Nielsen, Kaare Magne

Ekspert medlem, GMO panelet i Vitenskapskomiteen for mattrygghet (VKM), Helse og Omsorgsdepartementet) (2007-). www.vkm.no/faggruppene/faggruppen-for-genmodifiserte-organismer

Ekspert medlem, GMO panelet i European Food Safety Authority, EFSA, Parma, Italy (2009-). www.efsa.europa.eu/en/panels/gmo.htm

Prosesser (horisontal genoverføring) og effekter knyttet til bakteriell ervervelse av resistens til antimikrobielle legemidler. Biosikkerhetsforskning. 

Se www.uit.no/forskning/mmpe

Vi er endel av forskerskolen Infection, Inflammation and Immunity (III)

http://uit.no/ansatte/organisasjon/artikkel?p_document_id=333504&p_dimension_id=88108&p_menu=28713

Publikasjoner

Nielsen K. M., van Weerelt M., Berg T. N., Bones A. M., Hagler A. N., and van Elsas J. D. 1997. Natural transformation and availability of transforming chromosomal DNA to Acinetobacter calcoaceticus in soil microcosms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63, 1945-1952.

Nielsen K. M.,Gebhard F., Smalla K., Bones A. M., van Elsas J. D. 1997. Evaluation of possible horizontal gene transfer from transgenic plants to the soil bacterium Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD413. Theor. Appl. Genet. 85, 815-821.

Nielsen K. M., Bones A. M., and van Elsas J. D. 1997. Induced natural transformation of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus in soil microcosms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63, 3972-77.

Ødegaard, E., K. M. Nielsen, T. Beisvåg, K. Evjen, A. Johnson, O. Rasmussen, and T. H. Iversen. 1997. Agravitropic behavior of roots of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes. J. Gravit. Physiol. 4, 5-14.

Bones, A. M., B. I. Honne, K. M. Nielsen, et al. 1997. Performance of transgenic plants of potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Laila) grown in vitro, in greenhouse, and in a field trial. Acta Agric. Scand. Sect. B Soil Plant Sci. 47, 156-167.

Nielsen K. M.,Bones A. M., Smalla K., van Elsas J. D. 1998. Horizontal gene transfer from plants to terrestrial bacteria - a rare event? FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 22, 79-103. 

Nielsen K. M. 1998. Barriers to horizontal gene transfer by natural transformation in soil bacteria. APMIS Suppl. (84) 106, 77-84.

Nielsen, K. M., K. Smalla and J. D. van Elsas. 2000. Natural transformation of Acinetobacter sp. strain BD413 with cell lysates of Acinetobacter sp., Pseudomonas fluorescens and Burkholderia cepacia in soil microcosms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66, 206-212.

Nielsen, K. M.,J. D. van Elsas and K. Smalla. 2000. Transformation of Acinetobacter sp. BD413(pFG4∆nptII) with transgenic plant DNA in soil microcosms and effects of kanamycin on selection of transformants. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66, 1237-1242.

Nielsen, K. M.,and J. D. van Elsas. 2001. Stimulatory effects of compounds present in the rhizosphere on natural transformation of Acinetobacter sp. BD413 with cell lysates in soil. Soil. Biol. Biochem. 33, 345-357.

Nielsen, K. M. J. D. van Elsas and K. Smalla. 2001. Dynamics, horizontal transfer and selection of novel DNA in the phytosphere of transgenic plants. Ann. Microbiol. 51, 79-94.

Volksman,S. K., Barry, A. E., Lyons, E. J., Nielsen, K. M. Thomas, S., Choi, M., Thakore, S. S., Day. K. P., Wirth, D. F., Hartl., D. L. 2001. Recent origin of Plasmodium falciparum from a single progenitor. Science 293, 482-484. (see also News and Views section pp. 416-417).

Hartl, D. L., Volkman, S. K., Nielsen, K. M., Barry, A. E., Day, K. P., Wirth, D. F., Winzeler, E. A. 2002. The paradoxical population genetics of P. falciparum. Trends Parasitol. 18, 266-272.

Volkman, S. K., Hartl, D. L., Wirth, D. F., Nielsen, K. M., Choi, M., Batalov, S., Zhou, Y., Plouffe, D., Le Roch, K., Abagyan, R., Winzeler, E. A. 2002. Excess polymorphisms in genes for membrane proteins in Plasmodium falciparum. Science 298, 216-218.

Nielsen, K. M., Choi, M., Kasper, J., Bedford, T., Kristiansen, K., Wirth, D., Volkman, S. K., Lozovsky, E. R., Hartl, D. L. 2003. Gene conversion as a source of nucleotide diversity in Plasmodium falciparum. Mol. Biol. Evol. 20, 726-734.

Nielsen, K. M. 2003. Transgenic organisms-time for conceptual diversification? (commentary) Nature Biotechnol. 21, 227-228.

Townsend, J. P., Nielsen, K. M., Fisher, D., Hartl, D. L. 2003. Horizontal acquisition of divergent chromosomal DNA in bacteria: effects of mutator phenotypes. Genetics 164, 13-21.

Barry, A., Leliwa, A., Choi, M., Nielsen, K. M., Hartl, D. L., Day, K. P. 2003. Artifacts in sequence data from the human malaria parasite, P. falciparum. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 130, 143-147.

Bensasson, D., Boore, J. L., Nielsen, K. M. 2004. Genes without frontiers. Heredity 92, 483-489.

Nielsen, K. M. Townsend, J. P. 2004. Monitoring and modeling horizontal gene transfer. Nature Biotechnol. 22, 1110-1114. See also correspondence vol 22, 1349-1350.

Johnsen, P. J., Østerhus, J.I., Sletvold, H., Sørum, M., Kruse, H., Nielsen, K. M., Simonsen, G. S., Sundsfjord, A. 2005. Persistence of animal and human glycopeptide resistant Enterococci on two Norwegian poultry farms formerly exposed to avoparcin is associated with a widespread plasmid-mediated vanA element within a polyclonal Enterococcus faecium population. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71, 159-168.

Thomas, C. M., Nielsen, K. M. 2005. Mechanisms and barriers to horizontal gene transfer between bacteria. Nature Reviews Microbiol. 3, 711-721.

Pettersen, A. K. Primicero, R., Bøhn, T., Nielsen, K. M. 2005. Modeling suggest frequency estimates are not informative for predicting the long-term effect of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria. Environ. Biosafety Res. 4, 222-233.

Myhre, M., Fenton, K. A., Eggert, J., Nielsen, K. M., Traavik, T. 2006. The 35S plant virus promoter is active in human enterocyte-like cells. Eur. Food Res. Technol. 222, 185-193.

Aa, E., Townsend, J. P., Adams, R. I., Nielsen, K. M., Taylor, J. W. 2006. Population structure and gene evolution in Saccharomyces cervisiae. FEMS Yeast Res. 6, 702-715. (see commentary in Science, 309, 375-376.

Bethke, L. L., Zilversmit, M., Nielsen, K. M., et al.. 2006. Duplication, gene conversion, and genetic diversity in the species-specific acyl-CoA synthase gene family of Plasmodium falciparum. Mol. Biol. Biochem. 150, 10-24.

Sletvold, H, Johnsen, P. J, Simonsen, G. S, Aasnæs, B, Sundsfjord, A, Nielsen, K. M. 2007. Complete DNA sequence and comparative analysis of two vanA-plasmids from Enterococcus faecium isolates from poultry and poultry farmer. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 51, 736-739

Ray J, H. K. Andersen, S. Young, K. M. Nielsen, and M. O’Callaghan. 2007. An assessment of the potential of herbivorous insect gut bacteria to develop competence for natural transformation. Environ. Biosafety Res. 6, 135-147.

Nielsen, K. M, P. Johnsen,  D. Bensasson, D. Daffonchio. 2007. Release and persistence of extracellular DNA in the open environment. Environ. Biosafety Res. 6, 37-53.

Nordgård, L, Nguyen, T., Midtvedt, T., Benno, Y., Traavik, T., K. M. Nielsen. 2007. Lack of detectable uptake of DNA by bacterial gut isolates grown in vitro and by Acinetobacter baylyi colonizing rodents in situ. Environ. Biosafety Res. 6, 149-160.

Rizzi A., Pontiroli, A, Brusetti, L, Borin, S, Sorlini, C, Abruzzese, A, Sacchi, GA, Vogel, T, Simonet, P, Bazzicalupo, M, Nielsen, K. M, Monier, JM, Daffonchio, D. 2008. Strategy for in situ detection of natural transformation-based horizontal gene transfer events. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74, 1250-1254.

Brusetti, L., T. Glad, S. Borin, P. Myren, A. Rizzi, P. Johnsen, P. Carter, D. Daffonchio, K. M. Nielsen. 2008. Low prevalence of bla_TEM genes in Arctic and agricultural soil and rhizosphere. Microb. Ecol. Health Dis. 20, 27-36.

Sletvold, H, Johnsen, P, Hamre, I, Simonsen, G, Sundsfjord, A, Nielsen, K. M. 2008. Complete sequence of Enterococcus faecium pVEF3 and the detection of a toxin-antitoxin module and an ABC transporter. Plasmid, 60, 75-85.

Johnsen P. J., J. Townsend, T. Bohn, G. S. Simonsen. A. Sundsfjord, and K. M. Nielsen. 2009. Factors affecting the reversal of antimicrobial resistance. Lancet Infect. Dis. 9, 357-364.

Ray, J. L, P. Harms, K., Wikmark, O. G, Starikova, I, Johnsen, P. J., Nielsen, K. M. 2009. Sexual isolation in Acinetobacter baylyi is locus-specific and various 10 000 fold over the genome. Genetics, 182, 1165-1181.

Rosvoll, T. C. S., T. R. Pedersen, H. Sletvold, P. J. Johnsen, J. E. Sollid, G. S. Simonsen, L. B. Jensen, K. M. Nielsen, A. Sundsfjord. 2010. PCR-based plasmid typing in Enterococcus faecium strains reveals widely distributed pRE25-, pRUM-, pIP501-, and pHTβ-related replicons associated with glycopeptides resistance and stabilizing toxin-antitoxin systems. FEMS Med. Microbiol. Immunol. 58, 254-268.

Glad, T, P. Bernhardsen, K. M. Nielsen, L. Brusetti, M. Andersen, J. Aars, M. A Sundset. 2010. Bacterial diversity in faeces from polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in Arctic Svalbard. BMC Microbiology, 10:10 (doi:10.1186/1471-2180-10-10)

Moe, MK, Samuelsen, PJ, Nielsen, HV, Nielsen, KM. 2010. Separation of DNA containing organelles from Toxoplasma gondii by capillary zone electrophoresis. Electrophoresis, 31, 1344-1349.

Glad, T., Kristiansen, V. F., Nielsen, K. M., Brusetti, L., Wright, A. D. G., Sundset, M. A. 2010. Ecological characterization of the colonic microbiota in Arctic and sub-Arctic seals. Microb. Ecol. 60: 320-330.

Sletvold, H., Johnsen, P. J., Wikmark, O. G., Simonsen, G. S., Sundsfjord, A., and Nielsen, K. M. 2010. Tn1546 is part of a larger plasmid encoded genetic unit laterally disseminated among clonal Enterococcus faecium lineages. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 65: 1894-1906.

Johnsen, P. J., Townsend, J. P., Bøhn, T., Simonsen, G. S., Sundsfjord, A., Nielsen, K. M.. 2011. Retrospective evidence for a biological cost of vancomycin resistance in the absence of glycopeptide selective pressures. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 66, 608-610.

Aguilera, J., Gomes, A., and Nielsen, K. M. 2011. Genetically modified microbial endosymbionts as insect pest controllers: risk assessment through the European legislations. J Appl. Entomol. 135, 494-502.

Grønsberg I. M., Nordgård, L.,Fenton, K., Hegge, B., Nielsen, K. M., Bardocz, S., Pusztai, A., Traavik, T. 2011. Uptake and organ distribution of feed introduced plasmid DNA in growing or pregnant rats. Food Nutrition Sci. 2, 377-386.

Domingues, S., Nielsen, K. M., and da Silva, G. J. 2011. The bla_IMP-5-carrying integron in a clinical Acinetobacter baumannii strain is flanked by miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs). J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 66, 2667-2668.

Rizzi, A., Raddadi, N., Sorlini, C., Nordgård, L., Nielsen, K. M. and Daffonchio, D. 2012. The stability and degradation of dietary DNA in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals - implications for horizontal gene transfer and the biosafety of GMOs. Crit. Rev. Food Science Nutr. 52, 142-161.

Fladung, M., Altosaar, I., Bartsch, D., Baucher, M., Boscaleri, F., Gallardo, F., Häggman, H., Hoenicka, H., Nielsen, K. M.,Paffetti, D., Séguin, A., Stotzky, G., Vettori, C. 2012. European discussion forum on transgenic tree biosafety. Nature Biotechnol. 30, 37-38 (Correspondence).

Townsend, J. P., Bøhn, T., Nielsen, K. M. 2012. Probability of detecting horizontal gene transfer in bacterial populations. Front. Microbiol. 3, art. 27.

Nordgård, L., Brusetti, L., Raddadi, N., Traavik, T., Averhoff, B., and Nielsen, K. M. 2012. An investigation of the potential of horizontal transfer of feed introduced DNA to the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract of rats. BMC Res. Notes 5: 170.

Domingues S., A. Duarte, K.M. Nielsen, G.J. Da Silva. 2012. Identification of a clinical isolate of Acinetobacter genomic species 10 with an integron-borne bla_VIM-2 gene flanked by miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements. Clin Microb Inf 18 (suppl. 3): 317-318.

Domingues, S., Harms, K., Fricke F.W. P.J. Johnsen, G. da Silva, K. M. Nielsen. Natural transformation facilitates transfer of transposons, integrons and gene cassettes between bacterial species. PLos Pathogens 8(8): e1002837. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002837.

Podevin, N., Devos, Y., Davies, H. V. Nielsen, K. M. 2012. Regulatory challenges for new breeding techniques. EMBO Rep. 13, 1057-1061.

Starikova,I., Harms, K., Lunde,T. T. M, Haugen, P., Primicerio,R., Samuelsen, Ø., Nielsen, K. M., Johnsen, P. J. 2012. A fitness trade-off between gene cassette capture and stability of integrons. PLoS Pathogens 8(11): e1003043.

Tekle, Y. I., Nielsen, K. M., Liua, J., Pettigrew, M., Meyers, L. A., Townsend, J. P., Galvani, A. P. Controlling antimicrobial resistance through targeted, vaccine-induced replacement of strain. 2012. PLoS One, 7 (12), e50688

Domingues, S., G. J. da Silva, and K. M. Nielsen. 2012. Integrons: vehicles and pathways for horizontal dissemination in bacteria. Mobile Genetic Elements 2, 211-223.

Domingues, S., K. M. Nielsen, G. J. da Silva. 2012 Various pathways to the acquisition of antibiotic resistance by natural transformation. Mob. Genet. Elements 6, 257-260.

Nielsen, K. M. 2013 Biosafety data as confidential business information. PloS Biology 11(3): e1001499. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001499

Aguilera, J, K. M. Nielsen, J. Sweet 2013. Risk assessment of GM trees in the EU: Current regulatory framework and guidance. Iforest (accepted).

Domingues, S., Toleman, M., Nielsen, K. M., Da Silva, G. 2013. Identical Miniature Inverted Repeat Transposable Elements (MITE) flanks class 1 integrons in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter spp. J. Clin. Microbiol. (accepted).

Bok kapitler / rapporter (2001-)

Nielsen, K. M., J. P. Townsend. 2001. Environmental exposure, horizontal transfer and selection of transgenes in bacterial populations. In: M. Vurro, Gressel, J., Butt, T., Harman, D., Nuss, D., Sands, D., St. Leger, R. (eds). Enhancing biocontrol agents and handling risks. NATO Science Series, Vol. 339, IOS Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. pp. 145-158.

Nielsen, K. M. 2003. An assessment of factors affecting the likelihood of horizontal transfer of recombinant plant DNA to bacterial recipients in the soil and rhizosphere. In Collection of Biosafety Reviews, (Italy). Vol. 1. pp. 96-149.

Nielsen, K. M., Ray, J. L., Van Elsas, J. D. 2004. Natural transformation in soil: microcosm studies. In: Molecular Microbial Ecology Manual 2^nd ed. Kluwer Academic publishers, The Netherlands. 5.02, pp 1069-1080.

Nielsen K. M., Berdal KG, Kruse H, Sundsfjord A, Mikalsen A, Yazdankhah S and Nes I. (2005) An assessment of potential long-term health effects caused by antibiotic resistance marker genes in genetically modified organisms based on antibiotic usage and resistance patterns in Norway. VKM-Report, Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety, Oslo, Norway.

Ray. J. L., Nielsen, K. M. 2005. Experimental methods for assaying natural transformation and inferring horizontal gene transfer. Book chapter in: Methods in molecular evolution: producing the biochemical data. Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 224, Elsevier/Acad. Press, pp. 491-520.

Nordgaard, L.,Traavik, T., Nielsen, K. M. 2005. Nucleic acid isolation from ecological samples – vertebrate gut flora. Book chapter in: Methods in molecular evolution: producing the biochemical data. Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 224, Elsevier/Academic Press, pp. 38-48.

Nielsen, K. M., Calamai, L., Pietramellara, G. 2006. Stabilization of extracellular DNA by transient binding to various soil surfaces. Book chapter in: Soil Biology, Vol. 8. Nucleic acids and proteins in soil. Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany, Chapt. 7., pp. 141-157.

Nielsen, K. M., Johnsen, P, van Elsas, J. D. 2007. Gene transfer and micro-evolution in soil. Book chapter in: Modern Soil Microbiology. 2^nd Ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Chapt. 3, pp. 55-81.

Nielsen, K. M., Daffonchio, D. Unintended horizontal transfer of recombinant DNA. In: Biosafety First: Holistic Approaches to Risk and Uncertainty in Genetic Engineering and Genetically Modified Organisms. Tapir Academic Press, Trondheim, 2007. Pp. 222-237.

Nielsen, K. M., Myhr, A. Understanding the uncertainties arising from technological interventions in complex biological systems: the case of GMOs. In: Biosafety First: Holistic Approaches to Risk and Uncertainty in Genetic Engineering and Genetically Modified Organisms. Tapir Academic Press, Trondheim, 2007. Pp. 108-122.

4 additional book chapters (Chapters 2-4, 8) co-authored in: Biosafety First: Holistic Approaches to Risk and Uncertainty in Genetic Engineering and Genetically Modified Organisms (Traavik, T. and Lim, L.C. (eds.))., Tapir Academic Press, Trondheim, 2007).

Co-author: FAO/WHO (2007) Report: Expert Consultation on the Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Animals, World Health Organization, Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland, 26 February – 2 March 2007, 32 pp.

Co-author: FAO (2007) Sudan Mission Report of the FAO/World Food Programme technical mission, Karthoum, Sudan 17-22 July 2007. (FAO, Rome). 34 pp.

Kallenborn, R, J. Fick, R. Lindberg, M. Moe, K. M. Nielsen, M. Tysklind and T. Vasskog. 2008. Pharmaceutical residues in Northern European Environments: Consequences and Perspectives. Book chapter in: Pharmaceuticals in the environment 3^rd Ed, (Kuemmerer, K. Ed). Springer Verlag, Germany. pp. 61-74. 

Nielsen, K. M., Ray, J. L., and Johnsen, P. J. 2009. The natural uptake of extracellular DNA in bacteria. Encyclopedia of Microbiology, (M. Schaechter, ED.), 3^rd Ed. Oxford: Elsevier. pp. 587-596.

Nielsen, K.M., Daffonchio, D. 2010. Unintended Horizontal Transfer of Recombinant DNA. TWN Biotechnology & Biosafety Series no. 13, TWN, Malaysia (ISBN: 978-967-5412-34-9). 40 pp.

Myhr, A. I., Nielsen, K. M. 2011. Kvalitet og dannelse innen naturvitenskap. Book chapter (in Norwegian) in: Dannelse - tenking, modning, refleksjon. Hagtvet, B., Ognjenovic, G. Eds. Dreyers Forlag. Oslo, Norway, ISBN: 9788282650274, pp. 488-499.

Nielsen, K. M., Ray, J. L., and Johnsen, P. J. 2012. Horizontal gene transfer: the uptake of extracellular DNA in bacteria. In Topics in Ecological and Environmental Microbiology, Academic Press, (Schmidt, T., Schaechter, M., Eds). Academic/Elsevier, Oxford, UK.,pp. 57-66. Isbn 978-0-12-383878-0.

I tillegg et høyt antall medforfattede risikovurderinger av genmodifiserte planter og mikroorganismer publisert av Vitenskapskomiteen for mattrygghet, Oslo siden 2007 og European Food Safety Authority, Parma, Italia, siden 2009. 

Utvalgte muntlige presentasjoner (2001-)

ICGEB Workshop Biosafety 1. Introduction to biosafety and risk assessment for the environmental release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs): Theoretical approach and scientific background. ICGEB, AREA Science Park, Trieste, Italy, March 5-9, 2001 (3 presentations).

Ohio Agricultural Res. Develop. Center, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH., USA, April 18, 2001.

Cereon Genomics LCC, Cambridge, MA, USA, May 17, 2001.

NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Enhancing biocontrol agents and handling risks, Florence, Italy, June 9-15, 2001.

Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, University of Florence, Italy, June 18, 2001.

ERMA National Science Seminar, Wellington, New Zealand, March 20, 2002. (3 presentations).

Dept. Plant Microbial Sci., University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, March 25, 2002.

AgResearch Science Seminar, AgResearch Lincoln, Lincoln, New Zealand, March 26, 2002.

ICGEB Biosafety 3 Workshop: Advanced issues on biosafety: risk monitoring and public perception of biotechnology. CENIAP, INIA, Maracay, Venezuela, Aug. 5-9, 2002 (3 presentations).

Symp. Impact of GMOs: soil microbiology and nutrient dynamics. Vienna, Austria, Nov. 3-6, 2002.

Taiwan Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Taichung Hsien, Taiwan, March 17, 2003.

Inst. Environ. Science & Res. Kenepuru Science Center, Porirua, New Zealand, March 21, 2003.

Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. June 26, 2003.

Department of Pests and Plant Diseases, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia, March 1, 2004.

Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, March 8, 2004.

Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Taipei, Taiwan, March 9, 2004.

Institute of Biotechnology, Chaoyang University, Taichung Tsien, Taiwan. March 10, 2004.

Inst. Biotechnol., National Pingtung University of Sci. Technol., Pingtung, Taiwan, March 11, 2004.

Transfer of genetically modified DNA from plants to bacteria, workshop, Biological Center, University of Groningen, The Netherlands, April 22-23, 2004.

ICGEB Biosafety 1 Workshop: Introduction to Biosafety and risk assessment for the Environmental Release of GMOs, Trieste, Italy, 19-23 April, 2004 (3 presentations).

Department of Biology, University of Padova, Italy April 28, 2004.

Horizontal gene flow in microbial communities, DOE, NSF sponsored Workshop. Arlie Conference Center, Warrenton, VA, June 14-16, 2004.

Transgenic plants and problems of biosafety, Institute of Plant physiology, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia, 1 Dec. 2004

International Conference on Biosafety, Muscat, Oman, 21-23 Feb. 2005.

The 23^rd Brazilian Congress on Microbiology (CBM 2005), Santos, Brazil, 22-25 Nov. 2005.

International Conference on Biosafety of GMOs, Nanjing, P. R. China, 26-30 Oct. 2005.

Regional Biosafety Training Course, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia, 24-29 Jan. 2006.

RIKEN, Japan Collection of Microorganisms, Tokyo, Japan, 7 Feb. 2006.

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil, 24 April, 2006.

National Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lusaka, Zambia, 19 June

2^nd FEMS Congress of European Microbiologists, Madrid, Spain, 6 July. 2006. (Chairman of sub-session).

Cotton Breeding Institute, Anyang, China, 12 Oct. 2006.

Invited expert at the FAO/WHO Expert consultation on safety assessment of food derived from biotechnology, World Health Organization, Geneve, Feb. 26–March 2, 2006

Regional Biosafety Training Course, Agric. University La Molina, Lima, Peru, 21-25 March, 2007.

Invited expert at the FAO GM food safety assessment training of trainers tool peer review meeting, Bangkok, Thailand, 23-25 May 2007.

Phase II project initiation meeting: DEET (SA and DN (Norway): Biosafety Cooperation between South Africa and Norway: Proposition for a Common Research Program Related to Bt-transgenic Maize. Pretoria, South Africa, 12-17 Nov. 2007.

International key lecturer, UN FAO Regional workshop, GM food safety assessment within a biosecurity framework, KEPHIS, Nairobi, Kenya, April 15-17, 2008.

Symposium on Microbial Genome Dynamics and Evolution. The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Oslo, May 7-8.

The Gateways partners specialist course and Symposium, Hazard ID and risk assessment of (trans)gene flow, Tromsø, Norway, 16-26 Aug. 2009.

Faculty of Technology and Natural Sciences, University of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy, 9 Oct. 2009

The Department of Haematology and Cell Biology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 5 Feb. 2010.

The Gateway partners regional biosafety course, University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil, April 26-May 1, 2010.

EU Cost action FA0701. Arthopod symbionts. Kolymbari, Crete, Greece, Sept. 19-22, 2010. (presentation and chairman, sub-session)

Intragenics workshop, USDA, Albany, Calif. USA, Jan. 20-21, 2011.

EU Cost action, GM-trees, Helsinki, Finland, 2012.

Mikrobiologi-forskningsgruppa ble evaluert til høyeste karakter “excellent” ved Norges Forskningsråds evaluering av farmasøytisk forskning i Norge i 2006*.

*Pharmaceutical Research in Norway – an evaluation. Norges Forskningsråd, Oslo, 2006, ISBN 82-12-02383-4.

Utdanning og stilling

1997      Ph.D. Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

1997-01 Postdoctoral studies (see international experience below)

2001-05 Associate Professor of Microbiology. Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, UIT

2005-     Professor of Microbiology. Department of Pharmacy, UIT

2002-     Scientific Advisor (part time position), GenØk - Center for Biosafety, Tromsø

Internasjonal forskningserfaring

Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Institute for Plant Virology, Microbiology and Biosafety,Braunschweig, Germany. Feb. 20-March 28, 1996, Feb. 9-April 4, 1998., and Institute for Agroecology, Braunschweig, Germany. Jan. 13-31, 2002.

Agricultural Research Department, Research Institute for Plant Protection, IPO-DLO, Wageningen, The Netherlands. June 6-Dec. 22, 1995, May 1-Dec. 21, 1996, Feb 23-March 24, 1997, April 17-Dec. 22, 1998, Feb. 6-April 4, 1999, May 6-12, 2002 (2 years).

Harvard University,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology,Cambridge, USA. April 12, 1999 – Dec 21, 2001, March 1-April 6 and May 13-June 10, 2002 (3 years).

University of Milan, Dept. Food Science Technology (DISTAM),Milan, Italy. June 18-23, 2001.

Riken, Japan Collection Microorganisms, Wako-shi, Tokyo, Japan, 11 Feb-9 March, 4-24 Sept. 2006.

National Agricultural University, Lima, Peru, 22 March-21 April, 2006, 4 March-7 April, 2007.

National Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lusaka, Zambia 8-20 June, 2007.

NERC, Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, 20-30 May, 2008.

University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa, Feb. 1-7, 2010.

Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA March 28, 2011-Jan. 9, 2012.

Virtenskapelige konferanser (deaktig i organisering)

The Impact of genetically modified plants (GMPs) on microbial communities. (Financ. supported by European Science Foundation), RICA Ishavshotel, Tromsø, Norway, 24-28 May, 2003

Holistic foundations for assessment and regulation of genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms. Genøk-Center for Biosafety, University of Tromsø, Norway, 10 days, summers of 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

The Gateways partners specialist course and Symposium, Hazard ID and risk assessment of (trans)gene flow, Tromsø, Norway, 16-26 Aug. 2009 

The Norwegian Biochemical Society 41^st Contact Meeting. RICA Ishavshotel, Tromsø, Norway, 13-16 Jan. 2005 (450 participants). 

Regional Biosafety Training courses, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia, 24-29 Jan. 2006, Agricultural University La Molina, Lima, Peru, 21-25 March, 2007, University of The Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 28 June-3 July, 2009.