RNA biology and mitogenomics

Welcome to the RNA Biology and Mitogenomics Group at Department of Molecular Biotechnology. The group is located in the MH-building and is a part of the Institute of Medical Biology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway.

The research group consists of four permanent positions (Professor and group leader Steinar D. Johansen, Associate Professor Dag H. Coucheron, as well as the senior technicians Kari Haugli and Anita Ursvik), and a variable number of Post doc and PhD positions.

The research group offers teaching courses in Molecular Cell Biology (Bio 2300) and RNA Biology (Bio 3322), as well as Master of Technology (Biotechnology) and Master of Science (Molecular Biology). The RNA Biology and Mitogenomics Group offers a PhD program within the PhD SCHOOL of molecular and structural biology.

The RNA Biology and Mitogenomics Group has a RESEARCH PROGRAM involving catalytic RNAs, the biology of cellular RNAs, and mtDNA analysis of marine fishes.

Selected recent publications:


Birgisdottir ÅB, Johansen S (2005). Site-specific reverse splicing of a HEG-containing group I intron in ribosomal RNA. Nucleic Acids Res. 33:2042-2051.

Haugen P, Wikmark OG, Vader A, Coucheron DH, Sjøttem E, Johansen S (2005). The recent transfer of a homing endonuclease gene. Nucleic Acids Res. 33:2734-2741.

Bakke I, Johansen S (2005). Molecular phylogenetics of Gadidae and related Gadiformes based on mitochondrial DNA sequences. Marine Biotechnol. 7:61-69.

Nielsen H, Westhof E, Johansen S (2005). A homing endonuclease mRNA is capped by a 2’,5’ lariat catalyzed by a group I-like ribozyme. Science 309:1584-1587

Haugen P, Simon DM, Bhattacharya D (2005). The natural history of group I introns. Trends Genet. 21:111-119.