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AQUAENT – aquaculture in the age of global challenges – workshop report
On November 17, 2022, we held an online workshop „AQUAENT – aquaculture in the era of global challenges” as part of the EIT Food AQUAENT project – Support for small and medium enterprises in RIS regions in aquaculture. The topics of the workshop covered most burning topics from the pollution of the genetic environment and biotechnological methods of protecting wild-living fish gene pools, through multitrophic aquaculture, to the use of renewable and geothermal energy. We also had a chance to learn the outcomes of the innovative Salmocross project and its possible implementation in aquaculture.
Check out the lectures:
- Renewable energy and the potential of energy storage in aquaculture – futurology or activities necessary for the survival of the industry in times of energy crisis? Ziemowit Pirtań, The fishing farm „PSTRĄG TARNOWO”, Tarnowo, Poland;
- Salmocross – an innovative research and implementation project in aquaculture. Martyna Sas The fishing farm „PSTRĄG TARNOWO”, Tarnowo, Poland;
- Multitrophic aquaculture – possibilities of intensifying production in fresh and salt waters. Radosław Kowalski, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland;
- Genetic pollution of the environment and biotechnological methods of protecting gene pools of wild-living fish. Konrad Ocalewicz, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland;
- The use of enzymes and proteins in fish waste to create innovative medical products and dietary supplements. Margret Geirsdottir, Lysi-Life, Zymtech Enzymatica Aktieägare, Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D, Reykjavík, Iceland;
- The use of geothermal energy in fisheries and aquaculture. Saemundur Eliasson, HS Orka and Haustak, Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Moms in Charge project, or when a mother’s experiences affect her child
Can a mother pass on information about past illnesses or natural predators to her child? The Moms in Charge project, carried out by scientists at our Institute, aims to study the extent to which non-genetic inheritance factors affect the adaptability of offspring. This knowledge could help improve fish breeding and gain a deeper understanding of fish resilience.
Moms in Charge is a project carried out by dr. Taina Rocha de Almeida, winner of the PASIFIC grant competition administered by the Polish Academy of Sciences and co-funded by the H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Co-funding of regional, national and international programs and the Ministry of Education and Science. Her scientific supervisor is dr. Daniel Żarski of the Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn.
The project aims to monitor so-called non-genetic inheritance factors in fish and determine to what extent they affect the adaptability of offspring (from embryo to juvenile stages) to breeding conditions. The research will be carried out on three Polish rainbow trout breeding lines from Poland’s largest fish hatchery, „Dąbie”.
- Our project is called Moms in Charge, freely translated as „mothers rule,” because it focuses on mothers’ role in young fish’s lives. According to the project’s main idea, the mother’s experience is passed on to her offspring using molecules (in our case, RNA) that the female builds into the eggs during the egg-forming process. We want to see what the mother can protect her children from in this way – says Taina Rocha de Almeida.
What are non-genetic inheritance factors?
Non-genetic inheritance (NGI) includes various mechanisms that are not directly related to genes but interact with or result from them. The contents of the egg cell are a consequence of NGI mechanisms, which will play an essential role in embryo and early larval development. They are a source of transcripts, proteins, and nutrients that will guide and support development even in later developmental stages.
- Fish accumulate „important” experiences from their lives. It is known that in fish, this most often refers to past diseases or thermal preferences, which determine the profile of specific information molecules – proteins or RNA – that it builds into the eggs, says Daniel Żarski.
The Moms in Charge project is to investigate to what extent maternal NGI factors (mRNAs, miRNAs, or proteins) affect the performance of offspring from embryos to juveniles.
- We want to check the molecular profile of eggs from three different breeding lines of rainbow trout from the „Dabie” hatchery near Bytów. We want to conduct research at the molecular and individual levels. The results can be used in the future in breeding different fish to obtain better individuals endowed with traits important for breeders – adds Taina Rocha de Almeida.
The research will be conducted on three strains of rainbow trout (phenotypically different) bred in Poland. Since the project will be carried out in cooperation with fish breeding, we expect that it will impact fish management and selection based on progeny performance, which can help increase fish production in the long term.
- A similar process also occurs along the father-offspring line, but we don’t intend to test it at this stage, as the mechanism for transmitting this information is somewhat different. For the moment, we are focusing on eggs – egg cells are larger and contain more molecules, and their influence on the development of offspring in fish is much more significant than that of sperm. In this regard, the mother’s influence on the offspring is more important than that of the father. We are also limited time, as the project will last only two years – explains Taina Rocha de Almeida.
Why rainbow trout?
The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), native to North America, is the most common trout species raised in European freshwater aquaculture. It prefers swiftly flowing waters with relatively stable thermal conditions and tolerates high densities. The optimal growth temperature for breeding is 8-18°C, with a maximum of 20°C. Rainbow trout is sold as a portion fish and a large fish, also known as salmon trout. Over the years, the rainbow trout sector has faced problems contributing to stagnant production. In this context, a clear and effective selective breeding program could greatly help.
- There is a great need to improve breeding protocols, for example, due to increased disease resistance or improved longevity. In the long run, the impact of the research on the fishing industry could be huge – says Daniel Żarski.
Taina Rocha de Almeida, Ph.D., came to the Institute from Brazil and received a prestigious scholarship from the PASIFIC MSCA COFUND program. The competition was fierce – there were about ten applicants per spot. To select the winning proposals, evaluators assessed them in three main categories – excellence, impact, and feasibility. Each project also had to pass an ethical evaluation. The fellowship will last 24 months, but as Taina admits: „she feels very comfortable in Poland,” so we are keeping our fingers crossed that her stay in our country will be extended.
Ewa Wasilewska Ph.D. with a prestigious award
Ewa Wasilewska, Ph.D. from the Department of Food Immunology and Microbiology at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, has received the prestigious JDS Highly Cited Award from American Dairy Science Association (ADSA).
The ADSA is an international organization of lecturers, scientists, and business representatives involved in developing the dairy industry. Members of ADSA has discovered methods and technologies that have revolutionized the dairy industry.
An official journal of ADSA, Journal of Dairy Science, is the leading general dairy research journal in the world. Highly Cited Award program was established to formally recognize JDS authors whose efforts significantly impact research and the dairy industry.
The JDS Highly Cited Award 2022 was awarded to Ewa Wasilewska and co-authors (Dagmara Zlotkowska and Barbara Wróblewska) for their paper entitled „Yogurt starter cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus ameliorate symptoms and modulate the immune response in a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis,” published in 2019.
The number of citations of the published study is an excellent indicator of its importance to the scientific community. Moreover, the highlighted work has been linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which can help address major global threats.
Job title: Bioinformatician-data analyst
Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences (IARFR PAS) is looking for a Bioinformatician- data analyst to join Molecular Biology Laboratory (Core Facility).
Institution:
IARFR PAS is located in Olsztyn and is one of the top ranked Polish research institutes that performs interdisciplinary research in agricultural and biological sciences, booth basic and applied (https://pan.olsztyn.pl/projects). The Institute is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, has excellent core facilities and supportive administration. IARFR PAS provides stimulating scientific environment, especially due to its cooperative, multidisciplinary character (https://pan.olsztyn.pl/research-dissemination). Collaboration and exchange of knowledge and techniques between scientists from different disciplines is common and encouraged.
Bioinformatician- data analyst will join Molecular Biology Laboratory (Core Facility), which is focused on the assistance in molecular biology experimental approaches at both Divisions – Reproductive Biology and Food Science (https://pan.olsztyn.pl/institute/general-information/structure).
City:
Olsztyn would be a good choice for living and working if you appreciate close contact with nature and quiet life. Within the administrative bounds of the city you will find more than 10 lakes with a very well-developed tourist and sport infrastructure, as well as leisure facilities. Each year the calendar is filled with a number of cultural and sports events (more @ Wikipedia).
Responsibilities:
- bioinformatics and analytical support of high-throughput molecular biology methods;
- organization, maintenance and development of IT infrastructure – Unix environment;
- active and constructive participation in research projects carried out at the Institute;
- visualization and presentation of the results of bioinformatics analyzes;
- preparation of the results and materials for scientific publications.
Requirements:
- M.Sc. degree in mathematics, bioinformatics, IT or biology;
- knowledge of bioinformatics and statistics;
- interest in self-development in bioinformatics/systems biology/functional genomics;
- good knowledge of scripting languages, i.e., R, Python;
- good knowledge of English (minimum B1/B2 level);
- previous experience in next-generation sequencing data analysis will be advantageous.
Expectations:
- goal orientation;
- ability to work individually and in a team;
- communicativeness and open-mindedness;
- independence in acquiring knowledge and willingness to share it;
- ability to solve problems.
We offer:
- a contract of employment;
- salary dependent on the experience and skills;
- the opportunity to work on the interesting research topics (e.g., regulation of gene expression, epigenetics, analysis of RNA/DNA structures, microRNAs);
- the opportunity to work in the interdisciplinary team;
- professional development and improvement of qualifications;
- a stable work environment.
Required documents:
- CV, cover letter with a list of scientific achievements, completed projects, publications.
Recruitment process:
- sending the required documents, evaluation of the submitted documentation, interview with selected candidates, employment decision;
- interviews will be held in Polish and English.
Deadline for applications: December 3, 2022 (The Institute reserves the right to extend the deadline for submitting competition documents if there are no candidates who meet the above-mentioned requirements)
Interested candidates are kindly asked to contact prof. Monika M. Kaczmarek by e-mail: m.kaczmarek@pan.olsztyn.pl (postscript/e-mail title: recruitment_bioinformatician) and provide requested documents.
In your CV, please include a consent clause for the processing of personal data in the recruitment process:
„I consent to the processing of my personal data contained in the application documents by the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, 10-748 Olsztyn, ul. Tuwima 10, in order to carry out the recruitment process and publishing the full results of the competition on the Institute’s website.”
Information clause:
- The administrator of personal data processed as part of the recruitment process is the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, 10-748 Olsztyn, ul. Tuwima 10, phone no. 89 523 46 86, e-mail: instytut@pan.olsztyn.pl.
- Contact with the personal data protection officer is possible at the above-mentioned address.
- The provided personal data will be processed in order to carry out the current recruitment process and kept until its completion on the basis of expressed consent (in accordance with Article 6 (1) (a) of the GDPR).
- You have the right to withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of the processing which was carried out on the basis of consent before its withdrawal.
- You have the right to access your personal data, request their rectification or removal. Submitting a request to delete data is tantamount to resignation from participation in the recruitment process. In addition, you have the right to request the restriction of processing in the cases specified in art. 18 GDPR.
- You have the right to lodge a complaint with the President of the Personal Data Protection Office against the unlawful processing of his personal data. This authority will be competent to consider the complaint, provided that the right to file a complaint concerns only the lawfulness of the processing of personal data, and not the recruitment process.
- Your data will not be profiled or made available to entities or third countries. The recipients of the data may be institutions authorized by law.
- Providing your personal data is not obligatory, but it is a necessary condition to participate in the recruitment process.
The success of our staff at the 3rd International Conference on Tissue Repair, Regeneration, and Fibrosis
Dr. Marta Kopcewicz and Dr. Joanna Wiśniewska from the Regenerative Biology Team were awarded the Aegean Conference Trainee Travel Award at the 3rd International Conference on Tissue Repair, Regeneration, and Fibrosis, held October 10 – 15, 2022, in Greece.
The 3rd International Conference on Tissue Repair, Regeneration, and Fibrosis is one of the most important scientific events bringing together scientists interested in various aspects of repairing and regenerating damaged tissues and organs. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the repair and regeneration of the liver, lungs, skin, kidneys, and bone marrow, among others, is key to the progress of modern medicine.
The winners of this year’s conference were Dr. Marta Kopcewicz and Dr. Joanna Wiśniewska from the Regenerative Biology Team led by Prof. Barbara Gawrońska-Kozak, MD. The Organizing Committee awarded the Trainee Travel Award ($1,000) to the oral presentations of our female scientists’ research results:
Sex, individual age and transcription factor Foxn1 affect the condition of healthy and post injured mice and human skin
Marta Kopcewicz, Sylwia Machcińska-Zielińska, Katarzyna Walendzik, Joanna Wiśniewska, Joanna Rutkowska, Piotr Malinowski, Tomasz Waśniewski, Justyna Drukała, and Barbara Gawrońska-Kozak
Pig adipose-derived stem cells (pASCs) pre-conditioned with hypoxia. Characterization and validation for wound healing therapy
Joanna Wiśniewska, Magda Słyszewska, Marta Kopcewicz, Katarzyna Walendzik, Sylwia Machcińska-Zielińska, Patrycja Dudek, Karolina Stałanowska, and Barbara Gawrońska-Kozak
The research presented at the conference was carried out as part of the following:
-
- research projects funded by the National Science Center:
- Opus 14 no. 2017/27/b/nz5/02610,
- Sonata 13 nr 2017/26/D/NZ5/00556;
- the KNOW grant of the Scientific Consortium „Healthy Animal – Safe Food,”
Dec. No.: 05-1/KNOW2/2015; - own research fund 14/FBW/22.
- research projects funded by the National Science Center:
AQUAENT – aquaculture in the age of global challenges
AQUAENT – aquaculture in times of global challenges – under such a title, a workshop organized by our scientists within the framework of the EIT Food project AQUAENT- Support for small and medium enterprises in RIS regions in aquaculture, was held in Gdynia on October 12.
Go to AQUAENT website
The workshop topics touched on the most current issues related to the sustainable breeding of aquatic organisms. Konrad Ocalewicz from the University of Gdansk discussed the topic of genetic pollution of the environment and biotechnological methods of protecting gene pools of wild-living fish. Ziemowit Pirtań from the Trout-Tarnowo Fish Farm presented aspects of renewable energy and the possibility of energy storage in aquaculture – futurology or actions necessary for the industry’s survival in the energy crisis.
In turn, Radosław Kowalski of the Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research Polish Academy of Sciences focused on the issue of multitrophic aquaculture and the related possibility of intensifying production in fresh and salt waters. Tomasz Kolankowski of KOL-tech Solutions discussed the options of inlet water quality monitoring in fish farms, which protects farming from environmental disasters. Other speakers included scientists and experts from Iceland, including from the Matis research institute. Hildur Inga Sveinsdottir touched on using enzymes and proteins in fish waste to create innovative medicinal products and dietary supplements. Saemundur Eliasson, on the other hand, presented the possibilities of using geothermal energy in fisheries and aquaculture.
A discussion with the participants accompanied each presentation.
Thanking the experts and participants for their involvement, we already invite you to the next training, which will be held on November 17 in the online form (in English). We will touch on the topics discussed at the October 12 training. Still, we will also learn about the assumptions of the innovative Salmocross project and its potential for implementation in aquaculture, which Martyna Sas will present from the Tarnowo Trout Fish Farm. Registration link.
Program of the workshop on November 17, 2022
10.00 – 10.10 Welcoming the participants, Marek Bogacki, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland
10.10 – 10.50 Renewable energy and the potential of energy storage in aquaculture – futurology or activities necessary for the industry’s survival in times of energy crisis? Ziemowit Pirtań, The fishing farm „PSTRĄG TARNOWO”, Tarnowo, Poland
10.50 – 11.30 Salmocross – an innovative research and implementation project in aquaculture. Martyna Sas The fishing farm „PSTRĄG TARNOWO”, Tarnowo, Poland
11.30 – 12.10 Multitrophic aquaculture – possibilities of intensifying production in fresh and salt waters. Radosław Kowalski, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland
12.10 – 12.50 Genetic pollution of the environment and biotechnological methods of protecting gene pools of wild-living fish. Konrad Ocalewicz, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
12.50 – 13.30 The use of enzymes and proteins in fish waste to create innovative medical products and dietary supplements. Margret Geirsdottir, Lysi-Life, Zymtech Enzymatica Aktieägare, Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D, Reykjavík, Iceland
13.30 – 14.10 The use of geothermal energy in fisheries and aquaculture. Saemundur Eliasson, HS Orka and Haustak, Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D, Reykjavík, Iceland
Institute with Erasmus Charter for higher education
The Institute has received the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education – ERASMUS CHARTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION 2021-2027 (ECHE), and thus the opportunity to participate in international educational mobility and cooperation programs for innovation and exchange of good practices.
The ECHE Charter is a confirmation of the Institute’s compliance with the quality standards required for the organization of student and university staff mobility and the implementation of international educational projects.
ECHE entitles the Institute to apply for funds to implement all international activities under the Erasmus+ program. It defines an institution’s basic principles when organizing and implementing high-quality mobility and cooperation. It specifies the conditions the institution agrees to meet to ensure high-quality services and procedures and provide reliable and transparent information.
By applying for ECHE, the Institute has taken on the obligation to follow the principles referred to in the Erasmus Charter’s contents and implement the developed Erasmus Policy Statement.
First Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND program fellow at the Institute
Dr. Taina Rocha de Almeida is the first fellow of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND program at the Institute.
Taina is the winner of the PACIFIC scholarship competition administered by the Polish Academy of Sciences and co-funded by the H2020 Program „Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Co-funding of regional, national and international programs” and the Ministry of Education and Science.
Taina came to the Institute from Brazil, and her research supervisor is Dr. Daniel Żarski from the Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology. The fellow’s research aims to determine to what extent non-genetic inheritance factors affect the adaptability of offspring (from embryo to juvenile stages) to breeding conditions. The study will be conducted on three Polish rainbow trout breeding lines.
The prestigious scholarship of the PACIFIC MSCA COFUND program was awarded to 49 candidates from 60 countries worldwide. The competition was fierce – there were about ten candidates per place. To select the winning proposals, evaluators assessed them in three main categories – excellence, impact, and feasibility. Each project also had to pass an ethical evaluation.
The scholarship was awarded for a period of 24 months.
Welcome to the Institute, and congratulations to the scholarship winner and the research supervisor on this prestigious award.
