Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2025
Authors
Iuliana Caras Irina-Elena Ionescu Ana-Maria Pantazica Andre van Eerde Hege Særvold Steen Inger Heldal Sissel Haugslien Catalin Tucureanu Raluca-Elena Chelmus Vlad-Constantin Tofan Adriana Costache Adrian Onu Hang Su Norica Branza-Nichita Jihong Liu Clarke Crina StavaruAbstract
Introduction: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection is still an ongoing public health issue worldwide. The most efficient tool in preventing HBV infection remains vaccination and significant efforts have been made in the last decade to improve current HBV vaccines. Owing to the strict HBV tropism for the human liver, developing animal models for preclinical screening of vaccine candidates is extremely challenging. To date, there are only a few reports regarding the use of humanized mouse models for the evaluation of the immunogenic properties of viral antigens.Methods: Previously we showed that a Nicotiana benthamiana-produced HBV-S/preS116-42 antigen elicited strong HBV-specific immune responses in BALB/c mice. In the current study, we used immunodeficient NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mice as recipients of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs), to evaluate the immunogenicity of the recently developed chimeric HBV immunogen produced in CRISPR/Cas9-edited N. benthamiana, under more “humanized” conditions.Results: Analysis of the immune response in NSG mice immunized with the chimeric antigen demonstrated induction of virus infection-neutralizing antibodies, indicating activation of antigen-specific B cells.Discussion: The ability of hPBMCs-engrafted NSG mice to mount specific humoral immune responses after immunization with viral antigens supports this animal model as a promising tool for pre-clinical evaluation of human vaccine antigens.
Authors
Sanandam Bordoloi Artemi Cerdà Csilla Farkas Katarína Hegedüšová Vantarová Giora J. Kidron Ľubomír LichnerAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Ruochen Li Xin Pei Ming Zhang Xuhui Deng Chengyuan Tao Jiabao Wang Xueli Chen Nicholas Clarke Lidia Sas-Paszt Zongzhuang Shen Rong Li Qirong ShenAbstract
The application of livestock manure is a common waste utilization measure that can increase soil fertility and crop yields, but the antibiotics and resistance genes involved result in a potential threat to human health and animal welfare. Here, lettuce, a widely popular edible vegetable, was selected as a model with which to investigate the effects of long-term application (FM) and temporary cessation (cessation) of fresh chicken manure on the distribution and movement of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the soil-root-plant system to elucidate the bottleneck in assessing the health risks of manure application. ARGs associated with 13 antibiotics and 384 subtypes in soil were quantitatively analyzed via high-throughput qPCR, and the results revealed that cessation treatment significantly affected the patterns of bacteria, mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and ARGs in the soil, leaves and roots in the soil–lettuce cropping system compared with FM treatment. Cessation of manure application reduced the abundance of ARGs by 34.0 %, 53.7 %, and 23.9 % in the bulk soil, rhizosphere soil, and leaves, respectively. Correlation network and source-tracking analyses of ARGs and bacteria within leaves and roots revealed that cessation treatment reduced the diffusion of ARGs and bacteria within leaves and roots into adjacent sites, and partial least squares path model (PLSPM) analysis indicated that FM treatment indirectly affected the pattern of ARGs in soil by influencing the bacterial community and soil properties, which play key roles in the distribution of ARGs. In summary, we investigated the driving mechanism of the effects of manure on the microbial community and ARG spectrum in a soil–lettuce planting system, and the results can support strategies for managing the spread of ARGs in the soil.
Authors
Paul Eric Aspholm Carmen Rizzo Gabriella Caruso Giovanna Maimone Luisa Patrolecco Marco Termine Marco Bertolino Stefania Giannarelli Alessandro Ciro Rappazzo Josef Elster Alessio Lena Maria Papale Tanita Pescatore Jasmin Rauseo Rosamaria Soldano Francesca Spataro Maurizio Azzaro Angelina Lo GiudiceAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Lathika Y. Hitige Rashmi N.J.K. Arachchi Nimal Ratnayake Miyuru Gunathilake Upaka RathnayakeAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Udara Senatilleke Ravindu Panditharathne Ruchiru D. Herath Dushyantha M. Aththanayake Randika K. Makubura Sajana Hemakumara Miyuru Gunathilake Hazi Md. Azamathulla Komali Kantamaneni Upaka RathnayakeAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Junbin Zhao Simon Weldon Alexandra Barthelmes Erin Swails Kristell Hergoualc’h Ülo Mander Chunjing Qiu John Connolly Whendee L. Silver David I. CampbellAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Gunhild Bødtker Claire Coutris Eva Marie-Louise Denison Åsa Frostegård Erik J. Joner Bjørn Tore Lunestad Elisabeth Henie Madslien Kaare Magne Nielsen Pål TrosvikAbstract
In this self-tasking scoping review, VKM will map research about the environmental impacts of biodegradable plastics, including biodegradation rates and material persistence in different environments and geographical regions, the influence on microbial ecology and activity, and ecotoxicological effects of materials and associated chemical substances. Related to this is also research associated with the development of methodology, standards, environmental risk assessment, life cycle impact analyses, material sources and properties of biodegradable plastics and products. The aim is to 1) determine the extent of evidence summarised in reviews and original research papers within this emerging research area and 2) map the evidence according to the materials and chemicals studied, types of environments and geographical regions covered, the hypotheses addressed, the type of endpoints assessed and the reported key findings. Systematic literature searches will be performed to identify the summarised evidence, applying APRIO to develop a tailored search protocol that addresses the multi- and cross-disciplinary nature of the research area. We will select and map the identified publications applying Rayyan and sort them into three categories based on their main scientific focus and aim of study: 1) material properties and application, 2) biodegradation and microbial ecology, and 3) ecotoxicology. There will be no geographical restrictions on the search and study selection, but in the data charting process we will highlight findings relevant to Norway and other Nordic countries. The current project adheres to the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist” for protocol development and reporting. We will address uncertainties associated with research studies applying EFSA guidelines and their generic list of common types of uncertainty affecting scientific studies and assessments.
Authors
Ararsa Derese Seboka Lu Feng John Morken Muyiwa S. Adaramola Getachew Birhanu Abera Gebresilassie Asnake EwunieAbstract
The growing hotel and education sectors in Ethiopia face increasing waste and energy demands, necessitating effective waste management and energy use strategies. This study is aimed to investigates biowaste production and energy consumption in hotels and university campuses in Southern Ethiopia, focusing on sustainable solutions for reducing environmental impacts. A mixed-methods approach, including surveys and onsite measurements, were used to assess energy consumption, biowaste generation, and management practices. A stratified purposive sampling was employed to select institutions, and both descriptive and inferential statistics, including time series analysis, multiple regression models, were applied; the environmental footprint of energy sources and energy potentials of biowastes were quantified following the guidelines set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).The study found that the primary energy sources for both sectors are electricity, natural gas/LPG, diesel fuel, fuelwood, and charcoal, with electricity being the dominant source. Hotels exhibit a consistent increase in energy consumption from 2016 to 2023, driven by tourism and service expansion, while university campuses show more fluctuating trends influenced by student enrollment and policy changes. Both sectors generate substantial biowaste annually—over 588 tons from hotels and 1448 tons from campuses—comprising food, fruit, vegetable and animal waste. However, waste management practices are often inadequate, with open dumping being common and the lack of energy recovery or treatment systems. The study quantified the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, found that non-electric energy sources such as oil fuels and firewood contribute significantly to CO2 emissions. In 2023, oil fuels accounted for 15,474.2 tonnes of CO2e, and firewood generated 130,377.2 tonnes CO2e, highlighting the need for cleaner energy alternatives to reduce emissions and reliance on carbon intensive energy sources.
Authors
Adrian Unc Majdi R. Abou Najm Paul Eric Aspholm Tirupati Bolisetti Colleen Charles Ranjan Datta Trine Eggen Belinda Eline Flem Getu Hailu Eldbjørg Sofie Heimstad Margot Hurlbert Meriam Karlsson Marius Støylen Korsnes Arthur Nash David Parsons Radha Sivarajan Sajeevan Narasinha J. Shurpali Govert Valkenburg Danielle Wilde Bing Wu Sandra F. Yanni Debasmita MisraAbstract
Arctic food systems blend Traditional Ecological Knowledge with modern, often energy-intensive influences, triggered by colonization. Food systems’ future depends on alignment of tradition with innovation, facilitation of resilience and a heritage-driven interaction with the global economy – at a pace determined by local communities.