Strengthening research collaboration between Japan and Norway within seafood safety - Personal scholarship for technology transfer

The applicant is invited to visit the Food Biotechnology section at NRIFS, Yokohama, Japan for four months during spring/summer 2010 to learn methods in analytical chemistry. The proposed project has two main objectives; 1. Increase the skills of the apli cant/candidate within analytical chemistry (Task 1), and 2. Strengthen research collaboration between Norway and Japan within Seafood Safety (Task 2). In Task 1 the candidate will learn analytical methods for the determination of protein-bound mercury a nd selenium developed by and available at the Food Biotechnology section. Information on protein-bound mercury and selenium in fish is of great importance with regards to seafood safety, and methodology for the determination of protein-bound mercury and s elenium is an important tool in related research. After training, the methods will be applied to tissue samples from zebrafish trials conducted at NIFES, autumn 2009. The technology transfer is of great value to NIFES, and the work will strengthen the on- going research cooperation between NRIFS and NIFES. Results obtained while applying the methodology to real samples will be published in international peer-reviewed journals. To strengthen research collaborations between Norway and Japan within Seafood S afety (Task 2) the applicant plans to give talks on Seafood Safety (focusing on relevant work carried out at NIFES and on European feed and food legislation) to relevant authorities, institutions and industries while being in Japan. This will be done in c ooperation with NRIFS and Innovation Norway Japan. The outcome of these meetings will be summarised in a report describing current and future aspects of research cooperation on Seafood safety between Japan and Norway.