The defense will also be live streamed using Zoom. The host of the session will moderate the technicalities while the chair of the defense will moderate the disputation.
The event opens for participation just before it starts, and closes for new participants approximately 15 minutes after it has begun.
Trial lecture
The candidate will first give at trial lecture on the following topic: 'Ecological effects of mining in the marine environment'
Time and place: Aug. 18, 2025 10:15 AM, Nucleus, Bikuben, Kristine Bonnevies hus
Research findings
Tyre and rubber materials are an emerging source of chemical pollution in marine environments. This PhD research demonstrated that chemicals leaching from these materials can cause significant cellular damage in marine organisms. Using the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) as a model species, the study found that leachates from tyres and consumer rubber products impair immune cell function by disrupting energy metabolism and induce oxidative stress. At organismal level the most severe effects were linked to tyre particles themselves, which not only act as physical pollutants but also release harmful additives, such as 6PPD and its transformation product 6PPDQ, that accumulate in mussel tissues. These findings are important because they reveal cellular and physiological impacts of pollutants that are largely invisible and often overlooked in environmental monitoring. Mussels are widely used as bioindicators, and the results underline their value in detecting early signs of chemical stress in marine ecosystems. The research contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms behind pollution from plastic and rubber products and highlights the urgent need for improved regulation and risk assessment of these materials to protect marine life and ecosystem health.
Adjudication committee
Senior Researcher Chiara Gambardella, CNR-IAS (Instituto per lo studio degli impatti antropici e sostenibilità in ambiente marino), Genova
Assoc. Prof. Steffen Keiter, Örebro University
Assoc. Prof. Øystein Langangen, University of Oslo
Chair of defense
Prof. Katrine Borgå, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo
Supervisors
Researcher Scientist Tânia Cristina Gomes, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA)
Senior Research Scientist Merete Grung, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA)
Prof. Nikolai Friberg, Aarhus University
Prof. Ketil Hylland, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo
Senior Research Scientist Steven Brooks, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA)