Group

Research projects

• The skin as a barrier to molecular diffusion
• Amyloid interaction with lipid membranes 
• Drying interfaces
• How small polar molecules protect membrane systems against osmotic stress
• Lung surfactant

Academic background

• 2011: Professor in Physical Chemistry-Colloidal Biology, Lund University 
• 2009: Docent in Physical Chemistry, Lund University 
• 2004- 2011: Assistant Professor, Physical Chemistry. Financed by VR
• 2002-2004: Postdoc at the Dept. Biochemistry of Membranes, Utrecht University. 
• 2001-2002: Postdoc at the Dept Pharmacy, Uppsala University
• 2001: PhD in Physical Chemistry, Lund University
• 1996: MSc in Chemistry, Lund university & University of Cambridge

Programs and Research Centers

• Member (PI) of the Excellence Center: COMMONS: Commonalities in membrane molecular interactions (funded by the Swedish Research Council) (2024-2028)
• Member (PI) of the Research Environment CASCADE- Cause or consequence of Alzheimer disease  (funded by the Swedish Research Council) (2020-2025)
• Member of the Wallenberg research project "Physical chemistry of peptide-lipid co-assembly: from lipid-rich to peptide-rich" (2015-2020)
• Member of the Wallenberg research project "Anisotropic forces in colloidal systems" (2015-2020)
• Partner and Director of the Linnaeus Research Center Organizing Molecular Matter (OMM) (2006-2016)
• Member of Multipark - a strategic research area at Lund university (2009-)
• Participating in the programme Future Research Leaders, a project funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) (2008-2013

Commissions of Trust

• Chair of the Scientific Council for Natural and Engineering Sciences at the Swedish research council, VR (2022-2024)
• Editorial Board, Biophysical Journal (2024-)
• Member of the Scientific Council for Natural and Engineering Sciences at the Swedish research council, VR (2019-2021)
• Member of the Faculty board, Science Faculty, Lund University (2018-2023)
• Deputy head of the Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University (2016-2020)
• Chair of the review panel in analytical, physical and theoretical chemistry at the Swedish research council, VR (2016-2018)
• Member in steering group Multipark strategic research area at Lund University (2015-2017)
• Director for Linné Excellence center "Organizing Molecular Matter" (OMM) (2012-2016)

Selected Publications

complete list

Lipid-protein interactions and co-assembly

• K. Makasewicz, G. Carlström, O. Stenström, K. Bernfur, S. Fridolf, M. Akke, S. Linse, E. Sparr: Tipping point in α-synuclein–membrane interactions: stable protein-covered vesicles or amyloid aggregation. Cell Reports Physical Science  (2024) 5, 102309. Spotlighted in Trends in Biochemical Sciences/Cell Press: Balancing act: lipid-to-protein ratios steer the aggregation fate of α-synuclein

• K. Makasewicz, S. Linse, E. Sparr: The interplay of α-synuclein with lipid membranes - cooperative adsorption, membrane remodeling and co-aggregation. JACS Au (2024) 4, 1250

• J. Hu, S. Linse, E. Sparr: Ganglioside micelles affect amyloid beta aggregation by co-assembly. ACS Chem Neurosci. (2023) 14, 4335

• K. Makasewicz, S. Wennmalm, S. Linse, E. Sparr: α-synuclein-induced Deformation of Small Unilamellar Vesicles. Quart Rev Biophys Discovery (2022) 3, E10. doi:10.1017/qrd.2022.9

• K. Makasewicz, S. Wennmalm, B. Stenqvist, M. Fornasier, A. Andersson, P. Jönsson, S. Linse, E. Sparr: Cooperativity of a-synuclein binding to lipid membranes. ACS Chem Neuroscience. (2021) 12, 2099-2109
• C. Galvagnion, D. Topgaard, K. Makasewicz, A.K. Buell, S. Linse, E. Sparr, C. Dobson: Lipid dynamics and phase transition within a-synuclein amyloid fibrils. J. Phys. Chem. Lett (2019) 10, 7872
• J. Habchi, S. Chia, C. Galvagnion, T. C. T. Michaels, M. Bellaiche, F. S. Ruggeri, M. Sanguanini, I. Idini, J. R. Kumita, E. Sparr, S. Linse, C. M. Dobson, T. P. J. Knowles, M. Vendruscolo: Cholesterol catalyses Ab42 aggregation through a heterogeneous nucleation pathway in the presence of lipid membranes. Nature Chemistry (2018) 10, 673
• C. Galvagnion , J.W.P. Brown  , M.M. Ouberai, P. Flagmeier , M. Vendruscolo, A.K. Buell, E. Sparr,  C.M. Dobson: The chemical properties of lipids strongly affect the kinetics of the membrane-induced aggregation of alpha-synuclein. PNAS (2016) 113, 7065-70 
• E. Hellstrand, A. Nowacka, D. Topgaard, S. Linse, E. Sparr: Membrane Lipid Co-Aggregation with α-Synuclein Fibrils. PLoS ONE (2013) e61889
• M. Grey, C. Dunning, R. Gaspar, C. Grey, P. Brundin, E. Sparr, S. Linse: Acceleration of a-synuclein aggregation by exosomes. J Biol Chem (2015) 290, 2969–2982 
• E. Sparr, M.F.M. Engel, D.V: Sakharov, M. Sprong, J. Jacobs, B. de Kruijff, J.W.M. Höppener, J. A. Killian. Islet amyloid polypeptide-induced membrane leakage involves the uptake of lipids by the forming amyloid fibers. FEBS Lett (2004) 577, 117-120

Membrane remodelleling and particle wrapping 

• X. Liu, S. Tan, L.K. Månsson, L. Gunnarsson, J.A. Andersson, H. Wacklin-Knecht, J. J. Crassous, E. Sparr: Encapsulation of Single Vesicles and Single Cells in a Crosslinked Microgel Cage. JCIS (2025) In press

• X. Liu, T. Auth, N. Hazra, M. Frendø Ebbesen, J Brewer, G. Gompper, J.J. Crassous, E. Sparr: Wrapping anisotropic microgel particles in lipid membranes - effects of particle shape and
  membrane rigidity. PNAS (2023) In press. DOI 10.1073/pnas.2217534120
• X. Liu, J. Stenhammar, H. Wennerström, E. Sparr: Vesicles balance osmotic stress with bending energy that can be released to form daughter vesicles. J. Phys. Chem Lett. (2022) 13, 498
• M Wang, A.M. Mihut, E. Rieloff, A.P. Dabkowska, L.K. Månsson, J. Immink, E. Sparr, J. Crassous: Assembling responsing microgels at a responsive lipid membrane. PNAS (2019) 116, 5442

Protein aggregation

• E. Axell, J. Hu, M. Lindberg, A.J. Dear, L. Ortigosa-Pascual, E. A. Andrzejewskac, G. Sneideriene, D. Thacker, T.P.J. Knowles, E. Sparr, S. Linse. The role of shear forces in primary and secondary nucleation of amyloid fibrils. PNAS (2024) 121 (25) e2322572121
• Gaspar, R. Lund, M., Sparr, E., Linse, S: Anamalous salt dependence reveals an interplay of attractive and repulsive electrostatic interactions in a-synuclein fibril formation. QRB-D (2020)  1, e2: 1-11
• A.K. Buell, C. Galvagnion, R. Gaspar, E. Sparr, M. Vendruscolo, T.P.J. Knowles S. Linse, C.M. Dobson: Solution conditions determine the relative importance of nucleation and growth processes in alpha-synuclein aggregation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2014) 111. 7671-7677 

Lipid self-assembly in non-equilibrium conditions

• J. Andersson, K. Roger, M. Larsson, E. Sparr: The impact of non-equilibrium conditions in lung surfactant: structure and composition gradients in multilamellar films. ACS Central Science (2018) 4, 1315
• J. M. Andersson, C. Grey, M. Larsson, T.M. Ferreira, E. Sparr. Effect of cholesterol on the molecular structure and transitions in a clinical-grade lung surfactant extract. PNAS (2017) 114, E3592-E3601
• K. Roger, M. Liebi, J. Heimdal, Q.D. Pham, E. Sparr: Controlling evaporation through self-assembly. PNAS (2016) 113, 10275 
• E. Sparr, H. Wennerström: Responding Binary Phospholipid Membranes - Interplay between Hydration and Permeability.Biophys. J. (2001) 81, 1014-1028 

Molecular strategies to protect membranes against osmotic stress

• J.M. Andersson, Q.D. Pham, H. Mateos, S. Eriksson, P. Harryson., E. Sparr: The plant dehydrin Lti30 stabilizes lipid lamellar structures in varying hydration conditions J. Lip Research (2020) 61: 1014–1024
• Q.D. Pham, A. Wolde-Kidan, A. Gupta, E. Schneck, R. Netz, E. Sparr: Effects of Urea and TMAO on Lipid Self-Assembly under Osmotic Stress Conditions J. Phys Chem B (2018) 1255, 6471 (selected for journal cover)

Physical chemistry of the skin

• E, Sparr,* S. Björklund, Q. D. Pham. E. H. Mojumdar, B. Stenqvist, M. Gunnarsson, D. Topgaard: The stratum corneum barrier - from molecular scale to macroscopic properties. Current opinion in Colloidal and Interface Science. (2023) In press
• M. Gunnarsson, S. Larsson, M. Malak, M. B. Ericson, D. Topgaard, E. Sparr: Molecular Mobility in Keratin-Rich Materials Monitored by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: A Tool for the Evaluation of Structure-Giving Properties, Biomacromolecules (2023) 24, 2661
• Q. D. Pham, B. Biatry, S. Grégoire, D. Topgaard, E. Sparr: Solubility of Foreign Molecules in Stratum Corneum Brick and Mortar Structure: J. Coll Interface Sci (2023) 39, 2347
• B. Stenqvist, M. Ericson, S. Gregoire, B. Biatry, G. Cassin, M. Jankunec, J. Engblom, E. Sparr
  Membrane permeability based on Mesh analysis. J. Coll Interface Sci (2022) 644, 526-535
• Y. Sonoki, Q.D. Pham, E. Sparr. Beyond Additivity: A mixture of  glucose and NaCl can influence skin hydration more than the individual compounds. J. Coll Interface Sci (2022) 613, 554
• M. Gunnarsson, E.H. Mojumbar, D. Topgaard, E. Sparr. Extraction of natural moisterizing factor from the stratum corneum and its implications in skin molecular mobility. J Coll Interf Sci (2021) in press
• Q.D. Pham, S. Gregoire, B. Biatry, G. Cassin, D. Topgaard, E. Sparr. Skin hydration as a tool to control the distribution and molecular effects of intermediate polarity compounds in intact stratum corneum. J Coll Interf Sci (2021) 603, 87
• Q.D. Pham, D. Topgaard, E. Sparr. Tracking solvents in the skin- Molecular mobility of solvents, lipids and protein in intact stratum corneum. PNAS (2017) 114, E112-E121
• S. Björklund, J.M. Andersson, Q.D. Pham, A. Nowacka, D. Topgaard, E. Sparr. Stratum corneum molecular mobility in the presence of natural moisturizers. Soft Matter (2014) 10, 4535-4546