New lab will deliver faster results to Scottish farms using PCR to safeguard the health of fish populations.
Following from the acquisition of Fish Vet Group last year, PHARMAQ Analytiq Scotland has announced the opening of a dedicated molecular biology laboratory at Solasta House on Inverness Campus.
The new laboratory complements the existing digital pathology, microbiology and environmental laboratories already in Inverness and will deliver faster results to Scottish farms using PCR to safeguard the health of fish populations.
Inverness Campus, developed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and opened in 2015 as a world-class location for the life sciences and technology sectors and represents a growing hub for aquaculture service, research and development activity.
Chris Matthews, PHARMAQ Analytiq’s Business Unit Director in the UK and Ireland explained, “Raising healthy fish to meet the demands of our growing global population while respecting the environment is critical for a healthier, more sustainable future.”
“Innovative fish health management tools, across the continuum of care and including vaccines and diagnostic testing, will help us better meet the needs of our customers. We are excited to strengthen our diagnostic operations in Scotland. This new opening will create three new highly skilled positions in Inverness and deliver an improved service for our customers worldwide.”
Matthews continued, “High quality, rapid molecular techniques including PCR are at the centre of preventative health work in aquaculture but are also now finding application in how we monitor the surrounding environment or even the resilience of farms against the effects of climate change.”
Nils Arne Grønlie, General Manager of PHARMAQ Analytiq added, “This investment marks the beginning of a new and exciting period for our operations in Scotland. The laboratory completes the range of services delivered entirely in-country, and we intend now to further develop our infrastructure in Inverness.”
“The heart of our business will always be the veterinary diagnosticians, pathologists and scientists which make up our team,” Grønlie adds. “Yet monitoring the health of fish and their environment will look different in ten years and together with R&D colleagues at Zoetis we are at work on the next generation of monitoring tools which will further evolve how preventative health programmes are approached in Scotland and elsewhere.”
