Microbial Surface Colonization - an INTPART initiative with Nagoya University, Japan, and with the Union Medical College, China

Vekst av mikroorganismer på overflater spiller en viktig rolle for mange naturlige fenomener som symbiose, sykdom og biofilm. Det finnes symbiose mellom planter og mikroorganismer som er viktig for landbruk, sykdom kan oppstå når mikroorganismer slår seg ned på overflater i kroppen (tarmepitel, tenner og hud) mens biofilm dannes ulike steder i naturen, for eksempel på vannoverflaten i næringsrike innsjøer. Det er viktig med mer kunnskap om de grunnleggende prinsippene bak disse utbredte fenomenene for å øke vår forståelse av sykdom og symbiose, og for videre utvikling av bioteknologi. Innenfor bioteknologi er vekst av mikroorganismer på overflater i noen tilfeller ønskelig, for eksempel i filtrering og ved bruk av fermentorer. I andre tilfeller er slik vekst uønsket, som for eksempel når rør tilstoppe, eller når store ressurser må brukes for å fjerne mikroorganismer fra overflater av glass, plastikk og stål. MISC kombinerer ekspertise innenfor symbiose, sykdom og industriell bioteknologi for å fremme tverrfaglige prosjekter og samarbeid mellom ulike fagområder som har mer til felles enn man skulle tro. Alle har det samme målet: å få mer kunnskap om de grunnleggende prosessene som finner sted når mikroorganismer vokser på overflater, uavhengig av hva slags overflate det gjelder.

Despite the extreme problems with student and staff exchange during the pandemic, the project has been a tremendous success. 7 students (MSc and PhD level) from PMUC/China and 15 students from Nagoya University/Japan (MSc to PostDoc level) were able to visit the University of Oslo, and key professors from China, Japan, and Norway met on multiple occasions in all three participating institutions. From Norway, 4 students (MSc to PostDoc level) visited China and 15 students (MSc to PostDoc level visited Japan. In terms of long-term research stays, one MSc student and one PostDoc were able to stay at Nagoya University for extended time periods, and the Project Manager, Dirk Linke, spent a 7-month sabbatical in Japan in 2022. 3 Workshops have been organized (in all three countries, with significant participation from all three participating institutions in all cases), one of them in conjunction with an international conference (in September 2023 in Nagoya/Japan). Last but not least, one student from the Chinese participating institution has recently been hired for a PhD position at UiO, and several other students are considering to come to Norway as a direct result of the exchange program. Similarly, at least one of the PhD students form UiO is currently planning a PostDoc fellowship application to go to Japan. In addition, a multitude of joint events, joint research projects and publications (see tables) have been organized and executed during the project period, we can only conclude that this was a very successful program, and that it is a pity to end it at a point in time where the success is starting to become visible. Both, the Chinese and Japanese partners, have already financially contributed to the project much more than originally anticipated, both in work hours and in finances, and both are currently in the process of applying for national funding that would allow them (and UiO) to continue this very fruitful international network and collaboration.

Microbial surface colonization plays an important role in basic biological processes such as symbiosis (plant-microbe symbiosis is important for agriculture), pathogenesis (colonization of the gut, of teeth, or the skin by disease agents), and in biofilms that have impact on the environment (e.g. by covering eutrophic lakes, etc.). A better understanding of the basic principles of this omnipresent process will not only impact our understanding of disease and symbiosis, but also has direct relevance in industrial biotechnology, where colonization of surfaces by microorganisms is sometimes wanted (in fermenters or natural water filters), and sometimes not (when clogged pipes, or microbe-covered surfaces from glass, steel, or plastic have to be cleaned with great effort). MISC combines expertise in symbiosis, pathogenesis, and industrial biotechnology to foster interdisciplinary projects and cross-talk between seemingly unrelated fields that all face the same problem: a lack of understanding of the basic principles underlying the process of microbial surface colonization, independent of the surface. MISC will allow the participating projects and research groups in Oslo, Beijing and Nagoya to have active exchange of students and research personnel for the purpose of participating in courses, workshops/summer schools, and seminars, but also for laboratory internships in the framework of collaboration projects. Travel between the three participating countries and long-term stays are costly, and cannot be realized through the existing grants. It is planned to continue and expand the MISC effort through larger, future applications e.g. with MSCA-RISE.