Image: Mattias Pettersson
Image: Mattias Pettersson
Research group Our group studies interactions between bacteria and materials.
The research in our group is highly interdisciplinary in the area between surface chemistry and microbiology. Together with several international collaborators, we work to understand bacterial adhesion onto surfaces, biofilm formation, bacterial interactions, as well as how small molecules and macromolecules influence these processes.
Our research has both applied and fundamental branches. The applied part e.g. deals with formation of different types of antibacterial treatments or antifouling surfaces. Fundamental aspects e.g. relate to building an understanding of processes governing bacterial colonization of a variety of material surfaces, or how bacterial interaction alter biofilm structure and development. As model surfaces, we mainly use polymeric surface coatings in the form of polymer brushes. Another important tool, we use, is cryogenic X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (cryo-XPS).
Recently we have started up a few projects relating to environmental biofilms and their role in degradation, transformation and/or accumulation of pollutants. This new research also broadens the work in the group towards studies of multi-species microbial systems.
The work in the group started in 2009 at Umeå University here in the north of Sweden. We are associated to the Umeå Center for Microbial Research (UCMR).
More information about our research topics and current group members can be found below.
For publications please visit this page.
