NEW technology could boost Atlantic salmon production by helping farmers to select the best fish for breeding programmes.
Scientists have developed a chip that will allow breeders to detect the fish with the best genes and improve resistance to disease.
The chip is loaded with hundreds of thousands of pieces of DNA, each holding a fragment of the salmon's genetic code.
It detects variations in the genetic code of individual fish that make it possible to identify genes linked to desirable physical traits, such as growth or resistance to problematic diseases including sea lice infestations.
Salmon farmers can carry out a test using small samples of fin tissue from individual fish.
It is hoped that the development could transform an industry that contributes around half a billion pounds to the UK economy each year. The technology was developed by scientists from the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute and Edinburgh Genomics initiative, alongside researchers from the universities of Stirling and Glasgow.
They worked with industrial partners Affymetrix UK and Landcatch Natural Selection.
Ross Houston, of the Roslin Institute, said: "This new technology will allow the best breeding fish to be selected more efficiently and accurately, particularly those with characteristics that are difficult to measure, such as resistance to disease."
Alan Tinch, director of genetics at Landcatch Natural Selection, said: "It is an extension to the selective breeding of salmon allowing more accurate identification of the best fish to create healthier and more robust offspring."
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