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Underwater images of marine life

The Michael Sars Centre at the University of Bergen, is an international community of scientists using advanced technologies to study the unique molecular and cellular biology of marine organisms in a changing environment for broad societal impact.

As one of the first EMBL partners, the Michael Sars Centre is rooted in the Bergen academic community and serves as a national strategical asset for Norwegian marine life sciences. We aim to establish, strengthen, and leverage local, national, and international networks through specific activities, including collaborative research, joint training, and scientific exchange.

 

New publication
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BioChatter: making large language models accessible for biomedical research

A team led by researchers at EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), in collaboration with a PhD candidate in the Christiaen group at the Michael Sars Centre, developed an open-source large language model (LLM) framework designed for custom biomedical research.

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Registration for the Michael Sars Symposium 2025 is open!

Join us on June 6, 2025 at Media City Bergen for a day of exceptional talks. This year, our invited speakers will explore the theme: "Decoding signals and unveiling architectures, from molecules to organisms". 

New Publication
3D model of a ligand-gated ion channel, electrophysiology curves and the outline of the lamp shell Novocrania anomalia.

A surprising mode of activation for ion channels discovered in a small marine invertebrate

In a new article, researchers from the Lynagh group explore the unexpected activation of an ion channel by a family of small molecules known to inhibit other similar channels .

New Publication
Birthe Thuesen Mathiesen in the Ciona facility

New insights into sea squirt physiology allow for better inland cultures

By conducting systematic observations of animals in the laboratory, researchers in the Christiaen group uncovered crucial information on the post-embryonic development of Ciona. Their results, including a new culture protocol, are published in Open Biology.

New publication
On the left, the cover of the last issue of Science Advances featuring an artist rendition of a choanoflagellate colony. On the right, a microscopy picture of a colony.

Tiny microbe colonies communicate to coordinate their behavior

A new study published in Science Advances reveals evidence of electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in choanoflagellates, the closest living relatives of animals. This elaborate example of cell communication offers key insights into the early evolution of animal multicellularity and nervous...