Anna Rising

Professor of Veterinary medicine biochemistry at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and researcher at Karolinska Institutet

Membership period 2015–2020

We make artificial spider silk fibers that have the same strength as tendons, are bio-compatible and degrade as new tissue is formed in the body, why the material has potential to be used in a range of medical fields. We focus on regenerative medicine (tissue repair), mainly cultivation of stem cells, which is a relatively new area of research. The ultimate goal is to be able to replace or restore damaged organs and tissues.

In another project we study a specific part of the spider silk protein (NT), which increases the solubility of the spider silk proteins when they are stored in the spider’s silk glands. The solubility enhancing properties of NT also apply when NT is fused to other proteins of low solubility. Therefore, we use NT to produce protein drugs, which today are difficult or impossible to manufacture. Based on this technology we can produce large amounts of lung surfactant to low costs, why we currently develop surfactants with enhanced properties. We are also looking at novel ways to deliver drugs to the lungs by using sufactant as a drug carrier. Local treatment of several different lung conditions would be preferable compared to systemic administration of the drugs.

NT also accelerates the formation of spider silk fibers in the passage of the spider silk gland, a property that we study and use in innovative projects in biotechnology.

Anna Rising's research: spinning mechanism for artificial spider silk fiber.

Anna Rising's research: artificial spider silk.

IMAGES

1, 2 and 3. Photo: Erik Thor/Young Academy of Sweden (Click to enlarge)

1 and 2: Anna Rising in her lab. Photo: Hans E. Ericsson Image 3: Spider silk gland. Photo: Marlene Andersson (Click to enlarge)

Anna Rising Photo: Tobias Björkgren

(Click for high resolution image) Photo: Tobias Björkgren

IN BRIEF

Born: 1976
Family: I am married, lives in Uppsala and have two children.
Interests: I like to travel, eating out, jogging and to swim. In the summertime I like wakeboarding and golfing and in the wintertime I like to ski.

Young Academy of Sweden
c/o The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Box 50005
SE-104 05 Stockholm
Sweden

+ 46 (0)8 673 9500
info@sverigesungaakademi.se

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