Category: News

Two doctoral students in pharmacology at the University of Iceland, the Indians Varsha A. Kale at Matís and Vivek S. Gaware, received a grant from the Bergþóra and Þorsteinn Scheving Thorsteinsson Pharmacy Prize Fund yesterday, Monday 4 June. Their research has already led to new knowledge in pharmacology.

This is the seventh time that awards have been given from the fund to doctoral students in pharmacology at the University of Iceland for outstanding research. The total amount of the grant is ISK 700,000 and each grant recipient will receive ISK 350,000.

Vörsha A. Kale's research project aims to isolate cartilage sugars from Icelandic sea otters and determine their molecular structure. It has also grown marine bacteria that produce sugar-cleaving biocatalysts. Varsha has already isolated three different types of such sugars and demonstrated their immune-regulating activity. Utilization of the project involves the production of new bioactive sugars and catalysts. The project is carried out in collaboration with Matís. Varsha was born in India in 1985 and graduated with a master's degree in drug chemistry in 2004 from SRTM University in Nanded, India. She began her doctoral studies in pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Iceland in 2009 and her main supervisor is Sesselja S. Ómarsdóttir, associate professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, and co-supervisor Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson, associate professor at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences and subject director at Matís.

In her doctoral dissertation, Vivek S. Gaware develops special nanomaterials that can be stimulated by light and thus eradicate cancerous tumors. The project is carried out in collaboration with researchers at Radium hospital in Oslo and the company PCI Biotech. Vivek has already succeeded in constructing and defining well over fifty new materials in this project. The results of tests in Norway have given good results and indicate that the substances are very active against cancer. Vivek was also born in India in 1981, and graduated with a master's degree in organic chemistry from the University of Pune in his home country in 2004. Vivek began his doctoral studies in pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Iceland in 2008 and his main supervisor is Már Másson, professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy.About the Bergþóra and Þorsteinn Scheving Thorsteinsson Pharmacy Prize Fund

The Bergþóra and Þorsteinn Scheving Thorsteinsson Pharmacy Prize Fund was established in 2001. The aim of the fund is to award prizes for scientific achievements and to support research and postgraduate studies in pharmacology. It was Bent Scheving Thorsteinsson who founded the fund in memory of his father, Þorstein Scheving Thorsteinsson, a pharmacist at Reykjavíkurapóteki, and his wife, Bergþóra Patursson.

The Bergþóra and Þorsteinn Scheving Thorsteinsson Prize Fund is one of three funds that Bent has established at the University of Iceland. The others are the Óskar Þórðarson Pediatrician Award Fund, which aims to award prizes for scientific achievements, research, dissertations and related activities in the field of pediatrics, and the Margaret and Bent Scheving Thorsteinsson Scholarship Fund, which is intended to support research on bullying. Bent has donated a total of ISK 60 million to the University of Iceland through financial contributions to the three funds.

For further information, contact Varsha and Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson at Matís.

^{This article first appeared on the University of Iceland website (www.hi.is/frettir/doktorsnemar_i_lyfjafraedi_hljota_styrk).}

Krónan and Matís are collaborating to help Icelanders reduce their excessive consumption of sweets at so-called candy bars.

The companies have jointly had a poster made that has been erected in several Króna stores. The poster contains information on the moderate amount of Saturday sweets and the amount is based on average values for the daily energy needs of several age groups. The average values from the chemical analyzes can be found in the Icelandic database on the chemical content of food (ÍSGEM).

As most people know, Icelanders eat too much added sugar. This is not least due to the high consumption of sweets from so-called candy bars in stores, which are mostly picked up on Saturdays. Although it is not necessary to consume sweets, it is possible to make a sweet day "fit" into a healthy lifestyle as long as a certain moderation is observed when it comes to the amount consumed. Most people eat too much candy on Saturdays and the instructions found on the poster are presented to help consumers choose a moderate amount.

A healthy lifestyle with a varied diet and moderate exercise is the basis of mental and physical well-being. Matís has a role to play in the nation's public health and also manages ÍSGEM.

The króna has advocated for Icelanders to choose a healthy lifestyle and, for example, they cultivate fruit bars in the króna store. In addition, the ISK often offers healthy and good food to encourage consumers to choose healthier products.

The collaboration is an experiment that is being launched in several Króna stores. It is the reactions of Króna's customers and other consumers that will determine whether instructions will be installed in more stores. It will be possible to compare the total weight of sweets that have been sold before the posters were installed and then the total weight after the posters were installed. In this way, it will be possible to see if the poster matters when it comes to the quantity sold in each store every Saturday.

The poster can be seen here.

For further information Steinar B. Aðalbjörnsson, marketing director of Matís and Berglind Ósk Ólafsdóttir, marketing director of Kaupás.

Fishermen's Day 2012 has begun, but the day was initially established to strengthen solidarity among fishermen, both to rejoice and to remember dead fishermen. The aim of the day is also to introduce the nation to the significance of the profession's work for the benefit of society.

Food production is one of the most important industries in Iceland. The role of the fishing industry and fish processing is the most important. The same basic principle applies in all sectors of food production, that is, the quality of the products depends on the quality of the raw material from which they are processed. Fishermen and others involved in the fishing industry know how important good fish handling is.

The first steps are especially important when ensuring the maximum quality of fish catches. This ensures that consumers get the best possible product and at the same time it is usually ensured that the value added is the greatest.

Cooling - why?
Cooling slows down the activity of pests, prolongs the time the fish is dying and thus reduces the release in the fish flesh, increases blood flow from the capillaries after bleeding and makes the flesh whiter. Last but not least, cooling reduces shrinkage.

Matís has worked with fishermen for a long time to promote the right maneuvers when handling valuables from the sea and is well acquainted with the high-quality work methods that are widely practiced in that area. Therefore, it is to no one's advantage, least of all the fishermen, when pictures of catches in unacceptable conditions are drawn, as was done in Íslandsbanki's congratulations to the fishermen in the media yesterday.

Fishermen: Let's join hands and ensure maximum value creation with good handling of catch.

For more information Sveinn Margeirsson and Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís.

Related material: www.kaeligatt.is, The importance of good handling of fish (booklet), The importance of good handling of fish (single leaf) etc. brochures and leaflets.

Fred W. Allendorf, Regents Professor of Biology at the University of Montana, USA and Professorial Research Fellow at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, visited Matís on 29 May.

Fred visited Matís' genetic laboratory and met with the company's geneticists and the Marine Research Institute. He has published over two hundred scientific papers on evolution, stock genetics and conservation biology and is one of the world's leading scientists in his field. Among other things, he has worked on developing methods for implementing genetic engineering for fish stock monitoring and fisheries management.

For further information, please contact Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir, Director of Safety, Environment and Genetics at Matís.

Matís' employee, Sarah Helyar, will give a talk at the University of Akureyri on fish genetics and its significance in fisheries management.

The conference

Conservation biology: Towards sustainable management of natural resources
Location: Friday 1 June from 9:00 - 17:00 in Sólborg room M-102

Lecture by Sarah Helyar: Of Fish and SNP s: The Potential of Genetics for
Traceability In European Fisheries Management

Further information here.

Matís' three employees were on a trip to the Faroe Islands recently. There they learned about food production and research in the islands and also introduced Matís' activities to the locals.

A meeting was held with stakeholders in pelagic fishing and processing, where, among other things, Matís' research in those areas was discussed. There was a lot of interest before the meeting, where our "cousins" learned about the development of fishing and processing mackerel in this country and Matís' projects related to pelagic species. The participants in the meeting were particularly interested in the work that has been done regarding the mapping of stock units of different fish species using genetic methods, in particular herring and mackerel. There was an interest among the participants to take a greater part in this work in the future, as there are great interests at stake where it is possible to use genetic research for the analysis and monitoring of stock units and as a basis for the division of fishing rights between countries. At the same time to prevent deception in the marketing of seafood.

Matís employees also held a meeting with representatives of ministries, institutions, town representatives and research funds, where Matís' food factories were introduced. The Faroese are considering the establishment of innovation centers in the islands and were interested in learning about Matís' experience of operating the food factories, which operate in Reykjavík, Hornafjörður and Flúðir.
Matís' employees benefited greatly from this visit to the Faroe Islands and expect that it can further enhance the good co - operation that the company has with local parties.

For further information Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís.

Matís, in collaboration with the Blue Lagoon and the Association of Icelandic Biotechnology Companies, recently held a conference on algae. A conference took place in the Blue Lagoon and it went very well everywhere.

There is great potential in the algae industry. Algae can be added to foods, making them more nutritious and tastier. At Matís, for example, kelp has been developed which has attracted a great deal of attention (http://www.matis.is/matis/frettir/nr/3331). The Blue Lagoon has used algae in Blue Lagoon cosmetics, but research has shown that algae in the Blue Lagoon reduce the aging of the skin.

Algae have also been used in food, for example, to reduce the use of salt, for example instead of MSG, but there are also known examples of algae being used in food supplements and animal feed. There are great possibilities in algae cultivation, processing and utilization in this country, as the sea area around the country is well suited, for example due to its purity.

Consumer awakening has taken place both in Iceland and elsewhere regarding the nutritional content of algae. The potential for value creation is therefore great when it comes to algae cultivation.

A Nordic project and co-operation on algae began on 1 March. The project is called "Nordic Algae Network" and the conference that was held on 15 May was connected to this. Matís organized the conference and it was sponsored by the Blue Lagoon and the Association of Icelandic Biotechnology Companies. A large number attended the conference, but the intention was to bring together people from the industry and those who conduct research on algae both in Iceland and abroad. The aim of the conference was to exchange knowledge and know-how with regard to the utilization of algae for energy consumption and valuable materials.

The agenda of the conference was as follows:

09:00 Welcome - Hordur G. Kristinsson, Matís, Reykjavík, Iceland
09:10  Nordic Algae Network - Lars Nikolaisen, Danish Technological Institute, Aarhus, Denmark
09:20  The situation in Denmark on macroalgae - Lars Nikolaisen, Danish Technological Institute, Aarhus, Denmark
09:40 Algalíf: A company takes its first steps towards establishing large-scale microalgae production in Iceland - Paul Lebeau, Algalíf, Norway
10:00 State-of-the-art on macroalgae in Ireland - Anna Soler, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
10:40  Value added products from macroalgae - Sarah Hotchkiss, Cybercolloids Ltd., Carrigaline, Ireland
11:00 Icelandic macroalgae - past and present utilization - Karl Gunnarsson, Marine Research Institute, Iceland
11:20  Icelandic R&D activities on macroalgae - Hordur G. Kristinsson, Matís, Reykjavík, Iceland
11:40  Microalgae cultivation at the Blue Lagoon - Halldór Guðfinnur Svavarsson, Blue Lagoon Ltd., Grindavík, Iceland
12:00  Development of a sustainable macro- and microalgae sector in Norway, with considerations of commercialization and markets - Anne Mugaas, The Royal Society for the Welfare of Norway, Norway

"Nordic Algae Network" is funded by the Nordic Innovation Center, NICe, and more information can be found on the project's website, www.nordicinnovation.org/nordicalgae

For further information Hörður G. Kristinsson, Head of the Department of Biotechnology and Biochemistry and Director of Research at Matís.

Matís is working with locals on both sides of Breiðafjörður and has been active in food production and related industries in the area. Part of that effort is the hiring of two employees who will start working in Patreksfjörður in the next few days, but these employees will be added to the group of the two who were recently hired to work in Grundarfjörður in Snæfellsnes. 

The four employees will work in close collaboration with each other and with other Matís employees, all over the country.
 
For a long time, Matís has looked at opportunities in the southern Westfjords, as there are great opportunities elsewhere in the vicinity of Breiðafjörður for increased value creation related to food. Matís has now hired two employees to support and work with local people on the development of food production and related industries in the area.

Matís will work with companies, local authorities and individuals in the area who will be able to use Matís' expertise to build their own operations. Matís' operations in Breiðafjörður are based on a solid and strong collaboration with the locals, as they have taken the initiative in the development that Matís is currently embarking on.
 
There are great opportunities in the area. The fishing industry is a key industry in constant development, but in addition there are opportunities for the development of aquaculture and the utilization of other raw materials in the area. In the southern part of the Westfjords, there is great growth in aquaculture and a strong development in that area. Matís 'operations will support the necessary research and development in connection with aquaculture, but it is expected that services for aquaculture-related activities will be one of the main challenges for Matís' employees in the area. As the largest cost item of aquaculture lies in feed and feeding, the development of feed costs is not least considered.
 
Strengthening food production will play a key role in increased value creation in the southern Westfjords and by Breiðafjörður. Matís staff is looking forward to tackling upcoming projects with the municipalities in the area, companies and all locals.

For further information, please contact Haraldur Hallgrímsson 858 5054 and Steinar B. Aðalbjörnsson 858-5111.

On the occasion of Verið has expanded, there will be an open house on Wednesday 16 May at 13: 30-16: 00 to present activities in the Center. The results of the AVS Fund's grants this year will also be announced.

Agenda

13.30 The house opens and guests can look around
14.00 Addresses
Gísli Svan Einarsson, CEO of VERSINS Vísindagarður, will chair the meeting
Jón Eðvald Friðriksson Managing Director of FISK Seafood
Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture
Lárus Ægir Guðmundsson, chairman of AVS, explains the fund's allocation
Skúli Skúlason Rector of Hólar University - Hólar University
Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís

Coffee will be served.

Háeyri 1 is being built.
Walk to the east

About Matís' activities in Verin

Líftæknismiðja Matís ohf. is located in Sauðárkrókur. Matís' activities at Líftæknismiðjan are multifaceted. First, Matís has set up a specialized laboratory in the field of biotechnology and biochemicals. Secondly, Matís operates a pilot plant in the processing hall of Líftæknismiðjan, where the company Iceprotein ehf. has built up its operations. Finally, Matís' employees at Líftæknismiðjan work with companies in Skagafjörður and NV-land on various improvement and optimization projects.

With Líftæknismiðjan, research facilities have been created with associated processing facilities where scientists and pioneers in biotechnology can develop their products and processing processes in collaboration with Matís. The Biotechnology Center's laboratory is working on measuring the bioactive properties of biomaterials from Icelandic nature. The biotechnology center is open to all Icelanders, and individuals and companies can have facilities there for a shorter period of time for product production. The workshop will be a kind of hatchery for new start-up companies in biotechnology and important in shortening the process from idea to market. By choosing the location of Líftæknismiðjan, one looks at the local area, which is Skagafjörður's food pantry.

Targeted development of research facilities is taking place at Líftæknismiðja Matís, which is already a participant in extensive multinational collaboration. The biotechnology center is intended to contribute specialized research facilities, development facilities with production licenses and expertise in future collaborative projects. The processing hall of the Biotechnology Center includes facilities for protein isolation and drying. The biotechnology center is intended to work in close collaboration with food companies in the country.

Matís' station manager in Sauðárkrókur is Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, Head of Processing, Value Added and Fire.

Petrína Þórunn Jónsdóttir, who lives in Laxárdalur in Skeiða- and Gnúpverjahreppur, is working on interesting projects in the facilities of the Matís food factory in Flúðir, where she processes products in connection with the pig farm in Laxárdalur.

"I'm trying to dry pork, backbone bacon, liver chowder and buffalo cakes. Dried pork is made from the best muscle from the pork. All visible fat is cut away, then the meat is minced, seasoned and dried. The goal is to create a kind of travel snack, the meat is not a refrigerated product and the shelf life should be several months. Liver choking is performed in the traditional way. Spine bacon is less fat, only a thin strip of fat on the meat that can be taken away and it is sliced into much thicker slices than people are used to here. The pork buffets are ready for the grill or the pan, I use Icelandic herbs in them. The reason why these are such different breeds that I have is that I can make products from all the pigs, "said Petrína. She says she is very happy with the facilities at Flúðir, but Vilberg Tryggvason, station manager, introduced her to Óli Þór Hilmarsson, a meat industry master, and he has guided her with deboning and processing methods.

For further information Vilberg Tryggvason at Matís.

_{The above news first appeared on DFS.is, Fréttablaði Suðurlands.}