The Marine Genomic group (MAG) was established in 2005 and consists of two Northern Norwegian research labs headed by professor Steinar D. Johansen at the University of Tromsø (UiT) and professor Truls Moum at Bodø University College (BUC).

The aim of MAG is to perform high quality genomic research on Arctic and sub-Arctic marine animals. Currently MAG investigates: 1) The MITOGENOME: molecular evolution, structure and function of complete mitochondrial genomes; 2) The TRANSCRIPTOME: profiling and gene discovery of mRNA and microRNA using RNA deep sequencing SOLiD, Solexa and 454
technologies.

The research program is divided into five project topics, each focusing on a defined group of marine animals with local ranges. 1) Codfishes; 2) Flatfishes; 3) Seabirds; 4) Echinoderms; 5) Hexacorals.

The current status in genome analyses is approx. 200 completely sequenced mitochondrial genomes, and millions of reads obtained by deep sequencing. The results will be consecutively published in appropriate research journals and made public available in the sequence database (GenBank/EMBL).

Group I introns – moving in new directions
Henrik Nielsen and Steinar D. Johansen
RNA Biology (2009), 6:375-383

Large-scale sequence analyses of Atlantic cod.
Johansen, S.D., Coucheron, D.H., Andreassen, M., Karlsen, B.O., Furmanek,
T., Jørgensen, T.E., Emblem, Å., Breines, R., Nordeide, J.T., Moum, T.,
Nederbragt, A.J., Stenseth, N.C. and Jakobsen, K.S.
New Biotechnology (2009), 25: 263-271


Complete mitochondrial genome sequences of the Arctic Ocean codfishes Arctogadus glacialis and Boreogadus saida reveal oriL and tRNA gene duplications
Ragna Breines, Anita Ursvik, Marianne Nymark, Steinar D. Johansen, and Dag H. Coucheron
Polar Biology (2008), 31:1245-1252


Halibut mitochondrial genomes contain extensive heteroplasmic tandem repeat arrays involved in DNA recombination
Kenneth A Mjelle, Bård O Karlsen, Tor E Jørgensen, Truls Moum and Steinar D Johansen
BMC Genomics (2008) , 9:10


A mitogenomic approach to the taxonomy of pollocks: Theragra chalcogramma and T. finnmarchica represent one single species
Anita Ursvik, Ragna Breines, Jørgen Schou Christiansen, Svein-Erik Fevolden Dag H Coucheron and Steinar D Johansen
BMC Evol Biol. (2007), 7: 86

Workshop: "Cod Genomics - high risk, high throughput"

Svolvær - Anker Brygge, May 11-13, 2009


The fourth annual workshop of the Marine Animal Genomic Group was arranged
in Svolvær, Lofoten at May 11-13. The topic this year was large-scale
analyses of the Atlantic cod genome and transcriptome. Here we discussed
recent data, current plans, technical solutions, and biological
implications of mitogenomics, next-generation transcriptome sequencing,
microRNA/ncRNA discovery and profiling, and bioinformatic approaches to
large-scale sequence analyses. Participants: Steinar D. Johansen, Dag H.
Coucheron, Truls Moum, Jarle T. Nordeide, Morten Andreassen, Tomasz
Furmanek, Tor Erik Jørgensen, and Bård Ove Karlsen.






Current Topics in RNA Biology

The meeting, named "Current Topics in RNA Biology" will be arranged
September 27-29 on hurtigruten "MS Finnmarken" from Trondheim to Tromsø
(departure Trondheim Saturday Sept. 27 at 12:00; arrival Tromsø Monday Sept
29 at 14:30). See our poster announcement at www.RNA.no
There will be 12 invited speakers, all experts in their fields. The biology
covers human diseases, marine animals, zebrafish, fungi, bacteria - all
presenting different stories related to the new and exciting development in
RNA biology. Speakers include Renee Schroeder (Univ Vienna) - editor in the RNA Biology journal ;
Bernard Dujon (CNRS-Paris), - coordinator of
the yeast genome project; Sidney Altman (Yale-USA), - Noble Prize winner in
chemistry, catalytic RNA; and many other great scientific names: Benoit
Masquida (CNRS-Strasbourg); Henrik Nielsen (Univ Copenhagen); Pascale Romby
(CNRS-Strasbourg); Mouldy Sioud (Radium Hospital-Oslo); Eric Thompson
(Sars-Bergen); Anders Fjose (Univ Bergen);
Ebbe Sloth-Andersen (Univ Aarhus) ;Pål Sætrom (NTNU-Trondheim); Pål Ø. Falnes (Univ Oslo)