Traditional 2D imaging methods can capture movement across a flat plane but miss details along the depth-axis. In this project, we train a neural network to locate fluorescent markers in 3D by simulating training data based on experimental background models. To test the approach, we track chromosomal loci throughout the E. coli cell cycle and find interesting loci-specific patterns in the yz-plane.

The Elf and Jones labs spent four days on beautiful Fårö. Elf lab alumni Emil Marklund, Petter (Hammar) Knagge, and Cia Unoson spoke about different career paths in science, and we enjoyed Zoom lectures on exciting new science from around the globe. Thank you also to Nazir Ismail, who gave us a thorough introduction to Tuberculosis - disease and diagnostics, and to the Öhmans for hosting us at their vacation home!

The bacterial replisome has the important task of copying genetic information, securing the species' survival. But how the replisome executes the process is debated. Does the complex follow the DNA (like a baby dragon running on spaghetti), or does the dragon remain stationary, slurping up the genetic strands as the copying process proceeds? A new study from the Elf lab provides the answer to this question.

From three days to 45 minutes – that's a huge improvement when you're a patient waiting for the correct treatment. A technique making it possible to test the antibiotic susceptibility of a bacterial infection in less than an hour has now been awarded the prestigious £8 million Longitude Prize in AMR. The quick test was developed by the company Sysmex Astrego, based on research in the Elflab.

In this book, two dozen eminent doctors, including Prof. Johan Elf, recount their experiences fighting AMR, illuminating the daunting daily realities that individuals and healthcare professionals face worldwide.

Praneeth Karempudi defends his thesis entiteled Microfluidics and AI for single-cell microbiology.

Malin Lüking defends her thesis entiteled Molecular Metamorphosis in Transcriptional Regulation.

The MSB program retreat in Tällberg had four distinguished visitors who made the meeting extra special. Thank you Nathalie Balaban, Gene-wei Li, Stephan Uphoff, and Johan Paulsson for the excellent talks and valuable discussions.

In this study, we make one of the hitherto largest efforts to explain how bacteria decide when it is time to copy their DNA. This problem has eluded science for over half a century. The article, and the somewhat incredible 3.5 TB of data it's based on, are openly available. The experiments support a model in which DnaA is activated in relation to the cell size and inactivated in relation to the number of chromosomes. Replication is initiated at the correct ratio of active to inactive DnaA.

Johan Elf is awarded the Norblad-Ekstrand medal for his pioneering work on the characterization of individual molecules in living cells.