Asst. Prof. Anette Högström presents in front of a seated audience. On the screen, a slide reads "Ancient life - secrets in the rocks"
Fascinating talk this morning by Anette Högström from the Arctic University Museum of Norway 👏 We discovered the secrets held by geological formations in Finnmark, home to the only Ediacaran fossil record in Scandinavia ⛰️ Thank you for a great presentation!
The cover of the journal Science Advances highlights the article described in this thread. On the cover, a comb jelly is viewed from above on a black background. Above, the mention "Sciences Advances" and "6 March 2026". On the bottom left, the logo of AAAS.
Congratulations to all the authors 👏 A special mention goes to @alexandrejan.bsky.social for a gorgeous cover image!
@leodigel.bsky.social @jeffcolgren.bsky.social @carinelegoff.bsky.social @joanjsoto.bsky.social @maikekittelmann.bsky.social @aaas.org 4/4
Combined with gene expression data, the study suggests early nervous systems may have been more centralized than previously assumed 🧠
Read the full article ⤵️ 3/4
A photograph of a young comb jelly's aboral organ (left) shows a cup-shaped structure topped with gravity-sensing statoliths. Researchers used volume electron microscopy to build a 3D reconstruction of the organ (right), uncovering 17 cell types of which 11 were previously undescribed.
Using volume electron microscopy, the team found an astonishing cell diversity in the AO and intricate integration with the animal's nerve net 🔬
“(...) the AO is definitely not like our brain, but it could be defined as the organ that ctenophores use as a brain.” - @annaferraioli.bsky.social 2/4
New article from the @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social group highlighted on the cover of Science Advances 🤩👏 The work, led by @annaferraioli.bsky.social, describes in unprecedented details the structure of the comb jelly's aboral organ (AO) 🧵 1/4
A poster in tones of blue with white text and pops of pink that reads: Michael Sars Symposium 2026 Living systems in a variable ocean In collaboration with the Computational Biology Unit, UiB June 4, 2026, Media City Bergen SPEAKERS Anne-Claude Gavin, Université de Genève Christian Jørgensen, Dept. of Biological Sciences, UiB Matthew Rockman, New York University Isabella Graf, EMBL Heidelberg Tom Michoel, Computational Biology Unit, UiB Anthony Mathelier, NCMBM, University of Oslo Susanna Röblitz, Computational Biology Unit, UiB Deirdre Lyons, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Boris Lenhard, Imperial College London Jonas Brandenburg, Michael Sars Centre, UiB ORGANIZERS Lionel Christian, Michael Sars Centre, UiB Nathalie Reuter, Computational Biology Unit, UiB Below the text are the logos for the Michael Sars Centre, CBU, University of Bergen, EMBL with the mention 'Partners of', and the hashtag MSS2026
Fantastic news 🙌 Deidre Lyons from @scrippsocean.bsky.social joins the Michael Sars Symposium speaker lineup! Register to attend her talk and many more on June 4 ➡️ tinyurl.com/joinMSS2026
Together with @cbubergen.bsky.social, we have prepared a program you won't want to miss! #MSS2026
Thank you to @ktgarschall.bsky.social from the @prhsteinmetz.bsky.social group and Brian Wehner @euplokamis.bsky.social from the @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social group for sharing their time and knowledge, and to Bergen Aquarium for a great event 🤩
PhD candidate Brian Wehner stands behind an outreach station. On the table, we can see a binocular microscope, an aquarium half-filled with sand in which starlet sea anemones are burrowed, information cards and smaller boxes containing symbiotic anemones.
A small child lays their hand on a table with a black tablecloth, under blue light. An adult is painting motifs on their hand with UV paint. On the table, we can also see a print-out of a sea anemone and fluorescent markers.
A woman looks into a binocular placed on a table. The scene is in the dark, the only light source comes from a small lamp. Behind the table PhD candidate Brian Wehner shows sea anemones to another visitor.
Two plasticized information cards on a table. On the left-hand side, the card is titles 'Threatened underwater collaboration'. It shows schematics of a symbiotic sea anemone and a bleached sea anemone. On the right-hand side, the card is titled 'Stinging cells - poisonous harpoons to feed and fight'. That card has tentacles catching small shrimps, and a close-up of cnidocytes, the stinging cells of jellyfish and sea anemones.
At Bergen Aquarium's Researchers' night last Friday, we shone a (UV) light on cnidarians ✨ We invited visitors to observe fluorescence in symbiotic sea anemones, discover their life cycle and - of course - to get their own UV-paint tattoo 🎨 Very grateful for a fun evening of science!
Always great to be back at the Kerckhoff Marine Lab. @caltech.edu
Excited to see this story out as a preprint ✨
He was accompanied by @scienceandtechuib.bsky.social Dean Gunn Mangerud @gunnmangerud.bsky.social and UiB Ocean Head of Communication Andrea Magugliani. Thank you for your visit!
@chiaracastelletti.bsky.social @robertosantoro.bsky.social @annaferraioli.bsky.social @vincenzoperria.bsky.social
It was a pleasure introducing H. E. Ambassador Stefano Nicoletti of Italy to our Centre and community today! Italian researchers from the groups of @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social and @lionlchristiaen.bsky.social shared their work and the beautiful organisms they work with 🌊 1/2
Postdoc Emily Claereboudt @emclaereboudt.bsky.social recently joined an expedition to the North Sea led by our colleagues at the Institute of Marine Research 🌊 She tells us about her experience collecting sea cucumbers in stormy weather for her #MSCA chemosensation project 🤩⤵️
A poster in tones of blue with white text and pops of pink that reads: Michael Sars Symposium 2026 Living systems in a variable ocean In collaboration with the Computational Biology Unit, UiB June 4, 2026, Media City Bergen SPEAKERS Anne-Claude Gavin, Université de Genève Christian Jørgensen, Dept. of Biological Sciences, UiB Matthew Rockman, New York University Isabella Graf, EMBL Heidelberg Tom Michoel, Computational Biology Unit, UiB Anthony Mathelier, NCMBM, University of Oslo Susanna Röblitz, Computational Biology Unit, UiB Boris Lenhard, Imperial College London Jonas Brandenburg, Michael Sars Centre, UiB ORGANIZERS Lionel Christian, Michael Sars Centre, UiB Nathalie Reuter, Computational Biology Unit, UiB Below the text are the logos for the Michael Sars Centre, CBU, University of Bergen, EMBL with the mention 'Partners of', and the hashtag MSS2026
We are thrilled to announce that registration is now open for the Michael Sars Symposium 2026, co-organized with @cbubergen.bsky.social 🙌 Join us on June 4 in Bergen for a day of fantastic talks, with a focus on living systems in a variable ocean 🌊
🔗 tinyurl.com/joinMSS2026
Prof. Lise Øvreås presents a talk about microbial life in the Arctic.
Prof. Lars Henrik Smedsrud presents a talk about ocean circulation in the Arctic.
We finished the week with a treat - a double guest seminar by Profs. Lise Øvreås and Lars H. Smedsrud @islarsh.bsky.social @bjerknes.uib.no 🤩 Fascinating insight into Arctic research across scales, from microbes to ocean circulation ❄️ Thank you for great talks and discussions!
Congratulations to all the authors! @leonieadelmann.bsky.social @ruthstyfhals.bsky.social @mchatzigeorgiou.bsky.social @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social
As @malinkjosavik.bsky.social puts it: "When your RNA results are highly unexpected and exciting, that’s usually the moment to get suspicious and check whether it’s just DNA in disguise!”
Read the full article ⤵️
After obtaining unexpected results, the team reached out to collaborators at @unibergen.bsky.social & @univie.ac.at who tried the assay in their respective model organisms. In 3/6 models, EU incorrectly labeled DNA 🧬
New paper out in @bmc.springernature.com 🤩👏 A routine 5-ethynyl uridine (EU) RNA labeling experiment in a sea anemone turned into detective work for @malinkjosavik.bsky.social, @ktgarschall.bsky.social & @prhsteinmetz.bsky.social 🕵️♀️
@toretu.bsky.social, @ruthstyfhals.bsky.social, @evanordmann.bsky.social, @lionlchristiaen.bsky.social, @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social
📸 @ktgarschall.bsky.social
A group of 11 people poses for the camera. From left to right: M. Sars Centre communications adviser Marion Lebouvier, postdoctoral researcher Ruth Styfhals, Vice-Rector for Research Education and Internationalization Kristoffer Chelsom Vogt, staff engineer Eva-Lena Nordmann, Vice-Rector for Education Sigrunn Eliassen, M. Sars Centre Director Lionel Christiaen, Rector Margareth Hagen, M. Sars Centre Head of Administration Kristina Håvås Hanson, M. Sars Centre Deputy Director and Group Leader Pawel Burkhardt, Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Collaboration Kjell-Morten Myhr, University Director Tore Tungodden.
Yesterday, we had the honor of welcoming the newly elected rectorate and @unibergen.bsky.social Director at the Centre 🏫 We shared a glimpse of our strategy, research, sustainability and communication work, sparking constructive discussions. We look forward to continuing to work together!
Last week I attended the 61st NBS Contact Meeting at Storefjell ❄️ and presented my work from @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social group 🗣️
Great to see the plenary talk from group leader Timothy Lynagh from our @msarscentre.bsky.social
And a good chance to learn more about the research in Bergen and beyond!
Just back from 10 days at sea aboard G.O. Sars 🚢 😍
Joined a 🦐 shrimp survey to collect sea cucumbers — rough weather, but a fun and productive cruise.
Thanks to the Institute of Marine Research for the invite! 🌊 and the @msarscentre.bsky.social for the support!
📷👥: @carinelegoff.bsky.social, Vincenzo Perria, @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social, @lionlchristiaen.bsky.social
A group of four people - one woman, three men - poses for a picture in front of a building in snowy weather.
The Centre was well represented at the Norwegian Bioscience Society Contact Meeting 2026 🧬 Group Leader Tim Lynagh gave a plenary talk, and all enjoyed three days of exciting science, networking with colleagues from Norwegian institutions - and some skiing! ❄️
Fantastic talk today by Mounia Lagha @laghalab.bsky.social from @igmm-montpel.bsky.social 👏 She presented her latest work on gene expression during embryonic genome activation in Drosophila 🪰🔬 Thank you for a great presentation and discussions!
Our comb jellies are on display in a new permanent exhibit at Bergen Aquarium 🤩✨ They are in very good company, alongside several jellyfish species. A must-see if you ever visit #SunnyBergen!
Amazing to hold the print issue of @natrevneuro.nature.com in our hands with our review highlighted on the cover.
Evolutionary connections inspired by the article & designed by Richard Tibbitts.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
fantastic recognition of important work spearheaded by Eva-Lena @evanordmann.bsky.social , Margaux @margauxfailla.bsky.social and Paula @paulamiramon.bsky.social. We are proud and grateful, and look forward to further progress toward sustainable practices led by Jonas @jmbburg.bsky.social
