Taking research from the lab to real-world practice

Rasmus Öberg, doctoral student in the Department of Physics.

ImageHans Karlsson

Rasmus Öberg's research project at the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University focuses on detecting and identifying harmful biological and chemical agents, such as bacterial spores or chemical weapons. One of the main reasons he applied for the doctoral position was to see his research put to practical use.

“I think it's very important that what we discover doesn't just stay at the university,” he says.

In early 2024, Rasmus Öberg began his three-month paid internship at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI, which is his external partner within the Industrial Doctoral School.

My dream has always been to combine research and societal benefit

“Over the past few years, I've focused a lot on chemical substances, an area that many of FOI's partners are very interested in. FOI's work is heavily oriented toward detecting chemical warfare agents, but the techniques we use are also applicable for more civilian purposes. For example, drug detection is a hot topic due to ongoing drug epidemics both in the United States and here in Europe,” he says.

Translating research into practical benefits

During his internship, Rasmus Öberg applied his research in practical settings by developing methods to detect extremely small amounts of hazardous substances in various environments, including a drug detection system that could hopefully be used by authorities in the field within a few years.

Rasmus Öberg uses laser-based methods – spectroscopy – in his research. When a substance is targeted with a laser, the light interacts with the chemical structures in a unique way depending on its components, allowing the identification of specific chemicals.

“Traditionally, these methods have required large, bulky instruments, but over time, they have become much smaller. Now, using certain types of surfaces with microscopic structures, we can amplify the signals from harmful substances. This allows us to achieve a high signal even with smaller systems. This means working with smaller lasers and detection systems, reducing the size of the entire detection process. Instead of an instrument in a large lab, you could, in theory, have the equipment in a specialized police car or a regular vehicle to detect threats in the field, whether they are drugs or chemical weapons,” says Rasmus Öberg.

Participating in an EU security project

In addition to his work on drug detection, Rasmus Öberg also participated in an EU project during his internship. This project, conducted with researchers from several other European countries, focuses on developing so-called SERS surfaces, which amplify the signal from chemical agents thousands of times when targeted with a laser. This makes it possible to detect extremely small amounts of hazardous substances.

In 2025, Rasmus Öberg will defend his thesis, and after that, he hopes to pursue a postdoctoral position abroad with partners involved in the EU project. He wants to maintain his connection with FOI, further broaden his knowledge, and build a career that combines academic research with practical applications in society.

“The internship has helped me understand what I want to do after my PhD. My dream has always been to combine research and societal benefit. There are far too few researchers who have one foot in academia and the other in industry or public sector. I think that’s how I can make the most impact, and that’s what I find exciting.”

He describes how the combination of learning research and applying his knowledge in practice has been a rewarding experience within the Industrial Doctoral School, a unique opportunity.

“Compared to other doctoral students, you gain a broader perspective, especially if, like me, you have the privilege of working at two physical locations. You get more contacts, project opportunities, and ideas, and you learn so much more.”