Vilde Olsson Lalun

Vilde Olsson Lalun is a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo. She obtained her BSc and MSc in Molecular Biology at UiO in 2013 and 2015, respectively, and completed her PhD in Genetics in 2020 under the supervision of Prof. Melinka Alonso Butenko. Her current research integrates experimental biology and bioinformatics within the interdisciplinary REPEAT project, focusing on how short tandem repeat (STR) variation influences adaptation and gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana and Atlantic cod.

Education

• 2013 – BSc in Molecular Biology, University of Oslo
• 2015 – MSc in Molecular Biology (Plant Genetics), University of Oslo
• 2020 – PhD in Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo
  Thesis: "Molecular investigation of receptor kinase signaling specificity in Arabidopsis thaliana"

Research Interests

Dr Lalun’s work sits at the intersection of molecular plant biology, evolutionary genomics, and functional genetics. During her PhD she dissected peptide ligand–receptor kinase specificity using the IDA–HAE/HSL2 signalling module as a model. Presently, she investigates how STR length polymorphisms modulate gene expression and organismal fitness under environmental stress, leveraging both Arabidopsis and Atlantic cod as complementary model systems. Core methodological strengths include generation of transgenic lines, advanced live-cell imaging, quantitative microscopy, and integrative bioinformatic analyses.

She actively contributes to the REPEAT consortium, an interdisciplinary team that addresses fundamental questions of genome plasticity and climate adaptation. By coupling large-scale comparative genomics with targeted experiments, the project aims to clarify how repetitive DNA elements shape regulatory networks controlling development and immunity.

Publication Profile

Across 11 peer-reviewed papers (2017-2025) in high-impact journals such as Nature Communications, PNAS, eLife, and Plant Cell, her research spans three major themes:

• Functional dissection of peptide signalling pathways in plant development and immunity.
• Comparative genomics of short tandem repeats and their impact on gene regulation.
• Mechanistic studies of receptor kinase activation and signalling specificity.

The 2024-2025 outputs include a lead-author review on plant peptide ligands and multi-omics studies that link STR variation to gene body architecture in eukaryotes.

Teaching & Outreach

Dr Lalun is a committed educator and science communicator. She instructs two undergraduate courses:

• BIOS1120 – Physiology
• BIOS3610 – Molecular Plant Science

Beyond the classroom she co-hosts the Norwegian-language podcast BioPodden, produces popular-science YouTube lectures, and gives interviews that demystify plant genetics for the public.

Collaborations & Networks

She is an active member of the Butenko Group at UiO and collaborates extensively within the CEES and the national REPEAT project network. The lab provides cutting-edge facilities for molecular biology, microscopy and bioinformatics, ensuring a vibrant environment for integrative research.