Michael Sars Centre

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.

Biology and warming oceans

Portrait of Lionel Christiaen in the laboratory

Building a heart in a changing world

As the ocean warms, researchers are racing to uncover the impact of the climate crisis on marine life. In an innovative multi-scale project, developmental biologist Lionel Christiaen sets the focus on the very beginnings of life in a changing environment.

Event

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

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.

News

Anaïs Courtet, Alexandre Jan and Étienne Bourgouin in the laboratory

Michael Sars Centre partners with Paris Aquarium to introduce comb jellies to the public

The Michael Sars Centre at the University of Bergen and the Paris Aquarium have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to exchange expertise on comb jelly husbandry. The collaboration marks a significant milestone as animals first raised at the Centre are now on display in the aquarium’s...

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.