Coopeartion on genotyping Atlantic salmon

Aqua Gen and Center for Integrative Genomics (CIGENE) collaborate with Affymetrix on a salmon genotyping array to achieve the world’s first high-density view of the marker patterns in the Atlantic salmon

Ås, NORWAY and SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 19, 2013 – Aqua Gen, a member of the Erich Wesjohann (EW) Group GmBH and Center for Integrative Genomics (CIGENE) at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) in collaboration with Affymetrix, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFFX) announced today that they are the first to genotype more than 900,000 markers per sample from the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), thereby achieving the capability to implement genomic selection and improve their salmon breeding program at Aqua Gen.

Aqua Gen, a leader in selective breeding, manages a large scale selective breeding program for Atlantic salmon, a major contributor to the world’s aquaculture production. Aqua Gen has also been pioneering the use of marker-assisted selection in aquaculture breeding through their highly successful QTL-innOva products. CIGENE, located at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, maintains research programs that contribute to the understanding of the biology of aquaculture and plant production, focusing in particular on the genetics of complex traits of economic and ecological significance. Aqua Gen and CIGENE partnered with Affymetrix to develop the salmon genotyping screening array which consists of 923,627 SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) markers and includes both diploid and tetraploid sequence variants. The goal of the ongoing study is to identify relevant and polymorphic high resolution markers that can be used downstream for marker trait association studies, genomic selection programs, as well as for a wide variety of applications in genetics and ecology. “We are thrilled to have access to this first of its kind and groundbreaking marker map of the Atlantic salmon in such a short time,” said Dr. Nina Santi, Director, Research and Development at Aqua Gen. Axiom Genotyping Solution is the only platform that provides breeders and researchers with a powerful set of genotyping tools and analysis software to cost effectively identify, validate, and screen complex genetic traits. As scientists make progress in decoding genomes of various human disease states, plant, and animals using next generation sequencing platforms, they can advance their research and commercial objectives by translating those discoveries to routine applications on the Axiom Genotyping Solution platform.