Matís og verkefnið BioProtect vekja athygli á að íslenskir skólar hafa tækifæri til að sækja um Pro Bleu styrk:
Styrkur: ProBleu funding call
ProBleu hefur það að markmiði að efla skóla samfélag í Evrópu (Network of European Blue Schools) með því að bjóða allt að 7.500 evrur í styrk til verkefna sem varða aukinn skilning á vatni og hafi. Umsóknir skulu berast fyrir 23. maí, klukkan 17:00 CET.
Hvað er ProBleu?
ProBleu styður við skóla sem eru í fararbroddi við að kenna krökkum um verndun hafs og ferskvatns. Á næstu þremur árum mun ProBleu bjóða að minnsta kosti 100 skólum styrki fyrir spennandi verkefni. Skólar geta fengið allt að 7.500 evrur í styrk fyrir verkefni sem standa yfir í allt að ár.
Hverjir geta sótt um styrkinn
ProBleu styrkurinn er sérstaklega ætlaður skólum í löndum sem eiga fulltrúa í Blue Schools samfélaginu: Austurríki, Belgíu, Danmörku, Þýskalandi, Íslandi, Írlandi, Kosovo, Lúxemborg, Möltu, Svartfjallalandi, Noregi, Slóveníu og Úkraínu. Það kemur þó ekki í veg fyrir að önnur lönd geti sótt um styrkinn.
Þriðjudaginn 1. apríl 2025 ver Clara Anne Thérèse Jégousse doktorsritgerð sína í matvælafræði við Matvæla- og næringarfræðideild Háskóla Íslands. Ritgerðin ber heitið: Örverusamfélög á Íslandsmiðum rannsökuð með víðerfðamengja raðgreiningum. Exploration of microbial communities from Icelandic marine waters using metagenomics.
Doktorsvörnin fer fram í Hátíðarsal Aðalbyggingar Háskóla Íslands klukkan 13:00 til 16:00.
Andmælendur eru dr. Alexander Sczyrba, prófessor við Bielefeld University, Þýskalandi, og dr. Ian Salter, rannsóknastjóri við Havstovan – hafrannsóknastofnun Færeyja.
Umsjónarkennari og leiðbeinandi var dr. Viggó Þór Marteinsson, prófessor við Matvæla- og næringarfræðideild og fagstjóri hjá Matís. Auk hans var dr. María Guðjónsdóttir, prófessor við sömu deild og verkefnastjóri hjá Matís, meðleiðbeinandi og í doktorsnefnd sátu dr. René Groben, verkefnastjóri hjá Matís, dr. Pauline Vannier, lektor við Université de Toulon, og dr. Arnar Pálsson, prófessor við Líf- og umhverfisvísindadeild.
Ólöf Guðný Geirsdóttir, deildarforseti Matvæla- og næringarfræðideildar, stjórnar athöfninni sem fer fram í Hátíðasal Háskóla Íslands og hefst kl. 13.00.
Abstract
Örverur gegna lykilhlutverki í því að viðhalda heilbrigði og fæðukerfi hafsins og við að stýra næringarefnahringrás hafsins. Við Íslandsstrendur, þar sem heitir Atlantshafsstraumar og kaldir norðurskautsstraumar mætast, myndast einstakt umhverfi og lífríki sjávar. Þó svo að rannsóknir hafi staðið yfir á frumframleiðni frá miðju síðustu aldar með aðstoð smásjáa og gervitunglmynda hafa rannsóknir á flokkunarfræði örvera á umhverfiserfðamengjum í íslenskri lögsögu verið takmarkaðar. Meginmarkmið doktorsrannsóknarinnar var því að skoða hvaða tegundir örvera finnast í íslenskri lögsögu, í hvaða hlutföllum, hvert hlutverk þeirra er í vistríki sjávar og hvaða umhverfisþættir hafa áhrif á dreifingu þeirra.
Meginniðurstöður ritgerðarinnar eru að nauðsynlegt er að kanna örveruflóru hafsins allt árið um kring og einnig mismunandi dýpi. Niðurstöðurnar afhjúpa samhengi örverusamfélaga og umhverfisþátta og leggja grunn að frekari rannsóknum. Opin gögn úr þessari rannsókn mynda viðmið fyrir frekari rannsóknir á vistfræðilegum ferlum og sjálfbærri nýtingu auðlinda hafsins við Ísland á tímum hnattrænna loftslagsbreytinga.
Matís býður viðskiptavinum sínum nú upp á þjónustugátt þar sem hægt er að nálgast allar niðurstöður mælinga á einum stað. Með þjónustugátt Matís fær viðskiptavinurinn góða yfirsýn yfir allar mælingar á sýnum sem hann hefur sent til Matís.
Aðgengi að niðurstöðum ereinfalt og þægilegt; notandinn sér nýjustu mælingarnar og getur síað eftir t.d. dagsetningu, tímabilum og efnisorðum. Einnig er hægt að taka út gögnin í excel skrá.
Fyrirtækjaaðgangar – allt að fimm notendur geta haft aðgang innan hvers fyrirtækis.
Næsta sýni – Í þjónustugáttinni er að finna rafrænt eyðublað til að skila inn næsta sýni, hratt og örugglega.
Þjónustugátt Matís – Allt á einum stað:
Ert þú í viðskiptum við mæliþjónustu Matís og vilt fá aðgang að þjónustugáttinni. Skráðu þig í gáttina með því að smella á hnappinn hér fyrir neðan:
Algae are becoming more and more popular in the West for consumption, partly because they are a rich source of minerals and vitamins. However, they also absorb the element arsenic from the sea, which can be carcinogenic.
In algae, arsenic is detected mainly in the form of diverse organic compounds of arsenic, eg arsenosaccharides and arsenolipids, but organic arsenic species have been considered harmless. However, recent studies of arsenolipids have shown that they can exhibit similar toxicity to carcinogenic inorganic arsenic. The question has also been raised whether arsenosaccharides, which make up the majority of the arsenic measured in algae, can have long-term negative effects with regular consumption. The concentration of toxic inorganic arsenic and arsenolipids is generally low in algae, but there are exceptions. For example, consumption of brown algae is not recommended Hijiki, which has been used, for example, in soups, as it contains a large amount of inorganic arsenic.
The brown algae Hijiki. Photo: Shutterstock
Much is still unknown about the origin of arsenolipids, but the starting point of their production is believed to take place in algae.
There is an urgent need for more information on these arsenic compounds in order to fully assess whether their consumption is associated with risks and to ensure that appropriate rules are set for their maximum levels in food.
Sampling provided a deeper understanding
To gain a deeper understanding, dozens of samples of red, green and brown algae were collected near Grindavík and Kjalarnes. The samples were thoroughly analyzed for heavy metals and an arsenic analysis was carried out to obtain information on the chemical form of the arsenic.
The sampling took place on a windy day. Photo: Ásta Heiðrún E. Pétursdóttir
Species identification can be complex and was performed using selective mass spectrometry. In addition, brown macroalgae were divided into biological fractions to determine whether the distribution of arsenic species was uniform throughout the seaweed. There is limited information available globally on arsenolipids in seaweed, so this comprehensive profiling of arsenic species in different species of algae is challenging to elucidate how these enigmatic organic arsenic compounds are formed and where they are stored within the algae.
Results showed large differences between algal species
The results showed, among other things, that the concentration of hydrophilic arsenic species, such as arsenosaccharides and inorganic arsenic, varied between different algae species. Inorganic arsenic was found in low concentrations in all the algae that were measured, except in horse kelp, where the concentration was high - but different depending on which part of the algae was measured. The composition of arsenosaccharides also depended on algal species and season. Interestingly, all macroalgae seem to have the ability to produce four main arsenosaccharide derivatives, although the composition varies.
Lipophilic forms of arsenic (arsenolipids) also differed between algal species. The predominant type of arsenolipids varied, but the difference was greatest between brown and red algae compared to green algae. This has never been demonstrated before.
These results indicate that the cycle of arsenic is highly dependent on algal species, which may have developed different methods and pathways for arsenic metabolism.
Photo: Ásta Heiðrún E. Pétursdóttir
Another goal was a detailed analysis of arsenic species in different parts of algae (eg, bract, stem, leaf, or reproductive tissue) and between seasons to provide insight into how these compounds are formed. Arsenosaccharides and one type of arsenolipids containing arsenosaccharides were found in the highest concentrations in the reproductive tissue of brown algae. This indicates that the sugars are the starting point for the production of these arsenolipids. It is possible that arsenosaccharides or arsenolipids are produced for a specific biological purpose and these compounds can be utilized by the alga, but their production could also be accidental! However, arsenosaccharides do not seem to serve the purpose of energy storage like other sugars, and it has not yet been discovered whether and what the benefits of their presence in the cell wall are.
Are you interested in knowing more?
The project "Distribution of arsenic species by seaweed parts, in particular arsenic lipids" received funding from the Norwegian Research Foundation in 2020 and has been running for the past 4 years to gain a better and deeper understanding of this interesting field. The project was carried out as part of a doctoral program at the University of Iceland, in collaboration with the Norwegian Marine Research Institute, the University of Graz and the University of Aberdeen.
The study has contributed to a better understanding of the presence of different compounds of arsenic in macroalgae. The data can also be used for risk assessment of arsenic species in seaweed for human consumption and can therefore influence future legislation on food safety. The results from the project are extensive and you can follow new scientific articles that are still being published from the project here.
The muscle structure and composition may vary along the different portions of fish fillets, which can complicate the quality and storage stability of products. Loins and tails from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and redfish (Sebastes marinus) fillets were therefore stored at −25 °C up to 16 months and 20 months, respectively, to investigate the quality changes influenced by the duration of frozen storage within the fillet portions. Throughout the storage period, the loss of total sulfhydryl groups correlates with increased disulfide bonds, indicating partial oxidative protein degradation. This may be linked with protein denaturation as evidenced by the decrease of soluble proteins, as well as decreased water holding capacity and increased thawing drip loss and cooking loss. The results from the cod samples reveal that stronger degradation changes occur in the tail. The loin, therefore, had more storage stability as well as higher nutritional value. However, other quality attributes were similar between the two portions in the redfish fillets. Higher free fatty acid (FFA) values, lower soluble protein contents, and higher disulfide bond contents were obtained in the cod samples compared to the redfish samples at the same storage time, indicating that lipid hydrolysis and protein degradation effects were stronger in the cod ( lean fish) compared to redfish (medium fat species).
Matís in Neskaupstað recently started measuring Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenisby PCR method. In the past months, efforts have been made to offer new, fast methods for microbial measurements in food and feed using PCR technology as well as rotamine measurements in flour. "We are happy to report that the introduction of this technology greatly increases the service we can provide to our customers," says Stefán Eysteinsson, station manager.
With this method, it is possible to process samples faster and better, but it is only necessary to pre-cultivate Salmonella for 24 hours and Listeria for two days in a traditional bacterial medium before performing a PCR test.
"The total analysis time for Salmonella is therefore shortened from 4 days to 1 day and for Listeria from 6 days to 2 days."
This means that it is possible to detect bacteria in samples earlier and then react appropriately.
Rotamines (biogenic amines) have been used in recent years as certain indicators of the quality of flour, and the fishmeal industry in the region has called for it to be possible to carry out rotamine measurements at Matís' workplace in Neskaupstaður. With the arrival of an HPLC device at the facility, it will now be possible to measure rotamine in flour in Neskaupstaður. It is expected that the arrival of the device will shorten the waiting time for results and increase the variety of measurements in Neskaupstaður.
The adoption of these new methods at the Neskaupstað facility is a sign of the continued development of Matís in the countryside, but it is clear that these methods will be crucial for customers.
On this occasion, we at Matís in Neskaupstaðar would like to invite you to visit us on Wednesday, March 6 at 16:00, at Múlann, Bakkavegi 5.
It would be great to see as many of you as possible. Please confirm your arrival and expected number by entering your name and email address here!
Matís's food factory has a kitchen and processing facilities with a wide range of cooking equipment so that a variety of food processing can be carried out. Verandi is one of the companies that has used Matís' food factory.
Verandi is an Icelandic manufacturing company that produces high-quality hair and body products from by-products from the Icelandic food industry, agriculture and various natural and environmentally friendly materials. Here you can see the staff of Veranda at work in Matís' food factory preparing cucumber masks and serums from cucumbers from Laugaland.
Rakel Garðarsdóttir and her law school sister, Elva Björk Bjarkardóttir, founded the cosmetics company in 2017. The idea came from Vakandi, an organization that Rakel founded to raise awareness about various types of waste, especially food waste. The main basis of the products are by-products from agriculture or raw materials that are produced during other production and are usually thrown away. In this way, the earth's resources are not being used in the same way to create products, which are far from unlimited, but the circular economy is supported.
Being uses raw materials for the products that would otherwise be wasted and therefore does not have to have raw materials produced for him separately, except only for some of the ingredients. With this, they want to participate in the fight against waste through a better use of resources.
Are you interested in learning more about Matís' food factory? You can find all the details here:
Matís is looking for a manager of the finance and operations department. The job involves a lot of communication, negotiation and analytical work. The division manager reports to the CEO.
Main tasks and responsibilities
Day-to-day management and responsibility for the division's finances, operations and staffing
Financial planning in collaboration with department managers
Financial settlement of Matís and settlement of individual projects
Financial analysis work
Responsibility for project accounting
Development of management information and operational metrics
Supervising the operation of real estate, canteen, equipment, computer system and software
Overseeing the implementation and development of ICT projects
Negotiating and communicating with numerous parties
Qualification requirements
University education in the field of finance, operations
Experience in accounting and settlements
Experience in management and operations
Good analytical skills
Strong communication and organizational skills
Good knowledge of financial software
Experience with digital development and operation of IT systems is desirable
Applications must be accompanied by a detailed CV and cover letter. The application deadline is 23 November. All genders are encouraged to apply.
Information provided by Geirlaug Jóhannsdóttir, geirlaug@hagvangur.is
Matís is a leader in the field of food research and biotechnology. At Matís, there is a powerful group of around 100 employees who are passionate about finding new ways to maximize the use of raw materials, increase sustainability and promote public health. Matís' role is to strengthen the competitiveness of Icelandic products and business life and ensure food safety, public health and sustainable use of the environment through research, innovation and services. Matís focuses on practical research that increases the value of Icelandic food production, promotes the safety and wholesomeness of products and the sustainable use of natural resources.
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