Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing food production sectors worldwide, but infectious diseases and emerging pollutants still represent major challenges for its sustainability. This project aims to develop innovative in vitro models for fish health research, focusing on key species for Mediterranean aquaculture, including gilthead seabream, European sea bass, and rainbow trout. The project activities will include the characterization of fish cell lines, the development of a novel enterocyte cell line from European sea bass, and the establishment of in vitro models to investigate the interaction between microplastics and viral infections in fish. The project combines cellular biology, virology, and molecular biology approaches and will contribute to the development of alternative methods to animal experimentation in accordance with the 3R principles. Research activities will be carried out in collaboration with national and international academic and industrial partners specialized in fish cell culture and aquatic animal health research.
During the first year, the PhD candidate will acquire advanced skills in fish cell culture, molecular biology, and virology techniques applied to aquatic animal health research. Initial activities will focus on the molecular and morphological characterization of the seabream SBL cell line through gene expression analyses, immunofluorescence, and western blotting assays. In parallel, tissue sampling and isolation of primary intestinal cell cultures from European sea bass will be initiated to develop a novel continuous enterocyte cell line. The PhD candidate will also contribute to the establishment of in vitro experimental models aimed at investigating the effects of microplastics and viral infections on fish cells. Training periods at national and international partner institutions are planned during the PhD course, with particular emphasis on advanced methodologies for cell characterization and differentiation of fish enterocytes.