Research

using microscope

Using molecular techniques, the Sars Centre aims to use marine animals as models to study morphological development within the context of chordata evolution. Major model species are Oikopleura dioica, a pelagic urchordate with favorable features for genetic, genomic and embryological studies, the zebrafish Brachydanio rerio, the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, the freshwater polyp Hydra vulgaris and the ascidians Ciona intestinalis and Ciona savignyi. The Centre also studies eukaryotic gene regulation and genome organization by computational methods. The Centre's scientific activity is evaluated annually by the
Scientific Advisory Committee.

There are several research groups at the Centre working with these organisms.

The Sars Centre is also involved in other projects, some of which are finalised towards aquaculture and fisheries, through various collaborations.

Background

Marine species are less numerous than terrestrial species, but most animal phyla are either exclusively or predominantly marine. Despite this, marine biology has essentially been descriptive due to molecular biologists concentrating on a few terrestrial model organisms. There are exceptions, such as the sea urchin, for which pioneer work in the USA allowed to elucidate developmental mechanisms by studying gene regulations giving rise to an original body plan and mode of life. Genome sequencing also helps to rehabilitate or promote other marine model systems such as Tunicates, Amphioxus, Annelids and others.

Sars affiliates


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Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology
University of Bergen: Unifob AS  ||  Partner of EMBL