Freshwater Laver Native to Sohangye Valley in Samcheok
Higher Mineral Content, Including Calcium, Zinc, and Phosphorus, Than Sea Laver
Gaining Attention as a Functional Food Ingredient... Research on Preservation and Mass Production Underway
Samcheok City in Gangwon Province is joining hands with Japanese researchers to enhance the academic value of freshwater laver and foster it as a regional specialty resource.
Samcheok City announced that from September 8 to 10, a three-day "Samcheok Freshwater Laver and Japanese Freshwater Laver Joint Research Consultation" will be held at the Samcheok Freshwater Laver Research Center, Sohangye Valley, and the Sanki Stream area. The event will be attended by Professor Ishikiwa Motoyasu of Nihon University in Japan, Professor Cho Jaeyeol of Sungkyunkwan University, officials from the Freshwater Laver Research Center, and others.
During this consultation, participants will extract and analyze the DNA of freshwater laver from both Samcheok and Japan to identify their genetic characteristics, and discuss comparative research methods based on the generated data. In particular, a cooperative framework will be established to actively promote genome-based species identification research for Samcheok freshwater laver.
A city official stated, "Through collaboration with domestic and international researchers, we will further expand the academic value and industrial potential of Samcheok freshwater laver," adding, "We will continue to conduct various studies for the preservation and utilization of freshwater laver in the future."
The freshwater laver native to Sohangye Valley in Samcheok, known scientifically as Prasiola japonica, is a type of green algae. It is attracting attention as a functional food ingredient due to its higher mineral content-such as calcium, zinc, and phosphorus-compared to sea laver, and research on its preservation and mass production is currently underway.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
