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Life science

Image: Malin Grönborg

Life science is the study of biological life and living organisms. It is a very broad field of study, fundamentally based on chemistry and biology.

Life science encompasses everything from diseases to how we function, as well as our interaction with nature and all its components. Here in Umeå, we have been conducting life science-related research since the university was founded, with a focus on molecular and microbiology as well as chemistry.

One example of groundbreaking life science research at Umeå University is the discovery of the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9, for which Emmanuelle Charpentier was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020.

The Life Science News Council is responsible for this website.

Collaboration with industry

"Collaboration with industry" is an article series that highlights the collaborations between Umeå researchers and life science companies. This is the second article in the series, that's written by the News council in life science.
Bild på Mikael Elofsson
Research collaboration with AstraZeneca provides insights into virus infections

Umeå professor Mikael Elofsson has collaborated with the global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca since 2018.

Magnus Wolf-Watz, professor vid Kemiska institutionen, Umeå universitet.
Collaboration with biotechnology company opens new doors for Umeå chemist

Vacona's need for structural biology expertise coincided with Magnus' research group's ambition with Cryo-EM.

Latests news in life science at Umeå university

Sjoerd Wanrooij
New funding for targeted treatment of Epstein–Barr virus cancers

Most cancer drugs target proteins. This strategy instead targets the virus's DNA.

Bilden visar vårdpersonal från Läkare utan gränser som transporterar en avliden person vid ett ebolacenter
Five questions about the virus that still frightens the world

We still lack effective antiviral drugs, which highlights the importance of basic research.

Katrine Riklund på UFBIs 25 års jubileum
UFBI celebrating 25 years of successful brain research

A grand celebration as UFBI marked its 25th anniversary

Pipettering i teströr
Study from Umeå paves the way for a new drug against metastatic prostate cancer

The researchers, led by Maréne Landström, have developed a so-called fully human antibody.

Barn och lärare på förskola sitter utomhus och äter vindruvor.
Fewer behavioral problems among three-year-olds who received iron supplementation as infants

More research is needed before iron supplementation can potentially be recommended for all infants.

Arabidopsisplanta med främst gröna blad och två gula åldrande blad./Arabidopsis plant with mostly green leaves and two yellow ageing leaves.
“Point of no return” in dying leaves identified

When levels of the amino acid arginine go down a leaf irrevocably ages a study in Nature Plants reveals.

Aguilo's labExocyst project
New mechanism behind breast cancer metastasis uncovered

The new study shows that the protein METTL3 helps breast cancer cells spread.

Bild på flod omgiven av berg, en man sitter på en stenig strand.
Rock weathering can counteract river carbon dioxide emissions

As permafrost thaws, rivers may absorb carbon dioxide by increased rock weathering, a study in Nature shows.

håvning efter plankton
DNA boosts marine monitoring but cannot stand alone

DNA methods add powerful insight to marine monitoring, but need to be combined with established approaches.

Students standing around the teacher in a lab, the teacher shows different tools to be used. Some students take notes.

Curious about studying Life Science?

The Bachelor’s programme in Life Science focuses on life, bridging chemistry and biology to explore living systems. The teachers have close links to outstanding research in areas such as microbiology, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, infectious medicine, and plant and forest biotechnology.

Learn more about the programme here.

Study both chemistry and molecular biology

The Life Science programme builds the basis and during the third year you specialize in chemistry or molecular biology.

 

Organisations within life science at Umeå university

Coalition Umeå for Life Science (CU4LS)

An initiative to improve visibility of Umeå life science research activities nationally and internationally

Chemical Biological Centre (KBC)

An interdisciplinary research centre in life/natural science and medicine at UMU and SLU

Del av jordklotet. Europa sett från rymden med atmosfär och moln.
The European CBRNE Center

Learn more about the European CBRNE Center at Umeå university

SciLifeLab logo
SciLifeLab Site Umeå

SciLifeLab national site at Umeå (UMU and SLU) is a local site of the national SciLifeLab network.

Umeå center for functional brain imaging

UFBI is an inter-disciplinary research center using imaging techniques to examine the brain.

Dykare mäter växter på en havsbotten.
Umeå Marine Sciences Centre

UMF is a dynamic environment for marine research including a complete suite of analytical platforms.

UCMR logga
Umeå Centre for Microbial Research UCMR

UCMR is a Linnaeus Centre of Excellence promoting cutting-edge microbial research at Umeå University.

Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine

WCMM strives to enable excellent molecular and translational research

Latest update: 2025-09-18