Magnus Falk

This doctoral project at Malmö University is part of the national BioLabX research school and addresses the future of non-invasive laboratory diagnostics through the use of oral fluids, especially saliva, as diagnostic material. The research aims to develop and validate standardized methods for multi-omics analysis, with a particular emphasis on metabolomics and proteomics , so that biomarkers in oral fluids can be identified and validated in a reproducible way. The project is framed around the challenge of moving from variable sample handling and analysis toward robust, standardized workflows. The doctoral student will work on method development, analytical validation, clinical application, and targeted biomarker validation, using periodontitis as a model for inflammatory disease. The work sits at the intersection of biomedical laboratory science, clinical diagnostics, analytical chemistry, and data-driven medicine. Research tasks include handling and preparing oral fluid samples, developing and optimizing bioanalytical methods, coordinating omics-based analyses, performing analytical validation, and statistically processing and interpreting complex biological data. The project also aims to translate the findings into standardized laboratory workflows that are relevant to future clinical diagnostics. The position is based in the Department of Biomedical Science , Faculty of Health and Society, where the research and education environment combines biology, chemistry, medicine, and physics. The department works closely with healthcare services and industry, and the doctoral project is embedded in an interdisciplinary setting with strong links to clinical diagnostics and biomedical laboratory science education. The project is also connected to the Biofilms Research Center for Biointerfaces (BRCB) , a collaborative research center at the interface of life sciences and materials science. Through BioLabX , the doctoral student will join a national network of doctoral students, supervisors, and teachers in biomedical laboratory science across several Swedish universities.