Partners

The BPRACTICES consortium is led by Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana (IZSLT), Italy, and consists of 7 partners from European and non-European countries.

Consortium partners are research Institute, Universities and public health authorities.

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana

Project coordinator

IZSLt is a government laboratory under the Ministry of Health that provides services and research related to animal health and food safety (microbiological, chemical and physical analysis; diagnosis of animal diseases); it performs epidemiological surveillance, training of operators and international cooperation activities. All laboratory services are provided with UNI CEI EN ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation system. IZSLT has been appointed by the Ministry of Health for running some National Reference Laboratories (e.g. GMOs, antibiotic resistance, and horse diseases).

As far as concerns beekeeping, the Office U. S. Biotechnology of the IZSLT is responsible for molecular analysis for the detection of honeybee pathogens with particular reference to:

diagnosis of Nosemiasis by DNA extracted from larvae, pupae, honeybee, pollen and honey, hive debris;
diagnosis of the main viruses by RNA and DNA extracted by larvae, pupae, honeybee, pollen and honey;
diagnosis of Paenibacillus larvae and Melissococcus plutonis by DNA and RNA extracted from larvae, honeybee, honey , pollen and hive debris;
diagnosis of Small Hive Beetle (SBH) by DNA extracted by honeybees, larvae, honey and hive debris.

Since 2016, the Office U. S. Biotechnology has been accredited for the research of Aethina tumida in Real Time PCR from debris, larvae, honeycomb and honeycomb swabs.

Principal investigator: Giovanni Formato
Research focus: project coordinator

University of Namik Kemal

Principal investigator: Mustafa Necati Muz
Research focus:

Agricultural Institute of Slovenia

The Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (AIS) is the leading research institute in the field of agriculture in Slovenia. It comprehensively deals with the issues of modern agriculture and is expanding its activities into the fields of environmental protection and ecology. It employs 187 workers, of which 89 are researchers.

AIS is a public non-profit research institute that performs fundamental, applied and development research and specialist tasks in agriculture, publishes the results of scientific research work as well as professional and supervision work, performs tasks based on authorisations and accreditations and checks the quality of agricultural products and products used in agriculture. The Institute also engages in the training of producers, education of young persons and consultation for various users in agriculture.

Principal investigator: Maja Ivana Smodiš Škerl
Research focus: Varroosis and viruses

Centro de Investigacion Apicola y Agroambientale de Marchamalo

Principal investigator: Mariano Higes
Research focus:

Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety

The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), founded in 2002, is a company of the Republic of Austria, owned by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health and Women’s Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management.

AGES supports the management of the federal ministries and two authorities, the Federal Office for Food Safety (BAES) and the Federal Office for Safety in Healthcare (BASG). Core tasks include the protection of human, animal and plant health, food safety and food quality, as well as the protection of consumers against fraud.

AGES provides professional and independent scientific expertise relating to public health, animal health, food safety, medical and drug safety, food security and consumer protection along the food chain. AGES conducts examinations and assessments, evaluates risks, provides risk communications, gives risk management recommendations and carries out risk management in the public sector in line with Austrian Health and Food Safety Act.

These diverse activities are provided in six strategic divisions and three inter-divisional departments. The Division for Food Security with four institutes in Vienna and Linz ensures top-quality agricultural supplies including feedstuff to safeguard food security and the competitiveness of Austrian agricultural production.

The AGES Department for Apiculture and Bee Protection is responsible for issues relating to bee health (notifiable diseases) and bee protection, and other bee-related questions. The mission is securing the bee population in Austria on a long-term basis. As the Austrian National Reference Laboratory for Honeybee Health, the AGES department is responsible to monitor, inter alia, pathogens like Paenibacillus larvae, Aethina tumida, Tropilaelaps spp. and Varroa destructor.

Principal investigators: Rudolf Moosbeckhofer, Alexandra Ribarits
Research focus: American and European Foulbrood, Varroa destructor, Aethina tumida

Mississippi State University

Principal investigator: Ales Gregorc
Research focus:

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie

The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe) is a public veterinary Institute, which conducts prevention, control and research activities in three main areas: animal health and welfare, food safety, environmental protection. The mission of the IZSVe is the preservation of public health, in terms of food safety and prevention of zoonoses, and animal welfare, in terms of animal health and living conditions and fosters an improved coexistence between human beings and animals. This is achieved by focusing on four main areas: control of foodborne pathogens; prevention and control of animal diseases; technical and scientific research; training and communication.

Principal investigator: Licia Ravarotto
Research focus: communication and dissemination activities; social research

Subcontractors

The following partners will be involved in the BPRACTICES project:

In collaboration with

The BPRACTICES is also run in collaboration with: