Genomics in aquaculture

My research focuses on fish health and how this is impacted by other physiological processes. The fish immune system regulates the animals response to pathogens and other stressors, as such it is central fish performance at many levels. My research includes how nutrition- especially novel diets and functional feeds impact intestinal and systemic immune function. We have several programs that are focussed on vaacacination, which includes developemnt of cells lines using gene editing (crispr/cas9) in both salmon and carp.
Much of my research is related to aquaculture which is one of the fastest growing global food producing industries, but often this grwoth is retarted due to health management. Within Scotland the Atlantic salmon industry is worth >£1.3 Billion to the Scottish economy producing ~200,000 tons of salmon per annum, however there targets for increased production. Globally now ~50% all consumed fish is reared in aquaculture. My group uses a variety of genomcs approaches to address key traits relating to improving the performance of fish in culture.
For wild salmonids I have a long term interest in the parr smolt transformation and the underlying regulation that controls this physiological process that controls both the migratory behaviour and the ability to osmoregulate in the marine environment.