As part of the reorganization of agricultural processes, the generation of animal based products is relying on digital metadata for smart farming approaches. In this context, the monitoring of animal welfare and animal health is receiving increasing attention. This also applies to fish aquaculture. Animals kept by humans only perform well if they are healthy and feel well. Understanding genomes, genetics, molecular biology, immune system and health of a fish species helps to find optimal husbandry conditions and is therefore essential for fish breeding in aquaculture.

The Chair of Molecular Biology and Fish Genetics provides students in the Masters program in Aquaculture with the relevant expertise on the structure and function of fish genomes and on cellular aspects of trait inheritance. Based on application-oriented examples of fish aquaculture, we sensitize students to reflect on and understand the influence and benefits of molecular, genetic, breeding, and reproductive biology approaches in fish aquaculture on animal welfare, animal health, and production performance.

We further focus the students' view towards animal health and teach the molecular signaling cascades of the immune system in fish, their mechanisms and regulation in relation to pathogen and husbandry stress in different aquaculture systems. In this context, students will also gain insight into fish immunology and pathology as well as disease control in aquaculture.

In the context of a research-oriented molecular biology practical course, students will be able to perform monitoring on fish themselves based on phenotypic and molecular indicators. In parallel, we offer students the opportunity to present and discuss the latest applied and basic research-oriented findings on molecular biology and genetic aquaculture topics.