeLab when working to develop new drugs against epilepsy. The project is the first from Linköping University that has been accepted as a full program for the Drug Discovery and Development Platform (DDD).

Getting the most out of spinach

Eat your spinach in the form of a smoothie or juice – this is the best way to obtain the antioxidant lutein. High levels of lutein are found in dark green vegetables, and researchers at LiU have compared different ways of preparing fresh spinach in order to maximise the levels of lutein in finished food.

Reactions to 21st-century mining policy

Sweden is once again a leading mining nation – but at what cost? Researchers have analysed the transformation of Swedish mining policy, and the many conflicts the policy has caused. 

Visions for rural areas

How can rural areas develop in an age of urbanisation? A new book raises questions and presents visions about the future of sparsely populated areas.

Police shootings: “Smart tactics better than tough tactics”

Six people have been fatally shot in Sweden by police officers in 2018. Could these deaths have been avoided? A new report highlights major structural deficiencies in the police that lead to mistakes and the use of excessive force.

Top marks for COP24 negotiators

Climate researcher Mathias Fridahl from the Department of Thematic Studies – Environmental Change awards top marks to the negotiators at COP24. At the last minute, a rulebook was adopted for the global work towards achieving the climate objectives set in the Paris Agreement, 2015.

Antonios Pantazis looks at our biophysics in high resolution

How do you measure protein motion? Can you see protein molecules moving at high resolution? Antonios Pantazis is the most recently recruited research fellow at the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, and he has developed a method that he believes will advance research into ion channels.

LiU researcher to be awarded SEK 1.7 million for her doctoral thesis

Kinga Barrafrem’s doctoral thesis on behavioural economics has been deemed so outstanding that it has been awarded the Wallander Grant.

Pioneers in structured common sense

Developed by LiU and other universities, CDIO is the framework for an updated engineering programme that is currently used at universities worldwide. Now LiU is first to implement CDIO in medical education, in its first international BSc programme.

“Lecturing – so inefficient”

Lectures in the Linköping University course in evolution have given way to active work in small groups. Future biologists and students planning to become upper secondary teachers study together.

Four-legged robot brings help in disasters

In a recently concluded project in Horizon 2020, researchers and developers from three European countries have created new technology for a disaster-response robot. The robot is intended for use in dangerous environments.

Exchange of ideas at the third WCMM symposium

International invited speakers and researchers from several Wallenberg centres presented and discussed research results at the third symposium arranged by the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine at LiU.

Food for thought

Once a week the kitchens at Campus Valla operate at full pressure. This is the day for cooking 30 litres of food for several thousand, rather picky, dinner guests. 

LiU researchers severely critical of economics prize-winner

A catastrophe for work with climate. The macroeconomic models that William Nordhaus, one of this year’s prize-winners in economics, has developed have drawn severe criticism from researchers. 

They found impossible silica structures

An international research group has discovered previously unknown phases of silica, with structures that should not be possible in nature. The theoretical foundation of the work has been calculated under the leadership of Igor Abrikosov.

Prize for AI algorithm

How can units collaborate to complete a task in the best possible manner? Fredrik Präntare has been awarded the Lilla Polhemspris for his degree project that answers the question, solving an optimisation problem that has engaged engineers for years.

Researcher criticised for research misconduct

The board of the Faculty of Science and Engineering has levelled serious criticism against a previous LiU researcher, considering that he can be held accountable for misconduct in at least three scientific articles. The researcher is criticised also for giving misleading information about his role and activities in several contexts.

Two new projects on segregation

What role do bridges, roads and parks have for the segregation in a city? And is it possible to create a computer model of a whole housing market? Those are two main questions in two new research projects at IAS.

AI advancing on a broad front

Artificial intelligence is a hot topic and target for investment around the world. AI has taken the step out from the research laboratory and we are experiencing the second generation AI systems. The third generation will place people in the centre.

Collaboration to promote human rights

A newly established collaboration between LiU Innovation and the human rights group Civil Rights Defenders is to use social innovations to reinforce work with human rights around the world. LiU students will play a central role in the work.

Stop the heart attack before it occurs

By way of a large national population study, researchers are looking for increasingly better ways of determining which individuals run the greatest risk of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.

Surge of interest in construction logistics

Disturbance-free Cities, EU project in improving the control of urban building sites, Fossil-free Construction Logistics, and Effects of Construction Logistics Solutions are some of the research projects that will be occupying researchers at LiU.

LiU researchers among the most cited in the world

Four researchers from LiU claim places on the 2018 list of the most highly cited – and thus most influential – researchers in the world.

Supporting vulnerable children

Children should be able to grow up without the fear of threats and abuse. The national knowledge centre Barnafrid has its direction clearly defined – but its task is demanding.

COP24: the most important climate conference since Paris

Geopolitics and carbon capture. These are two topics that climate researchers Mathias Fridahl and Björn-Ola Linnér are keeping a close eye on at the UN climate conference in Poland.

SEK 28 million for multidisciplinary research into new medicines

Magnus Berggren, professor of organic electronics at LiU, has been awarded more than SEK 28 million in the coming seven years from the Swedish Research Council for research into electronic neuromedicines.

SEK 44 million for research into the mental health of young people

Two research environments at LiU have each received nearly SEK 22 million from the Swedish Research Council to work on different aspects of the mental health of children and young people.

The Christmas spirit in 16 versions

Someone must take on the job of creating Christmas spirit in song, and LiU’s musical ensembles are happy to oblige. They are offering the Christmas spirit on no less than 16 occasions. They start with choral favourites in Norrköping.

Living electrodes with bacteria and organic electronics

Researchers at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics have developed a method that increases the signal strength from microbial electrochemical cells by up to twenty times. The secret is a film with an embedded bacterium: Shewanella oneidensis.

“Of course girls are interested in technology!”

Girls are initially keenly interested in technology, but this decreases during their school years, and may completely disappear. This is the conclusion of LiU doctoral student Ulrika Sultan, editor of a book targeting teachers of technology in grades 7-9. The book has aroused considerable interest and debate.

Rediscovering the potato onion

Have you ever eaten a potato onion? It’s highly likely, but you probably called it a ‘shallot’. Now researchers have studied this lesser known relative of the common bulb onion, and we may be seeing a renaissance of this venerable vegetable among green-fingered folk.

Interest in LiU Game Conference continues to rise

LiU Game Conference is bursting at the seams. More than a thousand tickets have been sold, and the limit that the venue can take has been reached.

The Laboratory of Organic Electronics is growing – just like the trees.

The Laboratory of Organic Electronics at Campus Norrköping, is expanding and recruiting seven doctoral students and two international postdocs to work at the Wallenberg Wood Science Center, WWSC.

Vinnova to support agricultural technology

The objective of Agtech 2030 is to make eastern Götaland a world-leader in agricultural technology. The programme is selected by Vinnova as a Vinnväxt programme. It has a total budget of nearly SEK 200 million, of which SEK 70 million from Vinnova.

Human pharmaceuticals change cricket personality

Why do animals differ in personality? Researchers at LiU used human drugs that alter two brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine, to see if these drugs would change the behavior of animals.

New perspectives on the prostate

The prostate – for many people it’s an organ mainly associated with cancer. In a new book researchers investigate not only how the prostate causes problems – but also various notions relating to the prostate. Because these, they argue, can also affect men’s health and quality of life.

Suzanne Osten bringing innovation to researchers in child studies

Theories and concepts within child studies will be discussed and refined at an international workshop. Suzanne Osten, ground-breaking drama specialist in children’s theatre, has been invited to bring innovation to the way that researchers think.

Testing new sensors for Skeldar

Companies that participate in the Vinnova-funded Link-Sic competence centre can obtain help from students during the summer. Sara Nilsson and Julius Kokko Ekholm tested navigation sensors for unmanned helicopters.

Revealing the inner working of magnetic materials

Björn Alling, researcher in theoretical physics at LiU, has, together with his colleagues, completed the task given to him by the Swedish Research Council in the autumn of 2014: Find out what happens inside magnetic materials at high temperatures.

A major role for a small organ during pregnancy

The immune system of a pregnant woman is altered during pregnancy, but not in the way previously believed. A study from LiU shows that the thymus plays an important role in the immune response during a normal pregnancy.

SEK 35 million for research at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Four LiU researchers will receive a total of SEK 18 million in project grants from the Swedish Research Council within humanities and social sciences. A further SEK 17 million has been awarded to a research environment in migration and integration.

Higher healthcare requirements when children with congenital heart disease become adults

Today, most children with congenital heart disease survive to adulthood. However, these patients need lifelong treatment for their heart problems and often repeated cardiac surgeries.

Safer ambulance practice

Almost all care procedures performed during pre-hospital transport are affected by forces and noise that high driving speeds entail. This is shown in a report from Linköping university and VTI, The Swedish Road and Transport Research Institute.

Three cities, three ways to handle biogas

Linköping, Uppsala and Västerås are three cities and regions around the same size, all of which have made long-term investments in biogas. But their reasons and the practical solutions they have chosen are completely different.

Joining forces for climate change adaptation at Nordic conference

Climate change affects us all, and we have to do something to do about it. This message was clear after the Nordic Conference on Climate Change Adaptation, which was attended by more than 400 representatives from municipal, regional and national government, as well as the business and research sectors.

SEK 84 million for research in science and technology

Twenty-five researchers in science and technology at LiU have been awarded grants in this year’s round of funding from the Swedish Research Council. The total amount they receive is SEK 84 million.

Graphene takes a step towards renewable fuel

Researchers at LiU are working to develop a method to convert water and carbon dioxide to the renewable energy of the future, using the energy from the sun and graphene applied to the surface of cubic silicon carbide.

Great Gold Medal awarded to Lennart Ljung

For more than 40 years Lennart Ljung has been one of the most prominent professors at Linköping University, in both Swedish and international contexts. He is now to receive the Great Gold Medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.

Materials for more efficient aviation

One way of making aviation more sustainable is to improve the materials used in the aircraft themselves. Efforts to reduce the environmental impact of aviation are a lot about details and collaboration.

His mission: to promote transport research

“Östergötland is a hub in Swedish transport research, with both a broad range and cutting-edge projects. But co-ordination must be improved, particularly when facing major calls for research funding” says Magnus Blinge, adjunct professor at LiU.

Two weeks with a focus on global sustainability

Panel discussion, clothes swap, sustainable investment and several seminars. Global Weeks on Campus, from 12 to 23 November, will focus on global sustainability.

Talk is not enough for fossil-free

“We could be using fossil-free cars, freight and air travel, but so far there’s been a lot of talk and very little action. And most people have completely unrealistic expectations for how rapidly we can achieve a transition”, Mats Eklund says.

Safety first in air travel

Air travel can become more environmentally sensitive. Huge efforts are being put into technological developments to reduce its impact. The use of biofuels and more frequent intermediate landings would reduce emissions, but someone has to pay.

Disaster medicine for a changing world

For Andreas Wladis, professor of disaster medicine and traumatology at Linköping University, disaster medicine combines his interest in surgery with his desire to discover the world around him.

SEK 75 million for research in medicine and health

Twenty-two LiU researchers have been awarded more than SEK 75 million from the Swedish Research Council for research in medicine and health.

Ferroelectricity – an 80-year-old mystery solved

Only now in 2018 have researchers successfully demonstrated that hypothetical ‘particles’ that were proposed by Franz Preisach in 1935 actually exist. In an article published in Nature Communications, scientists show why ferroelectric materials act as they do.

Life Science Meeting – the labour market for biomedical students

The LiU Life Science Meeting was arranged to inform biomedicine students about opportunities in the labour market after graduating.

No crimes committed, but procedures must be tightened

No crimes committed, but procedures must be tightened. These are the conclusions of an internal inquiry into suspected impropriety levelled against a previous co-worker at Linköping University.

Perovskites – materials of the future in optical communication

Researchers have shown how an inorganic perovskite can be made into a cheap and efficient photodetector that transfers both text and music. “It’s a promising material for future rapid optical communication”, says LiU researcher Feng Gao.

2018 Alumni of the Year speak at LiU

The 2018 Alumni of the Year, Rebecka Le Moine and Eva Uustal, received their awards on 11 October. Both have fought to raise awareness of important issues – biodiversity and birth injuries respectively – in order to make change possible.

Why females age more slowly than males

Males and females have different strategies to maximise the number of offspring during life. The differences in reproductive strategy contribute to differences in aging between the sexes, according to a new study of fruit flies carried out at LiU.

Discovery of inner ear function may improve diagnosis of hearing impairment

Results from a research study published in Nature Communications show how the inner ear processes speech, something that has until now been unknown. The authors of the report include researchers from Linköping University.

Autonomous sea rescue tested

The major research programme WASP provides arenas in which researchers and companies can meet and test their technology and results. The WASP arena for public safety, WARA PS, is the first to demonstrate an autonomous search-and-rescue system.

Nanoscale pillars as a building block for future information technology

Researchers from LiU propose a new device concept that can efficiently transfer the information carried by electron spin to light at room temperature – a step stepping stone towards future information technology.

SEK 35 million for research on health, working life and welfare

Forte – the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare has awarded research grants to six research projects at LiU. A research programme into using mobile phones to help change lifestyle behaviour has received the largest amount.

Popular education important for asylum seekers’ social inclusion

Committed teachers in the popular adult education sector are quietly making a huge contribution with helping asylum seekers into Swedish society. And it’s not just educational, it's also social and humanitarian. All according to two fresh LiU studies.

Large police exercise at Campus Valla

The Swedish Police has selected Campus Valla as the place for a large exercise on 4 October. It will not be possible to access parts of Campus Valla while the exercise is in progress.

New research supercomputer online

Swedish research has now gained access to the first 600 nodes of the new supercomputer Tetralith, which will be the most powerful computer in the Nordic region when it comes fully online this autumn. Researchers at LiU also have access to Sigma.

SEK 27 million for liquid fuels of the future

Professor of organic electronics Magnus Berggren have been awarded SEK 27 million for the coming five years from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation to work on future technology for liquid fuels that are based on water and oxygen. 

SEK 33 million for room temperature quantum bits

Igor Abrikosov, professor at LiU, has been awarded SEK 33 million for the coming five years from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation to show how it is possible to use the smallest components of quantum mechanics at room temperature.

SEK 10.3 for research on sustainable spatial planning

Two research projects have been granted funding from the research council Formas. The largest amount will go to a project where researchers will help preschools work with global and national sustainability targets. 

High-performance molecular motor with minimal design

Chemists at Linköping University took their inspiration from nature when designing a new molecular motor to convert light energy into motion. The motor has a minimal structure, but even so satisfies several important functional criteria.

Better is Peace

Among warplanes, a chilling manifestation against the madness of war. The Swedish Air Force Museum will be the location for the Better is Peace concert on 20 October, to be followed on 21 October in Louis De Geer Konsert & Kongress.

After the threat-Q&A

We have received many questions from students and co-workers after the threat against Linköping University on Wednesday. The answers to some of these are given below.

Increased security after threat against LiU

The university management at Linköping University has decided that the university will open as usual on Thursday, with increased surveillance from the police and the university’s own security personnel.

Threat against Linköping university

A threat against Linköping University has been expressed in a chat room. The threat warns people against being on the university campus on Thursday.

Uterus transplantation – ethically just as problematic as altruistic surrogacy

Researchers at universities including Linköping University have studied ethical aspects of uterus transplantation. The results show that uterus transplantation with living donors is ethically just as problematic as altruistic surrogacy.

From shy student to head of consultancy in Shanghai

“I think I’ve succeeded pretty well in achieving the dreams I had when I was a student. I wanted to work in China, and I’ve had several management positions in different industries", says Charlie Xu.

A passion for protecting biological diversity

Optimism or pessimism? Rebecka Le Moine, conservation biologist and Alumna of the Year 2018, prefers optimism. With limitless energy she works to spread knowledge about everything that we can do to preserve biological diversity.

Care for the newly delivered gives Alumna of the Year award

A cry of delivery resounds across Sweden. Women are telling their stories of birth injuries, and they are demanding the right to professional care. In the eye of the storm stands gynaecologist and Alumna of the Year Eva Uustal.

Alumni of the Year: species under threat and safe perinatal care

LiU Alumni of the Year for 2018 are Rebecka Le Moine, biologist and active in popular science, and Eva Uustal, senior physician and expert in birth injuries.

2000 Researchers petition for AI investment

A broad investment in artificial intelligence is now required in Europe, an investment that places people in the centre. This demand has been made by more than 2,000 researchers. “The public sector is particularly important" says Fredrik Heintz.

Lower demands at work to reduce burnout

There is no support for the idea that high demands at work can be compensated by increased freedom of action and social support. This is a myth: the demands in themselves can lead to burnout.

Horizon 2020 grants to LiU

Screening for substances that affect hormones, digital solutions for active aging and infrastructure for climate simulation are three projects with LiU participation awarded funds from the EU Horizon 2020 programme.

New agreement brings hope for rhinos

A new agreement has been signed this summer to continue the collaboration to save Africa’s rhinos from poachers. “The number of rhinos is increasing in Kenya, the only country in Africa where this is happening", says Professor Fredrik Gustafsson.

Emotional scars increase the risk of sports injury

Active top-flight athletes who have experienced sexual or physical abuse at some time in their life run a greater risk of sports-related injury. This according to a new study from the Athletics Research Center at LiU.

Broad collaboration to give fossil-free transport

A broad research and innovation programme from universities, industry and government agencies is designed to lead to fossil-free freight transport by 2045. Magnus Blinge, adjunct professor in environmental logistics, is coordinating work at LiU.

How experts look at accident scenes

Calling for help in the event of an accident – it is something that anyone may have to do. At an accident scene, what would you look for? Researchers at Linköping University have examined how novices and experts observe accident scenes.

Materials science – seeking new ways to reach people

“We’re not worried about getting the science right, but we must increase interest among students and find new ways to spread our results and ensure that they are used in practice”, said Igor Abrikosov, in the concluding discussion at AFM 2018.

3D models from cheap video cameras

Hannes Ovrén shows in his doctoral thesis in computer vision how 3D models can be created from video films recorded with simple cameras. The research opens new possibilities for both robots and humans, not least for the police and rescue services.

Colm Nestor gets the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences' Fernström Prize

Colm Nestor, Research fellow at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, is this year's recipient of the Eric K. Fernström Prize for young, highly promising and successful researcher at the Linköping University.

Students wearing overalls are walking down the stairs

Overalls – a very special garment

It’s colourful, covered in badges, and sometimes dirty and frayed. But for many students it’s their most-loved item of clothing. As the autumn term kicks off, the bib overalls come on.

Wives who accompany husbands working abroad

Prof. Lundström has investigated the situation of women who return home after living abroad. These migrants are disadvantaged by two factors: the global economy and the Swedish welfare system. This is particularly clear in the matter of pensions.

Heritability explains fast-learning chicks

Both genetic and environmental factors explain cognitive traits, shows a new study. Researchers have shown that the ability of fowl to cope with a difficult learning task can be explained by genetic factors to a larger degree than simpler tests.

Cultural analysis with a local connection

Tema Q arranged for the first time a course entitled The Use (and Abuse) of Culture as part of the International Summer Academy. The course was fully subscribed, and the course coordinators are hoping to repeat the course next summer.

A summer job with a salary to boast about

Beatrice Partain, studying industrial engineering and management at LiU, has had a very special summer job this year. With a salary of SEK 100,000 per month, she has worked as managing director and president of the Adecco Group.

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