Research | CAI Aquatic Health Lab Wenlong

RESEARCH PROJECTS

developed through vigorous biosecurity measures in early life stage and vaccination during the fingering period. Our research focuses on immune investigation and vaccine development, including live-attenuated and subunit vaccines, to combat major bacterial and parasitic diseases. In addition, advancements in artificial intelligence are transforming the aquaculture industry. To meet the growing needs of our industry partners, we are developing an AI-driven, computer vision-based early warning system for fish disease detection, enhancing proactive health management in aquaculture.

Fish health management

With the global human population projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, ensuring a sustainable protein supply is critical. Given the limitation of land-based food production, aquaculture has the potential to bridge the protein gap. However, disease outbreaks remain one of the biggest challenges, accounting for an estimated 21% of economic losses in the industry. At Cai lab, we believe that maintaining fish health requires both a well-managed culture environment and high-quality fish stocks. As a sustainable and cost-effective approach, superior fish seeds can be

Flavobacterium research

Flavobacterium columnare has been a long-standing research focus in our lab. F. columnare is the causative agent of columnare disease that affects many freshwater fish species worldwide. This bacterium attaches to the fish, leads to lesions and ulcers, and causes a mortality rate of 90% in fish fry and up to 60% in adult catfish. During the past years, we have conducted extensive research on this bacterial pathogen, including but not limited to, biofilm formation, virulence factors, development of live-attenuated vaccines, and host-pathogen interactions.

Sustainable Aquaculture and Selective Breeding

Loated in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, CityU provides an perfect platform for selective breeding research. Succesful selective breeding relies on access to diverse, high-quality fish stock. With the support of the Great Bay Area and the unique "One country, two systems" framework, Hong Kong serves as a stratefic hub for fish seeds development and breeding research. It is streamlined import regulations, efficient international shipping network, and access to the vast South Asian market, including the biggest aquaculture section of mainland China, offer unparalleled advantages for advancing this field. We develop AI-based tools to boost aquaculture efficiency and harvest the genomics power (GWAS and Genomic selection) to guide our disease-resistant breeding for the fish species of economic importance. We are closely working with the key industrial partners to solve the emerging challenges and generate impactful translational knowledge.

Microplastic and Environmental Health

Nanoplastic pollution in the marine environment has become a growing concern and has a significant impact on marine ecosystems. Despite the extensive studies on microplastics, the study on nanoplastic accumulation and toxicity to marine fish under elevated temperatures is not well understood yet. In this study, we aim to decipher the route of absorption for nanoplastics in marine fish, and evaluate its bioaccumulation and cytotoxicity under elevated temperature using histological, transcriptomic and biochemical approaches. In addition, to explore the remediation method, we aim to construct an engineered bacteria that has high efficiency in microplastic degradation.