In this project, INRA, the main institute for agronomic research in France, puts forward three installations for TNA.
1) PEIMA is the main salmonid experimental station in France, and one of the largest in Europe, and is dedicated to all kinds of studies on mainly trout genetics and physiology, and interaction between those;
2) INRA St Pée Infrastructure which is a unique set of installations devoted to nutrition research in freshwater salmonids;
3) INRA-IERP (Fish Infectiology Platform) is the INRA experimental facility dedicated to fish infectiology. INRA has internationally-recognized teams in fish physiology, genetics, nutrition and pathology (>400 peer-reviewed papers in the last 5 years) which will be involved in the networking and joint research activities.
Name of the infrastructure: INRA-IERP (Fish Infectiology Platform)
Location: Jouy-en-Josas, FRANCE
Website address: www.inra.fr/experimentation_sante_animale/Les-unites-experimentales
Contact: Bernard CAYRON
Facilities
IINRA-IERP is the INRA experimental facility dedicated to fish infectiology. It supports a number of long term research studies on fish pathology, immunology, implementation of vaccines and genetic resistance/susceptibility to diseases. EOPS fish (rainbow trout and carp) is produced in the ‘clean' area, for usage in infectious challenges. Trout are from controlled genetic origins, i.e. a standard population (INRA reference strain) and isogenic lines from INRA-PEIMA (collaboration agreement) with contrasted resistance to a range of pathogens. IERP has access to stable inbred carp families from WU. The fish installation (1000m²) consists in rooms for breeding pathogen free fishes with 4 RAS, 344 incubators or 86 aquaria, 18 tanks of 200l. The infectiology part has 104 aquariums in recycled or flow-through water, 14 tanks of 300 l in recycling or in lost water. A number of animal genetic origin, age, route of inoculation, water quality, etc. are available.
Services currently offered by the infrastructure
The experimental facility produces and supplies specific animals (population, families, isogenic lines) of rainbow trout and carp with specific sanitary status and realizes experimental infections using injection or immersion. Pathogenic agents studied include most classical and emerging viruses and bacteria (trout: VHSV, IHNV, ISAV, Alpha virus SDV and SPDV, Flavobacterium psychrophilum; carp: SVCV). Experiments are performed with the expertise of INRA labs Molecular Virology and Immunology (VIM) and Animal Genetics and Integrative Biology (GABI). The facility was part of the FP7 I3 project NADIR.
Technical support for daily experimental work and technical help for samplings will be provided to all users. For specific needs, INRA scientists using the infrastructures (genetics, nutrition, physiology, pathology) will assist users for experimental design and data interpretation.
Modality of access
Each user is expected to stay 5 weeks at the infrastructure with the provision of 1 circuit (12 tanks of 15l or one tank of 300l) with appropriate fish (max 600 fish of 5 g, tagged if requested). Procedures will include inoculation with pathogen, recording of mortalities and termination of experiment by euthanasia, with subsequent necropsy, sample collection (blood, fins), decontamination and biosafety. Advanced sampling and monitoring and use of isogenic lines should be agreed in advance.
Access includes advice on experimental design, fish lines supply, daily maintenance and measurements, routine sampling and biometric measurements, conservation of samples, provision of monitoring data, and access to an office with internet communication.
Unit of Access
Units of access are circuit.week. There are a total of 20 units of access available and an expectation that each trial will use 5.