Optimising immune resilience by prioritising energy use

Using next-generation technology, Dr Andrew Wood is developing our fundamental understanding of the energetic costs and pathways involved in fish immune responses.

Head and shoulders of a man in a blue shirt. — Dr Andrew Wood.

In aquaculture, fish are exposed to a range of pathogens and environments that can impact on their health and welfare.

The ability to mount an immune response under a variety of environmental conditions is critical to overall immune resilience. Immune responses are thought to be energetically costly, and therefore dependent on a sufficient energy supply.

Using next-generation technology to manipulate gene function, we can gain an understanding of the energy needs for specific fish immune responses.

Through this study, we will develop a fundamental understanding of the energetic costs and pathways involved in fish immune responses.

We can use this knowledge to develop solutions to optimise fish immune resilience by ensuring sufficient energy is available to mount a strong immune response.

Project Lead: Dr Andrew Wood.