Moonika Haahr Marana

Short presentation

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 and 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 tissue.

CV

Education:
2007-2010 University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences. M.Sc in   parasitology. Thesis: Immunization of Oncorhynchus mykiss, (Walbaum, 1792) with Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Fouquet, 1876: humoral and cellular immune factors elucidated by qPCR and immunohistochemistry.

2004-2006 University of Tartu; Department of Zoology. MSc studies in zoology (not graduated). Planned theses on European beaver Castor fiber parasites.

2000-2004 Tallinn Pedagogical University, Department of Biology. BSc in Biology (Marine Biology- Expert on Environmental Subject). Bachelor´s thesis: The ecohelminthological study of Flounder Platichthys flesus trachuris (Duncker) in the coastal waters of northern Hiiumaa, Estonia.

Work Experience:
Nov 2012-Sept 2013 Laboratory of Aquatic Pathobiology, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, KU Sund. Research assistant. Optimizing antibodies directed against rainbow trout immune cells.

Sept 2010-Mar 2011 Laboratory of Aquatic Pathobiology, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, KU Life. Research assistant. Examining gill disease in salmonids.

Feb 2009-June 2010 Laboratory of Aquatic Pathobiology, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, KU Life. Bachelor and Student assistant. Taking care of experimental fish.

June 2008-Oct 2008 Laboratory of Aquatic Pathobiology, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, KU Life. Bachelor. Examining wild and farmed fish for nematode infections.

2005-2006     Institute of History, Tallinn, Estonia. Managing the archaeological animal bone collection. 

Knowledge of languages

Estonian- mother tongue

English- both written and spoken

Danish- both written and spoken

Finnish- both written and spoken

Russian- ground level

Knowledge of languages