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Running from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027, the initiative is funded through an innovation project in industry (IPN) grant of NOK 10 million from the Norwegian Research Council. The project, formally titled “Enhancing cellular immune response genetics for Atlantic salmon host-resistance to sea lice”, builds on insights from the earlier CrispResist project, which studied and identified cellular and genetic mechanisms behind the strong sea lice resistance observed in Pacific salmon species. These species have cellular and genetic mechanisms that either allow them to sustain lower lice attachment success or to reject and kill lice within the first 14 days of infection. One potential application of these results is to use gene editing to develop the genetic resistance trait in Atlantic salmon, which remains a medium- and long-term focus.
The new project focuses on developing new lice-resistance phenotypes for selective breeding to enable Atlantic salmon to better respond to sea lice infestations. This will be achieved through improved understanding of variation in cellular immune responses among individual Atlantic salmon, determining whether these responses are heritable, and assessing how they correlate with sea lice levels and other key production traits. The project will also develop high-throughput biopsy and profiling methods suitable for use in commercial breeding programs and model the potential genetic gains achievable under different breeding strategies.
The total project budget is NOK 10 million, with Benchmark Genetics contributing significant in-kind resources, including access to samples from sea lice challenge tests in Iceland, large-scale genotyping, and expertise from its global genetics team. Nofima is contributing expertise in immune cell function and profiling at sea lice attachment sites, and in developing high-throughput methods for performing biopsies to implement this in Benchmark Genetics' salmon breeding programs.
“LuseLess represents a shift from managing sea lice to breeding fish that are inherently better equipped to resist them,” said Serap Gonen, salmon genomics lead at Benchmark Genetics, in a press release. “By combining advanced genetics with immune biology, we aim to deliver durable improvements in sea lice resistance that can be implemented at scale.”
Nick Robinson, senior research scientist at Nofima, highlighted the scientific ambition of the collaboration.
“This project allows us to translate detailed knowledge of immune cell function into practical tools for selective breeding,” said Robinson. “The combination of cutting-edge immunology and industrial breeding expertise makes LuseLess particularly well positioned to deliver real impact for the industry.”
The project further reinforces Benchmark Genetics’ commitment to research-driven selective breeding, translating immune biology into practical genetic improvements to support fish welfare and sustainable Atlantic salmon production.
