Natural Products and Marine Bioresource Development

• Qualitative and quantitative analysis of high value natural products from marine sources, particularly focused on polyphenols and pigments in seaweeds and seagrasses
• Chemical analysis of marine deep-sea materials collected in Norway
• Bioprospecting and search for novel compounds
• Chemical ecology, biosystematics studies and interdisciplinary applications

Monica Jordheim´s main research interests are to enhance scientific knowledge and application value of various natural products. Jordheim has over twenty years of experience in quantification and identification of natural products, including full molecular elucidation.

Because of the structural diversity, characterization of natural products requires an integrated analytical approach including optimized extraction techniques, multiple steps of chromatography, High Resolutions Mass spectrometry (HRMS) and high field NMR analysis.

Jordheim is the:

• Vice Dean for Education (2025-2029) at the Faculty of Science and Technology
• Leader of Jordheim Research Group (https://www.instagram.com/jordheimresearchmnp/)

 

Group Members Jordheim Research Group:

Postdoctoral researchers:

• Liaqat Zeb (SEAS, Horizon 2020 -Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101034309)
• Le Ba Vinh (SEAS, Horizon 2020 -Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101034309) 

PhD-students:

• Angeliki Barouti (UiB, interdisciplinary Lars Herfindal | University of Bergen (uib.no)
• Zeljana Pavlovic (uib.no) (UiB, Educational Research: CoChem project, with Anja Møgelvang Jacobsen (HVL and Dep. Chem. UiB), Sehoya Cotner (SERC, UIB))
• Deisy Viviana Sarmiento Garzori (Partner: Arctic Feed AS)

MSc-students:

• Jørgen Wallem Aspaker (UiB)
• Emilie Fjeldberg Taule (UiB, with Jarl Underhaug)
• Saman Irfan (EMQAL, Erasmus Mundus Master in Quality in Analytical Laboratories)
• Gaute Eliassen Hamre (UiB and HI; with Rita Hannisdal)
• Maryna Razapova (UiB and HI; with Rita Hannisdal and Rosa Escobar)
• Thea Elise Mehus (UiB, with PhD  Le Ba Vinh)
• Jagoda Moczko (UiB, with Kjersti Hasle Enerstvedt | UiB)
• Laura Sypalyte (UiB, with Kjersti Hasle Enerstvedt | UiB)

 

Jordheim is currently the Vice Dean of Education at the NT faculty (2025-2029).

 

B.Sc. and M.Sc.-projects:

Organic analytical projects within bioprospecting and marine bioresource development (seaweeds (harvested and farmed), seagrasses, aquatic angiosperms, deep sea materials). Severel of the projects have industrial partners. 

 

Courses:

KJEM235 https://www.uib.no/emne/KJEM235    (10 ECTS)

Objectives and Content

The course addresses analysis of organic compounds using spectroscopic methods as infrared (IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, as well as mass spectrometry (MS). The course concentrates on interpretation of data, and the focus will be to understand and to utilize data from NMR and MS.

2026

• Barouti, Angeliki; Vinh, Le Ba; Herfindal, Lars et al. (2026). Marine Bromophenols from Laminaria hyperborea’s Epiphytic Biomass: Chemical Profiling, Cytotoxicity, and Antioxidant Activity. (external link)

2025

• Jordheim, Monica; Soule, Jonathan (2025). Facilitating student preparation and learning in STEM education with virtual lab guides. (external link)
• Jordheim, Monica (2025). Kan tang og tare redde verden?. (external link)
• Petersen, Sindre Wesley; Vinh, Le Ba; Jordheim, Monica (2025). Extraction and structure elucidation of natural products from the marine sponges Schaudinnia rosea and Axinellidae sp.. (external link)
• Jordheim, Monica (2025). Polyfenoler i makroalger – hva vet vi?. (external link)
• Jordheim, Monica; Enerstvedt, Kjersti Hasle (2025). Navigating Complexity: Chromatography in Marine Natural Product Chemistry. (external link)
• Soule, Jonathan; Jordheim, Monica; Seland, John Georg et al. (2025). Facilitating student preparation and learning in chemistry courses with a virtual laboratory guide. (external link)
• Pavlovic, Zeljana; Waskaas, Madeleine; Grung, Bjørn et al. (2025). Samarbeidslæring i kjemilaboratorieundervisningen for økt læring. (external link)
• Zeb, Liaqat; Shafiq, Muhammad; Jordheim, Monica (2025). Advancements in sustainable extraction of seaweed phenolics: Integrating extraction technologies with natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES). (external link)
• Hernandez, Diego Carlos Rodriguez; Sandoval-Gil, Jose Miguel; Enerstvedt, Kjersti Hasle et al. (2025). Sulfated Flavonoids from Phyllospadix (Zosteraceae) Taxa from Baja California, Mexico. (external link)
• Zeb, Liaqat; Gerhardt, Anne Sophie; Johannesen, Benjamin Alexander et al. (2025). Ultrasonic-Assisted Water-Rich Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents for Sustainable Polyphenol Extraction from Seaweed: A Case Study on Cultivated Saccharina latissima. (external link)

2024

• Zeb, Liaqat; Gerhardt, Anne Sophie; Johannesen, Benjamin Alexander et al. (2024). Ultrasonic-Assisted Water-Rich Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents for Sustainable Polyphenol Extraction from Seaweed: A Case Study on Cultivated Saccharina latissima. (external link)
• Barouti, Angeliki; Herfindal, Lars; Vagolu, Siva Krishna et al. (2024). Evaluation of the cytotoxic and antimicrobial potential of epiphytic biomass obtained from Laminaria hyperborea biorefinery side-streams. (external link)
• Jordheim, Monica; Grung, Bjørn; Soule, Jonathan (2024). Development of digital platforms for simulation and preparation to field and lab-work. How to make these platforms also facilitate reflection and critical thinking. . (external link)
• Soule, Jonathan; Jordheim, Monica (2024). ChemView360: digital platforms - function, and possibilities. (external link)
• Soule, Jonathan; Jordheim, Monica; Seland, John Georg et al. (2024). ChemView360 – et interaktivt læringsverktøy for bachelorstudenter på kjemilaboratoriet. (external link)
• Røiom, Astrid Therese; Hannisdal, Rita; Parsons, Aoife Elizabeth et al. (2024). The Distribution and Elimination of Lufenuron in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar). (external link)
• Vikøren, Kajsa Vikestad; Jordheim, Monica; Seddon, Alistair William Robin et al. (2024). Qualitative and quantitative analyses of unbound phenolic compounds from pollen grains of pine (Pinus uncinata). (external link)
• Jordheim, Monica; Johannesen, Benjamin Alexander; Kopplin, Georg (2024). Thermal stability of polyphenols and carotenoids from Laminaria hyperborea. (external link)
• Valero-Rodriguez, Juan M; Sjøtun, Kjersti; Barouti, Angeliki et al. (2024). Effects of climate change on herbivory in macroalgae: a laboratory experiment. (external link)
• Heggenes, Eva Bergit; Jordheim, Monica (2024). Investigating the Impact of Fermentation on Polyphenolic Content in Cultivated Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima): A Comprehensive Study. (external link)

2023

• Gerhardt, Anne Sophie; Wekre, Marie Emilie; Underhaug, Jarl et al. (2023). Quantification of polyphenols in biomass of cultivated sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) during fermentation using Folin-Ciocalteu assay ad selective qNMR. (external link)
• Lauvskard, Odd-Erik Tjønneland; Jordheim, Monica (2023). Analysis of the flavonoids and phenolics found in the marine angiosperm Plantago maritima collected in Norway. (external link)
• Wekre, Marie Emilie; Holmelid, Bjarte; Underhaug, Jarl et al. (2023). Characterization of high value products in the side-stream of Laminaria hyperborea alginate production - Targeting the phenolic content. (external link)
• Gerhardt, Anne Sophie; Jordheim, Monica (2023). Analysis of polyphenolic content in cultivated seasonal fresh and fermented sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) using two assays (TPC and DPPH) and the qNMR method. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.