The components of service offered vary with the nature and sophistication of the breeding programme required by the customer.
The design of the breeding programme differs depending on whether artificial fertilisation or natural spawning is used.
Our laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art genotyping platforms and DNA sequencing capabilities.
Xelect supports classical family selection, group spawning, and various types of genetic marker based selection including genomic selection.
Our computer programmers have developed bespoke software and bioinformatic pipelines to efficiently move information between genotyping platforms, genetic software programs, reports, and databases in order to offer a cost-effective and reliable service to our customers.
Data security and complete commercial confidentiality are of paramount importance to us.
Functional genetic markers
We have a patent (EP2766494B1) on two SNPs which can select up to 3.6% higher fillet yield in Atlantic Salmon than unselected fish. We have discovered three genetic loci which are responsible for most of the three-fold variation in muscle fibre number in the fillet of harvest-sized salmon.
A high fibre number, and hence density, allows fast growth without compromising flesh quality. Consumers prefer salmon with a high fibre density due to the associated firm texture and lack of postmortem gaping (unsightly tears in the fillet that appear post-mortem).
Our muscle fibre number (FN) markers have been technically validated in large scale trials with a major salmon producer. Selection markers for yield and flesh quality are available for licensing. These markers can be incorporated into the SNP and haplotype panels we use for parentage assignment at marginal additional cost.
Hatchery Management Software
We have developed proprietary software for group spawning species called Opti-Mate. The software considers genetic and non-genetic (sex ratio, photoperiod, biomass) factors to optimally distribute broodstock among tanks at the level of the entire hatchery to produce high performing larvae whilst controlling inbreeding.
Opti-Mate facilitates the selective breeding of group-spawning species by solving the complex problems of batch re-organisation.
Opti-Mate in action
Opti-Mate uses sophisticated evolutionary algorithms to deduce the most efficient mating design. It is particularly useful for re-organising batch spawning species to reduce overall relatedness across multiple breeding tanks.
Learn how we help our global network of clients with their Breeding Programmes
