Aquaculture infrastructures for excellence in European fish research towards 2020 (23280/107507)

AQUAEXCEL2020 aims to integrate top class European aquaculture research facilities of very diverse nature, covering all relevant scientific fields for research and innovation in aquaculture, from genetics to technology through pathology, physiology and nutrition. It will put in place a user-friendly one-stop access to high-quality services and resources from 39 installations covering both established and new aquaculture species, all types of experimental systems as well as sequencing facilities. Giving a prominent place to EU aquaculture industry research needs through a strong involvement of the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform, it will enable excellent research and sustainable innovation to both public and private sector. It will benefit from the support of the ESFRI infrastructures EMBRC (Marine Biology) and ELIXIR (Life Sciences data) and bring aquaculture research specificities to their agendas.

AQUAEXCEL2020 will be a key vehicle in the improvement of aquaculture research practices to the benefit of industry through finalized research and innovation, and of excellent science through the development of highly innovative methods and approaches such as Virtual Laboratories, standardized experimental fish lines and nano-sensors. It will also benefit to society through the development of methods for sustainable aquaculture, such as the use of cleaner fish to control parasites or Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture, and also through a better management of animal experiments for research according to the 3 R's, Reduction (via e.g. capitalization of data and provision of stable experimental fish lines), Refinement (via a better control of experimental procedures) and Replacement (via e.g. Virtual Laboratories).

As a whole, AQUAEXCEL2020 will provide a world-class platform for all types of fish culture research, from biology to technology, in all types of rearing systems, with all major EU fish species, including the most promising new species.

DTU contribution:
- Provide access for 5 TNAs.
- Describe humane end point while doing infectious trial.
- Test susceptibility of 5 seabass lines against nodavirus SW.
- Test susceptibility of carp lines against KHV.
- Test of isogenic lines.
- Training; provide 1 training of 4 days on designing planning and conducting experimental trial.
- Implant biosensor in fish and test during infectious trial.

Partners
National Institute of Aquatic Resources, DTU Aqua
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, France(coordinator)
Havforskningsinstituttet, Norway
University of Stirling, United Kingdom
Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior DeinvestigacionesCientificas, Spain
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Greece
Nemzeti Agrarkutatasi es Innovacioskozpont, Hungary
Institut Francais de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de laMer, France
Nofima AS, Norway
Jihoceska Univerzita v Ceskych Budejovicich, Czech Republic
Norges Teknisk-NaturvitenskapeligeUniversitet, Norway
Sintef Ocean AS,Norway
Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Wageningen University, Netherlands
Universiteit Gent, Belgium
Stichting Wageningen Research, Netherlands
AquaTT UETP Ltd, Ireland
INRA Transfert, FranceUniversite de Lorraine, France
Centro de Ciencias do Mar do Algarve, Portugal
Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia, Spain
European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform, Belgium 

Funding
The project is funded by EU Horizon 2020.

Research area: Fish and Shellfish Diseases