PARTIKAS DROSIBAS, DZIVNIEKU VESELIBAS UN VIDES ZINATNISKAIS INSTITUTSBIOR

Their core work

BIOR is Latvia's national research institute for food safety, animal health, and environmental science. They conduct epidemiological surveillance of foodborne zoonoses and animal diseases, develop diagnostic tools and prevention strategies, and contribute to EU-wide disease control efforts — particularly for threats like African Swine Fever. Their work bridges veterinary science, food safety microbiology, and ecosystem-based risk assessment for fisheries management.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

BIOR's early H2020 work (2018–2019) centered on broad One Health themes: foodborne disease surveillance, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, parasitology, and microbiology across human-animal-environment interfaces. From 2019 onward, their focus sharpened toward specific applied challenges — African Swine Fever vaccine development and diagnostics (VACDIVA) and ecosystem-based fisheries management (SEAwise). This shift signals a move from general disease monitoring toward targeted disease eradication tools and marine environmental science.

BIOR is diversifying from its food safety core into marine ecosystem science while deepening its veterinary vaccine and diagnostics expertise — expect future work at the intersection of animal health, environmental monitoring, and climate adaptation.

How they like to work

BIOR operates exclusively as a consortium participant, never leading projects, which is typical for a national research institute contributing specialized regional data and laboratory capabilities to larger European efforts. With 96 unique partners across 26 countries from just 4 projects, they work in large, well-connected consortia. This makes them an accessible and experienced partner who integrates smoothly into multinational teams without demanding a coordination role.

Despite only 4 projects, BIOR has built a remarkably broad network of 96 partners across 26 countries, reflecting participation in large pan-European consortia. Their reach spans most of the EU, with no obvious geographic concentration beyond the Baltic region.

What sets them apart

BIOR brings a rare combination of food safety, veterinary diagnostics, and marine environmental science under one roof — a profile few single institutes can match. As Latvia's national reference laboratory, they offer direct access to Baltic-region epidemiological data, wild boar and domestic pig disease surveillance, and Baltic Sea fisheries expertise. For consortium builders, they fill the Eastern European / Baltic slot with genuine scientific depth rather than token geographic coverage.

Highlights from their portfolio

• VACDIVA
  Largest grant (EUR 211K) and most specialized topic — DIVA vaccine development for African Swine Fever, a high-priority animal health threat in Eastern Europe with major economic impact on pig farming.
• SEAwise
  Represents a strategic expansion into marine ecosystem management (EUR 183K), signaling BIOR's growing capability beyond its traditional food safety and animal health domain.
• One Health EJP
  A flagship European Joint Programme connecting 40+ partners on zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance — positions BIOR within the core One Health research network despite modest funding (EUR 32K).