April 15, 2008

Norway and India embark on joint marine vaccination research
 

Norway and India have joined forces to embark on a NOK 44 million (US$8.8 million) major research project that aims to develop new vaccines for fish and shrimp.

Six Norwegian organisations will be collaborating with seven Indian research institutes in this project which will run for four years, and both sides will complement each other and share information as part of the collaboration.

The project aims to identify and characterise antigens in pathogens in fish and shrimp and to develop effective treatments for them. The project will also design new vaccine concepts for the Norwegian and Indian aquaculture industries.

Researchers are already in the process of mapping the immune systems of halibut and cod and have studied intensively on nodaviruses, which have posed a challenge to Norwegian and Indian aquaculture.

By vaccinating fish and studying the reaction of the immune system, researchers are able to develop vaccines by using molecular biological methods. This experience is perceived to be helpful for the project that will primarily focus on salmon, halibut, cod and shrimp.

Viruses are the cause of the most costly marine diseases in Norway and India's aquaculture industries. The diseases can neither be prevented nor treated with antibiotics, which demonstrates the vital role of vaccines in the chain. The project, which is funded by the respective governments, will develop vaccines against pathological variants of the Aeromonas, Edwardsiella and Vibrio bacteria.