The sustained growth of Brazilian aquaculture, together with the arrival of relevant stakeholders and the professionalization experienced by numerous service providers in this productive sector, has led the Chilean biotechnology company Pathovet to enter the Brazilian market.
After eight years of experience in the Chilean salmon industry, Pathovet will start operating its subsidiary, Pathovet do Brazil, in November in Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, initially offering laboratory diagnostic services for the detection of pathogens, as well as quantitative and predictive biological indicators regarding the response of fish when interacting with pathogens and the environment.
In the short term, the company will provide services such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), histology and microbiology, and, in the medium term, hematology, blood biochemistry, genomics and functional proteomics, to evaluate the pathophysiological response of the fish.
“At the same time, we will provide services for the design and execution of experimental trials under controlled conditions. This biotechnological base will allow us to position a platform of technical support services, such as consulting, design of strategies for sanitary management, addressing other species of fish and shrimp, among others,” explained the technical director of Pathovet do Brasil, Miguel Fernandez.
The company is also establishing a scientific cooperation agreement with the São Paulo Fisheries Institute, linked to the Agência Paulista de Tecnologias do Agronegócio (APTA) from the Secretary of Agriculture and Supply of the State of São Paulo. “The objective of this collaborative work is to establish solid cooperation between both parties to accelerate the development of applied research in epidemiology and fish pathology in Brazil, generating faster responses for the productive sector,” said Fernandez.
Investments and expectations
As part of the market entry, the company leveraged $500,000 to contribute to the professionalization of the diagnostic techniques used in tilapia, through the project “Pathovet BR: Prototype of biotechnological services to evaluate the phenotypic response of tilapia in culture.” The project will develop and commercially validate services based on the application of quantitative and predictive phenotypic (histoscores) and transcriptomic (RT-qPCR) indicators for the evaluation of the physiological, immunological and sexing after handling for sexual reversion of tilapia in culture. This proposal would complement the pathogen detection services for disease surveillance that Pathovet will provide in Brazil and would be aimed at those companies that wish to minimize losses associated with infectious and non-infectious causes, reducing the consumption of antibiotics, increasing the biomass produced and maximizing return on sales.
The company aims to become the leading biotechnological services company in the Brazilian aquaculture market.
