Gunn Merethe Bjørge Thomassen
Research
Through most of my professional career I have worked within the field of microbiology, with pathogenic bacteria and how they pose a threat to humans. And the aim in several of the projects I have worked on has been to gain more knowledge about the microorganisms in focus, to be able to develop strategies to prevent people being harmed by them. In my research I use both conventional microbiological methods, molecular methods and sequencing based methods and, I am working on improving my knowledge and skills within bioinformatics and analyzing large amounts of data. In food microbiology, conventional microbiological methods have been of outermost importance for a long time, and they still are. However, molecular methods and new sequencing technologies are emerging. All these methods have their strengths and weaknesses and I see them as complementary to each other rather than ranging one above the other.
In my Phd thesis I studied the development and dynamics of resilient bacterial communities in the processing environment in a newly opened salmon processing facility. I investigated the problems associated with biofilm and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes and how this is linked to other bacteria as for example Pseudomonas spp.
Currently I work as a Post doc in the project “Hydroponic Plant Cultivation on a Lunar Base Using Nutrient Sources from Human Waste”, where my research responsibility is on the food safety in the hydroponic cultivated plants.
LunarPlant: Hydroponic Plant Cultivation on a Lunar Base Using Nutrient Sources from Human Waste
Optimal utnyttelse av havets matressurser (OPTiMAT)
Kartlegging av listeria i sjøfasen ved produksjon av atlantisk laks (TRACEListeria)
Publications
2023
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Reiche, Thorben;
Hjørungnes, Martinus;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2023)
High Disinfectant Tolerance in Pseudomonas spp. Biofilm Aids the Survival of Listeria monocytogenes.
Microorganisms
Academic article
2022
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Krych, Lukasz;
Knøchel, Susanne;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2022)
Bacterial community development and diversity during the first year of production in a new salmon processing plant.
Food Microbiology
Academic article
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2022)
Gjenstridige bakteriesamfunn i lakseslakteri.
Norsk Sjømat
Popular scientific article
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Reiche, Thorben;
Tennfjord, Christine Eikås;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2022)
Antibiotic Resistance Properties among Pseudomonas spp. Associated with Salmon Processing Environments.
Microorganisms
Academic article
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge.
(2022)
Resilient bacterial communities in a salmon processing environment - The impact on food safety.
NTNU Open
Doctoral dissertation
2021
-
Reiche, Thorben;
Mehli, Lisbeth;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge.
(2021)
Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance in Pseudomonas spp. isolated from the Salmon industry.
NTNU
Masters thesis
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Krych, Lukasz;
Knøchel, Susanne;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2021)
ON-rep-seq as a rapid and cost-effective alternative to whole-genome sequencing for species-level identification and strain-level discrimination of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in a salmon processing plant.
MicrobiologyOpen
Academic article
-
Bringsli, Renate;
Mehli, Lisbeth;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge.
(2021)
Antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation among Pseudomonas spp., Serratia spp. and Aeromonas spp. isolated from Norwegian Farmed Salmon .
NTNU
Masters thesis
2020
-
Boyko, Viktoriya;
Mehli, Lisbeth;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge.
(2020)
Identifisering av, og
biofilmegenskaper blant,
Pseudomonas spp. fra et
lakseslakteri – påvirkning på vekst og
overlevelse av Listeria innocua.
NTNU
Masters thesis
-
Umutoni, Noelle;
Jakobsen, Anita Nordeng;
Mukhatov, Kirill;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Karlsen, Hanne;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2020)
Occurrence, diversity and temperature-dependent growth kinetics of Aeromonas spp. in lettuce.
International journal of food microbiology
Academic article
2019
-
Bremvåg, Maja;
Mehli, Lisbeth;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge.
(2019)
Forekomst av Listeria spp. i et
nyetablert prosesseringsanlegg
for laks.
NTNU
Masters thesis
2018
-
Lerfall, Jørgen;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Jakobsen, Anita Nordeng.
(2018)
Quality of fresh saithe (Pollachius virens) in modified atmosphere packages as affected by the gas composition.
Food Packaging and Shelf Life
Academic article
2016
-
Mehli, Lisbeth;
Hoel, Sunniva;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Jakobsen, Anita Nordeng;
Karlsen, Hanne.
(2016)
The prevalence, genetic diversity and antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in milk, whey, and cheese from artisan farm dairies.
International Dairy Journal
Academic article
Journal publications
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Reiche, Thorben;
Hjørungnes, Martinus;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2023)
High Disinfectant Tolerance in Pseudomonas spp. Biofilm Aids the Survival of Listeria monocytogenes.
Microorganisms
Academic article
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Krych, Lukasz;
Knøchel, Susanne;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2022)
Bacterial community development and diversity during the first year of production in a new salmon processing plant.
Food Microbiology
Academic article
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2022)
Gjenstridige bakteriesamfunn i lakseslakteri.
Norsk Sjømat
Popular scientific article
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Reiche, Thorben;
Tennfjord, Christine Eikås;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2022)
Antibiotic Resistance Properties among Pseudomonas spp. Associated with Salmon Processing Environments.
Microorganisms
Academic article
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Krych, Lukasz;
Knøchel, Susanne;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2021)
ON-rep-seq as a rapid and cost-effective alternative to whole-genome sequencing for species-level identification and strain-level discrimination of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in a salmon processing plant.
MicrobiologyOpen
Academic article
-
Umutoni, Noelle;
Jakobsen, Anita Nordeng;
Mukhatov, Kirill;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Karlsen, Hanne;
Mehli, Lisbeth.
(2020)
Occurrence, diversity and temperature-dependent growth kinetics of Aeromonas spp. in lettuce.
International journal of food microbiology
Academic article
-
Lerfall, Jørgen;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Jakobsen, Anita Nordeng.
(2018)
Quality of fresh saithe (Pollachius virens) in modified atmosphere packages as affected by the gas composition.
Food Packaging and Shelf Life
Academic article
-
Mehli, Lisbeth;
Hoel, Sunniva;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge;
Jakobsen, Anita Nordeng;
Karlsen, Hanne.
(2016)
The prevalence, genetic diversity and antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in milk, whey, and cheese from artisan farm dairies.
International Dairy Journal
Academic article
Report
-
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge.
(2022)
Resilient bacterial communities in a salmon processing environment - The impact on food safety.
NTNU Open
Doctoral dissertation
-
Reiche, Thorben;
Mehli, Lisbeth;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge.
(2021)
Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance in Pseudomonas spp. isolated from the Salmon industry.
NTNU
Masters thesis
-
Bringsli, Renate;
Mehli, Lisbeth;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge.
(2021)
Antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation among Pseudomonas spp., Serratia spp. and Aeromonas spp. isolated from Norwegian Farmed Salmon .
NTNU
Masters thesis
-
Boyko, Viktoriya;
Mehli, Lisbeth;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge.
(2020)
Identifisering av, og
biofilmegenskaper blant,
Pseudomonas spp. fra et
lakseslakteri – påvirkning på vekst og
overlevelse av Listeria innocua.
NTNU
Masters thesis
-
Bremvåg, Maja;
Mehli, Lisbeth;
Thomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge.
(2019)
Forekomst av Listeria spp. i et
nyetablert prosesseringsanlegg
for laks.
NTNU
Masters thesis
Teaching
Courses
I have been teaching laboratory courses in microbiology, biotechnology, and general chemistry at Bachelor level through a period of eight years (2013-2020). In addition, I taught one time a laboratory course in safe food production at Master level. Additionally, I have been holding single lectures on Genetically modified organisms within the subject Food technology for third year students. One semester (autumn 2016) I had the teaching responsibility for two subjects in the Vocational Teacher Education and for a smaller part of a third subject. This included preparing and holding all the lectures in the relevant topics, evaluating exercises, conduct the laboratory exercises, preparing and evaluating exams.
Supervision
During my PhD I was the co-supervisor for six Master students and three Bachelor groups that were doing work related to my Phd-project. In my current position I am/will be the co-supervisor for at least three Bachelor groups and one Master student.
I am always interested in taking on new students that wants to do their thesis within my field of research.
Knowledge Transfer
2024
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Academic lectureThomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge. (2024) Persistence of foodborne pathogens during hydroponic cultivation of lettuce on nutrients based on source-separated urine. International Committee on Food Microbiology and Hygiene FoodMicro 2024, 28th International ICFMH Conference , Burgos 2024-07-08 - 2024-07-11
2023
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LectureThomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge. (2023) Mattrygghet i hydroponisk dyrking av salat ved bruk av næring fra «human waste ». Agritech Cluster Fremtidige muligheter med bærekraftige matsystem , Digitalt 2023-02-14 -
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LectureThomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge. (2023) Hydroponic Plant Cultivation on a Lunar Base Using Nutrient Sources from Human Waste. Teagasc Food Bioscience, V1 Internal group meeting, Teagasc Food Bioscience , Fermoy 2023-12-08 - 2023-12-08
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PosterThomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge; Sandberg, Martin; Jakobsen, Øyvind Mejdell; Schiefloe, Mona; Kittang, Ann-Iren; Mehli, Lisbeth. (2023) Growth and survival of bacterial pathogens in plant nutrient solutions based on human waste. EFFoST 37th EFFoST International Conference 2023 , Valencia 2023-11-06 - 2023-11-08
2022
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PosterThomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge; Hjørungsnes, Martinus; Reiche, Thorben; Bringsli, Renate; Mehli, Lisbeth. (2022) Mixed Pseudomonas spp . biofilm aids Listeria monocytogenes to survive disinfection. International Committee on Food Microbiology and Hygiene Food Micro 2022 - Next generation challenges in Food Microbiology , Athens, Greece 2022-08-28 - 2022-08-31
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LectureThomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge. (2022) Gjenstridige bakteriesamfunn i lakseslakteri - Betydning for mattryggheten. Lerøy Midt AS Bedriftsmøte , Hitra 2022-09-09 - 2022-09-09
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Academic lectureLerfall, Jørgen; Hoel, Sunniva; Krych, Lukaz; Jakobsen, Anita Nordeng; Hannisdal, Atle; Duister, Ingrid Malien. (2022) Tracing Listeria monocytogenes in the production chain of Atlantic salmon (Salmo Salar L.) . FoodMicro2022 , Athen 2022-08-28 - 2022-08-31
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Academic lectureLerfall, Jørgen; Hoel, Sunniva; Krych, Lukaz; Jakobsen, Anita Nordeng; Hannisdal, Atle; Duister, Ingrid Malien. (2022) Tracing Listeria monocytogenes in the production chain of Atlantic salmon (Salmo Salar L.) . Norges forskningsråd og FHF Havbruk22 , Bergen 2022-10-19 - 2022-10-21
2021
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PosterThomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge; Krych, Lukas; Knøchel, Susanne; Mehli, Lisbeth. (2021) Efficient strain-level discrimination of the food pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. EFFoST 35th EFFoST International Conference , Lausann, Switzerland 2021-11-01 - 2021-11-04
2018
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PosterThomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge; Mehli, Lisbeth. (2018) Microbial contamination of fish processing plants . Bits PILANI / Sintef REfood , Goa 2018-02-08 - 2018-02-09
2017
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PosterThomassen, Gunn Merethe Bjørge; Lerfall, Jørgen; Jakobsen, Anita Nordeng; Mehli, Lisbeth. (2017) Profiling spoilage bacteria in lightly processed saithe (Pollachius virens). European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST) 31st EFFoST International Conference , Sitges 2017-11-13 - 2017-11-16