£5.1 MILLION FOR AQUACULTURE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

£5.1 million for UK aquaculture research and innovation, with vaccines made using algae, being developed to keep fish free from disease and help protect the UK’s aquaculture industry.

The project is one of 12 to receive a total of £5.1 million which will further research to address challenges for aquaculture.

Other projects include studying genetics and breeding patterns, looking at how shellfish can be more sustainable, immunising trout against kidney disease and examining how robust salmon are and how susceptible to disease they are at sea.

The UK Aquaculture Initiative is a joint BBSRC and NERC project to support high-quality, innovative research and address strategic challenges facing UK aquaculture. This investment represents a total of £5.1 million, along with contributions from co-funders AFBI and Cefas and a range of industry partners who will collaborate with academic researchers on the projects.

Karen Lewis, BBSRC Executive Director, Innovation & Skills, said: “Aquaculture is a key food production sector for the UK. These projects will improve our understanding of the challenges facing aquaculture production. Working together with industry partners, UK researchers will help to address these challenges and contribute to developing a healthy, safe and sustainable aquaculture system which will deliver societal and economic benefit for the UK.”

About BBSRC

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government.

BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Their aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.

Funded by government, BBSRC invested £498 million in world-class bioscience in 2017-18. They support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people they fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. BBSRC investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

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