CrispResist

The project “Harnessing cross-species variation in sea lice resistance” (CrispResist) is lead by Nofima AS and is financed by FHF for the period from 2020 to 2025. The project aims to obtain knowledge about underlying mechanisms for species-independent variation in host-resistance to salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis), and to use this knowledge to strengthen resistance in Atlantic salmon.

Researchers at SLRC were incorporated into the project autumn 2022 to add more knowledge about the salmon louse’s ability to dampen immune responses to the project. Specifically, they will produce immunomodulating proteins salivary gland proteins that can suppress the salmon's immune response and do functional studies as to depict their specific function. This will enable a better prediction of which gene edits could be done that will not be overrun by the immune dampening proteins from salmon louse.