Animal super senses and the development of life on earth

A number of our research groups in biology study fascinating super senses of everything from dung beetles to seabirds. The knowledge provides clues to animals’ behaviour and could lead to new inventions. Our researchers also study the development of life on earth. Objects of study include the appearances of animals and plants that lived millions of years ago and dramatic events that influenced their lives.

Climate change

State-of-the-art climate change research is also carried out at our faculty. Researchers from various disciplines work from different perspectives to produce models and scenarios of how the climate could change. They also study how we can best adapt to, and mitigate, climate change.

Future materials and effective medicines

A number of our research groups are working to develop the materials of the future. The research leads to more environmentally friendly and efficient solutions to meet the challenges in everyday life and industry. Finding methods to speed up diagnosis and to develop new effective drugs with fewer side-effects are other ongoing research projects.

Origins of the Milky Way and nature's smallest components

Our astronomy researchers actively participate in, for example, the hunt for the origins of the Milky Way. At the faculty we also study nature’s smallest component parts, requiring large accelerators, efficient detectors and clever computer software. A number of our researchers work at the experiment stations at CERN and at several other research facilities in different countries. In Lund we also have major research facilities. Two upcoming facilities are MAX IV and ESS.

New opportunities with MAX IV and ESS

The MAX IV synchrotron radiation source produces synchrotron radiation of world-leading quality that is used to study many different types of sample. Examples include nanostructures, proteins, solar cells and materials for catalysts. The high quality of the light makes it possible to see more detail and carry out new types of experiment that have not been possible before. There is also be a short pulse facility at MAX IV, where short flashes of light can be produced to follow chemical reactions with a very high temporal resolution.

At ESS, it is instead beams of neutrons that will be used to study samples from many different fields, for example plastics, medicines or magnetic materials for data storage. The technology that will be used at ESS will make the facility the best in the world at producing neutrons for research. Since neutrons and synchrotron radiation have different properties, ESS and MAX IV complement each other. It will be possible to study different types of samples, or the same samples in different ways, for example at different scales. The close proximity between MAX IV and ESS is therefore a further advantage.

Science stories and press releases

You can find some of our science stories in Lund University Research Magazine, the news room, Lund University's magazine, YouTube and Lund University research portal.