Cryogenetics preserves fish genes

For fish farmers, securing a regular supply of high-quality smolt is an ongoing challenge. Fish spawning is highly seasonal, so breeders must be prepared when eggs become available for artificial fertilisation and incubation.

Equally important for breeding is the preservation of desired genes to ensure healthy, robust fish and sustainable production.

Cryopreservation is the freezing of biological material for later use. A highly complex procedure, it involves cooling cells to a temperature where all biological activity stops – even the biochemical reactions which lead to a cell dying.

Cryogenetics has devised a solution for cryopreserving biological material for storage in liquid nitrogen at -196 °C. The technique secures supplies of high-quality milt for regular egg production.

Cryopreservation also allows for preserving desired gene variety in a fish farm’s breeding nucleus. Genetic variety ensures healthy and robust fish, as well as sustainable production at a fish farm.

Cryogenetics also offers a gene bank service for long term storage of genes.

Cryopreservation of fish milt allows fish farmers to select desired genes for their broodstock and enables sophisticated product design in regular production of eggs. This helps fish farms to stay both profitable and sustainable.

An additional benefit to cryopreservation is that it can be used for protecting endangered species, or gene variety, by preserving essential genes of fish families.

Aquaculture has been the fastest growing food production sector for the past 20 years. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization expects the sector to continue to grow by 4 to 5 per cent each year for the next decade.

Cryogenetics AS is the sole provider of the technology for its cryopreservation services. Also, the company provides equipment, remedies and expertise connected to the reproduction process of fish.

Cryogenetics is headquartered in Hamar, Norway, with laboratories in Australia, Canada, Chile, Norway and the US.

Cyrogenetics is a member of the NCE Heidner Biocluster, Norway’s national cluster for bioeconomy and sustainable food production.

Contact photo: Lars Martin Bøe