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Chemistry scientist awarded for studies on cell communication

2021-12-17

Peter Jönsson, senior lecturer at the Department of Chemistry and affiliated to NanoLund, is awarded this year's prize from the Sven and Ebba-Christina Hagberg Foundation. Jönsson is being recognized for his studies of protein-protein interactions on cell surfaces that control communication between cells.

Congratulations on the award, Peter, how does it feel?

– Thank you! I am honoured and totally taken by surprise. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my research team and my colleagues without whom this would not have been possible.

What does the prize consist of?

– The prize is worth a total of SEK 650,000 and consists of a personal part and a part for my research.

How does this affect your research?

– It's great to receive this kind of recognition that others appreciate the research I do. In practical terms, the prize is also a welcome contribution to our work studying how protein interactions affect how cells signal.

What are you working on at the moment?

– In my research group, we study how molecules behave on the surface of cells. We are particularly interested in different proteins on the surface of T-cells in our immune system and how these interact with other molecules to influence whether the T-cell is activated or not. We do this by using different cell and model systems combined with advanced fluorescence microscopy. Our goal is to better understand these mechanisms at a molecular level, and thus help develop more effective immunomodulatory drugs in the future.