Höfundur: hilduryr@matis.is

Fréttir

Bændasamtök Íslands heimsóttu Matís

Bændasamtök Íslands kíktu í heimsókn til okkar í Matís þann 7. september síðastliðinn. Þau Gunnar Þorgeirsson, formaður, Vigdís Häsler, framkvæmdastjóri, og Guðrún Birna Brynjarsdóttir, sérfræðingur, skoðuðu framgang í vefjaræktun á stofnútsæði kartaflna sem Matís sinnir fyrir Bændasamtökin. Einnig var farið yfir önnur samstarfsverkefni en þau eru fjölmörg og stefnt er að því að auka þau enn frekar í framtíðinni.

Hér að neðan má sjá myndir af vefjaræktuðum kartöflum sem ræktaðar eru hjá Matís.

Matís þakkar Bændasamtökum Íslands fyrir komuna og hlakkar til áframhaldandi góðs samstarfs. 

Ritrýndar greinar

Basalt-Hosted Microbial Communities in the Subsurface of the Young Volcanic Island of Surtsey, Iceland

Tengiliður

Pauline Bergsten

Ph.D. nemi

paulineb@matis.is

The island of Surtsey was formed in 1963–1967 on the offshore Icelandic volcanic rift zone. It offers a unique opportunity to study the subsurface biosphere in newly formed oceanic crust and an associated hydrothermal-seawater system, whose maximum temperature is currently above 120°C at about 100m below surface. Here, we present new insights into the diversity, distribution, and abundance of microorganisms in the subsurface of the island, 50years after its creation. Samples, including basaltic tuff drill cores and associated fluids acquired at successive depths as well as surface fumes from fumaroles, were collected during expedition 5059 of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program specifically designed to collect microbiological samples. Results of this microbial survey are investigated with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and scanning electron microscopy. To distinguish endemic microbial taxa of subsurface rocks from potential contaminants present in the drilling fluid, we use both methodological and computational strategies. Our 16S rRNA gene analysis results expose diverse and distinct microbial communities in the drill cores and the borehole fluid samples, which harbor thermophiles in high abundance. Whereas some taxonomic lineages detected across these habitats remain uncharacterized (e.g., Acetothermiia, Ammonifexales), our results highlight potential residents of the subsurface that could be identified at lower taxonomic rank such as Thermaerobacter, BRH-c8a (Desulfallas-Sporotomaculum), Thioalkalimicrobium, and Sulfurospirillum. Microscopy images reveal possible biotic structures attached to the basaltic substrate. Finally, microbial colonization of the newly formed basaltic crust and the metabolic potential are discussed on the basis of the data.

Hlekkur að grein

Ritrýndar greinar

Culturable Bacterial Diversity from the Basaltic Subsurface of the Young Volcanic Island of Surtsey, Iceland

Tengiliður

Pauline Bergsten

Ph.D. nemi

paulineb@matis.is

The oceanic crust is the world’s largest and least explored biosphere on Earth. The basaltic subsurface of Surtsey island in Iceland represents an analog of the warm and newly formed-oceanic crust and offers a great opportunity for discovering novel microorganisms. In this study, we collected borehole fluids, drill cores, and fumarole samples to evaluate the culturable bacterial diversity from the subsurface of the island. Enrichment cultures were performed using different conditions, media and temperatures. A total of 195 bacterial isolates were successfully cultivated, purified, and identified based on MALDI-TOF MS analysis and by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Six different clades belonging to Firmicutes (40%), Gammaproteobacteria (28.7%), Actinobacteriota (22%), Bacteroidota (4.1%), Alphaproteobacteria (3%), and Deinococcota (2%) were identified. Bacillus (13.3%) was the major genus, followed by Geobacillus (12.33%), Enterobacter (9.23%), Pseudomonas (6.15%), and Halomonas (5.64%). More than 13% of the cultured strains potentially represent novel species based on partial 16S rRNA gene sequences. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the isolated strains were closely related to species previously detected in soil, seawater, and hydrothermal active sites. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the strains were aligned against Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) from the previously published 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence datasets obtained from the same samples. Compared with the culture-independent community composition, only 5 out of 49 phyla were cultivated. However, those five phyla accounted for more than 80% of the ASVs. Only 121 out of a total of 5642 distinct ASVs were culturable (≥98.65% sequence similarity), representing less than 2.15% of the ASVs detected in the amplicon dataset. Here, we support that the subsurface of Surtsey volcano hosts diverse and active microbial communities and that both culture-dependent and -independent methods are essential to improving our insight into such an extreme and complex volcanic environment.

Hlekkur að grein

Ritrýndar greinar

Rhodothermus bifroesti sp. nov., a thermophilic bacterium isolated from the basaltic subsurface of the volcanic island Surtsey

Tengiliður

Pauline Bergsten

Ph.D. nemi

paulineb@matis.is

Novel thermophilic heterotrophic bacteria were isolated from the subsurface of the volcanic island Surtsey off the south coast of Iceland. The strains were isolated from tephra core and borehole fluid samples collected below 70 m depth. The Gram-negative bacteria were rod-shaped (0.3–0.4 µm wide, 1.5–7 µm long), aerobic, non-sporulating and non-motile. Optimal growth was observed at 70 °C, at pH 7–7.5 and with 1% NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis identified the strains as members of the genus Rhodothermus . The type strain, ISCAR-7401 T , was genetically distinct from its closest relatives Rhodothermus marinus DSM 4252 T and Rhodothermus profundi PRI 2902 T based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (95.81 and 96.01%, respectively), genomic average nucleotide identity (73.73 and 72.61%, respectively) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (17.6 and 16.9%, respectively). The major fatty acids of ISCAR-7401 T were iso-C 17:0 , anteiso-C 15:0 , anteiso-C 17:0 and iso-C 15:0 (>10 %). The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7 while phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified aminophospholipid and a phospholipid were the predominant polar lipid components. Based on comparative chemotaxonomic, genomic and phylogenetic analyses, we propose that the isolated strain represents a novel species of the genus Rhodothermus with the name Rhodothermus bifroesti sp. nov. The type strain is ISCAR-7401 T (=DSM 112103 T =CIP 111906 T ).

Hlekkur að grein

Ritrýndar greinar

SUSTAIN drilling at Surtsey volcano, Iceland, tracks hydrothermal and microbiological interactions in basalt 50 years after eruption

Tengiliður

Pauline Bergsten

Ph.D. nemi

paulineb@matis.is

The 2017 Surtsey Underwater volcanic System for Thermophiles, Alteration processes and INnovative concretes (SUSTAIN) drilling project at Surtsey volcano, sponsored in part by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), provides precise observations of the hydrothermal, geochemical, geomagnetic, and microbiological changes that have occurred in basaltic tephra and minor intrusions since explosive and effusive eruptions produced the oceanic island in 1963–1967. Two vertically cored boreholes, to 152 and 192 m below the surface, were drilled using filtered, UV-sterilized seawater circulating fluid to minimize microbial contamination. These cores parallel a 181 m core drilled in 1979. Introductory investigations indicate changes in material properties and whole-rock compositions over the past 38 years. A Surtsey subsurface observatory installed to 181 m in one vertical borehole holds incubation experiments that monitor in situ mineralogical and microbial alteration processes at 25–124 ∘C. A third cored borehole, inclined 55∘ in a 264∘ azimuthal direction to 354 m measured depth, provides further insights into eruption processes, including the presence of a diatreme that extends at least 100 m into the seafloor beneath the Surtur crater. The SUSTAIN project provides the first time-lapse drilling record into a very young oceanic basaltic volcano over a range of temperatures, 25–141 ∘C from 1979 to 2017, and subaerial and submarine hydrothermal fluid compositions. Rigorous procedures undertaken during the drilling operation protected the sensitive environment of the Surtsey Natural Preserve.

Hlekkur að grein

Ritrýndar greinar

Impact of onboard chitosan treatment of whole cod (Gadus morhua) on the shelf life and spoilage bacteria of loins stored superchilled under different atmospheres

Tengiliður

Pauline Bergsten

Ph.D. nemi

paulineb@matis.is

The initial handling of marine fish on board fishing vessels is crucial to retain freshness and ensure an extended shelf life of the resulting fresh products. Here the effect of onboard chitosan treatment of whole, gutted Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) was studied by evaluating the quality and shelf life of loins processed six days post-catch and packaged in air or modified atmosphere (% CO2/O2/N2: 55/5/40) and stored superchilled for 11 and 16 days, respectively. Sensory evaluation did not reveal a clear effect of chitosan treatment on sensory characteristics, length of freshness period or shelf life of loins under either packaging conditions throughout the storage period. However, directly after loin processing, microbiological analysis of loins showed that onboard chitosan treatment led to significantly lower total viable counts as well as lower counts of specific spoilage organisms (SSO), such as H2S-producers and Pseudomonas spp., compared to the untreated group. In addition, the culture-independent approach revealed a lower bacterial diversity in the chitosan-treated groups compared to the untreated groups, independently of packaging method. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequences belonging to Photobacterium dominated all sample groups, indicating that this genus was likely the main contributor to the spoilage process.

Hlekkur að grein

Fréttir

Ráðstefna 8. september. Nýsköpun og tækifæri í íslenskri matvælaframleiðslu

Orkídea og Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands halda ráðstefnu um nýsköpun og tækifæri í matvælaframleiðslu þann 8. september næstkomandi á Hótel Selfossi. Rósa Jónsdóttir og Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir starfsmenn Matís halda þar erindi um Framleiðslu nýrra próteina fyrir matvæli og fóður.

Brýnt er að auka matvælaframleiðslu í heiminum verulega á næstu áratugum vegna sífellt vaxandi íbúafjölda heimsins. Í þessu felast miklar áskoranir þar sem stór hluti af nýtanlegu gróðurlendi heimsins er þegar notað í landbúnaðarframleiðslu. Nýtanlegir fiskistofnar eru margir komnir að þolmörkum og vaxandi skortur er á orku og vatni til fæðuframleiðslu. Í þessum áskorunum felast jafnframt mikil tækifæri fyrir Ísland sem ætlunin er að varpa ljósi á þessum viðburði sem er samstarfsverkefni Orkídeu, Landbúnaðarháskóla Íslands, Háskóla-, iðnaðar- og nýsköpunarráðuneytisins, Háskólans á Bifröst, Íslandsstofu, Lax-inn fræðslumiðstöðvar, Matís, Ráðgjafamiðstöðvar landbúnaðarins, Samtökum smáframleiðenda matvæla og Ölfus Cluster.

Myndbandsupptökur frá ráðstefnunni má finna með því að smella á hnappinn hér að neðan:

Myndbandsupptökur

Dagskrá ráðstefnunnar má finna hér:

Fundarstjóri: Vigdís Häsler, framkv.stj. Bændasamtaka Íslands

Fréttir

Matís kemur að leit erfðaþátta bógkreppu

Bógkreppa er arfgengur erfðagalli í sauðfé á Íslandi. Gallinn er að öllum líkindum víkjandi, sem þýðir að til þess að lömb fæðist með einkenni bógkreppu þurfa þau að fá gallaða genið frá báðum foreldrum. Þetta hefur í för með sér að erfðagallinn hefur leynst árum saman í íslenska fjárstofninum og skýtur síðan óvænt upp kollinum.

Matís er þátttakandi í verkefni sem miðar að því að finna erfðamark sem hægt væri að nýta til að greina gallann í arfblendnum einstaklingum. Ef slíkt erfðamark fyndist væri hægt að útrýma erfðagallanum úr íslensku fé og tryggja að hann bærist ekki inn á sæðingastöðvar.

Rannsóknaverkefnið er styrkt af Fagráði í sauðfjárrækt, leitt af Tilraunastöð Háskóla Íslands í meinafræði að Keldum og auk Matís kemur RML að verkefninu.

Sjá nánar á vefsíðu Bændablaðsins með því að smella hér

Mynd: Shutterstock

Fréttir

Erfðabreytingar á örverum

Gestir hlaðvarpsþáttarins Matvælið að þessu sinni eru þeir Björn Þór Aðalsteinsson, verkefnastjóri hjá Matís og Tryggvi Stefánsson, aðstoðarframkvæmdarstjóri hjá Algalíf. Í þættinum fara þeir yfir markaðsleg og rannsóknarleg sjónarmið í tengslum við erfðabreytingar á örverum.

Björn Þór segir okkur frá verkefninu Thermo-Tools sem líftæknihópur Matís hefur verið að vinna að síðastliðin ár. Thermo Tools verkefnið miðar að því að þróa ný tæki til að erfðabreyta hitakærum örverum. Ísland hefur þá sérstöðu að vera með mikið magn af heitum hverum og þar af leiðandi mjög gott aðgengi að hitakærum örverum. Hitakærar örverur lifa við mjög hátt hitastig, allt frá 50-121°C, og liggur vandamálið í því að þau tæki og tól sem alla jafna eru notuð við erfðabreytingar virka ekki við svo hátt hitastig.

Tryggvi Stefánsson hjá Algalíf segir okkur frá framleiðslu þeirra á Astaxanthin og hvernig markaðurinn sem Algalíf starfar á, setur skýra stefnu gegn erfðabreytingum og mikilvægi þess að þeir séu með non-GMO vottun í þeirra framleiðslu.

Hlustaðu á þáttinn í heild sinni hér að neðan:

Þáttastjórnandi er Ísey Dísa Hávarsdóttir

Ritrýndar greinar

New wave of flavours–On new ways of developing and processing seaweed flavours

Seaweeds have a naturally salty taste owing to their high content of minerals like potassium, besides sodium, which can be utilised as a healthy sodium replacer in food. In addition, some seaweeds contain a range of potential flavour components which can be released by mild processing and used to naturally enhance the flavour of food. In the present study, flavour ingredients from brown seaweed to use as a food component were developed. The work included enzymatic processing, by subsequently applying an alginase (Alg3) and Umamizyme to freeze dried and milled Ascophyllum nodosum and Saccharina latissima seaweed biomass. The chemical composition was determined by means of monosaccharide, polyphenol, and sodium content. Flavour profiles of the produced flavour extracts were evaluated by e-tongue and a cell assay, as well as by sensory panellists. The seaweed extracts were incorporated into food models and their sodium replacing and flavour enhancing properties were objectively evaluated by trained sensory panellists. The aim was to offer innovative processing solutions and new healthy flavour ingredients to meet salt reduction targets and flavour enhancing properties using seaweed. The results obtained flavour ingredients that are richer in umami and salty taste with the potential to replace sodium and create flavour enhancing ingredients for certain food products.

Hlekkur að grein

IS
EN IS