In the arms race between microbes and us, it is crucial to understand microbial survival and virulence strategies. The group "Genomics of microbial pathogens" examines the genetic material (DNA and RNA) of pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
Head of research group
Members
More about the research group
Both new isolates and deep evolutionary traces in sequence repositories are studied and put in context with each other. Microbial genomics provide insight into the way of life, adaptations and development of microorganisms that are important for medical diagnostics and interventions. These includes vaccination, infection tracing, screening and antimicrobial treatment (viral and bacteriological).
Genomic data from hundreds of thousands of isolates from own studies and global databases are studied in an evolutionary framework. Genomic analyses also give direction to laboratory experiments that, in turn, provide insight of important physiological processes in pathogenic organisms such as antimicrobial resistance and immune evasion strategies.
The group aims to further develop the microbiological laboratory at OsloMet and expand the assay repertoire. The group investigates several bacterial and viral microbes in own projects and supplement clinical and epidemiological studies with collaborating partners.
Projects
- Human papillomavirus sequencing, genomics and evolution
- SARS-CoV-2 sequencing, genomics and evolution
- Bacterial sex, experimental, genomics and evolution
PhD projects
The dynamic HPV genome and cancer
- PhD candidate: Alexander Hesselberg Løvestad
- Main supervisor: Ole Herman Ambur
- Co-supervisors: Trine Rounge and Irene K. Christiansen
Intra-patient HPV genomic variation – a biomarker for the stratification of cancer risk and triage of HPV infections
- PhD candidate: Milan Stosic
- Main supervisor: Ole Herman Ambur
- Co-supervisors: Trine Rounge and Irene K. Christiansen
Bacterial sex and resilience
- PhD candidate: Stian Aleksander Helsem
- Main supervisor: Ole Herman Ambur
- Co-supervisors: Kristian Alfsnes and Stephan A. Frye
- Master student: Visame Jonuzi
SARS-CoV-2 genomics
- PhD: Alexander Hesselberg Løvestad
- Main supervisor: Ole Herman Ambur
- Project leader: Hege Vangstein Aamot
Partners
- Akershus University Hospital
- Oslo University Hospital
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- University of Oslo
- Cancer Registry of Norway
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Montpellier
