Genomics Division
The Genomics Division focuses on the study of the molecular building blocks of life (DNA, RNA and proteins), their role in biological functions, in biotechnology, and in the ecological and evolutionary processes through which they shape biodiversity.
The Genomics Division covers four main research areas: Genome biology and evolution, Molecular ecology, Molecular developmental and cell biology, and Aquaculture genomics.
We apply molecular analyses to study biological functions (e.g. reproduction, development, growth, the immune system, gene regulation, molecular structure, and epigenetics), as well as the natural environment (e.g. biodiversity, the distribution of genetic variation in natural populations, natural and sexual selection, local adaptation, and the consequences of environmental change).
Our research has relevance to biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, biotechnology, medical biology, and aquaculture.
The Genomics Division manages the faculty's DeepSeq facility, a platform for high-throughput DNA and RNA sequencing, available to all divisions.
Sequencing
DeepSeq is the high-throughput sequencing facility at Nord University for the exploration of genomes and transcriptomes.
Read more about DeepSeq
Head of division: Steinar Daae Johansen
Research areas
Selected research projects
The quality of the seafloor habitat is an important barometer for The Earth BioGenome project (EBP) engages thousands of scientists in more than 20 countries, aiming to completely sequence more than 1.8 million eukaryotic genomes. The scientific goal is to obtain new knowledge with relevance to Human welfare, Biodiversity, and Ecosystems. EBP-Nor is the RCN-financed Norwegian node of the project. EBP-Nor focuses on Norwegian endemic, iconic, and scientific interesting species. At Nord University (Genomics division) we are sequencing, assembling and annotating genomes like the European anglerfish.
Periwinkles are coastal snails that can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. With the warming climate, they can give us knowledge about how species can adapt to extreme environments.
In this project, we study populations of Littorina saxatilis, the rough periwinkle, from warm seawater in Spain and Italy, to colder waters along the coasts of Great Britain, Iceland and Norway and to the Arctic part of Russia.
This FRIPRO project has received 11 million Norwegian kroner from the Research Council of Norway (RCN).
This cutting-edge project investigates regulatory mechanisms governing the transfer, modifications, and execution of parental developmental instruction at the onset of embryonic development. Zebrafish and medaka are vertebrate animal models.
EPICOD is a timely initiative aiming to decipher the fundamental process of puberty in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Discerning the early onset of puberty in farmed cod, will enable its sustainable and effective production, provide food security and conserve natural resources and habitats. Because puberty is largely affected by external stimuli, we hypothesize that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in this process. To dissect cellular heterogeneity of key tissues involved in stimuli reception and hormonal secretion, we are using state-of-the-art single-cell epigenetic and transcriptomic assays as well as multidisciplinary approaches and cross-species validations.
The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway (NFR) with a budget of NOK 12 million from July 2023 to June 2028.