DTU is a technical university that conducts research, provides advice, educates at university level and contributes to innovation in sustainable exploitation and management of aquatic resources. In AQUAEXCEL3.0 the two DTU Aqua groups involved are dedicated to research activities in the field of aquatic animal health and shellfish and macro algae production. The Unit for Fish and Shellfish Diseases carries out basic and applied research aiming to control and prevent infectious diseases in fish and shellfish. The unit is responsible for the laboratory component of the Danish veterinary contingency plan on aquatic animal diseases. DTU Aqua is the National- and the EU reference laboratory for fish and crustacean diseases.

Role in the AQUAEXCEL3.0 project:

DTU aqua will lead JRA1-3, where real-time microbiome tools will be implemented to assess bacterial biodiversity in experimental fish facilities. In JRA2 we will contribute to 2.3 on cell cultures. We will offer access to 1 high security facility for fish and crustacean and 1 facility for shellfish and provide on-line courses. 

Key persons involved:

Dr. Argelia CUENCA is a biologist working with fish and shellfish disease. She has a PhD in molecular systematics and works with molecular diagnostic methods among other things. She has extensive experience in the use of NGS and bioinformatics tools to characterize organisms. She is in charge of the fish pathogen database (http://www.fishpathogens.eu/). She will lead task 4.3.

Prof. Niels Jørgen Olesen, DVM. Head of the EU Reference Laboratory for Fish Diseases and OIE Reference Laboratory for VHS. Leader or part of about 30 research projects, primarily concerning infectious diseases in fish, and on fish immunology.

Dr. Camille Saurel is a marine biologist working with shellfish in both aquaculture and fisheries, employed at the Danish Shellfish Centre since 2014. She has experience on shellfish ecophysiology and growth at different life stages and conducts applied research in ecological modelling of marine system.