Development of autogenous vaccines for the control of amoebic gill disease in farmed Atlantic salmon

This project brings together fish health and vaccinology expertise from the University of Stirling's Institute of Aquaculture, Ridgeway Biologicals Ltd., an SME specialising in the production of autogenous vaccines, and aquaculture production knowledge from Marine Harvest, Scotland's biggest salmon producer, to develop and field test vaccines for the control of Amoebic Gill Disease (AGD) in farmed salmon. The objective is to develop farm-specific vaccines for AGD, a disease for which there is no vaccine despite an urgent need. This disease first caused major problems for the UK salmon aquaculture industry in 2011, costing UK and Irish industries £50 million to date. Autogenous vaccines, based on farm-specific seed isolates, can be produced under specific regulations, controlled by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Such vaccines can be manufactured and supplied in the absence of any fully licensed vaccine being available for a specific pathogen. Such products have the potential to be developed and deployed rapidly in the face of emerging disease threats such as AGD.

This project brings together fish health and vaccinology expertise from the University of Stirling's Institute of Aquaculture, Ridgeway Biologicals Ltd., an SME specialising in the production of autogenous vaccines, and aquaculture production knowledge from Marine Harvest, Scotland's biggest salmon producer, to develop and field test vaccines for the control of Amoebic Gill Disease (AGD) in farmed salmon. The objective is to develop farm-specific vaccines for AGD, a disease for which there is no vaccine despite an urgent need. This disease first caused major problems for the UK salmon aquaculture industry in 2011, costing UK and Irish industries £50 million to date. Autogenous vaccines, based on farm-specific seed isolates, can be produced under specific regulations, controlled by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Such vaccines can be manufactured and supplied in the absence of any fully licensed vaccine being available for a specific pathogen. Such products have the potential to be developed and deployed rapidly in the face of emerging disease threats such as AGD.

Who will benefit from this research?
The research proposed will have a diverse range of benefits for the UK and global salmon aquaculture industry and the scientific community across a wide variety of disciplines, including fish disease specialists, immunologist, parasitologists and biomedical laboratories. Direct benefits to the salmon aquaculture industry through reduction in AGD and improved productivity and sustainability of production will accrue from the development of a successful vaccine. Consumers and the general public will benefit from effective implementation of the results. Results will also be disseminated to policy makers to illustrate how this research can make a marked contribution to a sustainable aquaculture industry, with associated benefits for food production, UK food security and public health.
How will they benefit from this research?
Scientific community: Improving AGD infection models at UoS will provide further opportunities to understand the pathogenesis and immunobiology of this pathogen so that control measures can be optimised. Obvious benefits can be seen for the partners in the new Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre, as the challenge models developed in this project could be used by SAIC academic partners to determine efficacy of novel in-feed additives and treatments against AGD. The phenotypic and genetic markers identified through this project may be useful in tacking other diseases (in human and animal health) caused by amoebae.
The primary means for dissemination of the research results will be publication in high-impact journals. In addition, results will be presented at a broad range of scientific meetings and seminars. The Institute of Aquaculture will benefit from royalties on IP.
Industry: This business-led research program will lead directly to exploitable outputs within the aquaculture industry. The project leader, Ridgeway Biological Ltd, will be able to commercialise vaccines and other relevant knowledge arising from this project in order to reduce AGD impact in global commercial salmon populations. Marine Harvest, the other industrial partner will be able to use these vaccines to have a direct effect on AGD in aquaculture. A well-planned project management structure and regular industry-academic partner meetings will ensure effective communication of results to all partners, and maximise the exploitation of the project data. This project will help to enhance Ridgeway's position in the aquaculture market. In turn, the project will help to advance the position of the UK as a global leader in salmon production.
General Public and Policy Makers: The benefits to the salmon aquaculture industry described above will help to ensure the sustainability of a high quality protein product to the public at reasonable cost, with health benefits to society. The resulting improvements in fish health and welfare (through reduced AGD) along with reductions in the environmental impact of other methods of control and reduced risks of disease transmission to wild fish stocks, will improve the public perception of salmon production through aquaculture. Government policy makers will also benefit from the research through its contribution to a sustainable aquaculture industry. The research will be communicated to the public through various forums by the academic partners, including interaction with the media, presentations, publications, exhibitions and schools activities - supported by a policy of clear and open communication and public engagement. Participation in government and EU-led initiatives by academic and industrial partners will ensure effective communication with relevant policy makers.