Mariann Eilertsen received her master's degree in developmental biology at the Department of Molecular Biology, UiB, where she studied genes important for eye and brain development using zebrafish as a model, under the supervision of Prof. Hee-Chan Seo, Prof. Anders Fjose and Prof. Jon Vidar Helvik.

During her PhD at the Department of Biology, UiB, Eilertsen studied the nonvisual system of Atlantic halibut during early development. Functional studies of the hatching mechanism in halibut eggs showed that the dark-dependent hatching process is regulated by specialized photosensitive cells in the hindbrain. Eilertsen was supervised by Prof. Jon Vidar Helvik, Dr. Øyvind Drivenes and Dr. Lars Ebbesson.

Eilertsen has spent the last ten years studying Atlantic salmon in collaboration with national and international research institutions, but also in collaboration with industry partners. In the first years, the work centered around photoreceptors in the brain and how these are activated in response to light stimulation, while in recent years the research has included how light and darkness affect circadian and circannual rhythms.

During her postdoctoral period, Eilertsen worked in a project funded by the Research Council of Norway under the Aquaculture Program. Here, a systems biological approach was used to study how period, intensity and spectrum of light affect the development of Atlantic salmon. The studies in this project were carried out using advanced LED technology in collaboration with industry.

In recent years, Eilertsen has been employed as a researcher in the FRIPRO project LightBioTrans, studying nonvisual light regulation of biological rhythms and life stage transitions. This project has studied circadian and seasonal rhythms in salmon with a special focus on the light-regulated smoltification process.

You can read about results found in the project LighBioTrans under forskersonen.no

Oppdrettslaksen har det lyst hele døgnet. Det kan ha noen mørke sider

Mariann Eilertsen has recently completed the University Pedagogy program at UiB in addition to completing a course in Biology Teaching through BioCeed, the Center for Excellence in Biology Education. She has extensive experience supervising bachelor students in the course Research Practice in Biology (BIO299) and has also supervised many master students and doctoral fellows. Her teaching has mainly been related to laboratory courses in Cell Biology and Genetics (BIO103) and Cell and Developmental Biology (BIO370). She has also given lectures in the course Fish Biology II – Physiology (BIO291).

The following list links to Eilertsen's publications:

Onset of circadian rhythmicity in the brain of Atlantic salmon is linked to exogenous feeding | PLOS One

Frontiers | Transcriptome analysis reveals effects of ethynylestradiol and bisphenol A on multiple endocrine and metabolic pathways in the pituitary and liver of female Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

Frontiers | Light conditions during Atlantic salmon embryogenesis affect key neuropeptides in the melanocortin system during transition from endogenous to exogenous feeding

Mapping key neuropeptides involved in the melanocortin system in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) brain - PMC

Photoreception and transcriptomic response to light during early development of a teleost with a life cycle tightly controlled by seasonal changes in photoperiod | PLOS Genetics

Frontiers | An EvoDevo Study of Salmonid Visual Opsin Dynamics and Photopigment Spectral Sensitivity

Supplementary Material for: Mapping the pattern of essential neuroendocrine cells related to puberty and VA opsin expression provides further insight in the photoreceptive regulation of the BPG axis in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Neural activation in photosensitive brain regions of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) after light stimulation | PLOS One

Frontiers | Rhythmic Clock Gene Expression in Atlantic Salmon Parr Brain

Heads and tails: The notochord develops differently in the cranium and caudal fin of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar, L.) - Kryvi - 2021 - The Anatomical Record - Wiley Online Library

Expression and localization of the aryl hydrocarbon receptors and cytochrome P450 1A during early development of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - ScienceDirect

Transient photoreception in the hindbrain is permissive to the life history transition of hatching in Atlantic halibut - ScienceDirect

The two-step development of a duplex retina involves distinct events of cone and rod neurogenesis and differentiation - ScienceDirect

Journal of Comparative Neurology | Systems Neuroscience Journal | Wiley Online Library

2021 - 2025 “Non-visual light regulation of biological rhythms and life history transformation” FRIPRO project financed by the Research Council of Norway.

2016 - 2021 "The effect of narrow banded LED light on development and growth performance" Pproject financed by the Research Council of Norway in the Aquaculture program.

2015 - 2016 "Photobiology and muscle development" Project financed by Philips Lightning and Lerøy Seafood ASA.

2014 - 2015 "Neuronal activation of deep brain photoreceptors" Project financed by the Philips Lightning and the University of Bergen.