Sustainable development goals: 3 GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Everyone has the right to good health, and investments in health benefit the development of society as a whole. The world has a great responsibility to fight infectious diseases and to develop medicines and vaccines that are accessible to everyone.
At the Faculty of Science, we carry out research in a wide range of subjects that relate to different aspects of sustainable development.
Researching bacteria that cause diarrhoea
Globally, enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) is a major health concern. In countries around the equator, it is one of the most common causes of severe diarrhoea in children and adults. Diarrhoea is also the second most common cause of child mortality worldwide. Researcher Åsa Sjöling is studying the bacterium’s ability to survive in the gut and in the environment, and what makes the ETEC bacterium cause disease. Her research also looks at how the disease spreads, and which dangerous clones can be found.
Unknown chemicals: A risk to environment and health
We use chemicals in everything from clothing to medicine and food, while at the same time chemicals cause health problems such as cancer, obesity and infertility. New chemicals are being developed at a rapid pace, but we also lack knowledge about the chemicals being used. The Solutions research project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between 39 partners, working to develop better tools, models and methods to support decision-making within environmental and water-related issues. The aim is to create sustainable solutions for current and future chemicals that pose a risk to ecosystems and human health.
New method for detecting different cancers
Cancer is one of the most common public diseases. Researcher Daniel Bojar is investigating glycans, sugar molecules found on the surface of proteins, in order to detect cancer. It has been known for some time that changes in glycan structure can indicate some form of inflammation or disease in the body. Using a newly developed methodology and enhanced by AI, Daniel can now go through a large quantity of data and find links between changes in glycan structure and different types of cancer. The next step will involve developing a safe, rapid analytical method for detecting cancer – and the type of cancer in question – via a blood test or saliva.
Text: Linnéa Magnusson
Illustration: Erika Hoff
