Formas awards SEK 12 million to Hanna Karlsson and Ola Spjuth

Through its Explore (Utforska) programme, Formas supports innovative research with the potential to contribute to scientific breakthroughs and long-term sustainable development. Now, Hanna Karlsson, Professor of Toxicology, and Ola Spjuth, Professor of Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics, are each awarded SEK 6 million for upcoming research projects.

“Humans are increasingly being exposed to microplastics, and studies have now detected microplastics in human lungs and blood. This raises important questions about potential health risks, and with the generous support from Formas, we can now initiate a study focusing on both humans and animals,” says Hanna Karlsson, Professor of Toxicology.

The project is expected to run for four years, focusing on particles formed from artificial grass, rubber surfaces in playgrounds, and road markings – three common but so far underexplored sources. It is a scientific collaboration in which Ulf Olofsson at KTH will generate relevant particles, which will in turn be studied in human cells and blood samples in collaboration with Karin Fromell at Uppsala University. Emma Wincent at KI will research effects in zebrafish models.

“Our aim is to increase understanding of how microplastics may affect our immune system. By combining studies in human cells and zebrafish embryos, we can gain a more comprehensive picture of effects across different organisms. With a new PhD student joining our team, we hope to contribute, in the long term, important knowledge on how polymer materials can be used in a sustainable way in society,” says Hanna Karlsson.

In the same call, Ola Spjuth, Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, is granted SEK 6 million for his project Identification of Synergistic Chemical Combinations: Mechanisms and Relevance.

text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt a o