In general, my research interest is to reveal and understand the link between genotype and phenotype in molecular terms. Currently, I am involved projects dealing with genetic and functional studies of flesh pigmentation in salmon and stress-related behaviour in rainbow trout. Our research group has been strongly involved in the sequencing of the salmon genome, and I am heading the ELIXIR-node at NMBU which has a particular responsibility for making fish genome resources from this and other projects public available. Previously, I have also headed projects which have identified causal mutations for traits like fertility/ovulation rate, carotenoid metabolism and muscle growth in sheep. Over many years I have had a particular interest in coat colour genetics in mammals and fish, and the pleiotropic effects of genes related to melanisation.
