Bacteria and other microorganisms are used for the production of traditional products such as beer, wine, and dairy products. They are also used to produce many important medicines.

Best known are perhaps the antibiotics, including penicillin which is used for the treatment of infectious diseases. Since microorganisms grow quickly and are easy to handle in the laboratory, they are important model organisms for biochemical and genetic study. With the use of genetic engineering, it is possible to change and control microorganisms such that they can be used in industrial processes for completely new products.

We work within many aspects of microbial technology, from fundamental studies to applied research financed by Norwegian industry. Alginate is a polymer sugar compound which Norwegian industry produces from seaweeds. It is used as a binding agent for many products. We study how bacteria make alginate and how we can either use the bacteria or enzymes made by them to make an alginate with improved functional properties. By the use of genetic engineering we try to get bacteria to make more effective antibiotics, particularly one which can be used against fungal infections which are typically difficult to treat. Another project is an attempt to get bacteria to effectively make the essential amino acid lysine which is used as an additive to feeds for animals and fish. By studying how bacteria defend themselves against stress caused by high salt or draught, we can identify genes which can be used to make plants more tolerant to environmental stress.

Another exciting aspect of this area is studies of how microorganisms behave when they are cultivated in a fermentor (bioreactor) under simulated industrial conditions. This work is carried out in collaboration with SINTEF, Biotechnology Department which has a lab which is well equipped for these types of studies.