Master's Projects Available Autumn 2017
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Hovedveileder: Professor Berit Johansen Main supervisor: Biveileder(e): Dr. Astrid Feuerherm, Dr Thuy Nguyen, Dr. Linn-Karina Selvik Co supervisor Arbeidstittel på oppgaven Lipid signaling mechanisms in inflammation. (max 20 word): Preliminary tittel: Kort beskrivelse av oppgaven (max 300 word): Short description of the Obesity is a major risk factor for lifestyle diseases. Lifestyle is affecting severity of project: chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and rheumatism. Common symptom between obesity, lifestyle and chronic disease is inflammation (1,2). Investigations regarding molecular mechanisms of inflammation will give insights on how different aspects of lifestyle, hormonal responses, e.g. insulin, will affect disease progression and severity (3,4). Hormones under study include cytokines, insulin, chemokines, eicosanoids and adipokines. Model systems: Synoviocytes, cellular model for rheumatoid arthritis; Monocytes, cellular model for white blood cells. Possible master theses: 1) Characterization of insulin signaling in synoviocytes 2) Characterization of adipokin signaling in synoviocytes 3) Characterization of microRNA as a regulatory mechanism of synoviocyte biology 4) Characterisation of TLR2/4-induced responses, and possible involvement of cPLA2 in an osteoclast cell model 5) Metabolomics detection human samples (collaboration with Dr Jens Rohloff) 6) Systems biology of human intervention samples (collaboration with Prof. Martin Kuiper. Oppgaven passer for (angi MBIOT5, MBI-celle/molekylærbiologi, MSc Biotechnology (2yr) studieretning(er)): Suitable for (main profiles): 1. WHO, Global status report on noncommunicable diseases 2010. Description of the global burden of NCDs, their risk factors and determinants., WHO, Editor. 2011. p. 1-176. 2. Kelly, T., et al., Global burden of obesity in 2005 and projections to 2030. International Journal of Obesity, 2008. 32(9): p. 1431-1437. 3. Ouchi, N., et al., Adipokines in inflammation and metabolic disease. Nat Rev Immunol. 11(2): p. 85-97. 4. Gregor, M.F. and G.S. Hotamisligil, Inflammatory mechanisms in obesity. Annu Rev Immunol, 2011. 29: p. 415-45. Hovedveileder: Gunilla Rosenqvist Main supervisor: Biveileder(e): Elisabeth Forsgren (NINA) Co supervisor Arbeidstittel på oppgaven Environmental influence on mating system and sexual selection in (max 20 word): sex-role reversed pipefish Preliminary title: Kort beskrivelse av In short, this project will increase our knowledge on alien species oppgaven (max 300 word): and their effects on our marine ecosystems. The increasing spread Short description of the of alien species and the impact they can have on native marine project: ecosystem are pressing issues, and the problem is growing due to increasing extent of shipping and boat traffic, aquaculture of non- native species, and global warming. This project addresses knowledge gaps related to the spread of a highly invasive fish species (the round goby) and its effect on native fishes. The project also tests the prediction that climate change will benefit this invasive species. The round goby (of Ponto-Caspian origin) is currently spreading rapidly in Europe. It has invaded, for example, the Baltic Sea and has spread to Denmark and the Swedish west coast. The project will do experiments (in Sweden) on the influence off round goby on native species. The project will be conducted on Ar field station on Gotland, Sweden. Oppgaven passer for (angi Behaviour, Evolution, Ecology studieretning(er)): Suitable for (main profiles): Hovedveileder: Gunilla Rosenqvist Main supervisor: Biveileder(e): Anders Berglund (Uppsala University) Co supervisor Arbeidstittel på oppgaven Environmental influence on mating system and sexual selection in (max 20 word): sex-role reversed pipefish Preliminary title: Kort beskrivelse av oppgaven (max 300 word): Purpose and aims Short description of the How environmental change affects sexual selection and project: ultimately individual and population viability. Pipefish constitute an excellent model for such a study: decades of work have established these species as a premier model for the study of sexual selection, and previous studies show that the intensity of sexual selection as well as environmental parameters can be manipulated in the laboratory. The goal of our research is to understand how ecological factors shape mate choice, mating systems and sexual selection. Our objective is to contribute to a resolution of how environmental change affect mating systems in nature. Sexually selected signals as well as mating systems can be affected by human induced environmental changes. Eutrophication, leads to extreme plant growth and phytoplankton blooms which makes the water turbid. The reduced visibility may cause changes in the mate choice and reproductive behaviour of fishes Our central hypothesis is that such change alters and typically reduces sexual selection, leading to changes in the mating system of natural populations. We want to investigate the mechanisms through which sexual selection affects changes in the mating system: how does, environmental change affect mate choice? This will allow new and deeper insights into how environmental change influences natural populations, into the capacity of such populations to adapt or acclimate to such changes, and will also further our understanding of the complicated relationship between sexual selection and population viability. The work will be conducted at Ar Research Station on Gotland, Sweden. Oppgaven passer for (angi Behaviour, Evolution, Ecology studieretning(er)): Suitable for (main profiles): Oppgave 1 Navn på hovedveileder: Thor Harald Ringsby Navn på biveiledere etc. Thomas Kvalnes, Henrik Jensen, Bernt Rønning, Michael Pedersen Kort ”arbeidstittel” på Spatial and temporal variation in insect abundance and oppgaven (Opptil 20 ord) it’s influence on the onset of breeding of house sparrows and their reproductive success Kort beskrivelse av The coming summer(s) we will collect data on seasonal oppgaven (opptil 60 ord) variation in insect abundance of different groups of insects using malaise traps (flying insects). This project will investigate the seasonal variation in insect diversity on fitness of house sparrow at 8 local populations of house sparrows at Helgeland in northern Norwsy. Grundig beskrivelse (opptil 300 ord) The onset of breeding in house sparrows is known to be determined by several factors like day length, temperature in spring etc. We also know that newly hatched nestlings have to be fed on insects during the first week after hatching in order to survive the nestling stage. Due to differences in local habitat quality we also expect that the phenology of the insects differs among habitats. However, data on the variation in onset of insect production among habitats/populations is rarely documented. In this project we will collect insect data weekly by using malaise traps which will provide data on the diversity and the abundance of insects during April – August. The insect data (which represents food availability) will be linked to the reproductive success of house sparrow nests that have hatched within the respective weeks. The project aims to investigate whether 1) onset of insect production differ substantially between local populations and whether this is linked to the onset of breeding of house sparrows. 2) Next the project will investigate whether the seasonal variation in insect diversity and abundance covaris the seasonal variation in reproductive success (fledgling body mass and probability of nestling survival) of house sparrows. This project also relates to the discussion whether climate change is influencing the coadaptation in phenology between predator prey interactions (i.e. different trophic levels). You will be a part of the House sparrow project’s stimulating working environment which consists of 4 professors/associated profs. as well as several researchers, Phd students and MSc students. IN the fieldwork you will will and learn basic methods and routines for how data are collected. Part of your responsibility will also be to analyse the collected insect data Navn på hovedveileder: Thor Harald Ringsby Navn på biveiledere etc. Thomas Kvalnes, Henrik Jensen, Henrik Pärn, Jonathan Wright, Michael Pedersen Kort ”arbeidstittel” på Temperature and humidity as measures of nest quality: oppgaven (Opptil 20 ord) How does nest quality influence parental fitness, and how does nest quality influence the fitness of offspring ? Kort beskrivelse av Many factors influence the variation that we observe in fitness oppgaven (opptil 60 ord) in wild species. One factor that rarely has been investigated is the quality of the nest site. Among house sparrows these vary considerably; some nests are warm and dry, others are cold and wet. We have collected data on temperature and humidity for a large number of nests (using small data loggers). Grundig beskrivelse Is there a relationship between nest quality and morphology of (opptil 300 ord) the parents? For instance, does the most aggressive males acquire the best nest sites? In this project you will investigate whether 1) parental quality (measured as morphology, age) is related to the quality of the nests (measured as nest temperature and humidity) that parents acquire, and whether nest quality is related to the fitness outcome (reproductive success) of the parents Secondly you will investigate whether the fitness of offspring (measured as morphology e.g. body size at 11 days age) is related to the quality of the nests they