1. Aquaculture and fish cell technology
The 2nd International Symposium “VERA JOHANIDES” - BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020
Aquaculture and fish cell technology
Višnja Gaurina Srček, Kristina Radošević and Zlatko Kniewald
University of Zagreb
Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology
Laboratory for Cell Technology, Applications and Biotransformations

2. Possibilities of utilizing aquatic organisms include:
Aquaculture – cultivation of aquatic animals and aquatic plants for recreational or commercial purposes.
Possibilities of utilizing aquatic organisms include:
Increasing the world’s food supply
Identifying novel compounds for the benefit of human health and medical treatment
Monitoring aquatic pollution
The 2nd International Symposium "VERA JOHANIDES"
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020

3. 1. Increasing the world’s food supply
SOME FACTS ABOUT WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE
reached 62.7 million tonnes in 2011
projected to reach 172 million tonnes in 2021
aquaculture contributed 40.1% to the world total fish production
providing 55 million jobs
supports livelihoods of 10-12% of the world’s population
exports of fish and fishery products for 2011 exceeded 125 billion US$
Source: The State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2012, FAO,
The 2nd International Symposium "VERA JOHANIDES" BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020

4. Applications of biotechnology in aquaculture
control of reproduction
growth enhancement
genetic characterization
control of diseases
metabolic engineering
transgenesis
The 2nd International Symposium "VERA JOHANIDES"
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020

5. Table 1. Genetically modified species being tested in aquaculture
The 2nd International Symposium "VERA JOHANIDES" BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020
Source: 2009 Pearson Education Inc.

6. AquAdvantage® Salmon
AquAdvantage® Salmon (AAS) include a gene from the Chinook salmon, which provides the fish with the potential to grow to market size in half the time of conventional salmon.
AAS will be grown as sterile, all-female populations in land-based facilities with redundant biological and physical containment. As a result, AquAdvantage® Salmon cannot escape or reproduce in the wild and pose no threat to wild salmon populations.
AAS raised in land-based facilities reduce the environmental impact on coastal areas, eliminate the threat of disease transfer from farms to wild fish and grow more fish with less feed. Additionally, facilities located near major consumer markets reduce the environmental impact associated with air and ocean freight.
AquAdvantage® Salmon is the future of salmon aquaculture.
The 2nd International Symposium "VERA JOHANIDES" BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020

7. 2. Identifying novel compounds for the benefit of
human health and medical treatment
A wide number of aquatic species contain or are suspected to contain compounds of biomedical interest (antibiotics, antiviral molecules, anticancer compounds and insecticides)
Examples of some medical compounds derived from aquatic organisms
The 2nd International Symposium "VERA JOHANIDES" BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020

8. 3. Monitoring aquatic pollution
most current toxicological research on fish is largely based on in vivo studies
during 2008, 1.1 million individual fish were used for research and regulatory purposes in the EU Member States
reduction of fish number (-37.8%) compared to 2005 (1.75 million fish)
use of fish cells for the assessment of chemical risks and the implementation of REACH regulation (EC 1907/2006)
The 2nd International Symposium "VERA JOHANIDES"
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020

9. Four pillars of fish cell line use in environmental toxicology
Bols et al. (2005) Use of fish cells in the toxicology and ecotoxicology of fish. Piscine cell lines in environmental toxicology. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Fishes. Vol 6, pp
The 2nd International Symposium "VERA JOHANIDES" BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020

10. Fish cells in toxicology
primary cells
established fish cell line (> 250 different cell lines)
ascertaining mechanisms by which contaminants exert their toxicity
determining the relative toxicity of different chemical contaminants
evaluating the toxicity of environmental samples
The 2nd International Symposium "VERA JOHANIDES"
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020

11. Research in our Laboratory
CCO cell line obtained from ovaries of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
1. Optimization of growth
parameters for biomass production
glucose, glutamine, lactate, ammonia and amino-acids
growth in serum-free medium
2. Cytotoxicity testings of
environmental pollutants (EDC’s)
cell viability
apoptosis/necrosis
The 2nd International Symposium "VERA JOHANIDES"
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020

12. Thank you for your attention
The 2nd International Symposium "VERA JOHANIDES" BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CROATIA BY 2020