TNA stay at Nutrigroup explores the microbiome of salmon lice2025-07-01
Bela Klimesova, a PhD student from the Marine and Freshwater Research Centre at Atlantic Technological University (Ireland), has recently completed a stay with the IATS Nutrigroup during June 2025. Her visit has been part of a AQUAEXCEL3.0 Transnational Access (TNA), focused on investigating the microbiome of the salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis.
The project aimed to assess the potential role of salmon lice as reservoirs or vectors of bacterial pathogens affecting Atlantic salmon. During her stay, Bela conducted third-generation sequencing using the Oxford Nanopore platform and received training in bioinformatics analysis. The results were compared with data previously obtained using Illumina sequencing on the same samples, showing that Nanopore delivered comparable outcomes. This highlights the potential of this faster, more accessible, and cost-effective technology to produce reliable microbiome data.
This work contributes to a better understanding of host-pathogen interactions in aquaculture and supports the development of improved disease management strategies.
