Our research group aims to evaluate feed utilization efficiency, welfare, gut physiology and food safety implications when feeding alternative protein sources to species like trout, charr and tilapia. We focus on new feed sources originating from renewable waste sources, in a circular production. Two examples are insects transforming protein of low human interest and microbes forming new protein from carbon and minerals. We also study farming in a live microbial environment, so called biofloc. This research demands advanced analyses and experimental technology capacity, and we have built up an advanced fish laboratory. Our research area is stretching from feed technology, gut biota, gut health, cannulation and metabolism.
Research area contact person: Anders Kiessling
The project will identify the main causes affecting male fertility and assess to which degree they explain the low reproductive performance in Arctic charr farmed in Sweden. Multiple parameters will be explored, such as age, sampling time during the spawning season, and genetics. Finally, we will analyze the possible effect of male reproductive dysfunctions on progeny using RNA sequencing.
This project is a continuation of the previous project, Green Valleys 1.0 (2018-2022), aiming to promote circular production of green protein (from green biorefinery) to create new business opportunities for the agriculture and aquaculture sectors.
Insects are increasingly considered as sustainable source of protein in fish feed, but what are the consumers' attitudes towards fish fed insects instead of conventional protein sources?
The aim of this project is to develop a standardized germ-free and germ-associated rainbow trout larval model systems as a means to understand the interplay among novel nutraceuticals, defense system and gut microbiota with a focus to improve larval quality.
Nordic co-operation will improve the conditions for developing sustainable, microbial feed ingredients for salmonids produced on various residual products with the help of biotechnology.
The goal is to improve our understanding of the environmental impact and influence of host animal factors on intestinal microbiota and lipid metabolism in salmon.
Project aim is to develop a sustainable protein source of high value for farmed fish, based on filamentous fungi grown on residues from ethanol production.
Aquaponics, integrated systems for production of fish and plants, display an alternative for production of animal protein and health-promoting vegetables. Scaling up aquaponic systems for primary production requires increased knowledge about challenges in the system regarding e.g. nutritional balance with respect to the plants, plant and fish diseases, as well as quality of the product.
SLU together with Örebro University/Grythyttan, is now developing methodology to better understand how to improve farming of fish, not only for more environmentally friendly production with high animal welfare, but also to produce a raw material of the highest gastronomic quality.
In 2017, EU approved use of insects in fish feed. Wild salmonids and other fish naturally feed on insects throughout their lives. Feeding farmed fish with live insects could be environmentally friendly, and provide for nutrient requirements of the fish. This project will assess the feasibility of feeding whole black soldier fly larvae to rainbow trout.
In a germ-free animal, nutritional (and other) processes can be studied without interference from the microorganisms commonly inhabiting the gut in a conventional environment. The extent to which that process is modified by microbial action can then be examined by introducing a known microflora. Such kind of gnotobiotic tools is now recognized as essential in the advancement of knowledge on various aspects of nutrition and health.
The aim of this PhD project is to gain a better understanding of how feeding of dietary supplements, derived from new and sustainable sources, affect nutrient uptake, metabolism and gene expression and the gut micro flora of rainbow trout.
Grow-out or conditioning of wild-caught fish in aquaculture can increase profitability of inshore fisheries, which currently suffer economic problems, with little negative side-effects on stock status and aquatic ecosystems. However, knowledge about welfare of wild-born fish held in captivity is crucial.
The main objective of the project is to gather SLU researchers from different disciplines to write a research proposal focusing on developing a sustainable aquaponic system including feed based on black soldier fly protein and oil, with single cell proteins and marine waste streams.
Today farming or conditioning of wild-caught fish is low in Sweden and Europe in general. There are however a number of advantages in farming of wild fish compared to wild catch, such as a better control of the production chain and increased profitability. This project aims at investigating the potential for farming and conditioning of wild fish in Sweden.
Baltic Blue Growth was an Interreg project that aimed to tackle Baltic Sea eutrophication through establishing operational mussel farms and securing viable solutions for the produced mussels.
The aim of the project was to evaluate and compare the ability of using distilled brewer's yeast to replace fish based protein meal in diets to the fresh water fish, red tilapia and the giant freshwater shrimp.
The aim of the project was to evaluate and compare the ability of using distilled brewer's yeast and microbe mixture to replace fish based protein meal in diets to the marine fish, Asian Sea Bass (Lates calcarifer) and to the fresh water fish, red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) and the giant freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium rosenbergii).
