Dr Mark Van Der Giezen
Honorary Appointment
About me:
How microbes interact with their hosts plays an important role in human and animal health. Especially the microbes in the gut are of crucial importance. We are interested in how these microbes affect human and animal health. Our research includes important human and animal pathogens but also focusses on microbes and nutrition and their role in food security.
Adaptation of microbial eukaryotes to low oxygen, as found in the gut, for example, featured in several high impact publications (Nature (2003) 426, 172-176, Current Biology (2008) 18, 580-585, Current Biology (2014) 24, 1176-1186 and PLoS Biology (2017) 15(9) e2003769) and included major human pathogens such as Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica and Blastocystis. We hope that understanding their unusual biochemistry might lead to new drug targets. Recently, after my move to Norway, we started working with the Academic Hospital here in Stavanger where we collaborate with the Gastroenterology department on studying the role of the gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease or IBD.
Food security research focuses on biochemistry and genomics of several important livestock and fisheries pathogens such as Aphanomyces and Fasciola hepatica. Aphanomyces causes two notifiable diseases: crayfish plague (click here for new diagnostics we developed) and epizootic ulcerative syndrome in fish while Fasciola causes liver fluke in cattle and sheep. We also worked with the National Lobster Hatchery in the UK to understand the interplay between microbes and hosts, especially the role of the gut microbiome on lobster health. We described two new pathogens of Europan lobsters. We discovered the first case of an Halioticidia infection in Europe, described the first clawed lobster virus and performed a comprehensive comparative gut microbiome study on European lobsters (ISME J (2020) 14, 531–543).
Fruit and vegetables improve health and cognition and it is becoming increasingly clear microbes in our alimentary tract play crucial roles in health. We work with former colleagues at Sports and Health Sciences and the Medical School at the University of Exeter (UK). We are unravelling how the microbiome of the tongue helps in healthy ageing (see for example Free Radic. Biol. Med. (2018) 124, 21-30.)
Our lab uses a variety of techniques to answer our research questions. Molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing methods are routinely used.
In 2019, I accepted a position as Professor of Biological Chemistry at the University of Stavanger, Norway.
Interests:
How microbes interact with their hosts plays an important role in human and animal health. Especially the microbes in the gut are of crucial importance. We are interested in how these microbes affect human and animal health. Our research includes important human and animal pathogens but also focusses on microbes and nutrition and their role in food security.
Adaptation of microbial eukaryotes to low oxygen, as found in the gut, for example, featured in several high impact publications (Nature (2003) 426, 172-176, Current Biology (2008) 18, 580-585, Current Biology (2014) 24, 1176-1186 and PLoS Biology (2017) 15(9) e2003769) and included major human pathogens such as Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica and Blastocystis. We hope that understanding their unusual biochemistry might lead to new drug targets. Recently, after my move to Norway, we started working with the Academic Hospital here in Stavanger where we collaborate with the Gastroenterology department on studying the role of the gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease or IBD.
Food security research focuses on biochemistry and genomics of several important livestock and fisheries pathogens such as Aphanomyces and Fasciola hepatica. Aphanomyces causes two notifiable diseases: crayfish plague (click here for new diagnostics we developed) and epizootic ulcerative syndrome in fish while Fasciola causes liver fluke in cattle and sheep. We also worked with the National Lobster Hatchery in the UK to understand the interplay between microbes and hosts, especially the role of the gut microbiome on lobster health. We described two new pathogens of Europan lobsters. We discovered the first case of an Halioticidia infection in Europe, described the first clawed lobster virus and performed a comprehensive comparative gut microbiome study on European lobsters (ISME J (2020) 14, 531–543).
Fruit and vegetables improve health and cognition and it is becoming increasingly clear microbes in our alimentary tract play crucial roles in health. We work with former colleagues at Sports and Health Sciences and the Medical School at the University of Exeter (UK). We are unravelling how the microbiome of the tongue helps in healthy ageing (see for example Free Radic. Biol. Med. (2018) 124, 21-30.)
Our lab uses a variety of techniques to answer our research questions. Molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing methods are routinely used.
Link to publications (Google Scholar).
Qualifications:
2018 Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
2007 Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, Queen Mary, University of London
1992-1997 PhD in Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Groningen
1988-1992 Drs Molecular Biology & Immunology, University of Groningen
Career:
2022-2025 Honorary Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter
2019-present Professor of Biological Chemistry, Centre for Organelle Research, University of Stavanger, Norway
2019-2022 Honorary Associate Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter
2019 Associate Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter
2018 Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
2017-present Theme Lead Aquatic Diseases for the centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Futures
2014 Elected Fellow of the Linnean Society of London
2009 Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Protein Research, University of Osaka, Japan
2007-2018 Senior Lecturer in Evolutionary Biochemistry, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter
2004-2007 Lecturer in Microbiology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London
2002-2004 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London
1998 EMBO Fellow
1997-2002 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, London
1996 Visiting Scientist, Centre for the Study of Metals in Biology and Medicine, King‘s College, London
1992 Erasmus Studentship, Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse
