Deciphering the microbiome of fish eggs to mitigate emerging diseases in aquaculture

In aquaculture, diseases caused by the fungal-like oomycete Saprolegnia, but also ectoparasites are causing significant declines in fish and crayfish populations. To date, these diseases are controlled in aquaculture mainly by formalin treatment. However, the use of formalin will be banned in the coming years. The overall aim of the project is to identify the diversity & dynamics of protective microbial communities associated with fish eggs. The interactions among the members in the bacterial community will be studied to elucidate the mechanisms involved in protection as well as the fish immune response to beneficial bacteria.