GLOBAL – WorldFish has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kytos, a leader in microbial management technologies in the aquaculture and horticulture industries.
This partnership is set to accelerate research and development in aquaculture microbiomes, focusing on enhancing aquatic animal health, productivity, and food security across key regions such as Southeast Asia, India, Bangladesh, the South Pacific, and Africa.
This collaboration builds on the success of a previous partnership between WorldFish and Kytos, which began in 2021 under the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) project.
The project, titled “Aquaculture: Increasing Income, Diversifying Diets, and Empowering Women in Bangladesh and Nigeria,” laid the foundation for this expanded partnership.
Dr Rodrigue Yossa, WorldFish Director of Aquatic Food Biosciences, emphasised the partnership’s potential impact: “This partnership marks a significant step forward in our mission to transform aquatic food systems.”
He highlighted the partnership’s potential to enhance aquaculture industries’ sustainability and economic growth worldwide by leveraging Kytos’ advanced microbial management technologies.
Ruben Props, Kytos’s Chief Executive Officer, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the collaboration’s strategic nature.
“Kytos has been pivotal in advancing sustainable farming practices across more than 20 countries. This MoU lays the foundation for a strategic partnership between WorldFish and Kytos, fostering long-term collaboration and innovation. Together, we will work to implement cutting-edge technologies for aquaculture farmers worldwide.”
The MoU outlines several key objectives, including building baseline data on the microbiomes of production systems and cultured species, applying for joint research funding, and supporting collaborative projects to enhance food security and seafood safety.
The partnership will leverage advanced technologies to monitor and manage microbial populations in aquaculture systems, aiming to improve aquatic animal health and productivity.
In 2022, WorldFish and Kytos had already collaborated on similar research, particularly focusing on carp polyculture and tilapia farming systems.
These efforts provided insights into the complex interactions between microbes, farmed species, and their aquatic environments, paving the way for future interventions to boost productivity and reduce disease incidence.
Dr. Jérôme Delamare-Deboutteville, WorldFish’s aquatic health specialist, expressed optimism about the partnership, noting that Kytos’ fingerprinting technology offers valuable tools for understanding and responding to aquatic diseases.
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