Per Villand

Per Villand (Hovet, Buskerud, 15 October 1963 – 15 October 2007) was a Norwegian molecular biologist, who contributed to a further development of molecular plant science until 1999, when he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. During his illness he assisted medical professionals to research ALS, and developed, together with Lillehammer University College, his own idea to create the documentary: "A meaningful life in a paralytic body ~ Living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis", which was produced and released in 2005. He died on October 15, 2007, at the age of 44.

Studies

At the University of Tromsø, Per Villand was Candidatus Magisterii in biology from 1985–1987, was Candidatus Scientiarum in Molecular Biology from 1988–1989 and received his Cand.scient. degree in 1990. In 1990 he worked as a staff engineer at the Department of Cell Biology of the University of Tromsø. At the Norwegian University of Life Sciences Per Villand was studying for the title Doctor Scientiarum in Molecular Plant Biology from 1990–1995. He received the title Doctor Scientiarum, or Dr.scient., a Norwegian term for Doctor of Science, at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in 1995.

Scientific accomplishments

Per Villand contributed to the advancing of molecular plant science. He participated in international teams of investigators at the University of Tromsø in Norway, the Michigan State University in USA, the Umeå University in Sweden, and the department of Plant Biology of the Carnegie Institution For Science, Stanford, CA, USA. As a postdoctoral researcher he worked from 1995–1997 at Umeå University in Sweden and from 1998–1999 he researched plant science at the department of Plant Biology of the Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA. From 1999–2000 he was Research Assistant at the Umeå University, in Sweden.

He received a patent for Transgenic organism and for Transgenic plants or algae expressing an AGP enzyme coupled to a transit peptide When in 1999 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was diagnosed he researched this disease, together with medical professionals, till he passed away on October 15, 2007, because of the transition to end-of-life care in the terminal phase of the disease.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

In 1999 Per Villand was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. At the end of 2005 he was paralysed for 90%: only the eye muscles were not affected. After planning the transition to end-of-life care in the terminal phase of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, he passed away on his birthday, October 15, 2007.

Documentary

In the documentary "Eit meiningsfylt liv i ein lam kropp – Å leve med Amyotrofisk lateral sklerose (ALS)" / A meaningful life in a paralytic body – Living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Per Villand shares his experiences and thoughts about his illness in several different topics. Nurses, doctors, relatives and other involved, contribute with information and comments.

• Idea: Per Villand; Mette Villand-Reichelt
• Producer: Lillehammer University College, Norway
• Script: Per Villand
• Director, editor and narrator: Ingrid Ese Folkestad
• Project manager: Kjell Are Refsvik
• Music: (1) Helge Lilletvedt, Johann Sebastian Bach – Cantata No. 170 – Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust, BWV 170 / "Delightful rest, beloved pleasure of the soul" (2) Janet Baker, mezzo-soprano, Philip Ledger (organ), Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner, Decca 1991 – Bach Cantata (3) Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg variations – Aria, Keith Jarrett, ECM records 1989 (4) Piano Concerto No. 2 (Shostakovich) New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, CBS Records Inc., 1988
• Audio engineer: Stein Tore Sønsteli
• Graphic design: Kjell Are Refsvik

The documentary creates awareness about the vulnerable position of people with disabilities in the society, and is categorized as visual education for people with disabilities, for professionals in healthcare, but also for the family and friends around people with disabilities. Total playing time: 05:42:50. The DVD is available in Geilo Bibliotek, in Hol, and in Lillehammer Bibliotek.

Book

During his illness Per Villand was able to communicate and write by means of an eye-tracker and a computer. In this way he could write a book of 300 pages (gallery) and build a website about two historical locations, named Søre Villand and Raggsteindalen, in the traditional district of Hallingdal.

See also

• Discussion about ALS: Narkive – Per Villand / Posts by: Jon Lie, Jon Haugsand

External links

• Per Villand: Scholar (list with publications)
• PubMed: US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health / Per Villand: Summary
• WorldCat: List of articles in which Per Villand participated in international teams of investigators
• Google Patents: Transgenic organism, Transgenic plants or algae expressing an AGP enzyme coupled to a transit peptide
• VIAF, Virtual International Authority File: Per Villand
• ResearchGate: Per Villand, publications
• Trends in plant science: David M. Kehoe, Per Villand, Shauna Somerville: DNA microarrays for studies of higher plants and other photosynthetic organisms
• American Society of Plant Biologists: Mats Eriksson, Per Villand, Per Gardeström, and Göran Samuelsson: Induction and Regulation of Expression of a Low-CO2-Induced Mitochondrial Carbonic Anhydrase in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
• American Society of Plant Biologists: Per Villand, Odd-Arne Olsen, Andrzej Kilian, and Leszek A. Kleczkowski: ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Large Subunit cDNA from Barley Endosperm
• Portland Press: Per Villand, Mats Eriksson, Göran Samuelsson: Carbon dioxide and light regulation of promoters controlling the expression of mitochondrial carbonic anhydrase in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
• Plant Molecular Biology: Per Villand, Reidunn Aalen, Odd-Arne Olsen, Ernst Lüthi, Anders Lönneborg, Leszek A. Kleczkowski: PCR amplification and sequences of cDNA clones for the small and large subunits of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from barley tissues
• Dagbladet: Per Villand: Genteknologi og frykt

Further reading

• Biography Per Villand: Søre Villand og Ragsteindalen, 1889–2005, page 251, 252. Library of Geilo, Hol municipality, Norway.
• Edocr: Per Villand, biography
• Kåre Olav Solhjell: Hol i Hundre År, p. 485 ~ Trykk: 07-Gruppen, Oslo ~
• Elise Reitan Gilberg: Bachelor thesis on nursing: "Håpet bryter igjennom mørket"
• Library Geilo: the educational DVD Eit Meiningsfylt liv i ein lam kropp : å leve med amyotrofisk lateral sklerose (ALS)
• Library Lillehammer: the educational DVD Eit meiningsfylt liv i ein lam kropp. Category professional literature
• edocr: text in Norwegian, and an English translation, of the back cover of the DVD Eit meiningsfylt liv i ein lam kropp: å leve med amyotrofisk lateral sklerose (ALS)
• Norwegian Association For Palliative Medicine: Standard for Palliative Care, NFPM 2004