For more than 15 years, the ACAC has carried out practical and applicable research within the field of aquaculture. Last year, Alltech invested heavily in the facility, which will house an expanded team of aqua researchers dedicated to quality, innovation and the development of new applications in aqua feed.
As part of the ACAC's efforts toward becoming a fully-integrated bioscience centre, Alltech Coppens is delighted to announce that Dr. Philip Lyons will be taking on a new role as a glob aquaculture research manager to help coordinate research activities at the new centre with Alltech's ever-expanding global research programmes.
"Alltech's bioscience centres are laboratories that maintain close ties to nearby universities to maximise interaction with academic researchers, share equipment and allow students in Master of Science and PhD. programmes to work in an industry lab setting,"explained Dr. Karl Dawson, vice president and chief scientific officer at Alltech.
Dr. Dawson added: "There are more than 120 scientists working in our bioscience centres around the world. By becoming a bioscience centre, the ACAC allows for Alltech to address, research and solve issues in the aquaculture industry. The centre will interact directly with many of our 28 research alliances and will focus on activities with the six alliances who directly work in aquaculture."
Research and development represent the cornerstone of the business at Alltech Coppens. In the ever-changing world of the aquaculture industry, being adaptable to market trends and pursuing innovation in research positions Alltech Coppens to be ready with diets to fit every farming situation.
"Key aquaculture research areas include developing novel tools for evaluating nutritional responses and defining strategies for utilising alternative feed ingredients and nutrients," Dr. Dawson explained.
"We are also carrying out research into nutritional approaches for enhancing disease resistance and health as well as optimising mineral nutrition and enhancing fat digestibility. We are also responding to market demand for new strategies for improving product quality and minimising the environmental impact of aquaculture in general," he shared further.
In addition to supporting and evaluating Alltech Coppens feed formulation initiatives, the new bioscience centre will actively focus on beneficially altering fat digestion, optimising mineral nutrition, and developing novel nutritional approaches for reinforcing gut health and preserving product quality while minimising the environmental impacts of aquaculture. It is expected that this centre will be the site for both basic and applied research as well as serving as a site for graduate student and intern training activities.
"My father saw great potential in Alltech Coppens," said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech and son of Alltech's founder, Dr. Pearse Lyons. "Since the acquisition in 2016, our goal has been to establish Alltech Coppens as the cornerstone of Alltech's global aquaculture business. By making the ACAC a bioscience centre, we are following through with Dr. Pearse Lyons' commitment to Alltech Coppens and the aquaculture industry."
As Alltech's newest bioscience centre, the ACAC joins the ranks of the Alltech European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, Ireland, the Alltech Centre for Animal Nutrigenomics and Applied Animal Nutrition in the US and the Alliance Laboratory in Beijing, China.
