How microbes interact with their hosts plays an important role in human and animal health. In particular, the microbes in the gut are of crucial importance. We are interested in how these microbes influence human and animal health. Our research includes important human and animal pathogens, but also focuses on microbes, health, and nutrition.

Several projects in our laboratory focus on the role of gut microbes in human health. Together with the University Hospital Stavanger we are investigating the role of the gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We hope to understand the relationship between the microbiome, treatment, and fatigue in a large IBD cohort. This project, funded by the Norwegian Research Council, is carried out in collaboration with collaborators from the Staten Serum Institute in Copenhagen and the Institute of Parasitology in the Czech Republic.

Another project supported by the Norwegian Research Council is investigating an unusual biochemical phenomenon that we originally discovered in a human intestinal parasite, but which appears to be more widespread and is also found in important pathogens of crops and livestock. We have recently identified an unusual biochemical trait that we hope may lead to the development of new drugs.

Recently, we have started working on projects focussing on Alzheimer's disease. The projects include dietary measures to improve cognitive abilities, but also the early identification of people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease. We are involved in several funded projects, including a large European public-private partnership. We are determining the gut microbiome of large patient cohorts and will use machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches to identify new disease predictors.