CENTRE FOR AQUACULTURE &

VETERINARY SCIENCE

Agrotechnology Research and Services

School of Applied Science

Temasek Polytechnic

CAVS strives to provide solutions that are :

Industry relevant to meet the needs of the veterinary , agrotechnology and biomedical research industries

Individual fit by offering customised continuing learning courses for adult learners

CAVS has recently been appointed as the Technology Resource Centre for the Asia PacificEconomic Cooperation (APEC) Policy Partnership on Food Security for the sustainabledevelopment of agricultural and fishery sectors in Nov 2017.

The appointment opens up opportunities for staff from different technical domains to worktogether in innovative R&D and contract services in the area of agrotechnology.

The technical domains involved in agrotechnology projects would include :

Agrotechnology (AT), Water Technology (WT), Materials Technology (MT), Point-of-Care (POC),Biological Testing (BT) , Food and Beverage (FBT) and In Silico (IS) domains.

CENTRE FOR AQUACULTURE & VETERINARY SCIENCE

(CAVS)

The agrotechnology projects under CAVS would include projects in the areas of :

Aquaculture

Horticulture

Animal Science and Technology

CENTRE FOR AQUACULTURE & VETERINARY SCIENCE(CAVS)

Aquaculture - Innovations and Technologies

Aquaculture Nutrition

Aquaculture Health and Disease Management

Aquaculture Breeding and Seedstock

Aquaculture Culture Systems

1. Aquaculture Nutrition

Live Feed Enrichment

Biofloc

Feed additive supplement

1. Aquaculture Nutrition: Live Feed Enrichment for hatcheries (AT)

To enrich live feeds with low cost and natural ingredients to increase their fatty acid profile (e.g., omega 3 fatty acids, omega 6 fatty acids)

To optimise high density production of monospecies live feeds without cross contamination by other species/organisms and free from pathogens

1. Aquaculture Nutrition:Biofloc Technology for intensive indoor cultivation of freshwater tilapia (AT)

Biofloc technology (BFT) is based on a

more efficient use of nutrient input with

minimal or zero water exchange

Higher organic load and bacterial

population in the BFT system provide

alternative food source for the fish

Lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) in BFT

system leads to decreased feed cost

during culture

1. Aquaculture Nutrition: Culinary herbal extract as feed additive supplement (AT)

Herbal therapy using natural culinary plants is gaining popularity as a means of disease prevention. Garlic, ginger and onions were each tested for their effects on immune response and overall growth performance

Feeds incorporated with garlic increased Specific Growth Rate and lower Feed Conversion Rate as well as upregulation of lysozyme during feeding trials

1. Aquaculture Nutrition: Alternative Feeds with replacement of fish meal using insects, animal or plant based wastes (AT)

Feed formulations followed by feedmaking for feeding trials areperformed when developing feedswith fish meal substitutes or feedadditives.

Feed characteristics can also beworked out in addition to the efficacystudy in supporting growthperformance.

2. Aquaculture Health and Disease Management

Disease detection

Disease prevention

2. Aquaculture Health and Disease Management (AT)

Approach: Pathogen Detection Host Response

Detection Methods: Microscopy & staining for parasites/ fungal

morphology Microbiological Culture & Biochemical Tests Selective/differential media, API20E/NE system Immunological detection - Latex Agglutination

(LA), Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Immunofluorescence (IF) Assay

Molecular typing PPCR, RT-PCR, LAMP, RPA

2. Aquaculture Health and Disease Management LAMP assay for Pathogen Diagnosis (AT)

The loop-mediated isothermal amplification

(LAMP) assay is a molecular diagnostic

technique that can detect the presence of

pathogens through direct visualisation of the

precipitate or change in colour

The LAMP assay can be completed in 2 hrs

including sample preparation

It is highly sensitive, cost-effective and has

potential application for on-site diagnostics

LAMP has been developed to detect a number

of pathogen in aquaculture

This innovative assay comprises a customized sample extraction tool kit to concentrate the virus from fish tissue samples and iridovirus antibody from blood, and a disposable test device capable of detecting both iridovirus and iridovirus antibody in a single test in less than two hours.

Irido-OIA Kit

2. Aquaculture Health and Disease ManagementRapid On-site Detection of Iridovirus by Optical Immunoassay (AT,BT)

2. Aquaculture Health and Disease Management Development of Multiplex High Resolution Melting Assay For Shrimp Pathogen Detection (POC)

Single tube 5-plex assay for shrimp pathogens

Patent pending

Licensed out for commercial use

Technology available for meat speciation (porcine detection) and other multiplex diagnostic applications

2. Aquaculture Health and Disease ManagementVaccine Development for Disease Prevention –a) Oral vaccine against iridovirus (AT,Sara)

Development of microalgae based oral vaccineagainst iridovirus was demonstrated inexperimental fish groups. Vaccinated fishshowed significant immune response andimproved survival when challenged with lethaldose of iridovirus.

Oral vaccine has significant operationalbenefits such as mass administration,elimination of risk of injury due to handlingduring vaccination process other thanlowering vaccination cost. Further validationof oral vaccine will be performed in terms ofstability, safety, potency, booster regime andefficacy tests.

Normal pellet food Algae food

2. Aquaculture Health and Disease ManagementVaccine Development for Disease Prevention –b) Autogenous bacterial vaccines for marine aquaculture (AT)

An autogenous vaccine is an inactivated vaccine produced from bacteria or virus isolated from diseased animals of an individual farm.

A heat-killed autogenous vaccine was produced from Vibrio alginolyticus that was isolated from diseased fish collected from a local cage farm

Different routes of delivering vaccine modulated the selected immune responses of tilapia and protected them following bacterial challenge

3. Aquaculture Breeding and SeedstockMudcrab hatchery and larviculture (AT)

Mud crab hatchery is gaining importance due to depleting sources of wild caught mudcrabs of 600g or more.

Gravid females were sourced from local suppliers and brought back to Centre of Aquaculture and Veterinary Science (CAVS) where they were quarantined, acclimatised and induced to spawn.

Daily husbandry and feeding with live feeds were closely monitored.

Four episodes of spawning success and crab zoea managed to reach Z5 stage.

Gravid female crab resting in the tray of sand in preparation for spawning

Orange eggs berried onto the abdomen of the female

Crab zoea as observed under the microscope

3. Aquaculture Breeding and SeedstockTilapia hatchery and larviculture (AT)

Tilapia is a good yet cheap source of dietary protein

for the growing population

A bottleneck in the culture of this fish is the

availability of constant and disease-free seedstock

RAS system ensures that seedstock is biosecure and

free from pathogens before they are stocked to the

aquaculture facility

Preliminary trials showed production of mixed-sex

tilapia fry from a spawning pair of 1:1 or 1:2 male-

to-female ratio

4. Aquaculture Culture Systems Fine bubble (FB) technology for intensive agrotechnology(AT)

Fine bubble water was generated using a fine bubble generator

The technology could support high stocking densities and survival of Tilapia in a closed containment system

It resulted in longer roots and better plant growth.

4. Aquaculture Culture Systems Aquaponics (AT)

Aquaponics aims at growing vegetables using recycled spent fish water containing nutrients from faecal waste and uneaten feed via the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS)

Water coming from the fish tank is filtered through physical and biological processes whereby toxic ammonia is converted to nitrate by bacterial nitrification

The filtered, nutrient–rich water is then circulated to the hydroponic growing units for the plants to utilize

4. Aquaculture Culture Systems Smart Integrated System for Sustainable Aquaculture (AT,WT,IS)

Water quality monitoring in which parameters that are out of acceptable range would trigger water pump to perform some water exchange in the production pond.

Algorithm set up will collate data of water quality, feed used and number of fish per production pond (adjustment of feeding mgt so that feed wastage is reduced)

4. Aquaculture Culture Systems Development of a fish counting and morphometric monitoring device (AT,IS)

There is no such commercially available device that would enable farmers to count as well as record the shape and size of the fish other than monitoring if there are abnormalities on the body surface such as growths or fin rots or in movement changes such as flashing, rubbing against surface.

Having the device would enable the farmer to keep track of the fish stock, species differentiation or identification and morphometric changes in body surface or movement patterns, thus indirectly also monitoring fish health. This would help enhance farm biosecurity in ornamental fish farms by reducing man hrs often taken up for visual checking of fish.

Basically, the tool will use image analysis and algorithms.

4. Aquaculture Culture Systems Development of an Intelligible Solution for Sustainable Fish Feed Supply (WT)

To convert algae biomass from thetreatment of wastewater into algae-based fish feeds. Such developmentallows for the symbiotic coupling ofwaste water treatment to the productionof fish feeds, an unprecedenteddevelopment which can greatly improvethe profitability of aquaculture.

This can allow aquaculture systems to beself-sustaining with substantial savings inthe cost of fish feed.

Recirculating water

treatment

Comprehensive removal

of nitrogenous

wastes

Partial replacement of

fishmeal with algae biomass in

feeds

Filter

4. Aquaculture Culture Systems Nutritive Phytofilters for Sustainable Farming (WT)

The phytofilter consists of porous microalgae-polymer beads. It functions via the growth ofmicroalgae which assimilates the nitrogenoustoxins in the fish water during photosynthesis.

With the microalgae containment, continuouswater treatment or media flow-through isenabled while the harvesting cost ofmicroalgae is eliminated.

This phytofilter is an attractive waste-to-resource converter to generate high valuefeed supplements from the water treatmentprocess. This will boost the profitability ofsustainable aquaculture.

Nature-inspired

innovation

Engineered applications in

aquaculture

Attractive filter for enhanced

water savings in aquariums

4. Aquaculture Culture Systems PBR-based RAS for Sustainable Fish Farming (WT)

Phototrophic biofilms (PBR) are a consortium of microbial communities composed mainly of cyanobacteria, green algae, and other microorganisms.

In this project, an innovative phototrophic biofilm reactor (PBR) has been developed and used as a water treatment unit in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for raising freshwater tilapia fingerlings.

Daily tests showed that the water quality in the PBR-based RAS was well and the fish grew healthily. It also proved that PBR-based RAS can be used for low cost, and sustainable fish farming.

Fig. 2 PBR-based RAS

Fig. 1 Phototrophic biofilms under

microscope

4. Aquaculture Culture Systems Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS): Different Biofiltration Technologies for Nitrification and Denitrification (WT)

Fluidized bed bioreactor (FBR), fixed bed bioreactor (FB) and moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) in RAS.

To improve the performance of freshwater and saltwater RAS and the efficiencies of different biofiltration technologies.

Newly-designed biofiltration technology can achieve nitrification and denitrification simultaneously.

Biofiltration Unit

Fish Tank Particle Removal

4. Aquaculture Culture SystemsSelf Cleaning and Anti Fouling Coating Materials – Biofilm reduction in RAS tanks (MT,AT)

A permanent composite coating materials using advanced nanotechnology with self-cleaning and anti-fouling effects was developed.

The coating material achieved >85% improvement in photo-catalytic effects compared to current state-of-the-art Degussa TiO2 coatings, and is able to work under visible light for both indoor and outdoor applications.

Non-sprayable

commercial Ti02 coating

Proprietary sprayablecomposite

coating

Mud Field Trials (self cleaning effects after 3 weeks)

Coated

sample

Uncoated

sample

>70% improvement in anti-fouling effect

2. Horticulture - Innovations and Technologies

Olericulture

Floriculture

2. Horticulture Innovations and Technologies : OlericultureDevelopment of an innovative soilless medium for improving taste of Chinese leafy vegetables (AT,MT,FT)

With the limited arable land space available for local agrotechnologyfarming, there is a need for developing a novel soilless medium that could support plant growth and taste of Chinese leafy vegetables under intensive farming conditions.

The multidisciplinary team comprises staff with expertise from the Agrotechnology, Water Technology and Food & Beverage Technology Domains.

2. Horticulture Innovations and Technologies : OlericultureOrganic fertilizer supplement for vegetables (AT)

Efficacy of seaweed liquid extracts as organic fertilizer supplement for leafy vegetables (spinach) using hydroponics and soil-based cultivation

Soil-based potted plant culture trials of SLE for Spinach at harvest (Left to right;control (0%), 2.5% SLE, 5% SLE, 7.5% SLE, 10% SLE, 15% SLE)

2. Horticulture Innovations and Technologies : OlericultureCustomized Artificial Lighting for Indoor Farming (AT)

Wavelength in

nanometers • Modulating leafy vegetables, herbs for urbanintensive farming systems – soil based, hydroponics,aeroponics & aquaponics

• Enhancing biomass – increased leaf size, number ofleaves, leaf area per plant

• Inducing disease and pest resistance

• Increasing nutritional content of economicallyimportant crops

microwav

es

Visible light

Infrared

wavesRadio

wavesX rays

Ultraviol

et light

Violet BlueBlue -

GreenGreens Yellow Orange Red

380-430 430-470 470-500 500-560 560-600 600-650 650-780

Increasing wavelength in nanometers

Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)

<1 1-15 100-380 780-2500 2600-100000

2. Horticulture Innovations and Technologies : OlericultureDevelopment of Natural Fertilizer (POC)

2. Horticulture Innovations and Technologies : OlericultureSynthetic Biology [CRISPR cas System – Reprogramming Biological Systems] (POC)

Synthetic Gene Network

Input Output

Industrial Applications

Algae, biofuels & high value

chemicals, biomaterials

Agrotechnology

Urban farming,

agriculture,

aquaculture, sensing &

remediation

Diagnostics and Point of care

Microbes, ecological monitoring,

medicines, new antimicrobials

Agrotechnology:

CRISPR cas modulated

leafy vegetables

Enhanced biomass

Disease and pest

resistance

High nutritional value

Point of care:

Modulate Geobacillus

stearothermophilus

Enzymes

Biofertlizers

Sensors, healthcare

DNA free gene editing

2. Horticulture Innovations and Technologies: FloricultureTemasek Polytechnic Horticulture Services Facility (AT)

The Temasek Polytechnic Horticulture Services Facility is currently the only facility that provides services such as orchid seed pod germination , plantlet tissue culture and seedling production to orchid hobbyists and organizations in the floriculture industry.

With a well-equipped plant tissue culture facility, orchid plantlet tissue culture services actually started in late 2005. Requests for similar services had also been received for costus, ginger and ornamental aquatic plantlets since 2006.

All plant tissue culture work is performed under stringent aseptic conditions and Standard Operating Procedures by a team of experienced staff.

3. Animal Science – Innovations and Technologies

Product Evaluation

Animal Model Development

Lack of all-natural products that effectively promote hair growth.

All-natural hair care products that effectively promote hair growth.

Formulation of stable all-natural hair care products

Quality & product stability evaluation

Efficacy and safety testing in animal model of alopecia-induced hair loss in mice

3. Animal Science – Innovations and Technologies Product Evaluation : Development and Testing of All-Natural Hair Growth Products (Biologics, BT)