About us at the Section of Chemistry

The Section of Chemistry at Uppsala University is led by the Section Dean Peter Lindblad. It is represented on two campuses: At the Biomedical Centre (BMC) and the Ångström Laboratory, and is divided into two departments - one on each campus. The departments have close cooperations in between the two. 

Uppsala University offers one of the country’s best educations in chemistry with strong links to world-leading research. The teaching is characterised by a wide range of courses, excellent research affiliation and a large proportion of laboratory work. The creative and research-intensive environment contributes to a broad knowledge-base as well as cutting-edge expertise in areas such as Uppsala’s unique focus on chemistry for renewable energy.

Research in the subject area at Uppsala University includes analytical chemistry, biochemistry, biomolecular biomimetics, organic and inorganic chemistry, macromolecular chemistry, physical chemistry, structural chemistry and synthetic molecular chemistry. This breadth and expertise are reflected in prominent research in areas such as the synthesis of complex molecules and materials for catalysis as well as medical uses in pharmaceutical development and the understanding of brain diseases.

Many prominent scientists have worked at Uppsala University, including Nobel Laureates The Svedberg and Arne Tiselius. Their research has contributed to methods for purification and characterisation of complex materials, even in extremely small amounts. Today, synthetic materials with different functions are produced and studied in Uppsala, from those that are able to mimic photosynthesis in plants to polymeric materials that can replace damaged human tissue.

The chemistry research at BMC focuses on issues related to catalysis, molecular recognition, and complex molecular systems structure and dynamics, and the correlation between the presence of chemical compounds and biomolecules with various disease states. There is also a strong research in methodology and technology, including the design and synthesis of small organic molecules and biological macromolecules. Development of new biochemical and analytical methods are the basis for advanced study of biological systems and their regulation and how diseases can be diagnosed and treated. Scientists with expertise in mass spectrometry and biophysical methods of interaction analysis operates in the SciLifeLab platform for proteomics and drug discovery.

At Ångström, one of the research fields within chemistry is focused on the development of renewable energy sources and energy carriers. This area occupies a special position in Uppsala and includes solar cells, artificial photosynthesis, hydrogen production, fuel cells, biofuels from biomass and smarter batteries. World-leading research collaborative projects map the structure of metals and chemical compounds, including those with unique catalytic activity, electrical conductivity, and the ability to store energy, contributing to future sustainable energy systems.