Björn Karlsson

Associate Professor

Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

bjorn.karlsson@lnu.se

+46 480-44 67 40

My name is Björn C.G. Karlsson and I hold the position as a senior lecturer of physical chemistry and pharmacy at the Linnæus University. In 2013 I was awarded the title as associate professor (docent) of physical chemistry.

Teaching

I am involved in teaching for students at the pharmacy-, nutrition and food science-, biomedical analytical science- and optometry programmes.

In addition to undergraduate teaching, I also teach at the Chemistry – preparatory course A 7,5 fp (0KE002) which is a course given for student with no previous natural science background.

I current have the role as course coordinator and examiner for the following undergraduate courses:

Organic chemistry A 7,5 credits (1KE010)
Galenic physical pharmacy 7,5 credits (1FA002)
Physical Chemistry with focus on food chemistry 7,5 credits (1KE018).

In addition to these course at the undergraduate level I am also responsible for courses at the master’s and PhD-student levels:

Research methodology in the natural sciences 15 credits (4XN002/4XN502) is a course at the master's and PhD-student level for which I am responsible for the module Laboratory safety 3 credits.
Current pure and applied chemistry 15 credits (4KE003/4KE503) is a course given for students at the master's level. In this course I am responsible for course modules in computational chemistry 3 credits, molecular spectroscopy 3 credits and analytical chemistry with a focus on biosensors 3 credits.

Since 2018 I am also a committee member of a group that is responsible for quality assurance of syllabus at the faculty of health and life science (FHL-KUS).

Research

I have previous experience of performing biophysical studies on drug molecules, proteins and synthetic polymeric materials with a focus on developing new sensor applications and diagnostic methods.

Current research activities are being conducted to obtain a detailed mechanistic description of the molecular origin and spread of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). One focus is to be able to identify and isolate early formed and soluble protein aggregates that later lead to cellular plaque which typically are found in the brain of patients suffering form the disease and that will lead to the death of nerve cells. One interesting hypothesis is that one common three dimensional structure, composed of aggregated protein, exist and that this structure share a motif also found in other neurodegenerative disorders. An aim of the performed research is to find this structure. Progress made can potentially aid in the development of novel sensor-based detection methods but also therapeutic strategies for the fight of PD.

Visit the home page of the Physical Pharmacy Laboratory (PPL); see below, for more information on our current research activities.

My research groups

Publications

Article in journal (Refereed)

Näsström, T., Dahlberg, T., Malyshev, D., Ådén, J., Andersson, P., et al. (2021). Synthetic NAC 71-82 Peptides Designed to Produce Fibrils with Different Protofilament Interface Contacts. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 22 (17).
Status: Published
Näsström, T., Ådén, J., Shibata, F., Andersson, P., Karlsson, B.C.G. (2020). A Capped Peptide of the Aggregation Prone NAC 71–82 Amino Acid Stretch of α-Synuclein Folds into Soluble β-Sheet Oligomers at Low and Elevated Peptide Concentrations. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 21 (5). 1-14.
Status: Published
Steinz, M.M., Persson, M., Aresh, B., Olsson, K., Cheng, A.J., et al. (2019). Oxidative hotspots on actin promote skeletal muscle weakness in rheumatoid arthritis. JCI Insight. 4 (9). 1-16.
Status: Published
Näsström, T., Andersson, P., Lejon, C., Karlsson, B.C.G. (2019). Amyloid fibrils prepared using an acetylated and methyl amidated peptide model of the alpha-Synuclein NAC 71-82 amino acid stretch contain an additional cross-beta structure also found in prion proteins. Scientific Reports. 9. 1-14.
Status: Published
Karlsson, B.C.G., Friedman, R. (2017). Dilution of whisky - the molecular perspective. Scientific Reports. 7 (6489).
Status: Published
Samyn, D.R., Van Der Veken, J., Van Zeebroeck, G., Persson, B.L., Karlsson, B.C.G. (2016). Key Residues and Phosphate Release Routes in the Saccharomyces cerevisae Pho84 Transceptor - The Role of Tyr¹⁷⁹ in Functional Regulation. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 291 (51). 26388-26398.
Status: Published
Shoravi, S., Olsson, G.D., Karlsson, B.C.G., Bexborn, F., Abghoui, Y., et al. (2016). In silico screening of molecular imprinting prepolymerization systems : oseltamivir selective polymers through full-system molecular dynamics-based studies. Organic and biomolecular chemistry. 14 (18). 4210-4219.
Status: Published
Nicholls, I.A., Chavan, S., Golker, K., Karlsson, B.C.G., Olsson, G.D., et al. (2015). Theoretical and Computational Strategies for the Study of the Molecular Imprinting Process and Polymer Performance. Advances in Biochemical Engineering, Biotechnology. 150. 25-50.
Status: Published
Olsson, G.D., Niedergall, K., Bach, M., Karlsson, B.C.G., Tovar, G., et al. (2015). Simulation of imprinted emulsion prepolymerization mixtures. Polymer journal. 47 (12). 827-830.
Status: Published
Golker, K., Karlsson, B.C.G., Wiklander, J.G., Rosengren, A.M., Nicholls, I.A. (2015). Hydrogen bond diversity in the pre-polymerization stage contributes to morphology and MIP-template recognition–MAA versus MMA. European Polymer Journal. 66. 558-568.
Status: Published
Chavan, S., Nicholls, I.A., Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Ballabio, D., et al. (2014). Towards Global QSAR Model Building for Acute Toxicity : Munro Database Case Study. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 15 (10). 18162-18174.
Status: Published
Shoravi, S., Olsson, G.D., Karlsson, B.C.G., Nicholls, I.A. (2014). On the Influence of Crosslinker on Template Complexation in Molecularly Imprinted Polymers : A Computational Study of Prepolymerization Mixture Events with Correlations to Template-Polymer Recognition Behavior and NMR Spectroscopic Studies. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 15 (6). 10622-10634.
Status: Published
Cleland, D., Olsson, G.D., Karlsson, B.C.G., Nicholls, I.A., Mccluskey, A. (2014). Molecular dynamics approaches to the design and synthesis of PCB targeting molecularly imprinted polymers: interference to monomer-template interactions in imprinting of 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene. Organic and biomolecular chemistry. 12 (5). 844-853.
Status: Published
Golker, K., Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Nicholls, I.A. (2014). A Functional Monomer Is Not Enough : Principal Component Analysis of the Influence of Template Complexation in Pre-Polymerization Mixtures on Imprinted Polymer Recognition and Morphology. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 15 (11). 20572-20584.
Status: Published
Nicholls, I.A., Karlsson, B.C.G., Olsson, G.D., Rosengren, A.M. (2013). Computational Strategies for the Design and Study of Molecularly Imprinted Materials. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 52 (39). 13900-13909.
Status: Published
Karlsson, B.C.G., Olsson, G.D., Friedman, R., Rosengren, A.M., Henschel, H., et al. (2013). How warfarin’s structural diversity influences its phospholipid bilayer membrane permeation. Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 117 (8). 2384-2395.
Status: Published
Olsson, G.D., Karlsson, B.C.G., Schillinger, E., Sellergren, B., Nicholls, I.A. (2013). Theoretical Studies of 17-beta-Estradiol-Imprinted Prepolymerization Mixtures : Insights Concerning the Roles of Cross-Linking and Functional Monomers in Template Complexation and Polymerization. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 52 (39). 13965-13970.
Status: Published
Golker, K., Karlsson, B.C.G., Olsson, G.D., Rosengren, A.M., Nicholls, I.A. (2013). Influence of composition and morphology on template recognition in molecularly imprinted polymers. Macromolecules. 46 (4). 1408-1414.
Status: Published
Rosengren, A.M., Karlsson, B.C.G., Nicholls, I.A. (2013). Consequences of morphology on molecularly imprinted polymer-ligand recognition. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 14 (1). 1207-1217.
Status: Published
Olsson, G.D., Karlsson, B.C.G., Shoravi, S., Wiklander, J.G., Nicholls, I.A. (2012). Mechanisms Underlying Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Molecular Memory and The Role of Crosslinker: Resolving Debate on the Nature of Template Recognition in Phenylalanine Anilide Imprinted Polymers. Journal of Molecular Recognition. 25 (2). 69-73.
Status: Published
Rosengren, A.M., Karlsson, B.C.G., Nicholls, I.A. (2012). Monitoring of the distribution of warfarin in blood plasma. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 3 (8). 650-652.
Status: Published
Rosengren, A.M., Karlsson, B.C.G., Näslund, I., Andersson, P.O., Nicholls, I.A. (2011). In situ detection of warfarin using time-correlated single-photon counting.. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications - BBRC. 407 (1). 60-62.
Status: Published
Rosengren, A.M., Karlsson, B.C.G. (2011). Spectroscopic evidence for the presence of the cyclic hemiketal form of warfarinin aqueous solution: Consequences for bioavailability. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications - BBRC. 407 (2). 318-320.
Status: Published
Wiklander, J.G., Karlsson, B.C.G., Aastrup, T., Nicholls, I.A. (2011). Towards a synthetic avidin mimic. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 400 (5). 1397-1404.
Status: Published
Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Näslund, I., Andersson, P.O., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). Synthetic Human Serum Albumin Sudlow I Binding Site Mimics. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 53 (22). 7932-7937.
Status: Published
Nicholls, I.A., Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Henschel, H. (2010). Warfarin: an environment-dependent switchable molecular probe. Journal of Molecular Recognition. 23 (6). 604-608.
Status: Published
Henschel, H., Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). The Mechanistic Basis for Warfarin’s Structural Diversity and Implications for Its Bioavailability. Journal of Molecular Structure : THEOCHEM. 958. 7-9.
Status: Published
Nicholls, I.A., Andersson, H.S., Charlton, C., Henschel, H., Karlsson, B.C.G., et al. (2009). Theoretical and Computational Strategies for Rational Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Design. Biosensors & bioelectronics. 25 (3). 543-552.
Status: Published
Karlsson, B.C.G., O'mahony, J., Karlsson, J.G., Bengtsson, H., Eriksson, L.A., et al. (2009). Structure and Dynamics of Monomer-Template Complexation: An Explanation for Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Recognition Site Heterogeneity. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 131 (37). 13297-13304.
Status: Published
Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Andersson, P., Nicholls, I.A. (2009). Molecular Insights on the Two Fluorescence Lifetimes Displayed by Warfarin from Fluorescence Anisotropy and Molecular Dynamics Studies. Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 113 (22). 7945-7949.
Status: Published
O'mahony, J., Karlsson, B.C.G., Mizaikoff, B., Nicholls, I.A. (2007). Correlated theoretical, spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic studies of a non-covalent molecularly imprinted polymerisation system. The Analyst. 132. 1161-1168.
Status: Published
Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Andersson, P., Nicholls, I.A. (2007). The Spectrophysics of Warfarin: Implications for Protein Binding. Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 111. 10520-10528.
Status: Published
Karlsson, J.G., Karlsson, B.C.G., Andersson, L.I., Nicholls, I.A. (2004). The roles of template complexation and ligand binding conditions on recognition in bupivacaine molecularly imprinted polymers. Analyst. 129 (5). 456-462.
Status: Published

Conference paper (Refereed)

Nicholls, I.A., Shoravi, S., Orozovic, K., Olsson, G.D., Karlsson, B.C.G. (2011). Synthetic Neuraminidases : Nanostructured Materials for Environmental Monitoring. Ecohealth, vol. 7, Supplement 1. S97-S97.
Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Näslund, I., Andersson, P.O., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). A molecularly imprinted polymer-based detection of Warfarin using time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. .
Rosengren, A.M., Karlsson, B.C.G., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). Morphology studies on warfarin imprinted polymers: the significance of the degree of crosslinking on polymer performance. .
Golker, K., Karlsson, B.C.G., Olsson, G.D., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). Towards the use of molecular dynamics as a predictive tool in the design of molecularly imprinted polymers. .
Golker, K., Karlsson, B.C.G., Olsson, G.D., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). Towards Molecular Dynamics-Based Rational Design of Synthetic Polymer Recognition Systems. .
Olsson, G.D., Karlsson, B.C.G., Wiklander, J.G., Shoravi, S., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). The nature and extent of interactions in phenylalanine anilide molecularly imprinted polymer prepolymerisation mixtures: a new model for the basis for ligand-selective recognition. .
Shoravi, S., Orozovic, K., Karlsson, B.C.G., Wiklander, J.G., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). Towards Synthetic Neuraminidases. .
Olsson, G.D., Karlsson, B.C.G., Wiklander, J.G., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). Mechanism of Phenylalanine Anilide Molecularly Imprinted Polymer - Template Recognition: The Role of Template Dimerization. .
Golker, K., Karlsson, B.C.G., Olsson, G.D., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). Towards Molecular Dynamics-Based Rational Design of Polymeric Recognition Systems. .
Olsson, G.D., Karlsson, B.C.G., Wiklander, J.G., Shoravi, S., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). The Nature and Extent of Template-Template Complexation in Phenylalanine Anilide Molecularly Imprinted Polymers. .
Wiklander, J.G., Karlsson, B.C.G., Aastrup, T., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). A synthetic polymer with avidin-like binding properties. .
Shoravi, S., Karlsson, B.C.G., Olsson, G.D., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). Molecular dynamics study of mechanisms underlying propranolol-mip molecular memory and the role of cross-linker. .
Henschel, H., Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). Insights into the Isomerisation Mechanism of Warfarin. .
Rosengren, A.M., Karlsson, B.C.G., Näslund, I., Andersson, P.O., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). Time Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopic Detection of the Anticoagulant Warfarin: A Sensor-based Method for Direct Detection in Blood-plasma. .
Karlsson, B.C.G., Olsson, G.D., Rosengren, A.M., Nicholls, I.A. (2010). The Effect of Warfarin’s Structural Diversity on Permeation Across a DPPC Bilayer Membrane. .
Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Andersson, P., Nicholls, I.A. (2009). The spectrophysics of warfarin: Implications for protein binding. .
Nicholls, I.A., Karlsson, B.C.G., Andersson, H.S., Golker, K., Henschel, H., et al. (2009). Biomimetic Polymer Design. .
Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Andersson, P.O., Nicholls, I.A. (2009). The Spectrophysics of Warfarin. .
Karlsson, B.C.G., O'mahony, J., Karlsson, J.G., Bengtsson, H., Eriksson, L.A., et al. (2009). Structure and dynamics of monomer-template complexation: can molecularly imprinted polymer recognition site heterogeneity be explained?. .
Karlsson, B., Rosengren, A., Andersson, P., Nicholls, I.A. (2006). The role of isomerization on the spectroscopic properties of Warfarin. .
Karlsson, B., Rosengren, A., Andersson, P., Nicholls, I.A. (2006). The role of isomerization on the spectroscopic properties of Warfarin. .
O'mahony, J., Karlsson, B., Mizaikoff, B., Nicholls, I.A. (2006). Prior to polymerisation: Insights from correlated theoretical, solution phase and solid state studies. .
O'mahony, J., Karlsson, B., Nicholls, I.A. (2006). Structure and dynamics of template-monomer complexation: An explanation for recognition site heterogeneity. .
Karlsson, J.G., Karlsson, B., Andersson, L.I., Nicholls, I.A. (2004). The roles of template complexation and ligand binding conditions on recognition in bupivacaine molecularly imprinted polymers. .

Chapter in book (Refereed)

Nicholls, I.A., Olsson, G.D., Karlsson, B.C.G., Suriyanarayanan, S., Wiklander, J.G. (2018). Theoretical and Computational Strategies in Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Development. Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Analytical Chemistry Applications. London, Royal Society of Chemistry. 197-226.
Nicholls, I.A., Andersson, H.S., Golker, K., Henschel, H., Karlsson, B.C.G., et al. (2013). Rational molecularly imprinted polymer design : theoretical and computational strategies. Molecular Imprinting : Principles and Applications of Micro- and Nanostructured Polymers. London, Pan Stanford Publishing. 71-104.

Article, review/survey (Refereed)

Nicholls, I.A., Andersson, H.S., Golker, K., Henschel, H., Karlsson, B.C.G., et al. (2011). Rational Design of Biomimetic Molecularly Imprinted Materials: Theoretical and Computational Strategies for Guiding Nanoscale Structured Polymer Development. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 400. 1771-1786.
Status: Published

Conference paper (Other academic)

Karlsson, B., O'mahony, J., Karlsson, J.G., Bengtsson, H., Eriksson, L.A., et al. (2008). Structure and dynamics of monomer-template complexation: an explanation for molecularly imprinted polymer recognition site heterogeneity. .

Chapter in book (Other academic)

Karlsson, B.C.G. (2013). Molekylmodellering. En litteraturstudie över dess användning i högre kemiutbildning. Universitetspedagogik i praktiken : Sexton lärartexter om pedagogisk utveckling. Växjö, Linnaeus University. 161-173.

Patent (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))

Nicholls, I.A., Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M., Andersson, P. (2014). Method and apparatus for detecting pharmaceuticals in a sample.
Nicholls, I.A., Andersson, P., Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M. (2010). Method and apparatus for detecting pharmaceuticals in a sample.
Nicholls, I.A., Andersson, P., Karlsson, B.C.G., Rosengren, A.M. (2009). Method and apparatus for detecting pharmaceuticals in a sample.