Bioinformatic modelling of the impact of probiotic supplementation on microbiomes of breeding ponds and of digestive tract of the Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

investigators: J. Szyda, T. Suchocki, D. Słomian

Bioinformatic modelling of the impact of probiotic supplementation on microbiomes of breeding ponds and of digestive tract of the Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

In recent years, there is great interest in the use of effective microorganisms as probiotic supplementation in aquaculture in order to improve water quality, inhibit pathogens and promote growth of farmed fish. The use of probiotics, which control pathogens through a variety of mechanisms is viewed as an alternative to antibiotics and has become a major field in the development of aquaculture. Considering the potential benefits of adding probiotics, many farmers have recently been using commercially available products in their fish farms.

Although the practical efficacy of probiotic products in aquaculture has been extensively studied, there is shortage of research related to practical, on-farm (i.e. not experimental) application of probiotic products in the Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) breeding. Especially when probiotics are implemented as a mixture of effective microorganism communities and not as a particular bacteria species.

Having the above in mind, the general goal of the project is to assess the dynamics of water, sediment and fish intestinal microbiota diversity as well as the differences in water metatranscriptome compositions in earthen ponds, which express practical fish breeding conditions. The two major factors potentially influencing the dynamics that are considered in the project are (i) the probiotic supplementation of water and (ii) the probiotic supplementation of feed.