Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are complex mixtures of polychlorinated n-alkanes. Although they are classified as persistent organic pollutants, some of them are still actively manufactured. Current evidence indicates that dietary intake is the primary contributor to the body burden of CPs, underscoring the importance of controlling CP contamination in food. Nevertheless, the complexity of CPs poses significant challenges for accurate analysis, resulting in considerable data gaps. This impedes the development of appropriate policy measures to ensure consumer safety. To tackle the issue, the project has identified two critical objectives: (i) addressing analytical challenges related to CP measurements in food, and (ii) filling relevant data gaps concerning the occurrence and behaviour of CPs in foods. The first objective will involve providing a dependable toolbox that simplifies the implementation of instrumental analytical workflows and eases data post-processing and quantification. In contrast, the second objective will involve investigating the occurrence of very short-, short-, medium- and long-chain CPs in high-risk foods (i.e., fish, fish products, and highly processed foods) in Europe, including comprehensive exploration of CP transformation products and subsequent risk assessment. The project\'s outcomes will be presented in 4 peer-reviewed publications and 3 international scientific conferences.

African swine fever (ASF) continues to pose a significant threat to pig farming and wildlife globally, with effective vaccines still largely unavailable. The HORIZON Europe funded ASFaVIP project aims to advance the leading vaccine candidate(s) through the European Medicines Agency's licensing process and optimize vaccination strategies for wild boar and domestic pigs, considering the disease dynamics within the European Union. To achieve this, research is necessary into wild boar ecology under ASF influence and their behaviour in response to various baiting/immunization strategies. Currently, the project consortium has a strong focus on partners with capacities to provide animal trials with the final vaccine candidates and field work is focused on affected regions in Germany; however, expanding research to include additional regions with varying wild boar habitats, population densities, and ASF control strategies would better reflect the broader regional context. In this context, Latvia (BIOR) will be included in the ongoing project activities, especially work package 7. Latvia was among the first countries in the EU that were hit by ASF in 2014 and the disease is still present. Latvia is therefore best-placed to provide background for studies into wild boar biology under the influence of ASF. Moreover, Latvia has different scenarios where baiting strategies could be tested. In brief, the following objectives would be added: bait deployment trials in an ASF-endemic region with low wild boar densitiy, and field studies to improve our understanding of population dynamics and ASF epidemiology in longer-term and endemic situations.

The objective of the Project is to raise the awareness of the larger public, especially young people, about science as well as to familiarize them with the scientist’s profession; to show the impact of sciences such as natural sciences, social sciences and humanities on everyday human life; to bring researchers closer to the Latvian society and to raise the interest of young people about research. Aim of the activities is to enhance public recognition of researchers’ profession and their role in Latvian society. A number of attractive, amazing and interactive events will be organized in Riga and in a number of towns covering the whole territory of Latvia.