NEWS 78 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE January 2024 Nofima scientists are conducting genomic research to understand which genes are involved in providing resistance against sea lice in the Pacific salmon species. This cooperation between scientists from a range of different disciplines and backgrounds is now providing lessons that will help improve the welfare, health, and sustainability of many other animals and plants. “We are trying to understand the genetic mechanisms that affect how salmon become resistant to lice," says Nick Robinson. He is Australian and a senior scientist at Nofima in Norway, and he has just settled down in a chair in an office in Scotland. Accompanying him is Diego Robledo. He comes from Spain, but he conducts research at the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh. The project that Nick Robinson leads is international. Sea lice live by eating skin and blood. Salmon become sick, and lice are a problem both for fish welfare and for the industry. But there are salmon that do well against salmon lice: “In wild coho salmon, this occurs naturally. The cells of the salmon surround the lice and kill them,” explains Diego Robledo. Coho and pink are two salmon species native to the Pacific Ocean that combat sea lice naturally in a way that Atlantic salmon (the salmon we know from Norwegian rivers and fish farms) are unable to manage. “Our genomic research is helping us to understand which genes are involved in providing resistance against sea lice in the Pacific salmon species, and the next step in our project is to test the function of these genes in Atlantic salmon using gene-editing. Early next year, we will be ready to introduce gene edited Atlantic salmon to sea lice in a closed biosecure facility,” says Nick Robinson. Read more>> Feed is a major cost for dairy farmers. Ensuring that an expertly designed feeding strategy goes from the formulation phase to the bunk without being altered is paramount to a positive return on investment. To help producers identify how to optimize resources while maximizing their production efficiency Novus will host a special pre-conference session on the topic at the Pacific Northwest Animal Nutrition Conference (PNWANC) on January 15, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. “There are many ways that the effectiveness of a feed ration can be challenged,” says Heather Tucker, Ph.D., global ruminant technology manager for Novus. “This event will show how to ensure satisfaction throughout the development and execution of a ration. From hedging feed products, reducing ration shrinkage, building a ration for feed efficiency, getting the most out of minerals, and ultimately ensuring the ration you make is the ration the cow eats, we hope to uncover what is limiting dairy farmers from maximum success.” The event Conserving Resources While Maximizing Production Efficiency will be held before PNWANC at 1:00 p.m. (MST) on January 15, 2024, at The Grove Hotel in Boise, Idaho. Read more>> Scientists make guide for assessing gene editing Novus tackles maximizing production efficiency for dairy farmers
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