WWSC News

WWSC spin-off Proligreen wants to advance the application of lignin

November 28, 2022

There is interest in using lignin for material applications due to its aromatic structures, and it is foreseen to substitute fossil-based aromatic precursors, but one big challenge is that the available technical lignins are heterogeneous and still poorly characterized. This is something that the new WWSC spin-off company Proligreen, founded by Prof. Martin Lawoko and his PhD student Maria Karlsson wants to change.

Mika Sipponen awarded with ERC Startup grant

November 24, 2022

Mika Sipponen, Stockholm University, is awarded with the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant for his research on using lignin as building block for recyclable materials.

New directors for WWSC Academy

November 17, 2022

Starting from January 2023, WWSC Academy will have a new management team as Anette Larsson, Lauren McKee and Igor Zozoulenko take over the lead. The research graduate school has since the start of WWSC been one of the backbones in the center, creating a common knowledge platform and network for the PhD students.

New type of degradable biocomposite developed

November 3, 2022

WWSC researchers have developed a new kind of wood-based degradable biocomposite with semi-structural strength. Unlike thermoplastic, the material can be degraded without harming the environment. The findings have been published in Nature Communications.

The beamline ForMAX at MAX IV opens for experiments

November 1, 2022

The beamline ForMAX at MAX IV, specially designed for advanced studies on materials from the forest, is now opening for experiments! Researchers from Wallenberg Wood Science Center are among the first to perform experiments at the beamline.

Tiina Nypelö starting a new position at Aalto University

October 31, 2022

Tiina Nypelö, Associate professor at Chalmers and WWSC member, is starting a new position at the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University.

Tomas Rosén the winner of Stockholm Researcher’s Grand Prix 2022

October 3, 2022

Four minutes to present your research for an audience of high school students – that’s the premises for the research communication competition Researcher’s Grand Prix. WWSC researcher Tomas Rosén accepted the challenge in tough competition won the Stockholm edition. Now awaits the national final 1st of December.

Francisco Vilaplana appointed as Head of Plant Structure and Health at Oatly Food Science

August 2, 2022

WWSC researcher Francisco Vilaplana, Associate Professor at KTH, has been appointed as Head of Plant Structure and Health at Oatly Food Science. He will integrate his part-time appointments at both KTH and Oatly, in order to strengthen the research and collaboration towards sustainable and healthy plant-based food products and materials.

International and industrial visits to WWSC

July 4, 2022

The week after Midsummer, WWSC hosted visits at KTH from the Austrian government and from the research management at Scania. Both visits included presentations, lab demos, and enthusiastic discussions on the possibilities for using forest raw materials to create material solutions for a sustainable future.

Poster-prize winners WWSC Summer Workshop 2022

June 30, 2022

This year’s WWSC Summer Workshop was held at Marstrand on the Swedish west coast and included invited lectures by internationally renowned researchers, and the traditional pitch- and poster session with the PhD students. Excellent presentations by all PhD students made the competition tough, but in the end three winners could be named.

Mika Sipponen appointed Research Leader of the Future (SSF)

June 23, 2022

WWSC researcher Mika Sipponen, Stockholm University, is one of the 16 selected researchers in the Foundation for Strategic Research’s program Research Leader of the Future.

Wood-based aerogels prove better insulation properties than fossil-based materials

June 14, 2022

A new method for the creating of insulating nanostructures in the pores of wood-based aerogels developed by WWSC researchers gives
materials with better insulation than conventional fossil-based insulation materials.