Sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) are major pathogens of farmed and wild salmonids. The sea lice affect salmonids negatively by feeding on the mucus, skin, and blood. The farming industry depends strongly on pesticides to control lice infestations. Although these treatments are effective, lice populations develop reduced sensitivity over time, and the lifetime of each pesticide is therefore limited. In addition to this, chemical treatments also release residue compounds to the environment. An effective vaccine against sea lice would be a powerful tool to reduce the need for chemical treatments in the industry, and thus increase the control of the problem.

This project combines the latest advances in sequencing, bioinformatics and formulation technology, with high-throughput in vivo screening in already established sea lice challenge models. This approach secures that a high number of candidate antigens (50-100) are screened based on highly relevant properties for a vaccine, such as immunogenicity and actual efficacy in reducing lice infestations. The number of antigens that are screened for efficacy significantly exceeds previous vaccine development studies, and is key for success in identification of a truly protective antigen.

The project brings together Norwegian and International research environments with global state-of the art expertise in the fields of sea lice, ectoparasite vaccines and fish vaccines. A significant investment in human resources and new technologies is essential for bringing a sea lice vaccine to the market. The project risks and the need to draw in external expertise is why PHARMAQ request for support from the Research Council.

Project manager

Søren Grove

Partners

• PHARMAQ AS (Zoetis)
• Marine Research Institute
• University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)