NEWS In 2026, Umeå University will host two prestigious Nobel Symposia, one in medicine and one in physics. The Nobel Symposia are international conferences at the highest scientific level, initiated by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Foundation, with the aim of promoting research dialogue in the spirit of the Nobel Prize.
The medical symposium, entitled Decoding Microproteins – From Basic Biology to Biotechnological Innovations, is led by Professor Stephan Wenkel, Professor at Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University. It focuses on microproteins – small but important regulators – and their potential applications in biotechnology.
Stephan Wenkel, Professor at Department of Plant Physiology, hopes that the Nobel Symposium at Umeå University in September next year will create new perspectives on how to approach basic and applied research in microproteins. Photo: Mattias Pettersson.
“The symposium will convene a broad and interdisciplinary group of researchers whose work spans plant biology, cancer biology, computational methods, protein mass spectrometry, and structural biology. This diversity of expertise will enrich the discussions and inspire new perspectives on how to approach fundamental and applied research in microproteins”, says Stephan Wenkel, Professor at Department of Plant Physiology and continues:
“The Nobel Symposium in Umeå will provide an important platform to highlight advances in this emerging field and to showcase our university’s role within it. By bringing together leading researchers from some of the world’s best universities, we aim to foster new collaborations and establish Umeå as a recognized center for microprotein research on the global stage.”
The physics-focused symposium, Metamaterials science and technology: structuring light and sound in space and time, is organised by Nicolò Maccaferri, Assistant professor at Department of Physics, Umeå University. Here, researchers gather to discuss how metamaterials can be used to manipulate light and sound in new ways, with possible applications in a broad range of applied fields, from communication and energy harvesting to medical and quantum technology.
Nicolò Maccaferri, assistant senior lecturer at the Department of Physics, hopes to gain deeper knowledge of how metamaterials can be used to manipulate light and sound in new ways when it is time for the Nobel Symposium he is organising at Umeå University in July next year. Photo: Malin Grönborg.
“In recent years, we have seen an explosion of research in materials science at Umeå University, particularly within the framework of the Wallenberg Initiative for Materials Science for Sustainability (WISE). Umeå University is not officially a partner of this initiative, but thanks to funding from Kempestiftelserna and external agencies such as ERC, there are now research groups at our university that joined WISE as part of its group of excellence. Research on metamaterials has also increased significantly, particularly at the Department of Physics, where several groups are focusing on both fundamental and applied aspects of metamaterials research, says Nicolò Maccaferri, assistant senior lecturer at the Department of Physics.
“When I started contacting colleagues working in this field in Sweden, the reactions were very positive. Since many see us as leaders in this field, it felt natural to hold the event here in Umeå.”
A total of five Nobel symposia will be held next year, and the fact that two of these will take place in Umeå is, of course, proof that the university has both strong research environments and excellent international reputation in these fields.
