Joined the Department of Biotechnology in 2005

Teaching
Microbiology, Metabolic engineering, Microbial physiology and bioprocess engineering principles, Metabolomics (PhD course)

Research Emphasis
Metabolomics, Metabolic Engineering, Microbial physiology, Systems Biology

The main research focus of the group centers on the development and application of mass spectrometry based metabolite analysis (Metabolomics) for understanding of metabolism in various industrial important microorganisms. Current projects are using Pseudomonas fluorescens (http://www.sysmo-alginate.net/), different Streptomyces sp. and bakers yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The Metabolome is defined of the intracellular components with molecular mass lower than 1000. Typically the Metabolome represents 2-3 % of the total dry weight and consists of 10-20 000 different components. A critical step during metabolite analysis is rapid inactivation of metabolism with subsequent extraction of the metabolite pool. Current methods suffer from major limitations and several approaches are undertaken in our laboratory to develop new and improved methods.

Profiling a large number of metabolites is analytically challenging and we are using different advanced separation techniques (gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis) in combination with mass spectrometry detection. The group is collaborating with SINTEF Materials and Chemistry, Department of Biotechnology and we have a joint Mass Spectrometry Analysis Laboratory with thirteen MS instruments, including Ion Trap MS, QqQ, TOF MS, QTOF MS. Trondheim Metabolomics Center was recently established and comprise also MR Metabolomics expertise.