The effect of dietary fish peptides on biomarkers of human health - the influence of processing conditions and the environment. This project links together two diverse but important areas of national importance: declining fisheries and human health. Australia is a small producer and exporter of fish but has access to significant fisheries. The Geelong Food Co-product Cluster comprises a number of fish companies facing serious problems associated with declining catches compounded by the current f ....The effect of dietary fish peptides on biomarkers of human health - the influence of processing conditions and the environment. This project links together two diverse but important areas of national importance: declining fisheries and human health. Australia is a small producer and exporter of fish but has access to significant fisheries. The Geelong Food Co-product Cluster comprises a number of fish companies facing serious problems associated with declining catches compounded by the current financial crisis. Increasing use of by-catch species and developing novel processing technology for controlled release of bioactive peptides that may reduce appetite and the tendency for overweight and obesity in consumers could provide the Australian seafood industry with a world competitive innovative technology leading to improvements in human health.Read moreRead less
Understanding the chemical components that influence the flavour and quality of milk under different pasture management systems. The project will preserve and substantially increase the penetration of Australian milk into the Asian import market for dairy products, which stands at $2.1 billion annually, and is expected to grow at 6.6%per annum over the next 5 years. This outcome can potentially counteract the decline in dairy farm numbers in northern NSW, attract new suppliers to the region, an ....Understanding the chemical components that influence the flavour and quality of milk under different pasture management systems. The project will preserve and substantially increase the penetration of Australian milk into the Asian import market for dairy products, which stands at $2.1 billion annually, and is expected to grow at 6.6%per annum over the next 5 years. This outcome can potentially counteract the decline in dairy farm numbers in northern NSW, attract new suppliers to the region, and stimulate rural community growth and prosperity.Read moreRead less
The Relevance of the Bovine Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) to Milk Production. The objective of this project is to provide the dairy industry with an integrated package that includes a ?dairy performance database? linked to DNA-based information to complement existing breeding practices. Our intention is increase the profitability of the dairy industry, hence making a dairy farm a sustainable venture in a deregulated environment. Profitability results from a combination of several fact ....The Relevance of the Bovine Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) to Milk Production. The objective of this project is to provide the dairy industry with an integrated package that includes a ?dairy performance database? linked to DNA-based information to complement existing breeding practices. Our intention is increase the profitability of the dairy industry, hence making a dairy farm a sustainable venture in a deregulated environment. Profitability results from a combination of several factors. The drivers of the industry include political, market, environmental, husbandry, nutrition, and genetic factors. These factors are interrelated. In this proposal, we are specifically interested in the relationship between milk yields and the DNA profile of dairy cattle.Read moreRead less
Ultrasonic production of skim milk. Milk will be skimmed using ultrasonic waves and tiny bubbles that separate the fat droplets from whole milk, saving energy and cleaning costs. It will also be possible to precisely select different nutritional compounds from the rich resource that is whole milk, enabling future health products.
Removing the impediment to large-scale selective breeding of Australian barramundi: deciphering and manipulating the genetic basis of sex change. This project will determine the genetic basis of sex control in barramundi and develop technologies to allow barramundi hatcheries to have increased control over reproduction leading to more efficient propagation and removing impediments to selective breeding.
Striking Gold - Determining the genetics of gold skin colour in barramundi. Barramundi is one of Australia’s finest eating table fish and the species is gaining global prominence. However, fillet flesh colour of Australian farmed barramundi exhibit greyish tones which lowers consumer acceptance compared to other white flesh fish and imported product. Barramundi with rare golden skin tones do not exhibit this flesh "greyness" and are therefore a valuable niche product to farm if they can be produ ....Striking Gold - Determining the genetics of gold skin colour in barramundi. Barramundi is one of Australia’s finest eating table fish and the species is gaining global prominence. However, fillet flesh colour of Australian farmed barramundi exhibit greyish tones which lowers consumer acceptance compared to other white flesh fish and imported product. Barramundi with rare golden skin tones do not exhibit this flesh "greyness" and are therefore a valuable niche product to farm if they can be produced in larger numbers. This project will elucidate the genetic basis and mechanism of expression behind the golden barramundi phenotype. In doing so, it will enable barramundi farmers to produce them at commercially relevant scales, providing them with a substantial competitive advantage in both domestic and global markets.Read moreRead less
Novel enzymatic processing methods and stabilization technologies for omega-3 oils. New and existing lipases will be applied to the concentration of omega-3 lipids from fish and algal oils. The primary aim of this project is to replace current chemical processes and high temperature distillation with milder enzymatic methods, providing high quality omega-3 concentrates for food and pharmaceutical purposes. The project aims to develop new immobilisation technology to enable multiple re-use of lip ....Novel enzymatic processing methods and stabilization technologies for omega-3 oils. New and existing lipases will be applied to the concentration of omega-3 lipids from fish and algal oils. The primary aim of this project is to replace current chemical processes and high temperature distillation with milder enzymatic methods, providing high quality omega-3 concentrates for food and pharmaceutical purposes. The project aims to develop new immobilisation technology to enable multiple re-use of lipases for the cost effective production of omega-3 concentrates and to apply new microencapsulation strategies to the stabilisation of omega-3 concentrates, enabling the delivery of omega-3s and other bioactive ingredients to a range of food and beverage products.Read moreRead less
A pan-genome reverse vaccinology approach to disease prevention in farmed fish. Evolution of new pathogen strains causes major problems in vaccinated animals because these variants can reinfect and cause severe disease in previously protected animals. This project will use state-of-the-art genomics to find new targets that are essential to all strain variants, enabling development of broadly cross-protective vaccines for farmed animals.
Reducing skeletal malformations in cultured marine fish using gene expression, improved nutrition and advanced system operation. Reducing malformations in farmed fish will benefit the Australian economy and society by providing greater quantities of cheaper, higher quality fish. Increased farmed fish production, currently worth ~$300 million p.a., will increase exports and decrease imports (currently ~50% of all Australian consumed fish). To benefit are the important regional farming operations ....Reducing skeletal malformations in cultured marine fish using gene expression, improved nutrition and advanced system operation. Reducing malformations in farmed fish will benefit the Australian economy and society by providing greater quantities of cheaper, higher quality fish. Increased farmed fish production, currently worth ~$300 million p.a., will increase exports and decrease imports (currently ~50% of all Australian consumed fish). To benefit are the important regional farming operations in QLD, NSW, SA, NT, TAS and WA. In particular, the largest industry in Tasmania will profit by having a viable new species to farm (striped trumpeter) reducing risk due to climate change and global oversupply of salmon. Another important benefactor will be the rapidly expanding yellowtail kingfish industry. Read moreRead less
Alternate diets for a sustainable aquaculture industry: neuroethology of feeding in barramundi. Our unique approach to identify the sensory requirements of farmed barramundi and develop new alternative feeds will 1. Improve barramundi production by increasing growth rates, 2. Enhance acceptance and ingestion of food pellets, thereby reducing leaching of nutrients vital to the fish and detrimental to the environment, 3. Help produce formulated diets that will offer the advantages of nutritional c ....Alternate diets for a sustainable aquaculture industry: neuroethology of feeding in barramundi. Our unique approach to identify the sensory requirements of farmed barramundi and develop new alternative feeds will 1. Improve barramundi production by increasing growth rates, 2. Enhance acceptance and ingestion of food pellets, thereby reducing leaching of nutrients vital to the fish and detrimental to the environment, 3. Help produce formulated diets that will offer the advantages of nutritional consistency, storage convenience, reduced feed waste and pollution and 4. Lower costs allowing for the successful and profitable production of barramundi and potentially other finfish. Read moreRead less