Life science

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.

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Latests news in life science at Umeå university

En flock elefanter som går över ett grönskande fält.

One single rule helps explain life on Earth

The discovery will help to understand why species are spread the way they are across the planet.

Sköterska sitter bredvid en säng där en äldre kvinna ligger

Doctors struggle with empathy in a high-pressure work environment

Empathy in healthcare is important, but sometimes challenging to put into practice.

Umeå Plant Science Centre, växtforskning Jian-Feng Mao

Long non-coding RNAs, called lncRNAs, are transcribed from DNA as other RNAs but they do not carry instructions for proteins. Instead, they help controlling genes, guide plant development and are involved in plant responses to stress like drought or heat. Identifying these lncRNAs has been difficult because their genetic sequences vary a lot between different plant species. The team around Jian-Feng Mao tackled the problem using machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence that is trained on large amounts of data to find patterns. They analysed over 1,600 different features of lncRNAs and identified just three key features that could effectively distinguish lncRNAs from RNAs containing the code for a protein. Identification of sequence patterns using mathematical parameters What makes PlantLncBoost particularly innovative is its use of mathematical parameters to capture intrinsic sequence properties beyond traditional biological features. The research team used so called Fourier transformation-based approaches. That allowed them to detect patterns in the RNA sequences that are consistent across diverse plant species despite of the high variability in the genetic sequences. “Through systematic evaluation of multiple machine learning algorithms and rigorous parameter optimization, we have developed a tool that achieves both high accuracy and strong generalization capabilities,” explains Jian-Feng Mao, Associate professor at Umeå University who established his lab at the Umeå Plant Science Centre in 2023. To make sure their new tool worked, the team tested PlantLncBoost on datasets from 20 different plant species. It correctly identified lncRNAs with over 96% accuracy, significantly outperforming existing tools. The tool even recognised nearly all 358 long lncRNAs that had been experimentally validated before, including those from twelve species that were not included in the training set used to develop the tool. New possibilities to analyse long non-coding RNAs across species “Developing PlantLncBoost was an exciting opportunity to apply machine learning to solve a complex biological problem,” says first author Xue-Chan Tian, who completed this work as part of her PhD thesis at Beijing Forestry University. “My doctoral programme focused on combining advanced computational methods with plant genomics to extract meaningful biological insights from complex sequence data.” The project brought together experts in genomics, bioinformatics and computer science from around the world, including researchers from Sweden, China and Brazil. The tool is now freely available to the scientific community and has been integrated in a larger analysis workflow that was developed earlier by Jian-Feng Mao’s group. It allows not only to identify but also to characterise lncRNAs in plants. By implementing PlantLncBoost in this workflow, researchers can now identify long non-coding RNAs from different plant species much more accurate, making it easier to compare and analyse them.

Better identification of plant-specific long non-coding RNAs allows comparisons across species.

Prestigious award to Umeå molecular biologist

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the Florman Prize to Changchun Chen.

Fernström's prize to Schröder

Eric K Fernström Prize for Young promising researchers is awarded to Associate Professor Björn Schröder

Laura Bacete with shoulder-long brown hair and a blue lab coat is watchin on a plate with green seedlings that she holds in her hand. Behind her are methal shelves with more plates.

Laura Bacete Cano becomes a member of the Young Academy of Sweden

Assistant Professor Laura Bacete Cano is one of eight new members elected to the Young Academy of Sweden.

A blend of science, fun and nature scenery when postdocs meet

'Excellence by Choice' interdisciplinary postdocs shared experiences and discussed future career options.

Sofie DegermanProfessor i Biomedicinsk Laboratorievetenskap.

DNA patterns provide key insights in the diagnosis of childhood leukemia

Analyzing methylation patterns in the child's leukemic cells DNA can enhance risk assessment.

Honorable prize awarded to Professor Terry Bidleman

He receives the prize for his research concerning how persistent organic pollutants spread in nature.

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.