Aquaculture for all

Scottish aquaculture now has access to new molecular biology lab

Salmonids Biotechnology Diagnostics +3 more

Pharmaq Analytiq Scotland, which acquired Fish Vet Group in 2021, has announced the opening of a dedicated molecular biology laboratory.

Three people sanding outside a new office building
Left to right: Angela Ashby, head of clinical services, Pharmaq Analytiq Scotland; Ruaraidh MacNeil, director of business infrastructure, Highlands and Islands Enterprise; and Chris Matthews, business unit director UK & Ireland, Pharmaq Analytiq Scotland

The new laboratory, which is located at Solasta House on Inverness Campus, complements the company's existing digital pathology, microbiology and environmental laboratories.

“Raising healthy fish to meet the demands of our growing global population while respecting the environment is critical for a healthier, more sustainable future. Innovative fish health management tools, across the continuum of care and including vaccines and diagnostic testing, will help us better meet the needs of our customers. We are excited to strengthen our diagnostic operations in Scotland,” said Chris Matthews, who heads the company’s UK and Ireland business unit, in a press release.

“This new opening will create three new highly skilled positions in Inverness and deliver an improved service for our customers worldwide. High quality, rapid molecular techniques including PCR are at the centre of preventative health work in aquaculture but are also now finding application in how we monitor the surrounding environment or even the resilience of farms against the effects of climate change,” he added.

“This investment marks the beginning of a new and exciting period for our operations in Scotland,” said Nils Arne Grønlie, general manager of Pharmaq Analytiq. “The laboratory completes the range of services delivered entirely in-country, and we intend now to further develop our infrastructure in Inverness.”

“The heart of our business will always be the veterinary diagnosticians, pathologists and scientists which make up our team,” Grønlie adds. “Yet monitoring the health of fish and their environment will look different in ten years and together with R&D colleagues at Zoetis we are at work on the next generation of monitoring tools which will further evolve how preventative health programmes are approached in Scotland and elsewhere.”

Create an account now to keep reading

It'll only take a second and we'll take you right back to what you were reading. The best part? It's free.

Already have an account? Sign in here