Dr Albert Caballero Solares

My research focuses on generating knowledge and tools to accelerate the development of novel, sustainable, growth and health-promoting feeds for fish aquaculture. My PhD work (University of Barcelona; 2009-2015) has contributed to improving our understanding of carbohydrate and protein metabolism in gilthead seabream and European seabass using molecular (e.g., gene silencing) and dietary (experimental feeds) approaches. These results provided insights into feed formulations that optimise dietary protein retention, thus reducing nitrogenous waste release into the environment, and enhancing growth in these important fish species for Mediterranean aquaculture. During my postdoctoral research (Memorial University; 2015-2023), I evaluated sustainable sources of nutrients and additives to support growth and health in farmed Atlantic salmon by integrating transcriptomics (e.g., microarrays) with fish production-relevant results (e.g., growth, fillet lipid composition). My findings indicate that the dietary replacement of marine ingredients with terrestrial alternatives has physiological effects applicable to disease control in salmon aquaculture. I also characterised the gene expression response of salmon to poorly studied infectious diseases and co-infection, a crucial first step towards developing infection/disease mitigation strategies. Now, as lecturer in aquaculture nutrition, I continue to build on this work to help the aquaculture industry grow sustainably to satisfy the food demand of a growing human population while ensuring fish health and welfare

My research interests focus on generating knowledge and tools to accelerate the development of novel sustainable growth and health-promoting feeds for fish aquaculture.