Berit Løkensgard Strand

Professor Department of Biotechnology and Food Science
+47 73594069
Sem Sælands vei 6, Kjemi IV * 4-059

Background and activities

Areas of speciality/Fields of responsibility

  • Biopolymers (alginate) in tissue engineering
  • We use small alginate gels for protection of transplanted cells against the host immune system. This is in particular relevant for diabetes: Type 1 diabetes can be cured by transplantation of insulin producing cells in protective microcapsules withpout the use of immunesuppression. We make new materials by enzymatic modification that are tailored for use in microcapsules. Combining enzymatic modification and chemical modification (e.g. metacrylation and coupling of bioactive peptide) allows further tailoring of the capsuels for specific purposes.  Important capsule properties includes stability, biocompatibility, size and pemeability in addition to function as growth and differentiation matrix for encapsulated cells. We collaborate with universities in Europe, Australia and the US through The Chicago Diabetes Projec, in EUFP7 project BetaCellTherapy and COST collaboration in addition to close collaboration within NTNU. 
  • The goal of the alginate mineralization project is to make new materials of alginate and crystals. Studies of algiante and calcium carbonate shows that alginate hinders growth of large crystals so that maily small crystals are formed within the gel network. The project is a collaboration between Department of Physics, Department of Process Engineering and Department of Biotechnology where we aim to make new materials with new properties for the use in tissue engineering.
  • The projects are  financed through the Norwegian Research Council, EUFP7, the Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority (RHA) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), EXTRA funds from the Norwegian Foundation for Health and Rehabilitation through the Norwegian Diabetes Association, and the Chicago Diabetes Project.

 

Links:

Scientific, academic and artistic work

A selection of recent journal publications, artistic productions, books, including book and report excerpts. See all publications in the database

Journal publications