Fredrik Granberg

I am currently a research coordinator at the section of virology.
However, my work mainly involves direct practical participation and supervision in different research activities and less administration.

My research mainly focuses on two areas: (i) the understanding of
host-pathogen relationships, and (ii) the detection of previously
unknown infectious agents (including new variants of already identified) using novel and emerging technologies. Although seemingly different, these areas are rather closely related and share both conceptual and methodological similarities. The long-term goal is to better understand why certain microorganisms are pathogenic while other, genetically similar, variants are harmless. This can be broken down into several more specific research questions that need to be addressed. For example: How does pathogenicity arise and how can we recognize potentially
harmful microorganisms? How are microorganisms being transferred between hosts, and how is host-range and vector-transmission regulated on a genetic and molecular level? A related question is how microorganism quickly can gain new abilities, such as different types of resistances, upon changing conditions. Another challenge is to understand the individual contribution of specific microorganisms in complex and multifactorial disease scenarios (i.e. diseases caused by combinations of contributing factors rather than single pathogens).

Projects:

The research is being conducted within the frameworks of different projects, both national and international. Ongoing and recent projects include: 

• Epi-SEQ: Molecular epidemiology of epizootic diseases using next generation sequencing technology (a collaborative research project supported under the 2nd joint call for transnational research projects by EMIDA ERA-NET). The project aims to exploit Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies to generate improved tools that can be used during epidemics of viral diseases threatening livestock industries in Europe. A multidisciplinary team with expertise in molecular virology, bioinformatics, modeling, and evolutionary biology will streamline and validate pipelines for sample preparation, data generation and sequence analysis. The project will target important RNA viruses that cause sporadic epidemics in Europe (for example Newcastle disease virus), as well as DNA viruses that pose a threat to the EU (for example African swine fever virus).
• BioBridges: A national strong research environment project supported by Formas for advancing veterinary medical diagnostics.
• The Bond Bee Genomics project: Microbial Factors in the Survival a Swedish Varroa-resistant Honeybee Population. A national project supported by Formas.
• Metagenomics and Bioinformatics as powerful novel tools in veterinary infection biology. A Formas supported project in collaboration with SLU Global Bioinformatics Centre.
• AniBioThreat: Bio-preparedness measures concerning prevention, detection and response to animal bio-threats with financial support from the “Prevention of and Fight against Crime Programme of the European Union”.

I completed my PhD in Medical Genetics in 2006, investigating virus-host cell interactions in the research group of Professor Ulf Pettersson at Uppsala University. Before starting to SLU, I also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in microbial genomics in the laboratory of Professor Siv Andersson at the Evolutionary Biology Center in Uppsala.

Publication list at Google Scholar