ANPARIO SPONSORS PHD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

Anpario sponsors PhD at the University of Plymouth, UK. Anpario, the independent manufacturer of natural and sustainable feed additives for animal health, nutrition and biosecurity, is pleased to announce its sponsorship of Aqua Technical Sales Manager Gerred Fuchs BSC (Hons) MRes, to undertake a PhD at the University of Plymouth, UK.

Gerred joined Anpario at the beginning of 2024 as the Aqua Technical Sales Manager. As part of his role, he supports research and development and strengthens technical support across the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe, in response to Anpario’s deepening focus within the aquaculture sector.

Prior to Gerred’s current role at Anpario, he completed a Master of Research focussing on aquaculture feed additives at the University of Portsmouth, following a BSc in Aquaculture and Fishery Management from University Centre Sparholt. His previous industrial experience includes roles in Aquatic Sales, working as an Aquatic Technician supporting trout trials, and conducting research into novel feed additives to improve health, diet utilisation, growth performance, and sustainability across a range of aquaculture species.

Heat stress and increasing disease pressure present significant challenges to global aquaculture, compromising immune function, predisposing farmed species to secondary bacterial infections, increasing reliance on antibiotics, and driving mortality, leading to severe production and economic losses. Therefore, innovative, research-driven nutritional solutions are crucial to enhance animal health and farm productivity across challenging aquaculture conditions.

Gerred’s research will take place at the University of Plymouth, utilising their state-of-the-art research facilities and will focus on Evaluating the biological responses and defence mechanisms of Nile tilapia, Atlantic salmon, and Pacific whiteleg shrimp supplemented with Orego‑Stim under heat stress. The research will be supervised by Professor Daniel Merrifield and Dr Victor Kuri, who are highly respected academics in the field of aquaculture nutrition, lending strong scientific credibility and depth to the research.

“I am motivated to further my education and deepen my scientific understanding of how nutritional strategies can support immunity, resilience, and performance in key aquaculture species. Undertaking this PhD, while continuing my role at Anpario, provides a unique opportunity to generate research that bridges academic science with practical industry application, ensuring that new insights can be directly translated into real-world aquaculture solutions.”, said Gerred.

Prof Merrifield stated “We are delighted to support Gerred in this exciting PhD programme at the University of Plymouth. This project addresses critical challenges facing global aquaculture, particularly around stress resilience and disease susceptibility, and we look forward to generating robust data that can inform sustainable, practical solutions for the sector.”

This research also highlights Anpario’s longstanding commitment to evidence‑based innovation, reinforcing the company’s approach to developing natural and sustainable feed additive technologies that enhance animal health and performance, aligned with the evolving needs of global aquaculture.

Image: Gerred Fuchs, Anpario