Møreforsking AS

Møreforsking (Møre and Romsdal Marine Research Institute (MF)) conducts scientific research on topics related to marine- and social sciences. The institute has for more than 40 years contributed to sustainable marine resource management, innovation and value creation through research and knowledge production in collaboration with industrial clusters, public sector, as well as national and international research institutions. The Institute has specialized and highly qualified professionals in interdisciplinary research on marine resources covering the full value chain from ocean to consumer. Important research areas include sustainable marine ecosystems, fisheries, aquaculture (IMTA), seafood quality and marine biotechnology, with emphasis on sustainable utilization of marine resources, applications, and consumer behavior. MF’s research portfolio targets biology of several invertebrate groups, including new species for aquaculture (sea cucumbers, algae, shrimp, sea urchins, bivalves, etc.), chemical and biochemical documentation of marine ingredients and their potential health effects. The Institute is a member of the Norwegian Center of Expertise (NCE) Blue Legasea, focusing on innovation and enhanced value creation regarding the utilization of marine raw materials.

MF possesses various laboratory facilities, including infrastructure for chemical and molecular analysis (Mørelab), a facility for live marine organisms at the territory of the local Atlantic Ocean Aquarium and a process laboratory for conservation, storage and primary processing. Mørelab has a strong analytical capability for quality and nutrient analysis of marine raw materials, complete lab facilities for characterization and proximate chemical composition of novel raw materials, including lipids, lipid oxidation products, amino acids, trace elements and vitamins. Mørelab has also state of the art instrumentation for protein/peptide profiling by UPLC, combined with large scale fractionation by FPLC, for purification of bioactive proteins, peptides or carbohydrates of interest. It also includes equipment for molecular biology including PCR and DNA sequencing (Oxford Nanopore Technologies), cell culture studies in vitro through cell culture system and microscopy.