Mastergradsoppgaver i biologi (Helsefak)
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Improving and utilizing functional in vitro cAMP assay in pursuit to discover allosteric modulators of the GABAB receptor
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2021-07-05)The GABAergic system is the main inhibitory neuronal system utilized within the central nervous system (CNS). γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the fundamental neurotransmitter which transmit inhibitory signals through GABA receptors, the ionotropic GABAA and GABAC receptors; and the metabotropic G-protein coupled receptor GABAB receptor. Disruption of this system is associated with a range of psychiatric ... -
Long term 2D-culture of primary mouse liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC)
(Master thesis; Mastergradsoppgave, 2023-05-31)Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) are unique and specialized cell type with high endocytic activity of bloodborne waste macromolecules. LSEC lack basal lamina and present a unique structural feature called fenestrations, which facilitate passive filtering and exchange of nutrients with other liver cells. Developing LSEC cell lines is challenging with regards to preserving their morphology ... -
Moving sperm forward
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2023-05-26)Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate a manual sperm sorting method (Swim-up) and a non-invasive microfluidics method (Zymot microfluidics) with emphasis on formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA fragmentation as objective measurements of spermatozoa quality. Standard phase contrast imaging of spermatozoa was compared with quantitative phase contrast microscopy (QPM) ... -
Characterization of extracellular vesicles from U-2OS15E, a human osteosarcoma cell line persistently infected by BK polyomavirus
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2021-05-25)The human polyomavirus BKPyV infects most people worldwide and establishes a lifelong persistent infection in the renourinary tract. The virus rarely gives symptoms in healthy people, but it can cause severe disease under certain immunocompromised states. Despite its high prevalence, our knowledge about how the virus evades host immunity and persists still poor. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) ... -
Duration and dynamics of Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex gut carriage in a community-based adult population cohort
(Master thesis; Mastergradsoppgave, 2023-05-15)Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex (KpSC) is a group of closely related bacterial species including Klebsiella pneumoniae sensu stricto known as a major human opportunistic pathogen associated with healthcare. KpSC gut carriage is a major risk factor for clinical infections and elderly people (≥60y) are at the risk of KpSC gut colonisation. This master project investigated the presence, duration ... -
Characterization of competition between commensal A2 and clinical A1 strains of Enterococcus faecium
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2023-05-14)Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) emerged from a gut commensal to one of the leading nosocomial multidrug-resistant pathogens. The species of E. faecium, has a deep phylogenetic split into commensal and clinical strains. The dominance of clinical strains during nosocomial infections is only insufficiently understood. Previous studies revealed competitive characteristics between the commensal ... -
Exploring the adenosine system by cancer-associated fibroblasts in the context of radiotherapy
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2023-05-14)Background of the study: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a heterogeneous population of cells that are mainly found in solid malignancies and play vital roles in tumor progression and metastasis, including important immunoregulatory functions. In this study, our objective was to explore the immunosuppressive adenosine system within the CAFs isolated from non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) ... -
The use of traditional and unconventional culturing methods for the discovery of antimicrobial compounds derived from marine microorganisms
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2023-05-15)The main aim is to evaluate the content of marine biofilms and different marine bacteria for antimicrobial potential. Hypothesis: antimicrobial compounds can be produced in the presence of other bacterial species; in the context of Winogradsky columns that simulate a naturalistic environment, and in the proximity to other species in the case of marine bacterial isolates. For this main aim and ... -
Inhibition of bacterial and human zinc-metalloproteases
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2021-11-30)Antibiotic resistance is one of the major challenges in the present era and it is drastically increasing with the increase in time because of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Therefore, there is a demand of new antibiotics with new modes of action or other innovative strategies to overcome bacterial infections as soon as possible. The zinc metalloproteases Themolysin (TLN), Pseudolysin (PLN) ... -
Determinants of Staphylococcus aureus colonization and infection: Characterization of interaction between serine-aspartate containing protein D and human Siglec11 and Siglec16
(Master thesis; Mastergradsoppgave, 2021-10-15)<p><i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> is a Gram-positive opportunistic pathogen responsible for a range of infections that can lead to fatal invasive diseases such as pneumonia or osteomyelitis. Approximately 30% of the healthy adult population are persistently colonized by <i>S. aureus</i> strains in their anterior nares. The molecular mechanism underlying <i>S. aureus</i> colonization and infection ... -
Establishment of an advanced flow cytometry protocol for analyzing immune cell subsets from lung cancer patients
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2022-08-22)Lymphocytes are known for their role in tumor promotion and tumor suppression. T cell infiltration of the tumor microenvironment has been linked to a better prognosis and outcome in various malignancies. CD8+ T cells can eliminate cancer cells by causing them to lyse, while CD4+ T cells can be both tumor promoting and tumor suppressing. However, the prognostic impact of functional lymphocyte subtypes ... -
The human polyomavirus KI: A study on cell permissivity, sub-cellular localization of VP1 and presence in cerebrospinal fluid and urine
(Master thesis; Mastergradsoppgave, 2011-11-17)KI polyomavirus (KIPyV) is a relatively newly discovered human polyomavirus originally identified in respiratory tract samples. Little is known about the route of infection or transmission, and the pathogenic properties of this virus are virtually unknown. The life cycle of KIPyV has not been studied as a permissive cell system has not been identified so far. The bona fide sites of viral replication ... -
Non-Invasive Methods for Detection of Genetic Abnormalities in Human Embryos Cell-Free DNA Secreted from Human Embryos as an Alternative to DNA from Cell Biopsies for Genetic Analyses
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2022-05-15)Chromosomal abnormalities are one of the main causes of implantation failure following embryo transfer in in vitro fertilization (IVF). Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A) is time-consuming, expensive, and invasive. Non-invasive PGT-A (niPGT-A) is an alternative where secreted embryonic cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in spent culture medium (SCM) is investigated. This study aimed to ... -
Evaluation of the performance of two prediction models, the IrisPlex and the novel EC12 model, for eye colour predictions in a Norwegian population.
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2020-06-12)Biological material obtained from a crime scene is used to generate DNA-profile by typing short tandem repeat (STR) markers. However, if the STR-profile do not match the DNA profile of suspects or from a crime DNA database, the investigation can go towards typing markers that can estimate externally visible characteristics (EVCs). EVCs can function as a “biological witness” and thus aid a police ... -
Analysis of 30 Y-chromosomal STR markers in the Norwegian population
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2019-05-15)Autosomal STR-analysis is the standard method of DNA-typing in casework. However, there are forensic sample types that may contain a large fraction of female DNA and a minimal fraction of male DNA. The male fraction may not be successfully amplified using autosomal STR-analysis because it “drowns” in the female fraction. However, the analysis of male-specific YSTR markers may circumvent this obstacle. ... -
The prognostic significance of miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p in prostate cancer
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2019-05-15)Prostate cancer accounts for extensive mortality and is the second most frequent cancer type occurring in men, acknowledged as a severe health problem globally. In Norway, Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men, and around 5.000 patients are diagnosed each year. Using in situ hybridization, we examined the in situ tissue distribution of miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p in prostate cancer ... -
Characterization of commensal enterococcal membrane vesicles and their cytotoxic effect on various host cells
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2020-05-14)Enterococcus are a group of bacteria growing on different environmental condition behaving as a commensal as well as opportunistic pathogen. Among the enterococci, Enterococcus faecium is recently emerged as a nosocomial multi-resistance pathogen especially in the severely ill and immunocompromised patients causing a wide range of diseases like endocarditis, bacteraemia and urinary tract infections. ... -
Expression and characterization of recombinant murine integrin β3 modified to express the human platelet antigen-1a epitope
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2017-05-14)Fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) is a condition where the mother produces alloantibodies against fetal platelets during pregnancy most commonly due to an incompatibility in the human platelet antigen (HPA)-1 system; a single amino acid polymorphism located on integrin β3 with two common variants, HPA-1a and HPA-1b. Antibody responses against HPA-1a can be formed in women who ... -
Optimization of biomarkers for morphological analysis of healthy and preeclamptic term human placental tissue sections using advanced fluorescence microscopy methods
(Mastergradsoppgave; Master thesis, 2021-07-01)Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-related disorder affecting 5-8% of women worldwide (4% in Norway). It is believed that placental ischemia is the initial event in the development of PE and is characterized by placental insufficiency and clinical symptoms such as hypertension and proteinuria. In this project, we aimed to study suitable biomarkers for morphological analysis of human term placenta from ... -
The Regulatory Relationship between E2F4 and MiRNA-363, and it’s Relevance to Oral Cancer
(Master thesis; Mastergradsoppgave, 2020-08-14)BACKGROUND Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of head and neck cancer and persists a leading cause of cancer associated mortality and morbidity universally. Survival rate is still poor at less than 50% urging the need for biomarkers to allow better diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic strategies. In this study we focus on E2F4, a repressor of cell cycle, and further propose ...