Released: Monday 6th May 2013

 Moredun and Fish Vet Group working together to develop novel vaccines for Aquaculture

 Moredun is delighted to announce a new relationship with the FVG to develop novel vaccines to protect farmed fish against disease.

A new research group will be established within Moredun Research Institute, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, to work on strategies to combat a number of defined pathogens that cause significant economic loss to aquaculture fish stocks. Moredun has considerable experience in developing vaccines for the livestock sector against a wide range of different pathogens including viruses, bacteria and parasites. The FVG, based in Inverness, provides technical and veterinary services to diagnose, treat and prevent infectious disease in the global aquaculture industry. 

Salmon production in Scotland generate  c. £434 million per year and Scotland is now the world’s second largest salmon producer.  The industry also supports employment  in remote and rural communities in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The expansion of the aquaculture industry in recent years has also been accompanied  by the emergence of many infectious diseases causing significant economic losses and welfare issues.

The new relationship offers exciting opportunities to bring together the complementary expertise of the two internationally renowned organisations to develop novel disease control strategies for the aquaculture sector worldwide.

Dr Colin McInnes, Head of Vaccines and Diagnostics at Moredun Research Institute said “ We are very excited about the new opportunities offered by this partnership with FVG to expand our expertise in understanding how different pathogens cause disease in farmed fish and how we can work together to develop novel vaccine approaches to prevent disease. Moredun’s strategy has always been that disease prevention is better than cure and vaccines offer a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to disease control, as they reduce reliance on pharmacological drugs and pesticide”.

According to Malcolm Pye, a director of Fish Vet Group  “This expansion is an important step for us to take. By adding more world class people, knowledge and facilities to our existing capabilities we can increase our dedicated sector support for global animal health”.

Richard Mole, Moredun Group Commercialisation Manager, commented “This relationship represents  an exciting new model for Moredun to be working with industry towards developing tailored solutions to infectious disease problems encountered by this significant and growing industry in Scotland. The collaboration will be able to maximise Moredun’s expertise and successful track record of producing vaccines for livestock, along with  FVG’s in-depth knowledge and experience in servicing the aquaculture industry.”

The new research group will be embedded within Moredun , initially for a five year period, enabling exciting opportunities for cross disciplinary collaborations among the different groups of scientists.  Expertise will be applied to develop effective solutions to ensure the health and sustainability of the aquaculture industry both in UK and globally.

Notes for Editors

Moredun Research Institute conducts internationally recognised research on the infectious diseases of livestock, caused by important viruses, bacteria and parasites. It employs 170 scientists, vets and support staff who continue to help find solutions for major challenges to modern farming such as the consequences of a changing climate; ensuring safe and sustainable food and water supplies conserving biodiversity and finding solutions to infectious disease. Moredun’s research is focussed towards developing improved diagnostic tests, control measures and vaccines to maximise biological efficiency of farmed livestock throughout the world. Many of the veterinary medicines and vaccines that are routinely used on farm have either been researched, developed or tested at Moredun. More information about the work of Moredun Research Institute can be found at www.moredun.ac.uk

FVG (Fish Vet Group) Has worked with fish farmers, regulatory authorities, food processors, aquarists and aquaculture industry suppliers since 1995 providing a comprehensive range of clinical, technical and advisory services.. FVG is now planning to expand its operations into vaccine development against infectious disease. FVG is part of the Benchmark Group which amongst other activities has partnered scientific centers of excellence, governments, non-government organisations and the private sector to find new ways to meet the challenges of the global supply chain. More information about the work of FVG can be found at www.fishvetgroup.com

 Contact for further information:

Lee Innes

Moredun Research Institute

Pentlands Science Park

Edinburgh EH26 OPZ

Tel: 0131 445 6157

Mob: 07818 564954