Ruth-Anne Sandaa

Ruth-Anne Sandaa is a Professor at the Department of Biosciences, University of Bergen, specializing in marine virology and microbial ecology. Her research focuses on viral-host interactions in marine environments, particularly in Arctic ecosystems.

• Studied biogeochemical impacts of marine viruses
• Explored cyanophage and phytoplankton virus dynamics
• Investigated viral genes influencing host metabolism
• Examined virus-host relationships in extreme marine habitats

Her research bridges marine microbiology with ecological modeling, examining how viruses regulate microbial diversity and affect global carbon cycles through lysis and programmed cell death mechanisms. She has developed metagenomic methods for Arctic viral assemblage characterization.

Recent publications (2021-2025) emphasize Arctic viral ecology, host-virus coevolution, and viral metabolic gene encoding. Key subfields include cyanophage adaptation, algal bloom virology, and deep-sea viral-host dynamics.

Projects:

• Micropolar Microbial Network Organization (MINOS)
• Diversity and Dynamics of Marine Haptophytes (HAPTODIV)

Technical Contributions:

• Developed semi-automated metagenomic characterization methods
• Advanced viral community analysis in extreme marine environments
• Created techniques for fluorometric DNA quantification in marine sediments