About us

The Arctic Chronobiology and Physiology research group is based at the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø (UiT). UiT is the only research intensive university whose main campus is located north of the Arctic circle. This gives us unique access to Arctic species and we have excellent facilities for the study of the physiology and behaviour of birds (ptarmigan), large (reindeer, seals) and small mammals (hamsters) and fish (salmon, arctic charr) under controlled conditions. We also organise research led teaching with an expedition to the west ice each Spring.

Photo credit: Erling Nordøy (UiT Professor). West ice research and teaching cruise.

The Arctic chronobiology and physiology group (ACP) mostly focuses on organismal biology relating to bioenergentics and biological clocks. We are particularly interested in the adaptions which allow animals to survive in the extreme light and temperature variations which are experienced in the Arctic. We are also interested in how these adaptations may limit an animals capcity to cope with climate change.

We use a range of physiological montioring techiniques (i.e. body temperature, food intake), light controlled experiments, advanced molecular techniques (transcriptomics, epigenetics) and cell culture based experiments to answer our research questions.