A decade of delivering for our customers – Xelect celebrates 10th Birthday
This year Xelect has reached a major milestone, celebrating 10 years of supporting the aquaculture industry with advanced genetics services. The company started as a spin-out from the University of St Andrews, gradually evolving from a small office at the Scottish Oceans Institute to a large, custom-built, state-of-the-art laboratory. Xelect was founded by then Director […]
Xelect receives UK Government award for export success
We’re pleased to announce that Xelect has been recognised in the inaugural “Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards”, which celebrate outstanding examples of UK small businesses exporting around the world. Xelect was one of 3 Agriculture, Food and Drink companies awarded ‘highly commended’ status by the UK government, alongside Fever Tree Drinks […]
Dr Rachael Wilbourn – Top 10 Under 40 Winner
Last week we received the welcome news that Rachael, our Head of Laboratory, was selected as one of Hatchery International’s “Top 10 Under 40” winners. The Awards honour the world’s up-and-coming hatchery professionals. We’re delighted by the award but not surprised – Rachael and our entire laboratory team are at the heart of everything we […]
Kames and Xelect announce strategic genetics partnership
For 50 years Kames Fish Farming have grown premium Steelhead trout in the pristine, idyllic sea lochs of the Inner Hebrides. As the oldest family-run fish farm in Scotland, their goal is to create a truly superior product and they recently collected the Best Company Award at the Aquaculture Awards. This month, Kames and Xelect […]
Xelect and Australis trial showcases targeted improvements in feed efficiency with genetics
For the vast majority of aquaculture producers, feed is typically the largest single expense – often representing over two thirds of total production costs. With feed costs rising sharply, progressive producers are taking steps to enhance competitiveness by finding innovative ways to improve feed conversion efficiency. Vietnam based barramundi pioneers Australis Aquaculture have been running […]
The latest from the Lab: doubling our genotyping capacity
There’s never a quiet day in our laboratory, with samples arriving every day from customers all over the world. However, there’s one package in particular that we’ve been looking forward to. This week we’ve taken delivery of our second new Illumina MiSeq ™ genetic sequencer. This welcome addition to our custom-built facility allows us to […]
Pioneering Partnership between Martec and Xelect
First commercial Spotted Rose Snapper genetic programme now underway Martec (a leading player in Central American aquaculture) and independent genetics experts Xelect have recently announced a new partnership to create the first large-scale genetic breeding programme for Spotted Rose Snapper (Lutjanus guttatus). Martec are a fully integrated, BAP Certified producer, based in the tropical paradise […]
Xelect, De Heus and Fresh Studio announce partnership for sustainable aquaculture in Myanmar
Xelect is delighted to be working with Fresh Studio and De Heus in Myanmar as the genetics partner in a major new initiative to boost food security in the region. The Powering Aquaculture Progress project is a 5-year public private initiative to modernise the aquaculture industry. Fresh Studio and Xelect, with funding from animal feed […]
Partnership between Xelect and Orkney Shellfish Hatchery leads to innovative DNA test for Bonamia
A partnership between two of the most progressive aquaculture companies in Scotland has borne fruit with the successful development of an innovative new DNA-based method of detecting the pathogen Bonamia in European Flat Oysters. Orkney Shellfish Hatchery is a state-of-the-art aquaculture hatchery specialising in premium, disease free shellfish products for aquaculture and restoration projects. The […]
Looking back, thinking ahead
2020 has been a memorable year for many of the wrong reasons. But we believe the challenges have made us stronger, and more agile. Fish Farming Expert asked our CMO, Chris Wallard, to share his thoughts on the year gone by, and what to expect in 2021.