Moonika Haahr Marana

Kort præsentation

My PhD study project deals with a fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida, causing a disease  called furunculosis. The aim of the project is to identify immune-relevant antigens from the bacterium and test them as potential vaccine candidates against furunculosis.  

My research subject is fish diseases and fish immunology. I have studied various fish parasites an my special interest is the immune response in fish against parasites and other pathogens. Little is known about the immune system of fish when compared to mammals. The genetic diversity among fish species and adaptions to different environmental factors make this study even more challenging.

I wrote my Master Thesis on the immune response of rainbow trout against a parasitic ciliate Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. I used antibodies targeted against rainbow trout immune cells and gene expression of immune-relevant genes to characterize the immune response against the parasite.

Later on, I have worked with immunohistochemistry technique that is an important tool identifying certain tissue components by means of a specific antigen/antibody reaction. This special binding makes it possible to visualize the distribution and localization of specific cellular components within a cell or a tissue.

CV

Uddannelse:

2007-2010   Det Biovidenskabelige Fakultet, Københavns Universitet. Cand. Scient. i Parasitologi. Specialeprojekt: ”Immunization of Oncorhynchus mykiss, (Walbaum, 1792) with Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Fouquet, 1876: humoral and cellular immune factors elucidated by qPCR and immunohistochemistry”. Bedømt til et 12-tal. Grundigt kendskab til immunologi, parasitologi, fiskesygdomme og akvakultur.                                  

2004-2006   Department of Zoology, Tartu Universitet, Estland. MSc. studier i zoology. Ufyldendt.       

2000-2004   BSc. i Biologi (Marine Biology- Expert on Environmental Subject), Tallinn Pedagogical University, Estland. Bacheloropgave: “The ecohelminthological study of Flounder Platichthys flesus trachuris (Duncker) in the coastal waters of northern Hiiumaa, Estonia”. 

Erhvervserfaring:            

Nov 2012-Sept 2013     Institut for Veterinær Sygdomsbiologi, KU SUND, Videnskabelig Assistent. Optimering af antistoffer for immunohistokemi. Undersøgelse af danske havbrugsørreder for orme-parasitter.

Sept 2010 - mar 2011    Institut for Veterinær Sygdomsbiologi, KU LIFE, Videnskabelig assistent. Undersøgelse af gællesyge hos ørreder. Anvendelse af immunohistokemi og histologiske farvemetoder.

Feb 2009 - jun 2010      Institut for Veterinær Sygdomsbiologi, KU LIFE, Studentermedhjælp, Bachelor. Immunologiske forsvarsmekanismer hos ørreder mod encellede parasitter. Anvendelse af immunohistokemi, qPCR. Undertrykkelse af immunforsvaret med glukokortikoider. Pasning af forsøgsfisk og in vivo forsøg på fisk.

Jun 2008 - Okt 2008      Institut for Veterinær Sygdomsbiologi, KU LIFE, Bachelor. Undersøgelse af danske havbrugsørreder for orme-parasitter.

Sprogkundskaber

Estisk - modersmål

Engelsk - højt niveau (skrift og tale)

Dansk - højt niveau (skrift og tale)                                                                          

Finsk - højt niveau (skrift og tale)

Russisk – til husbehov (mest tale)

Sprogkundskaber