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University of Bergen

Michael Sars Centre

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Underwater images of marine life

The Michael Sars Centre at the University of Bergen, is an international community of scientists using advanced technologies to study the unique molecular and cellular biology of marine organisms in a changing environment for broad societal impact.

As one of the first EMBL partners, the Michael Sars Centre is rooted in the Bergen academic community and serves as a national strategical asset for Norwegian marine life sciences. We aim to establish, strengthen, and leverage local, national, and international networks through specific activities, including collaborative research, joint training, and scientific exchange.

 

Conference
Group photo at the EED 2026 conference

Studying development in a changing climate: insights from the EED 2026

PhD candidate Chiara Castelletti from the Christiaen group at the Michael Sars Centre attended the 10th European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology Meeting, a landmark in the field of evo-devo. She shares her impressions and experience.

Event
A group photo taken at the Michael Sars Symposium 2026

The Michael Sars Centre and CBU put biology in a changing environment in the spotlight

The 5th edition of the Michael Sars Symposium created a platform for computational and molecular biologists to connect and share their latest work.

Strategy
Digital reconstructions of a sea squirt and sea walnut larva

What future for marine life in a changing world?

As the ocean undergoes rapid anthropogenic changes that impact ecosystems, the Michael Sars Centre’s strategy evolves to study life in context, from molecules to ecosystems.

New publication
Ciona in a behavioral setup

New study reveals an unsuspected range of behaviors in the sea squirt Ciona

New research on the sea squirt Ciona intestinalis challenges the view that animals living fixed in place have simple behaviors and limited responses to their environment.