PetrSU Scientists Are Developing a Method for Testing the Quality of Fish Feed

A project by young scientists at PetrSU, "Development and Implementation of a PCR Analysis Method for Detecting Adulterated Components in Fish Feed," was one of the winners of the grant competition awarded by the Head of the Republic of Karelia.

Maria Startseva, a third-year student at the Institute of Biology, Ecology, and Agricultural Technology, spoke about the research project:

“We are developing a method based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This is essentially a laboratory experiment: DNA is extracted from a small sample of feed, then a special device and reagents are used to determine whether the feed contains foreign components. The entire process takes several hours.

− What is the essence of your research?

“Sometimes feed manufacturers replace the declared expensive ingredients with cheaper ones, such as soy. This may not be noticeable, but fish fed this feed experience poor growth and may become ill. Our method allows us to determine at the DNA level whether the feed components correspond to what is stated on the packaging.

− What is the relevance of your project?

“Aquaculture in Karelia is developing, with farmers raising rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon, and whitefish. Feed is expensive, and counterfeiting is detrimental to farms. Fish are not receiving adequate nutrition, which impacts their health and growth. Ultimately, this also affects the quality of the fish delivered to consumers. Our method enables rapid and reliable feed testing, thereby protecting business interests, fish welfare, and human health.

− Where could the method you're developing be applied in practice?

“At feed factories for internal product quality control, at fish farms during feed acceptance, and in laboratories for independent testing.

− You've won a grant. What are your plans and prospects?

“By March 2027, we have several key milestones to achieve: developing a PCR method that will simultaneously detect various types of counterfeiting and creating a database of DNA profiles of typical counterfeits. This will make it possible to automate analysis and quickly identify counterfeit products in new samples.

And most importantly, implement the developed method directly in Karelia, at local fish farms and feed factories.

In the future, we see potential for our method to become one of the feed quality control standards in Russian aquaculture. Commercialization is also possible.

− Tell us about your team.

“All project participants are students from the Institute of Biology, Ecology, and Agricultural Technology at Petrozavodsk State University. We work with molecular methods to solve problems in aquaculture. For students, this is valuable experience participating in a real-world applied research project.

− What do you see yourself doing after graduating? Do you plan to continue pursuing a career in science?

“I am interested in both laboratory research and practical work on fish farms. I'd like to find a balance between these areas: applying scientific approaches to real-world production and, in turn, basing my research on practical industry challenges. Therefore, yes, I plan to continue my scientific work, but in close connection with production.

Project leader, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Animal Science, Fish Farming, Agronomy, and Land Management T.A. Poyarkova:

“The project's innovation lies in its use of molecular genetic methods to identify adulteration and impurities in fish feed. PCR is currently used to diagnose diseases, search for productivity genes, and determine the origin of fish, and we are adapting PCR for feed testing.