November 7, 2023

Australian biotech firm awarded for shrimp pathogen detection product

Australian biotech company Genics was awarded the Translation Hero category at the InnovationAus 2023 Awards for Excellence held in Sydney, Australia, early this month.

The company was recognised for its groundbreaking shrimp pathogen detection product, Shrimp Multipath, that "has set new benchmarks for accuracy and speed in the shrimp aquaculture industry."

The InnovationAus Translation Hero Award focuses on research innovation leading to business success and recognises outstanding achievements in technological commercialisation.

Shrimp MultiPath detects common pathogens that can be devastating to shrimp farm stock. The Shrimp MultiPath panel is considered a "game changer" for shrimp farmers as it can detect 14 pathogens in one test, rather than testing for each disease individually as other labs do.

Genics achieves industry-best turnaround times on testing results, thanks to the efficiency of the MultiPath technology. Global customers get farm-to-lab results within five days, even in overseas regions such as South America and Asia, compared to a prior industry standard of 14 days or more.

Testing speed and accuracy are essential to shrimp farmers because if pathogens are not detected early, they can destroy prawn stocks, severely diminishing product quality and profitability. By dramatically accelerating the testing process, Genics saves farmers money and gives them earlier warning of disease threats.

"Seeing our pilot farms and early adopters succeed with our Prawn MultiPath technology and achieve real production improvements was incredibly rewarding as a scientist," said Mellony Sellars, chief executive officer of Genics. "There is no better feeling than having developed a complex scientific system that delivers real-world commercial impact. Especially when it's for something as important as global food security."

- Global Seafood Alliance