Delegates from five countries have attended a fish histopathology workshop at IMAS in Launceston to learn how to study diseases and disease processes by microscopic examination of preserved tissue samples.
Hosted by Professor Barbara Nowak, the four-day intensive program attracted delegates from the UK, Spain, Vietnam, New Zealand and Australia.
Professor Nowak said the program catered for a range of skill levels, from beginners to those with an advanced understanding of fish histopathology.
“Fish histopathology is a vital field of research because it is essential for aquatic animal health, including disease diagnosis and understanding host-pathogen interaction. It has also been successfully used to determine effects of pollution on fish," Prof Nowak said.
Participants were educated on a range of subjects, including the use of histology in aquatic animal health; aquaculture; processing samples; and fish histopathology.
The workshop was also a great networking opportunity for industry and research professionals in the broader marine environment sector, and included a poster competition for PhD students sponsored by the Australian Society for Parasitology.
IMAS PhD candidate Jessica Johnson-Mackinnon took top honours with her poster “Geographical isolates of Neoparamoeba perurans from Amoebic Gill Disease outbreaks worldwide”.