Bergen CellStress, Tissue Engineering and Simulation in Biomedicine – BeCSTESim in Biomedicine

We have especially focused on in simulated shift work, diving/hyperbaric exposure, and strong magnetic field and radio waves in MRI examinations. We try to by high-through-put methods, especially proteomics (mass-spectrometry) to identify stress-related proteins and protein profile panels or biomarker panels in body fluids, cells and tissues after different phenotypes of stress. In addition, we try to make use of such cellular information after cellular stress in tissue generation and simulation of different tissue constructs.

In this way, we study different phenotypes of stress with spotlight on cellular effects reflected in altered proteins in body fluids. Such stress-related proteins and protein profile panels are explored by systems biological databases to reveal what biological processes, molecular function and subcellular locations the changed proteins are related to in the cells. This can also be information important to consider in tissue engineering and simulation of tissue engineering in biomedicine.

We measure altered protein expression using proteomic/mass-spectrometry methods in tissues, cells and body fluids such as blood serum and saliva following various phenotypes of stress. We have explored one model system of sleep deprivation, a simulated night shift since 2003 (young, self-declared, non-medicated healthy bachelor students, within-control-design).

ifferent phenotypes of stress might converge on specific protein markers, cell signaling networks and signaling pathways in the cells. We aim to identify several of these stress-related proteins and protein profiles than we have already identified and confirmed, and that systematically change before and after exposure to various stressors. Hopefully in the long term, we will be able to construct and outsource cell stress testing or information.

We participate in:

• The Interdisciplinary Research Group: Bergen Sleep and Chronobiology Network (BeSCN)
• UH-nett Vest's group on Nanomaterials and Cell Stress

Projects

• Cellular stress after sleep deprivation as night shift work
• Cellular stress after hyperbaric exposure and diving
• Cellular stress after MRI exposure
• Cellular stress from nanoparticles in biomaterials on cells and tissues and simulation of such stress in tissue engineering

Head of Research Group