We meet Anabella, Sophie and Wojtek, the three coordinators at SciLifeLab Lund. Each brings a unique background and focus— ranging from data science and environmental biology to strategic site coordination. Their work supports not only researchers, but also industrial partners looking to innovate at the intersection of life science and technology.
Anabella Aguilera joined the team about a year ago. What do you do at SciLifeLab?
“First, I am a site coordinator. In this role, I promote the research and infrastructure units based here. Second, I coordinate a national initiative called Planetary Biology. This initiative is focused on supporting researchers in environmental life sciences. SciLifeLab has many advanced technologies, originally developed for medical and biomedical research, but these can also be incredibly useful in environmental science. My role is to bridge that gap — to show environmental researchers how they can benefit from these technologies and to help tailor services to their needs.”
And what about you Sophie?
“Like Anabella, I’ll be focusing on coordinating activities at the site and strengthening collaboration between the infrastructure units here. I’ll also be looking at how we can connect more effectively at a national level. While I don’t have a specific project assigned yet, I might be involved in the strategic area Translation to Healthcare (Precision Medicine) in the future. It’s still to be decided, but I’m excited to see how my role evolves.
Wojtek, you are the data science coordinator. What does your role involve?
“I support research infrastructures with data management, coordinate DDLS Data Science Node activities, and contribute to structural biology and open-source software development. Moreover, I assist with data management planning, compliance, and infrastructure integration. I also support the development of tools for accessing and sharing structural biology data and advise on open-source software relevant to life science research.”
Who can use SciLifeLab’s platform?
“SciLifeLab serves researchers in all areas of life science — not just academics but also industry and healthcare. It's a national resource, but international users can benefit too”, says Anabella.
What are the major challenges in attracting new users?
“From a Planetary Biology perspective, a major challenge is the perception that SciLifeLab is only for medical research. This is especially strong here in Lund, where most of the SciLifeLab facilities are located within the Faculty of Medicine. That’s partly why I was hired — my biology background helps bridge that gap and raise awareness among environmental researchers”, says Anabella.
“I think another challenge is that some researchers prefer to keep their methods and equipment in-house. They might feel they lose control if they use shared infrastructure. But in fact, using our platforms can lower costs and provide access to high-quality services — it's beneficial both scientifically and economically. They don’t need to be so protective — we’re here to support and enhance their work”, adds Sophie.
Removing bottlenecks and inventing new protocols to keep costs at bay
One of the key technologies at SciLifeLab is DNA sequencing. While the sequencing itself has become more affordable, some of the preparatory steps — like laboratory preparation — are still expensive.
“Researchers told us this was a bottleneck that discouraged them from using SciLifeLab’s services”, says Anabella.
“We have worked with the National Genomics Infrastructure (NGI) to address this issue. We conveyed the community's concerns, and NGI developed a more cost-effective protocol for laboratory preparation. This new protocol will soon be available to the broader research community. It’s a great example of how we act as a bridge between researchers’ needs and the infrastructure platforms.”
How do researchers get started if they want to use your services?
“There are several ways. If you know the type of technology you need, you can go to our website and find relevant platforms. Each has a contact email, and once you reach out, they’ll connect you with the right person. Alternatively, you can contact us directly, and we’ll help guide your project to the most suitable platform”, says Anabella.
“These initial consultations are free. Often, researchers discover additional technologies they can use, which makes their projects stronger. That’s one reason we started a seminar series here in Lund — to present each unit and showcase real research examples. This helps researchers see how technologies can be applied in practice. For example, someone might start with microbiome analysis and then get connected with proteomics or another platform. It’s collaborative and often leads to even better outcomes”, adds Sophie.
What's planned for 2025?
“We’re continuing our seminar series and will host a SciLifeLab Lund Day on October 23. Our goal this year is to create closer connections between SciLifeLab’s national infrastructure and the Strategic Research Areas at LU (SFOs). The them for the event is: “SciLifeLab’s role in advancing Strategic Research at LU”. With this theme, we aim to show how SciLifeLab can support Lund’s research leaders and strategic initiatives by boosting excellence and fostering innovation", concludes Anabella.