New tool to probe poor digestion

THE link between inefficient digestion and intestinal microbes is the focus of a new study, to be conducted by the University of Glasgow and the Norwegian research institute Nofima, along with industry partners Marine Harvest and nutrition specialist Alltech.

Intestinal microbes are known to play a central role in how fish metabolise and harvest energy from feed, and greater understanding of these processes could improve growth in salmon.

The team will develop an experimental tool, SalmoSim, to explore the link between gut microbial communities and feed digestion.

The University of Glasgow’s Dr Martin Llewellyn said:‘Once established, the SalmoSim system will be a significant resource and research tool for the salmonid aq- uaculture industry in Scotland and Europe, as well as for basic science in the region.’

The total project cost is £360,055, of which £101,644 is being contributed by the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre.

At the project’s launch in Inverness, Fergus Ewing, Scotland’s Minister for the Rural Economy, said:‘I am thrilled to see such innovative thinking as we look for ways to increase sustainable production across the sector.

‘Scottish salmon is Scotland’s single biggest food export and adds considerable value to our economy as a whole. I want to see finfish and shellfish aquaculture continue to thrive, growing sustainably and led by world leading science, innovation and research.’