From cell biology to women's health and mathematical models: The Computational Biology Unit at the University of Bergen facilitates interdisciplinary breakthroughs
Bioinformatics is an important part of scientific and medical research, and there is high demand for this type of expertise. The University of Bergen began building expertise in this field around 1990, and Trond Mohn Research Foundation has previously contributed with, for example, several Starting Grant scholarships and other project- and network funds. From 2017, the foundation supported the effort to strengthen the research capacity in bioinformatics, which was a high priority for the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Science and Technology at UiB. Most of the support was earmarked for five new permanent scientific positions at the Computational Biology Unit (CBU) at UiB. CBU was founded in 2002 and is currently headed by Professor Nathalie Reuter from the Department of Chemistry at UiB.
The researchers at CBU work at the intersection of computer science and life sciences. The five research leaders have established several research projects that provide completely new insights into everything from the inner life of living cells to women’s health and advanced mathematical simulations:
Research on cells and disease
Professor Sushma Nagaraja Grellscheid leads the work to understand how droplets in living cells affect cell function. By combining cell biology, computer modeling, and physics, her team has mapped how changes in the droplet properties of cells affect cell function: in diseases such as the fatal neurological disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the droplets can harden to form gels, fibers, and clumps (aggregates), thereby preventing the cells from functioning. Grellscheid also emphasizes the importance of open science and greatly values collaboration with other researchers through ELIXIR, the European bioinformatics platform.
The role of mathematics in biology and medicine
Professor Susanna Röblitz has always had a strong commitment to mathematics, and her research ranges from hormone regulation, assisted fertilization, and treatment of MS patients to efficiency improvements in fish farming. Using advanced computer simulations and mathematical models, she predicts how biological systems behave under different conditions. Röblitz emphasizes that the support from the Trond Mohn Research Foundation has been crucial in enabling her to conduct research in a unique, interdisciplinary environment at CBU.
Women’s health in a new light
Professor Anagha Joshi is passionate about promoting understanding of the female body and has herself experienced how health is affected by culture and environment. She uses data science to identify links between health, socioeconomic conditions, and the environment, and works to develop new public health policies. As part of this work, she has written a popular science book about the female body through the different stages of life. Joshi also highlights the importance of the foundation’s support for CBU, which enabled her family to move from Edinburgh and become part of the research community in Bergen.
Life in extreme environments
Professor Håkon Dahle researches microbial communities that thrive in extreme environments, such as hot springs on the seabed where life is driven by chemical energy, independent of sunlight. Through DNA analysis and mathematical models, Dahle’s research contributes to our understanding of how such microbial communities have managed to adapt.
At the same time, these studies help us understand how life, both on Earth and in the universe, can thrive under conditions we previously thought impossible.
Dahle emphasizes the importance of collaboration across disciplines such as medicine, mathematics, computer science, chemistry, and biology, made possible through the support of the Trond Mohn Research Foundation.
New tools for Huntington’s disease
Associate Professor Markus Miettinen and his team are studying protein behavior in Huntington’s disease, an incurable neurological disorder. Through advanced computer simulations, the researchers are gaining insight into the molecular mechanisms behind the disease and developing tools that give other researchers around the world access to the same methods.
Overall, the research at the Computational Biology Unit shows how interdisciplinary collaboration and targeted support can lead to breakthroughs in life sciences, with significant implications for both basic research and society.
Read more about the initiative here: CBU and here Bioinformatics – Mohnfoundation
