NATURAL SCIENCES

The focus of our research lies on the evolution of vertebrates. Fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals have evolved over millions of years to survive challenging conditions. This lead to a tremendous number of different species (biodiversity), but also resulted in a wide morphological variety (disparity). Physically different habitats, such as the transition from a life in water to a life on land, imposed manifold pressures on the organisms. These dramatic differences of the respective environment require adaptations in the structure and function of the organismal body.

The group is dedicated to the following research activities:

The MarBiotech group focus its main areas of research on different biotechnological exploitations of microalgae and other marine organisms as seaweeds and halophyte plants.

The research activity of the Services Law in Italian and European Legal System Group focuses above all on the following areas:

Artificial Intelligence and Law

Technological Innovation and Services Law

Big data

The Genomics Division focuses on the study of the molecular building blocks of life (DNA, RNA and proteins), their role in biological functions, and the ecological and evolutionary processes through which they shape biodiversity.

The Genomics Division covers four main research areas: molecular ecology, molecular biology, aquaculture genomics and developmental biology. 

The Ecology research division has five research units with advanced knowledge of the basic functioning of the high latitude ecosystems, on land, in the fjords and in oceanic waters.

The multidisciplinary research of our group has an emphasis on new technology to enhance the understanding of ecosystem responses to environmental changes.

The common theme is to relate traditional ecological observations to genetics at the molecular level.

The Aquaculture Division addresses various biological issues, contributing to a more sustainable and diverse development of the Norwegian aquaculture industry.

The objective of the research is increased profitability, safe food production, employment and value creation in Norway. The division educates and does research related to farm animal husbandry. Veterinary studies like farm animal health and farm animal nursing are important. Within farm animal production, precision livestock farming is essential, with focus on animal welfare and efficient production.

The division focuses on basic organisms in aquatic ecosystems, where both microalgae, bacteria and fungi play an important role. Research in blue-biome science and technology focuses on basic organisms in aquatic ecosystems, where both microalgae, bacteria and fungi play an important role, as well as how these organisms individually or in ecological societies interact.

The interaction of antigen-specific T and B cells is key for an effective adaptive immune response. T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are the T cell subset that provide B cell assistance during the germinal center reaction. Tfh cells are the prerequisite for the generation of high-affinity memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells. Therefore, manipulation of the Tfh response is of particular clinical interest for aiding in the generation of protective antibodies during vaccination or for eliminating harmful antibodies in autoimmune diseases and allergies [1].