Nitte enters into MoU with EU Reference Laboratory

Nitte (Deemed to be University) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom for scientific cooperation with the Center for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), an EU Reference Laboratory for Biotoxins and FAO Reference Centre for Bivalve Molluscs.

The MoU was signed by Dr Satheesh Kumar Bhandary, Vice Chancellor, Nitte (Deemed to be University) and Dr Stuart Rogers, Chief Scientist, CEFAS. The focal points for this cooperation will be Dr Rachel Hartnell, Director, CEFAS and Dr Iddya Karunasagar, Senior Director, International Relations, Nitte (DU).

Scientists at Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research (NUCSER) have been working with CEFAS scientists in areas of food safety and microbiological risk assessment for many years.

When there was an outbreak of ciguatera fish poisoning in Mangaluru affecting over 200 people in 2016 and about 100 of them admitted to Justice KS Hegde Hospital, NUCSER collaborated with CEFAS for chemical characterization of toxins through a project funded
by the UK National Environmental Research Council (NERC) Emergency Fund to Dr Indrani Karunasagar from NUCSER, Dr Lucy Turner, Plymouth University and Dr Andrew Turner from CEFAS.

Both CEFAS and Nitte (Deemed to be University) are candidates to become FAO Collaborating Centre for Biosecurity and Antimicrobial Resistance and
have been working jointly on the scoping and developing work programme for the Centers.

The MoU signed will facilitate the development of joint research projects between Nitte (DU) and CEFAS in a number of areas of mutual interest, said Dr Iddya Karunasagar, Senior Director (International Relations), Nitte University.