Category: News

On Monday 27 May 2019, a doctoral defense will take place at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iceland. Stephen Knobloch is defending his doctoral dissertation "Symbiosis in the sea sponge Halichondria panicea (e. Host microbe symbiosis in the marine sponge Halichondria panicea).

Opponents will be Dr. Detmer Sipkema, Associate Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands and Dr. Ólafur Sigmar Andrésson, Professor of Genetics at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland. Eva Benediktsdóttir, Associate Professor of Microbiology at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland.

Supervisor and doctoral committee was Dr. Viggó Þór Marteinsson, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, University of Iceland and professional leader at Matís. The doctoral committee also included Dr. Ragnar Jóhannsson, director of aquaculture and fish farming at the Marine Research Institute.

Dr. Snæbjörn Pálsson, professor and vice-dean of the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iceland, will chair the ceremony, which will take place in room 132 in Askja at 13-15.  

Abstract
Fungi (Phylum Porifera) are considered one of the oldest living species in the animal kingdom. Their close relationship with microorganisms makes them interesting and suitable for research into the first forms of symbiosis of animals and microorganisms and to increase our general understanding of this preserved interaction and its function. In addition, many sponges and their symbiotic microorganisms produce bioactive compounds that make them interesting for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

In this study, the diversity of the symbiotic microorganisms of H. panicea fungi, which was taken from the Icelandic marine environment, was examined by marker gene differentiation, as well as the sequencing of metagenomes and genomes (genomes) of cultured bacteria. H. panicea, from the Icelandic environment, is shown to house one dominant bacterial species. The species, which was named "Candidatus Halicondribacter symbioticus", is also found in other H. panicea fungi that have been studied from different places and regardless of the seasons. However, other coexisting microorganisms are unconditional and more bound to place and time. Analysis of the genome of the dominant condition of the bacterium shows that a common control gene is missing in its genome. It is consistent with the conditioned form of coexistence, but a lack of control genes is common in certain gene families associated with the coexistence form and its defenses. Even though a gene cluster for the synthesis of the bioactive substance bacteriocin is present in "Candidatus Halichondribacter symbioticus", it does not appear to be involved in the production of bioactive substances or secondary metabolites.
The symbiosis organism „Approx. H. symbioticus "in the marine fungus H. panicea is a suitable model for research into the interaction of symbiotic organisms and animals. The results of this study therefore lay the foundation for future research into such an interaction.

About the doctoral dissertation
Stephen Knobloch was born in 1987 in Toronto, Canada. He graduated in Applied Sciences from the University of Bremerhaven in Germany and received a BSc degree in Maritime Technologies, with an emphasis in marine biotechnology. He completed his postgraduate studies at the University of Rostock in Germany, where he graduated with a Master's degree (MSc) in Aquaculture in 2013.
In 2014, he began his doctoral studies at the University of Iceland as a grant recipient in the European project "BluePharmTrain" under the auspices of Marie Curie ITN (Innovative Training Networks). Stephen has taught autumn courses in master's studies at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland from 2016 to 2018 and is the project manager of the AVS project "FishGutHealth" from 2017.

Stephen lives in Reykjavík with his wife Rebecca and two children, Sascha born in 2014 and Nora born in 2017, both in Iceland.

See also website University of Iceland.

Practical student projects on the development of the fisheries sector will be discussed when Master's students in the Faculty of Food Science at the University of Iceland give their MS lectures on Tuesday 28 May 2019 in Matís, Vínlandsleið 12, in meeting room 312. Everyone is welcome!

Kl. 15:00 moves Snæfríður Arnardóttir his thesis:
„Ringworms in fresh fillets of Atlantic cod. Possible ways to remove or kill roundworms in fresh fish or reduce their mobility. " (Nematodes in fresh Atlantic cod fillets. Possible methods to remove or kill nematodes from fresh fish or decrease their mobility.)

Objectives of the project was exploring ways to remove or kill ringworm in fresh fish without affecting the quality of the fillet. It was investigated using electric shocks at different voltages, sound waves at different frequencies and ozone. The mobility of roundworms was also examined in aerated packaging (MAP) at 4 ° C on the one hand and -0.5 ° C on the other.

Supervisors: Professor Sigurjón Arason, Professor María Guðjónsdóttir and PhD student Hildur Inga Sveinsdóttir.

Examiner: Sveinn Víkingur Árnason engineer.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________Kl. 15:45 moves Aníta Elíasdóttir his thesis:
"Effects of different raw material handling and cold storage on the chemical properties of cod heads." (Effect of different processing method and frozen storage on chemical properties of the various parts of the cod head.)

Objectives of the project was primarily to examine the possibility of utilizing the various parts of the cod head, in addition to examining the effects of different processing methods on board fishing vessels and cold storage on the chemical properties of different parts of the cod head, ie. gills, cheeks, gels, eyes and brain.

Supervisors: Professor Sigurjón Arason, Professor María Guðjónsdóttir and PhD student Hildur Inga Sveinsdóttir.

Examiner: Dr. Kristín Anna Þórarinsdóttir
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kl. 16:30 moves Britney Sharline Kasmiran his thesis:
"Physicochemical properties and potential utilization of side raw materials of yellowfin and albacore tuna." (Chemical composition and utilization of by-products of yellowfin and albacore tuna.)

Supervisors: Professor María Guðjónsdóttir, Professor Sigurjón Arason, Dr. Magnea Karlsdóttir

The MS thesis committee was: María Guðjónsdóttir, Sigurjón Arason, Magnea Karlsdóttir, Tumi Tómasson, Hildur Inga Sveinsdóttir

Examiner: Kristín Anna Þórarinsdóttir

Spring conference Icelandic Product Management Association will be held on May 7 next at 8-12 in Hvammur at Grand Hotel Reykjavík.

The title of the conference is Product Management and the Fourth Industrial Revolution - traceability with new demands and technology. The conference is held with the support of SI, SVÞ, FA and GS1 Ísland and registration takes place here.

Valur N. Gunnlaugsson, an employee of Matís, will give a talk on how to meet consumers' information needs in a changing environment.

The agenda of the conference can be accessed here.

We would like to remind you of a workshop on opportunities and grants for small and medium-sized companies in the field of innovation and business development in the blue and green economy, which will be held on behalf of the EEA Development Fund, on Wednesday 24 April
at 8: 30-11: 30 at Íslandsstofa at Sundagörður 2.

The workshop will place special emphasis on the co-operation programs of the EEA Development Fund in Portugal, Greece and Romania. A representative from Innovation Norway will present the plans together with Rannís, Matís, NMÍ and Íslandsstofa.

A liaison conference will also be presented, which will be held on 22 May for the fund's plans in the blue economy, and possible travel grants for Icelandic parties to attend.

Agenda:

• 8:30-9:30 Innovation and business opportunities in the blue and green economy and
  liaison conferences. Anne Lise Rognlidalen project manager at Innovation Norway
• 9:30-9:40 Support for the participation of Icelandic parties. Aðalheiður Jónsdóttir division manager
  Rannís International and Mjöll Waldorf Project Manager Enterprise Europe Network
  at NMÍ.
• 9:40-9:50 Examples of collaborative projects within the EEA area. Bryndís Björnsdóttir Director of Solutions and Consulting at Matís.
• 9:50-10:10 Coffee break.
• 10:10-11:30 Discussions and questions. Lecturers will be interviewed and provide advice.

The workshop is organized by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in collaboration with Rannís, Matís, the Icelandic Innovation Center, the Icelandic Institute and the University of Iceland.

All interested are welcome as long as space allows!

More about the EEA Development Fund here.

Biodiversity is under attack in the ocean, but it is believed that the diversity is declining fast and faster than before in the history of the ocean. The distribution and migration patterns of many marine species have been shown to change due to global warming. The climate has also changed ecosystems so that many species have disappeared, but such a loss of species is no doubt underestimated as only a small fraction of species in the deep sea and in the Arctic are known. Species that live in the ocean are mostly hidden from our view, so it is more difficult to find and estimate their number.

Monitoring biodiversity and the distribution of marine species is difficult, costly and time consuming. Such research requires specialized research vessels and equipment as well as trained crews.

New tools in conservation biology use environmental eDNA to assess biodiversity. This technology helps to address some of the shortcomings of other methods and offers a quick and inexpensive way to assess marine biodiversity. The origin of eDNA in the ocean is various, but usually the DNA comes from organisms from skin cells, mucus, eggs, eggs or faeces. Seawater is collected at different depths in the areas under study and the sea is then filtered. The filter contains DNA from organisms that can be analyzed by sequencing technology. Biodiversity monitoring with environmental DNA has many advantages over other methods and the method has proven successful in assessing biodiversity in many ecosystems.

The aim of this project is to hold a conference with key experts in Europe and beyond on technology, opportunities and shortcomings in eDNA research. Research projects where eDNA has been used in ecological research will also be presented.

The conference will be held in the meeting room of the Marine Research Institute from 2 to 3 October 2019 and will be open to everyone. The conference website will be launched soon. There you will find a program along with various information about eDNA and there you will also be able to register for the conference.

The project is led by Davíð Gíslason at Matís and Christopher Pampoulie at the Marine Research Institute. The project is funded by Ag-fisk, the Nordic Council of Ministers' Working Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture.

The journal Icelandic Agricultural Science recently published the article Inheritance coefficients for Icelandic dairy cows with a measurement day model by Jón H. Eiríksson, Ágúst Sigurðsson, Guðmund Jóhannesson and Emma Eyþórsdóttir.

It reports an extensive study in which a total of 480,495 measurements of the daily yield of 33,052 Icelandic cows were used to estimate genetic coefficients for milk content, fat content, protein content and cell count during the first three milking periods with a random regression model. It was found that the heritability of all traits was lowest at the beginning of the milking season but highest around or after my milking season. The heritability of product traits was assessed higher in this study than in previous studies on the strain. An interesting conclusion was also that genetic variation in milk tolerance in the herd makes it possible to change the shape of the milking curve for Icelandic cows with a selection.

The article can be accessed here.

A workshop on opportunities and grants for small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of innovation and business development in the blue and green economy will be held on 24 April.

The EEA Development Fund provides grants for collaborative projects and emphasis will be placed on plans in Greece, Portugal and Romania in the workshop.

A representative from Innovation Norway will present these plans together with Matís, Rannís and Íslandsstofa and the Business Innovation Center. A liaison conference will also be presented in May on the fund's plans for the blue economy and possible travel grants for Icelandic parties.

The workshop is organized by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in collaboration with Matís, Rannís, Íslandsstofa, Nýsköpunarmiðstöð Íslands and Háskóli Íslands.

8:30 - 9:30 - Innovation and business opportunities in the blue and green economy and liaison conferences
Anne Lise Rognlidalen, project manager, Innovation Norway

9:30 - 9:40 - Support for the participation of Icelandic parties
Mjöll Waldorff, Project Manager, Enterprise Europe Network at the Iceland Innovation Center Aðalheiður Jónsdóttir, Director of International Affairs, Rannís

9:40 - 9:50 - Examples of collaborative projects within the EEA area
Bryndís Björnsdóttir, Director of Solutions and Consulting, Matís

9:50 - 10:10 - Coffee break

10:10 - 11:30 - Discussions and questions 
Lecturers will be interviewed and provide advice

The workshop takes place at Íslandsstofa's premises, Sundagörður 2. Further information can be found here.

Seafish in the UK, which is to some extent Matís' sister organization, hosted a conference in Aberdeen at the end of March, entitled the Scottish Seafood Summit. This was the first time that Seafish hosted such an event in Scotland, but similar conferences have honored annual events in Grimsby for years, the so-called Humber Seafood Summit.

Seafish spokesmen said the conference in Aberdeen was a resounding success, with around 150 people attending the conference and an additional 100 people watching the event live on the agency's website.

The main topic of discussion was, of course, Brexit and the possible consequences were discussed from various perspectives. One seminar was dedicated to discussing the impact of Brexit on fishing constraints, but the UK fisheries sector is heavily dependent on imported labor. This seminar discussed, among other things, automation and technological innovation, and what opportunities there are in using automation to replace labor that will be more difficult to import into the UK following Brexit. Jónas R. Viðarsson, professional leader at Matís, was invited to the conference to discuss automation in the Icelandic fisheries sector and what the development has been in connection with technological innovations and manpower needs in Iceland. Jónas' presentation can be seen here, but his speech attracted much attention and he received a number of inquiries after it. It can be said that the conference guests were divided into two equal groups regarding the future vision for the Scottish fishing industry, where about half thought it would be best to go the "Icelandic way" by focusing on efficiency and automation; but the other half believed that it would be more appropriate for the authorities to ensure that the fishing industry can survive in its current form without focusing on financial gain. All presentations from the conference can be found on the Seafish website here.

The food tradition is a large part of the image of the country and the nation, as it reflects culture and history and is marked by time and nature. The food experience is an integral part of the lives of tourists wherever they go, whether it is the main purpose of the trip or not.

In the Nordic countries, there is a great awakening to the value of local food production and cuisine for both locals and foreign visitors. At the same time, increased emphasis is placed on sustainability in food production and tourism, so that a balance between growth and protection is maintained. In this context, questions arise as to how driving forces such as climate change and consumer behavior shape decisions that promote greater sustainability and innovation in the food production and tourism of the future. A Nordic working group chaired by Iceland in the Nordic Council of Ministers will try to answer these questions.

Icelandic Food Resources under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Innovation leads the project in collaboration with the Icelandic Travel Cluster and Matís and enjoys the assistance of Icelandic experts. Nordic participants in the project come from Norway, Denmark, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Åland and Sweden. Strong co-operation, which has already begun, will seek to enhance the competitiveness of the Nordic countries and support policy-making on the use of local foods in tourism, based on a balance between demand and environmental protection. The project lasts for 3 years, from 2019-2021.

Information about the project will be available in the coming months on the website of Matarauður Íslands. It will be possible to access information about the project, progress and results.

Under the Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the focus is on young people, the sea and sustainable tourism. Under the auspices of sustainable tourism are in addition to the above project; tourism and nature conservation and the digitalisation of tourism.

The Emblu Prize is a Nordic food prize, but this time it will be presented at Harpa in Reykjavík on 1 June in connection with the Nordic Chefs' Congress. The prize is intended to increase visibility and raise public interest in the Nordic food tradition and food produced in the Nordic countries. The Emblem Prize is awarded every two years and was first presented in Copenhagen in 2017. The prize is awarded by a Nordic farmers' organization with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Nominations were launched in early March on the website www.emblafoodawards.com but the deadline for registering nominations is 31 March next. Nominations are collected in all the Nordic countries, but everyone can nominate a representative from their own country. Participation is free. A three-member jury in each country decides who will be nominated as each country's representative.

There are seven award categories for the Emblu Prize:

Nordic raw material producer 2019
The prize will be awarded to a farmer, fisherman, hunter, collector, etc. which stands for high quality ingredients. Who uses his cultural and natural roots in the Nordic countries and who himself produces, fishes or collects the raw material.

Nordic Food Entrepreneur 2019
Provided to an individual, company or organization that has developed a new approach with broad appeal and marketing potential and that is often based on old traditions.

Nordic Food Craftsman 2019
The prize will be awarded to a food craftsman who has developed a unique quality product based on Nordic ingredients and methods.

Food journalist / Dissemination of food 2019
Awarded to an individual, narrator, medium or publication who carries the fame of Nordic food culture.

Nordic Award for Food for Many 2019
Awarded to a person or organization who has done a lot of work to increase the quality and promote Nordic food culture in public meals.

Nordic food destination 2019
Provided to an organization, institution or community that has united raw material producers, restaurants and others involved in promoting a particular place through food culture, collaboration and collaboration.

Nordic Prize for Food for Children and Young People 2019
The prize will be awarded to an individual or organization that has developed an idea or ideology that significantly contributes to increasing the knowledge and skills of future generations regarding Nordic food and food culture.

You can register participants in Embla until March 31st. Registration is simple and quick on the website www.emblafoodawards.com. There you can also learn more about the prizes and their origins.