Data driven genetic improvement: Max Coulter on driving the next generation of digital breeding tools at Xelect
As aquaculture breeding programmes generate ever increasing amounts of genetic, phenotypic and operational data, the ability to transform this information into actionable insights is becoming increasingly important. Digital tools help breeding teams monitor genetic progress, improve programme visibility and make better-informed decisions across the breeding cycle. To support its continued investment in digital innovation, Xelect has […]
Inside the Xelect Lab: Quality Assurance Drives Higher Genetic Returns
Aquaculture breeding programmes rely on accurate and reliable data to achieve the highest rate of genetic progress. Maintaining high-quality laboratory standards is therefore critical to selective breeding success. In Xelect’s state of the art laboratory, quality underpins every step of our laboratory workflow. Danielle MacRae, Scientific Officer at Xelect, tells us more. Why quality […]
Beyond Disease Resistance: Breeding More Resilient Aquaculture Populations
Disease outbreaks remain one of the greatest challenges facing modern aquaculture. Viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases continue to cause substantial economic losses, compromise animal welfare and threaten the sustainability of production systems worldwide. Over the past two decades, selective breeding has become one of the most effective tools available to tackle these challenges. Genetic improvement […]
Insights with Ian: Realised genetic gain in breeding programmes
In aquaculture breeding systems, genetic gain is usually achieved through a dedicated breeding nucleus composed of a relatively small number of elite animals. However, from a commercial perspective, it is the realised genetic gain in production animals that is important. The efficiency with which genetic gain is transmitted from the nucleus to production varies considerably […]
Inside the Xelect Lab: What SNP Markers Are and Why They Matter in Aquaculture?
This is the second article in our Inside the Xelect Lab series, where we take a closer look at the science behind what we do. In our first article, we introduced the lab and how it supports aquaculture genetics programmes around the world. In this article, Dr Paolo Ruggeri, Senior Scientific Officer at Xelect, takes […]
Breeding for a changing climate: how genetics is building thermal resilience in salmonids
Originally published in the May issue of Fish Farmer (pp. 64–65), this article explores how selective breeding is being used to improve thermal resilience in salmonids. Rethinking climate risk in aquaculture When aquaculture producers talk about climate-driven risk, they rarely mean temperature alone. Heat triggers a cascade of stressors: lower oxygen, reduced feeding, and elevated […]
Insights with Ian: Genomics meets aquaculture
Genomics has transformed every corner of the life sciences over the past three decades. Aquaculture has been no exception. In this Insights with Ian post, we explore how this revolution unfolded, and what it means for modern breeding programmes. A short history Our story begins with the launch of the Human Genome Project (HGP) in […]
Inside the Xelect Lab: Powering World Leading Aquaculture Genetics
At Xelect, we believe that great genetics start long before a breeding value is calculated, or a selection decision is made. Behind every dataset, every breeding programme, and every breakthrough is a team of lab specialists in molecular biology, population genetics and bioinformatics. This exceptionally dynamic team works seamlessly together to transform raw tissue samples […]
Insights with Ian: Improving Fillet Yield Through Genetic Selection
An increase in fillet yield is expected to translate into higher profit margins for fish farming enterprises selling mostly fillets. However, various technical issues make the genetic selection for the trait a challenge in breeding programmes. This may soon change with the adoption of genomic selection and artificial intelligence-based approaches to automate the quantification of […]
Driving Genetic Progress in Seabass Farming: New Milestones with Valle Ca Zuliani
Our breeding programme managers Dr José Mota-Velasco and Angel Carrasquillo recently visited with our partners at Valle Ca Zuliani, a leading European seabass juveniles provider committed to advancing high performance genetics for the Mediterranean aquaculture sector. Advancing Genetics Through Collaboration and Innovation Valle Ca Zuliani has been collaborating with Xelect since 2024, and together we’ve […]