Location: Aquatic Animal Health Research
Project Number: 6010-32000-027-021-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 15, 2022
End Date: Sep 14, 2027
Objective:
To activate functional compounds of various biomass (industrial and agricultural) innovatively and cost effectively through scalable and easy to implement processes. These compounds will be screened for use in the context of fish and shellfish production in traditional aquaculture/aquaponics systems.
Approach:
There has been a significant increase in reports in recent literature on antibiotic alternatives and feed additives to promote growth, enhance gut health, and reduce the use of antibiotics in fish and shrimp production. The classes of antibiotic alternatives that are available to increase fish and shrimp productivity include probiotics, organic acids, phytogenics, prebiotics, synbiotics, enzymes, antimicrobial peptides, hyperimmune egg antibodies, bacteriophages, clay, and metals. We will activate functional compounds of various biomass and use them as an alternative to antibiotics and/or antioxidants in fish and shrimp feed. We aim to use scalable, easy to implement, well established processes and equipment. Extraction and purification processes will be avoided as much as possible to reduce the production cost and complications in the technology implementation. Full or close to full utilization of biomass is also one of the main project objectives.
