Contact
Sæmundur Sveinsson
Research Group Leader
saemundurs@matis.is
In the latest epidemiologist's newsletter states that the frequency of infections caused by Listeria is increasing rapidly in Europe. There are signs of the same trend in Iceland, where five cases were diagnosed in the first three months of the year. Listeria can cause serious infections in vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, infants and the elderly. An important element in the fight against Listeria in food is the so-called whole genome sequencing of bacteria (WGS - whole genome sequencing). This method has been gaining ground over the past decade, and Matís was a pioneer in its implementation in this country. This method has been applied to Matís for the past 10 years, first for research purposes and later to trace the origin of infections caused by foodborne diseases.
Matís has carried out infection tracing in several serious cases of Listeria infections in collaboration with Landspítalann, MAST and Sóttvarnarlæð. Matís also runs a reference laboratory in pathogenicity E. coli and Salmonella, which can enter people through food and cause serious infections. Matís performed whole genome sequencing in connection with caused by group infection E. coli STEC in 2019.
Matís' laboratory for microbiological measurements is a so-called reference laboratory (NRL) in Listeria. The operation of reference laboratories includes advice and guidance on measurement methods, participation in the development and verification of measurement methods, sharing of knowledge and information from foreign reference laboratories to laboratories in Iceland, scientific and technical assistance to competent authorities and maintenance of accreditation.
Matís runs a powerful laboratory in microbiology where microbes can be analyzed in all types of food and environmental samples. Matís also offers advice to food manufacturers on how best to prevent microbial contamination during food processing.