NEWS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2025 107 The Center of Aquaculture Technologies (CAT), one of the global leaders in sustainable genetic innovation for aquaculture, signed an exclusive licensing agreement with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) covering two patents related to the induction of sterility in finfish using Morpholinos. CAT states that this strategic collaboration strengthens its intellectual property portfolio and further backs their strategy in bringing responsible genome editing solutions to aquaculture. There are many reasons to produce animals that do not undergo sexual maturation, reasons that align closely with the core goals of the aquaculture industry. Sterility in farmed fish offers benefits across performance, environmental protection, and animal welfare. Why sterility matters: • Improved Performance: Sterile fish avoid early sexual maturation, enhancing growth rates and feed conversion efficiency, reducing production costs, and minimizing waste. • Environmental Protection: Sterility safeguards the distinctive traits of wild populations, protecting biodiversity and supporting balanced ecosystems. This also addresses regulatory concerns with fish escapes from aquaculture production systems. • Animal Welfare: By reducing stress and aggression associated with sexual maturation, sterile fish experience improved health and lower mortality rates. Read more>> CAT and UMBC partner for aquaculture sterility solutions Photo: CAT As a result of RespectFarms collaborating with dairy farmer Corné van Leeuwen, a working farm in Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands, is now equipped to produce cultivated meat, a global first. With the cultivated meat units installed and operational soon, the farm is expected to show how farmers can make meat directly from cells and integrate cultivated meat production into existing farm operations. The project is supported by the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-Agri) and the Province of Zuid-Holland, generating new knowledge and opportunities for livestock farmers, policymakers, and the wider community. RespectFarms highlights this project as marking two major world-first achievements: 1. The launch of the world’s first cultivated meat farm. Designed and implemented by RespectFarms, a farm-scale cultivated meat production unit is placed into Corné van Leeuwen’s existing dairy operation, creating a real-world test centre for learning how cultivated meat production can complement livestock farming. 2. The first farmer in the world to receive agricultural funding for cultivated meat production. Corné van Leeuwen has received support through EIP-Agri, which connects farmers, researchers, and businesses to accelerate innovation in agriculture across Europe. This framework enabled the use of agricultural funds to test a completely new food technology on an active farm, as an additional business model. Read more>> ‘World’s first’ cultivated meat farm launches
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