AquaIMPACT project takes its final bow in Vienna
The EU-funded genomics and nutrition collaboration will be centre stage before and during Aquaculture Europe 2023 next week
A multi-country project to develop genomic and nutritional innovations for the European aquaculture industry will hold its final conference in Vienna on Monday, ahead of the opening of Aquaculture Europe 2023 in the Austrian capital.
AquaIMPACT aimed to develop products and services based on genomic selection for the European aquaculture breeding industry, with a focus on cost efficient trait recording and genotyping, and selection for traits that can only be recorded under commercial conditions.
By incorporating emerging ingredients, essential nutrients and appropriate additives developed by companies, the project intended to up-scale and tailor-make novel nutritional and feeding strategies specifically for the genetically improved fish arising from breeding programmes.
The AquaIMPACT final conference will take place between 1.30pm and 5pm at the Brasserie in the Messe Wien Exhibition and Congress Centre and is free to attend. No registration is needed.
Ready for resilience?
Several of the scientists involved in AquaIMPACT will also be taking part in the Aquaculture Europe conference (AE2023) that runs from Tuesday to Thursday, 19-21 September, at the Messe Wien Exhibition and Congress Centre. The theme of the conference, run by the European Aquaculture Society, is Balanced Diversity in Aquaculture Development.
AquaIMPACT project coordinator Antti Kause, principal scientist at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), will give a plenary presentation at AE2023 on Wednesday, along with Morten Rye, director for external services and global strategies at aquaculture biotechnology company Benchmark Norway.
They will ask the question: “Breeding for resilience – are we ready?”
Rye is also taking part in Innovations in Breeding segment of the Innovation Forum at the conference on Wednesday, along with other researchers linked to AquaIMPACT.
Automated phenotyping
In the trade show section of AE2023, Netherlands-based Wageningen University and Research (WUR) and company Dorset Identification (Dorset ID), together with UK-headquartered radio frequency identification (RFID) specialist Trovan Ltd, will display a demonstration model of an automatic fish phenotyping machine and software created in AquaIMPACT.
The technology uses machine vision to select the best fish for breeding more quickly and accurately than it can be done by humans.
Feed manufacturer SPAROS will also have a booth at the trade show, where Feednetics software upgraded in AquaIMPACT will be one of the highlights.
Scientific presentations linked to AquaIMPACT include “Assessing early utilisation of vegetable-based feed and its possible interaction with genotype and epigenetics in Atlantic salmon”, by Karla Fernandez, a PhD student at Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture, in Tuesday’s session on genomics, post-genomics and epigenetics.
Other presentations by scientists linked to the EU-funded AquaIMPACT project include one about the effect of genetic improvements on optimal fish feed formulation, genomic analysis of a downgrading trait in Atlantic salmon using field data, and a case study of rainbow trout fed with a novel feed formulation containing Tenebrio molitor (mealworm) meal.
