About Us
We benefit from international collaborations with renowned scientists, a highly skilled
research environment and access to modern laboratory facilities.
The company
NorGenoTech AS arose from the success of the EC project COMICS in making improved high throughput methods for analysis of DNA damage and repair. Our aim is to play a leading role in the field of DNA damage analysis in Europe, carrying out laboratory services, providing expertise and supplying modern equipment needed by the research, industry and healthcare.
The team
The founders of the company, Professor Andrew Collins, Dr Gunnar Brunborg, Dr Amaya Azqueta and Dr Sergey Shaposhnikov are leading researchers in the DNA damage field responsible for numerous innovations. Vaineta Vebraite is our laboratory manager, and Chris Brøvig is a business generalist.
Our leading scientists have worked together for many years and are known for their innovative methods and novel applications of the comet assay. They are active in organising international workshops, conferences and training courses, and have unparalleled insight into the needs of the comet assay community and the scope for improvement in several aspects of the technique.
Additional resources
While maintaining a lean, low overhead organization, we enjoy ready access to the scientific and administrative resources of large European universities, thus providing us with the flexibility to take on new projects on short notice. By way of example:
- We have trained over 100 young scientists from leading Universities all over Europe, which puts us in a privileged position of identifying and inviting the best students and researchers to join our workforce.
- Our closeness to the University of Oslo, Norwegian Radium hospital and the Norwegian Institute of Public health allows us to expand our team quickly to accommodate large-scale projects. We also benefit from the highly skilled and productive research environments of these institutions.
- Due to our extensive collaborations, we have access to laboratory facilities at various Universities in Europe which allows us to carry out clinical trials and specific projects in a cost- and time-efficient
Thus we combine the flexibility of a modern SME with administrative and technical resources from large Universities.
Sergey Shaposhnikov, PhD. Managing Director, Lead Scientist; Research Scientist at the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Oslo University. For the last fifteen years closely connected with different aspects of life science and technology, from R&D and industrial partnership at the academic level to creation and development of new start-ups. Has skills in strategic and marketing management. Together with other founders, responsible for numerous innovations; co-author of many of the most highly cited papers in the area.
Andrew Collins, ScD, Professor. Research Director and Board Member; Emeritus Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Oslo University. Researcher in the area of DNA damage and repair for 40 years, and authority on comet assay. Author of more than 250 research articles, principal investigator of many international and national grants; coordinator of EC project COMICS. Recently set up ComNet, a network of more than >100 researchers using the comet assay in human biomonitoring, and hCOMET – EC COST action aiming at creating a unified database of comet assay data relating to human health and disease.
Gunnar Brunborg, PhD. Technology Director and Board Member; Previously Director of the Department of Chemicals and Radiation at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Over 40 years’ experience in radiation biology, experimental genetics and toxicology. Serves as consultant for the Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency. Responsible for numerous innovations in detecting DNA damage, published over 100 peer-reviewed research articles.
Chris Brøvig, MBA. Board Member dealing with business development and strategy. Holds a lic.oec. degree from the University of St. Gallen and MBAs from INSEAD and the Harvard Business School. An international business generalist with a career background in the international shipping industry, including as CEO of several tanker and dry bulk carrier operations, and responsible for a number of shipping company start-ups. Today provides corporate advice across several business sectors, typically on issues relating to business development, strategy and fundraising.
Amaya Azqueta, PhD. Scientific Advisor. Research Scientist at the University of Navarra, previously postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Nutrition, Oslo University. Has over 15 years of research experience in genetic toxicology, DNA damage and repair. Published more than 40 articles/chapters in peer-reviewed journals or books. During her career she has had experience of working in different laboratories in Europe and also in Mexico. She has co-supervised several master students’ research projects and at present is teaching in some master courses.
Vaineta Vebraite, BSc. Laboratory Manager with a broad experience in new methods development and optimisation. Has an extensive hands-on experience in molecular and cell biology, toxicology and biochemistry, with a particular focus on DNA damage and repair, genotoxicity assessment of chemicals, nanomaterials and drugs.