For the Veterinary Medicine students we teach under VET356 (General Principles of Disease), where Preben Boysen is block leader. We also contribute to other courses earlier as well as later in the study programme. For Veterinary Nursing students we mainly teach under DYR204 (Infection biology and pharmaceutics), and DYR214 (Laboratory Diagnostics).
We also contribute to other teaching in immunology, including MVI392 (Gastrointestinal Anatomy and Physiology) at the Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science.
Our unit has long experience with flow cytometry, with instruments covering most needs, including an advanced cell sorter (following moving to Campus Ås). We have also built up extensive experience with Luminex®-based (xMap) multiplex assays for the detection of analytes as well as serological assays for specific and polyreactive antibodies.
We establish customized bead-based tests on this platform. In addition, we frequently run other immunological and molecular methods like PCR, ELISA, Western Blot, various cellular techniques like cytotoxicity, proliferation, cytokine responses, phagocytosis, protein cloning, expression and purification. We have hands-on experience with a range of animal models, from fish to mice to farm animals.
Focus areas in our research:
Ongoing projects:
SALMO-CARD: Characterization, prediction and reduction of cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) in Atlantic salmon
- FHF project 901672 (Partner)
- CMS is one of the most serious causes of disease and mortality in Atlantic salmon in Norway. This project pursues the hypothesis that individual variation in stress- and immune responsivity (immuno-neuroendocrine phenotype) can explain the variation in vulnerability to CMS.
- Contact person: Hege Lund
Ended projects:
Salm-Plex: Etablering av multiplex immunassay for måling av biomarkører for helse og velferd hos atlantisk laks.
- Finansiert av Fiskeri- og havbruksnæringens forskningsfinansiering (FHF), 2018-2021
- Objective: Identify biomarkers and establish analysis methods for early detection of inflammation, infection and stress in blood and possibly mucus in salmonids.
- Project site: https://www.fhf.no/prosjekter/prosjektbasen/901462/
- Contact person: Hege Lund.
ViVaFish: Plattform for vaksiner mot fiskevirus (avsluttet prosjekt).
- NFR-financed consortium 2014-18, lead by the Virology Unit.
Publications:
Identification of novel biomarkers of inflammation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) by a plasma proteomic approach
Dev. Comp. Immunol
2022
Evaluation of Immune Status in Two Cohorts of Atlantic Salmon Raised in Different Aquaculture Systems (Case Study)
Genes (Basel)
2022
Effect of two constant light regimens on antibody profiles and immune gene expression in Atlantic salmon following vaccination and experimental challenge with salmonid alphavirus
Fish & Shellfish Immunology
2021
IgM+ and IgT+ B Cell Traffic to the Heart during SAV Infection in Atlantic Salmon
Vaccines (Basel)
2020
Consequences of Haemorrhagic Smolt Syndrome (HSS) for the Immune Status of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) (Case Study)
Biology (Basel)
2020
A time-course study of gene expression and antibody repertoire at early time post vaccination of Atlantic salmon
Molecular Immunology
2019
Detection of Salmonid IgM Specific to the Piscine Orthoreovirus Outer Capsid Spike Protein Sigma 1 Using Lipid-Modified Antigens in a Bead-Based Antibody Detection Assay
Frontiers in Immunology
2019
A bead based multiplex immunoassay detects Piscine orthoreovirus specific antibodies in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Fish and Shellfish Immunology
2017
Development of a unique housing system offering natural living conditions for lab mice and feral (wild) mice.
- Financed internally and through external contribution such as the Norwegian Centennial Chair (NOCC) and the Nansen Fund.
- We have developed an original mouse model where mice live in large pens, containing soil, natural hiding places and fecal content from domestic animal species. This recreates a natural habitat for house mice, significantly different from the ultra-hygienic conditions in which lab mice are normally raised.
- The aim is to assess the effect of such an environment on the immune system, bacterial flora (microbiota) and various diseases.
- A key finding is that housing in a farm-like habitat protected mice against the development of colorectal cancer.
- Partnerships include Faculty of Chemistry, , Biotechnology and Food Science (Prof. Harald Carlsen), RWTH Aachen (Prof. Thomas Clavel), University of Minnesota (Prof. David Masopust) and University of Oslo (Marie Rogne).
- One PhD and three research track students have been linked to this project.
- We have also compared the immune system in wild-caught and lab mice.
- Contact person: Preben Boysen.
Publications:
Naturalizing laboratory mice by housing in a farmyard-type habitat confers protection against colorectal carcinogenesis
Gut Microbes
2021
Mast Cells Are Identified in the Lung Parenchyma of Wild Mice, Which Can Be Recapitulated in Naturalized Laboratory Mice
Laboratory Animal Research
2021
Induction of colorectal carcinogenesis in the C57BL/6J and A/J mouse strains with a reduced DSS dose in the AOM/DSS model
Frontiers in Immunology
2021
A Model System for Feralizing Laboratory Mice in Large Farmyard-Like Pens
Frontiers in Microbiology
2020
Evidence of functional Cd94 polymorphism in a free-living house mouse population
Immunogenetics
2018
The composition of the gut microbiota shapes the colon mucus barrier
2015
Diversification of memory B cells drives the continuous adaptation of secretory antibodies to gut microbiota
Nature Immonology
2015
Induction of gut IgA production through T cell-dependent and T cell-independent pathways
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
2012
Natural killer cells in free-living Mus musculus have a primed phenotype
Molecular Ecology
2011
Characterization of natural killer cells (NK-cells) in various domestic animal species.
- Our group has lead and contributed to the characterization of NK cells in cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and dogs, and established methods to study these cells.
- Contact person: Preben Boysen.
Immune cells and bacteria in ruminant milk
- High somatic cell numbers in goat milk – influence on product quality (NFR 320834) (Partner): Norwegian milk goats have significantly improved their health recently, through targeted health programmes. Nevertheless, the goat milk still contains a high number of somatic cells, affecting animal health as well as the milk products (cheese, etc.). The aim of the project is to characterize these cells.
- HoliCow: A holistic approach to an old problem: deciphering complex host-microbiome-pathogen relationships in bovine mastitis (NFR 314733) (Partner): The project aims to explore the bovine udder microbiome, its functionality and its interaction with the host and mastitis pathogens. This will provide novel knowledge to help the fight against mastitis which is the most common cause of recorded diagnoses and disease treatments in Norwegian dairy cattle.
- Contact person: Preben Boysen.
Metastases from osteosarcoma in dogs
- The project is lead by Professor Lars Moe at SportFaMed, in collaboration with The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, UK and with Norwegian Radium Hospital in Oslo.
- The aim is to study immune mechanisms in micrometastases of osteosarcoma in dogs, of translational relevance also for similar conditions in humans.
- Contact person: Preben Boysen
Publikasjoner:
B7H6 is a functional ligand for NKp30 in rat and cattle and determines NKp30 reactivity toward human cancer cell lines
European Journal of Immonology
2019
NCR1 is an activating receptor expressed on a subset of canine NK cells
Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology
2016
NCR1+ cells in dogs show phenotypic characteristics of natural killer cells
Veterinary research communications
2014
NKp46+CD3+ Cells: A Novel Nonconventional T Cell Subset in Cattle Exhibiting Both NK Cell and T Cell Features
Journal of Immunology
2014
Natural killer cells in afferent lymph express an activated phenotype and readily produce IFN-γ
Frontiers in Immunology
2013
Characterization of NCR1+ cells residing in lymphoid tissues in the gut of lambs indicates that the majority are NK cells
Veterinary research
2013
NKp46 expression discriminates porcine NK cells with different functional properties
European Journal of Immunology
2012
Bovine neonate natural killer cells are fully functional and highly responsive to interleukin-15 and to NKp46 receptor stimulation
Veterinary research
2009
Bovine natural killer cells
Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology
2009
NKp46 defines a subset of bovine leukocytes with natural killer cell characteristics
European Journal of Immunology
2004