New research group

The NAT-group has moved to the Department of Biomedicine

The Department of Biomedicine is glad to welcome the research group lead by Thomas Arnesen, who is currently moving into their new offices and laboratories.

Forskningsgruppen ledet av Thomas Arnesen 2017

Photo:

Torstein Ravnskog

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By Margarethe BittinsUpdated: 06.03.2020 (First published: 29.09.2017)

The NAT group now has its main affiliation with the Department of Biomedicine, with a partial affiliation with the Department of Molecular Biology and the Department of Surgery at Haukeland University Hospital. The group is also associated with the Norwegian Center for Molecular Medicine (NCMM) at the University of Oslo.

The group currently employs 13 members with a wide range of competence in molecular biology and related fields. We work with everything from purified proteins and enzyme assays to human cell cultures, yeast and zebrafish. The focus is on protein modifications, especially N-terminal acetylation, from basic mechanisms of disease, and for the last ten years the group has mapped entire enzyme machinery in human cells performing N-terminal acetylation, so-called NAT enzymes. We also have activities towards endocrine tumors (biobanks) and the development of drugs for chemotherapy against cancer.

Research activities are mainly driven by external funds from the Norwegian Research Council, the Western Norway Health Authority, the Norwegian Cancer Society, and Novo Nordisk Foundation.

The NAT group has extensive collaboration both locally (Eystein Husebye K2, Anette Heie & Katrin Brauckhoff Kir. Clinic HUS, Nathalie Reuter MBI, Bengt Erik Haug KI etc), nationally (Camila Esguerra NCMM, HTS platform etc.) and internationally (Kris Gevaert VIB-UGent, Ronen Marmorstein UPenn, Roberto Dominguez UPenn, Carmela Giglione & Thierry Meinnel I2BC-CNRS, Dan Mulvihill UKent, Rui Martinho UAlgarve, etc.).

The leader of the group is Thomas Arnesen, and the Department wishes everyone welcome!

Whats is "NAT"?

It is an acronym for N-Acetyl-Transferase. This is a group of enzymes that put a small chemical group onto the end of a larger protein. More specifically, it is an acetyl group that is added to the N-terminus of a protein.This can modify the protein's function, and therefore be involved in several physiological processes, like cell death and proliferation. These can then also be cause for different types of cancer, and are therefore targets of cancer research.