Berg, Paul

SNP Platform Manager

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Phone: +47-6496-5290

Present positions: SNP Platform Manager (Centre for Integrative Genetics, CIGENE , Norwegian University of Life Sciences, UMB). Research Fellow, PhD-student (University of Bergen, UiB).

Degrees: Cand. Mag. in general biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
Cand. Scient. in marine biology /population genetics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Professional background: Research assistant, Marine fauna sampling in the Faroe Islands, BIOFAR (1996). Research Fellow at the University of Bergen (2000 - present). Research assistant, ALAS project, La Selva , Costa Rica (2002). SNP Platform Manager at CIGENE (2003 - present).

Research experience: Genetic population structuring of Norway pout (Trisopterus esmarkii) along the Norwegian coast. Population genetics/evolution of two inbreeding bark beetle species (Coccotrypes carpophagus and C. dactyliperda). Development of novel microsatellite markers in C. carpophagus and C. dactyliperda.

I am currently involved in SNP discovery and genotyping projects in several species (e.g. salmon, cod, cattle, human). I am responsible for the daily running of the CIGENE lab, including development and improvement of our SNP genotyping technologies and quantitative gene expression technologies from Sequenom, Affymetric and Illumina.

Experience in R&D management: I have been an important contributor when the CIGENE lab was initially set up, establishing routines, protocols etc. at the SNP genotyping core facility. In addition, I have been involved in establishing and operating a DNA lab at the University of Bergen. I have extensive experience in planning, coordinating and running various research projects at CIGENE; SNP Platform Manager at CIGENE since 2003.

Current research activity: I am currently participating in several internal CIGENE projects, involving SNP detection, genotyping and analysis of population data in species such as salmon, cod, goat, cattle etc. I am also highly involved in several external genotyping projects together with our collaborative partners/ users. These external projects are mainly based on genotyping of human material.

Selected publications:

1999:

  • Master thesis: Genetic population structure in Norway pout (Trisopterus esmarkii, Nilsson) along the Norwegian coast.
  • Two publications based on this thesis are being prepared at the moment (2003 - 2004).
2003:
  • Berg PR, Dawson DA, Pandhal J, Kirkendall LR, Burke T. (2003) Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci from two inbreeding bark beetle species (Coccotrypes). Molecular Ecology Notes 3 (2): 270 - 273.
2004:
  • Berg PR, Mork J. (2004) - Tissue enzyme loci for routine genotyping in Norway pout (Trisopterus esmarkii Nilsson, 1855): electrophoresis conditions, tissue manifestations, allele designations and basic population genetic parameters. Sarsia 89 (6): 411 - 422.
2005:
  • Olsen HG, Lien S, Gautier M, Nilsen H, Roseth A, Berg PR, Sundsaasen KK, Svendsen M, Meuwissen THE. (2005) Mapping of a milk production quantitative trait locus to a 420-kb region on bovine chromosome 6. Genetics 169 (1): 275-283.
2006:
  • Hayes B, Hagesaether N, Adnøy T, Pellerud G, Berg PR, Lien S. (2006) Effects on production traits of haplotypes among casein genes in Norwegian goats and evidence for a site of preferential recombination. Genetics 174 (1): 455-464. 
2007:
  • Olsen HG, Nilsen H, Hayes B, Berg PR, Svendsen M, Lien S, Meuwissen T. (2007) Genetic support for a quantitative trait nucleotide in the ABCG2 gene affecting milk composition of dairy cattle. BMC genetics 8:32.
  • Hayes BJ,  Nilsen K, Berg PR, Grindflek E, Lien S. (2007) SNP detection exploiting multiple sources of redundancy in large EST collections improves validation rates. Bioinformatics 23 (13): 1692-1693.
  • Hayes B, Laerdahl JK, Lien S, Moen T, Berg P, Hindar K, Davidson WS, Koop BF, Adzhubei A, Hoyyheim B. (2007). An extensive resource of single nucleotide polymorphism markers associated with Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) expressed sequences Aquaculture, 265: 82-90
2008:
  • Moen T, Hayes B, Nilsen F, Delghandi M, Fjalestad KT, Fevolden SE, Berg PR, Lien S. (2008) Identification and characterisation of novel SNP markers in Atlantic cod: evidence for directional selection. BMC genetics 9:18.
  • Nilsen H, Hayes B, Berg PR, Roseth A, Sundsaasen KK, Nilsen K, Lien S. (2008) Construction of a dense SNP map for bovine chromosome 6 to assist the assembly of the bovine genome sequence. Animal genetics 39 (2): 97-104.
  • Hayes, BJ, Lien S, Nilsen H, Olsen H.G, Berg P, Maceachern S, Potter S, Meuwissen THE. (2008). The origin of selection signatures on bovine chromosome six. Animal genetics 39 (2): 105-111.
  • Biong M, Edvardsen H, Dragseth V, Berg P, Gram IT, Ursin G, Borresen-Dale AL, Kristensen VN. (2008). Genetic markers for the prediction of breast density and breast cancer risk. EJC Supplements 6 (9): 200-200
  • Moen T, Hayes B, Baranski M, Berg PR, Kjoglum S, Koop BF, Davidson WS, Omholt SW, Lien S. (2008). A linkage map of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) based on EST-derived SNP markers. BMC genomics 9:223.
  • Boulding EG, Culling M, Glebe B, Berg PR, Lien S, Moen T. (2008). Conservation genomics of Atlantic salmon: SNPs associated with QTLs for adaptive traits in parr from four trans-Atlantic backcrosses. Heredity 101 (4): 381-391.
  • Heuser K, Nagelhus EA, Tauboll E, Indahl U, Berg PR, Nakken S, Lien S, Gjerstad L, Ottersen OP. (2008). Do patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and childhood febrile seizures constitute a genetic subgroup? Results from an assosiation study of aquaporin-4 and potassium channel genes. Epilepsia 49, Supplement 7: 344-344. 
2009:
  • Samulin J, Berg PR, Sundvold H, Grindflek E, Lien S. (2009). Expression of DLK1 splice variants during porcine adipocyte development in vitro and in vivo. Animal genetics 40(2):239-241.
  • Heuser K, Nagelhus EA, Taubøll E, Indahl U, Berg PR, Lien S, Nakken S, Gjerstad L, Ottersen OP. Variants of the genes encoding AQP4 and Kir4.1 are associated with subgroups of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. (In press Epilepsy Research).
  • Culling M, Freamo H, Patterson K, Berg PR, Lien S, Boulding EG. Local Adaptation to natal New Brunswick Streams? 320 SNPs in ESTs suggest Diversifying Selection in Endangered Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Populations. (Submitted to Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences).
  • Solaas K, Legry V, Retterstol K, Berg PR, Holven KB, Ferrières J, Amouyel P, Lien S, Romeo J, Valtueña J, Widhalm K, Ruiz JR, Dallongeville J, Tonstad S, Leren TP, Rootwelt H, Halvorsen BL, Nenseter MS, Birkeland KI, Thorsby PM, Meirhaeghe A, Nebb HI. Liver X receptor beta polymorphisms in type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity in three cohort studies: HUNT 2 (Norway), MONICA (France) and HELENA (European). (Submitted to Human Molecular Genetics).
  • Kerty E, Indahl UG, Berg PR, Nakken S, Heuser K, Lien S, Omholt SW, Ottersen OP, Nagelhus EA. Aquaporin-4 gene variants are associated with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. (Submitted to Neurology).
  • Sandve S, Rudi H, Berg PR, Rognli OA. Challenges in high throughput genotyping of unknown genomic terrain in complex plant genomes Variants. (Submitted to Molecular Breeding).