The Ukrainian-Swedish research center SUMEYA has started its work at SumDU

Within the agreement with the University of Umeå, Sumy State University was provided with modern histotechnical and high-tech microscopic equipment worth over UAH 2.5 million free of charge to equip the research center.

These are fabric processor, a station for filling blocks, expandables, fluorescent microscopes Carl Zeiss Axio Imager Z1 ApoTome, and Carl Zeiss Axiophot with appropriate computer software. The center also received equipment for western blot research (BioRad electrophoretic camera, horizontal transfer, heating table, shakers, and Kodak 2000 photo lab). More information about the equipment and capabilities of SUMEYA can be found on the website: https://sumeya.med.sumdu.edu.ua/.

The idea of creating a joint Ukrainian-Swedish research center belongs to Professor Thomas Boren (Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Umeå) and Deputy Director of SumDU Medical Institute for International Cooperation, Doctor of Medicine, Associate Professor of the Department of Pathology Roman Moskalenko.

The main purpose of the Center is the effective conduction of joint medical and biological research by the staff of the Medical Institute of SumDU and representatives of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Umeå (Sweden).

According to Roman Moskalenko, the name for the center was made as an anagram of the names of the university cities SUMY and UMEA.

Today, within the cooperation between SumDU and Umeå University, the Erasmus+ academic mobility programme continues (this is the second programme), thanks to which 8 postgraduates and 6 teachers from SumDU interned at Umeå and 5 Swedish teachers conducted classes at SumDU Medical Institute. There are also 2 applications submitted for international grants. There are big hopes for the continuation of cooperation at an even higher level of efficiency and success.

For reference. Productive cooperation between SumDU and Umeå University began in 2015 during the work on the article "Adaption of Helicobacter pylori to Chronic Infection and Gastric Disease by pH-Responsive BabA Mediated Adherence", published in the journal “Cell Host & Microbe” in 2017. Eventually, this idea gained development, and first of all, the financial basis after the successful submission of the application of prof. T. Boren and R. Moskalenko (as a co-applicant) for the grant "Sweet Interactions" in Translational Medicine as Applied to Passive Immunotherapy gainst Gastric Cancer" from the Swedish charity foundation of the Anderson-Persson Family. Closer cooperation and coordination in the experimental part of the project was needed to implement this large-scale project, which accelerated the planning, preparation, and establishment of the SUMEYA research center.