Aquaculture faces one of its greatest challenges: reducing the reliance on fishmeal in feeds and replacing it with plant-based ingredients. While these contribute to sustainability, they also contain compounds that are difficult for fish to digest, potentially compromising gut health, immune function and growth performance. Developing effective strategies to overcome these limitations is essential for the future of global aquaculture and for meeting the growing demand for healthy seafood.
Against this backdrop, young researcher Paolo Guttuso, a PhD student at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) and the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, has been awarded the prize for Best Student e-Poster at the international conference Aquaculture Europe 2025, held in Valencia last week.
His study, “Sporeforming bacteria as a probiotic in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Effects on gut health and functionality”, tested a spore-farming Bacillus strain with enzyme activity capable of breaking down plant polysaccharides. Over an 11-week trial, and multiple physiological indicators were measured to assess gut health.
The results showed no negative impacts on intestinal function, but did reveal an interesting modulation of the immune system: a reduction in the anti-inflammatory marker il-10, without triggering inflammatory processes. This finding suggests that such probiotics may help fish adapt better to sustainable plant-based diets.
The award highlights no only the scientific value of the work but also the promise of young researchers contributing solutions for a more sustainable aquaculture industry.
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