Polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism (University of Stirling)

Fish oils have a variable supply and it is forecast that the demand for fish oils will exceed the supply in the near future. In Stirling the research focus is on the genes controlling synthesis of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA). The ability of Atlantic salmon to synthesise HUFA is of increasing importance as the supply of fish oils comes under greater pressure, due to the decline in fish stocks that supply the oils. If the molecular genetic control of HUFA synthesis could be elucidated, it may be possible to improve their ability to synthesise HUFAs from non fish sources.
Genes will be identified in the liver of salmon that respond differentially to fish being fed diets where the HUFA content varies. These cDNAs will be printed onto the common salmon cDNA microarray.

Partners: University of Stirling, University of Aberdeen, Cardiff University

Site maintained by Sam Martin, University of Aberdeen